Angels: 3 performances from the spring lost amid the shutdown

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.