Angels: 3 performances from the spring lost amid the shutdown

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Arismendy Alcantara takes a swing during Spring Training. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Before the Angels were forced to end Spring Training early, there were a few players who fans shouldn’t forget made an impression with their Cactus League performance.

When Major League Baseball suspended operations on March 13, there were several Angels players experiencing breakout springs in Arizona.

One month later, which seems like an eternity with everything going on outside of baseball, it’s easy to forget who was impressing coaches and fans with their early play.

Let’s take a look back at some breakout performances from Arizona this past Spring Training.

Arismendy Alcantara

The 5-foot-10 switch-hitter, Arismendy Alcantara, is several seasons removed from a brief stint atop Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list in 2013. Known for his defensive play, he has not been able to find his way to the majors since a brief stint in 2017.

Signed to a minor league contract with a non-roster invite to Angels camp this spring, he hit .370/.393/.630 in eleven spring games, including two home runs that tied Michael Hermosillo for the team lead.

While the slick-fielding second baseman with a plus arm has hit a little bit in the minor leagues, he hasn’t been able to transition his swing to the Major League level. In 167 big league games, he is short of the Mendoza Line, batting .189.

If he can continue to build off a strong spring and impressive Triple-A numbers in 2019, he could eventually make his way back to the majors. However, he would need to be added to the 40-man roster, and currently sits behind second baseman, Jose Rojas, on the organizational depth chart in Salt Lake. Rojas, a Rule 5 player, tore the cover off the baseball in PCL last season, batting .293 with 31 home runs.

Michael Hermosillo

The Angels speedy outfielder, Michael Hermosillo, was a few at-bats short of qualifying for the Spring Training leaderboard, otherwise his .450 batting average would have led the Cactus League.

The 25-year-old was the best hitter in camp before play was suspended. He was 9-20 with two home runs, two doubles, and an off-the-charts 1.326 OPS. Unfortunately for him, his strong play didn’t translate into a guaranteed roster spot as the Angels optioned him to Triple-A as one of their final roster moves before the shutdown.

Hermosillo offers Joe Maddon a right-handed bat off the bench to platoon with Brian Goodwin in the outfield. He also provides speed on the base paths. However, with super-utility man David Fletcher able to spell both Tommy La Stella at second and Goodwin in the outfield, it’s possible the team felt comfortable using the extra bench spot on another need.

Since 2017, Hermosillo has had much better success against lefties than righties, with his OPS against southpaws 28 percent better than against right-handed pitchers. However, he doesn’t hit either handed pitcher particularly well. He has failed to hit above .211 in two short stints with the Angels over the past two seasons.

If Hermosillo continues his impressive hitting in the minors, expect to see him back up with the big club quickly, whenever baseball returns.

Dylan Bundy

Perhaps no player got Halo fans more excited this spring than Dylan Bundy. Acquired from the Orioles in December, the right-hander who was once the 4th overall pick in the draft and a top prospect out of high school, showed that he still has a lot of potential in his 27-year-old arm.

In four starts, Bundy was 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA. He struck out 16 batters while walking only one. In 11.2 innings of work, he surrendered only four hits and two earned runs. Angels fans, desperate to see their team field a respectable pitching staff, were left drooling in front of their televisions in hopes that Bundy could become a surprise boost for the rotation.

Bundy was 7-14 for a terrible Baltimore Orioles team last season, but after struggling to stay on the mound during the beginning of his career, he has become a reliable starter making at least 28 starts for three consecutive seasons.

The underlying metrics to Bundy’s recent pitching performance show promise. His fastball spin rate ranked in the 85th percentile last season, and he used the pitch to help suppress opposing hitters ability to make solid contact. According to Baseball Savant, his hard hit percentage ranked in the 86th percentile in 2019.

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If Bundy can build on his performance in spring whenever baseball returns, the Angels might have found themselves a steal of a pitcher who can provide the rotation much-needed depth and consistency.

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Before the Angels were forced to end Spring Training early, there were a few players who fans shouldn’t forget made an impression with their Cactus League performance.

Arismendy Alcantara

Michael Hermosillo

Dylan Bundy

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