An Oral History on The LA Angels Rotation Being An All-Time Worst Group

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The LA Angels have been haunted by poor pitching for years now, especially in the rotation.

That has reached a new low this year, with the LA Angels set to become the first team in the history of the MLB without a single pitcher meeting the 100 innings pitched threshold. This was all but confirmed last week when Griffin Canning was shut down for the season.

Part of this was all by design: the Angels knew going into the season their rotation was the weakest link. So they gathered an exceptional offense, an elite bullpen (when not overused), and used as much strategy and planning as they could to help their rotation be as efficient as possible.

But there are some things you just can’t plan for.

Now, we’ll look at how the Angels got here, through bad contracts, injuries, and tragedy.

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Felix Peña (96.1 IP)

When It Was Right: Peña was arguably the best pitcher for the Angels all year. He was apart of the most memorable night of the season. We all remember it, Peña pitched the majority of the combined no-hitter in the team’s first home game after Tyler Skaggs sudden death. After a rough start to the year, he slowly began proving himself as a major bonus to the Angels’ rotation.

Where It Went Wrong: In a fluke incident reminiscent of Garrett Richards in 2014, Peña was covering first base on a ground ball and had an awkward landing. It was later confirmed Peña tore his ACL, and his season was over. Obviously he was closest Halo to reach the 100 innings mark, and surely would have in his next start, but now the focus is on being ready for the 2020 season.

Griffin Canning (90.1 IP)

When It Was Right: Canning looked all the part of his second round draft stock. He had dynamic breaking balls combined with exceptional command of his fastball. At times, Canning was the ace of the staff, showing just how high his ceiling could be. He was one of the best rookie starters in Angels’ history.

Where It Went Wrong: Another one bites the injury dust. Canning went on the IL at the beginning of August, was reactivated, then was shut down for the season after his elbow inflammation returned. His 2019 season was solid and trending upward after a midseason bump, and his 2020 will surely be huge for both Canning and the organization.

Trevor Cahill (89.1 IP)

When It Was Right: Honestly this one is tough. Cahill had one or two good starts for the Angels…maybe? He’s the leader in innings pitched on the active roster, and that’s mostly just because he’s been available and needed to eat innings out of the bullpen.

Where It Went Wrong: The day the Angels signed Trevor Cahill.

ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 12: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim players lay their jerseys on the pitchers mound after they won a combined no-hitter agasint the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 12, 2019 in Anaheim, California. The entire Angels team wore Tyler Skaggs #45 jersey to honor him after his death on July 1. Angels won 13-0. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

Tyler Skaggs (79.2 IP)

When It Was Right: This is obviously a tough one to write, but Tyler Skaggs was much more than just a mainstay in the Angels’ rotation. He was the heart and soul of the clubhouse, and his impact on the team far exceeded anything he did on the mound, where he was a leader as well.

Where It Went Wrong: We all know this one. Tyler Skaggs’ passing was the most tragic event to happen in the MLB, and obviously had a huge impact on not just the Angels, but the entire baseball community as well.

Andrew Heaney (64.2 IP)

When It Was Right: Andrew Heaney has been a pitcher trending up all season. He just had his best start of the season against the Texas Rangers, and seems to have found his groove on the mound with a month left in the season.

Where It Went Wrong: For the second consecutive year, Heaney started his season late. However, he’s been dynamic on the mound since, and string end to 2018 and a healthy offseason could lead to a breakout 2020 season.

Jaime Barria (62 IP)

When It Was Right: Outside of two awful starts, Barria has been just about the same pitcher he was in his stellar rookie campaign. When he’s been trusted to start, he’s done relatively well and with the assumed six-man rotation in Anaheim next year upon Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound, Barria should be in the mix for the Opening Day roster.

Where It Went Wrong: A few factors have made this season difficult for Barria, as explained by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Constantly moving between Anaheim and Salt Lake, a change in his pitching philosophy, and pitching behind an opener were all adjustments that had to be made by Barria, but he’s shown he’s getting used to things, and could be a big part of 2020 for the Halos.

Matt Harvey (59.2 IP)

When It Was Right: Nope.

Where It Went Wrong: Years and years ago.

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Jose Suarez (58 IP)

When It Was Right: Suarez has honestly shown flashes in the big leagues, and from start to start has looked like he will develop into, at the very least, a serviceable starter in the MLB. His stuff isn’t as electric as some other pitchers, but like Jaime Barria in his rookie season (albeit less effectively) Suarez has worked around that and will surely be competing for a big league rotation spot next season.

Where It Went Wrong: In the bad news department for Suarez has been his last few starts. He’s been hit, and hit hard, consistently the past few weeks. However, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and it appears the Angels and Suarez believe the awful outings to be caused by tipping pitches. Thankfully, they believe the issue is resolved and Suarez can hopefully finish the year on a high note.

Los Angeles Angels

Dillon Peters (46 IP)

When It Was Right: Honestly one of the brightest spots of the Angels’ rotation this year has been Dillon Peters. It’s been very rare that he lets the team down in his starts, and has been efficient throughout the year. Obviously not one of the team’s bigger names or top prospects, but definitely an intriguing player going into the 2020 season.

Where It Went Wrong: The bad for Peters was probably that he hasn’t been given as much of an opportunity as he probably deserves. He seemed to be the “break in case of emergency” guy for the rotation to the start the season, limiting his season innings total.

Patrick Sandoval (17.1 IP)

When It Was Right: When he has pitched, Sandoval has looked extremely promising. He legitimately has the stuff and the grit to be a solid starter in the league and will be one of the many names competing for a roster spot going into the offseason. These next five weeks will be huge for Sandoval to prove himself, as teams now have tape on him and can pick him apart just like he has batters.

Where It Went Wrong: Sandoval was a late season call-up, thus limiting how many innings he’s pitched for the team. So while he’s been dynamic, not quite the 100 IP guy in 2019.

Nick Tropeano (13.2 IP)

When It Was Right: Not very often.

Where It Went Wrong: I honestly have no idea where it went wrong for Nick Tropeano. He gets hit often and hit hard.

Next. Five Favorite Free Agents for the LA Angels

JC Ramirez (8 IP)

When It Was Right: It went right as soon as JC Ramirez stepped on the mound in Anaheim for the first time since tearing his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery, thus ending a long and tenuous rehab.

Where It Went Wrong: In eight innings pitched, he’s allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk. He definitely needs to continue progressing, and hopefully he shows improvement over the next month. If he does, Ramirez could be a dynamic piece starting games or out of the bullpen for the Angels in 2020.

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