Angels: 3 performances from the spring lost amid the shutdown

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.