LA Angels Opening Day: Could this be the best lineup in baseball?

No.1 David Fletcher-2B

The spark plug, the straw that stirs the drink. Whatever you want to call him, David Fletcher will set the table for the rest of the Angels lineup this season. Fletcher took the next steps in his career towards being an elite offensive player last summer, earning MVP votes in an All-Star caliber season. In 2020, Fletcher slashed .319/.376/.425 with three home runs and 18 RBI. At 26-years old, look for Fletcher to continue improving in a full-162 game season.

LA Angels Opening Day: Expect run-scoring opportunities with these three hitters.

No.2 Shohei Ohtani-DH

There’s a chance we could see Shohei Ohtani flipped with Mike Trout in the order, but regardless of where ends up he’s going to have all eyes on him. The two-way phenom has been arguably the best hitter in the league this spring, slashing .517/.571/1.032 with five home runs and eight RBI in 31 at-bats. Ohtani has looked like a different hitter compared with his .190 batting average last summer. The key for Ohtani as at the plate and on the mound this season will be to stay healthy.

No.3 Mike Trout-CF

It was a bad 2020 season for Mike Trout who slashed .281/.390/.603 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI through 53 games. Of course that’s by his standards, and it would have been a great year for anyone else. In a normal season it’s safe to expect Trout to return to his dominating form in 2021. We all know he’ll perform at a high level, but what about the rest of the players around him?

No.4 Anthony Rendon-3B

You won’t find many 1-2 lineup combinations better than Trout and Anthony Rendon. During his first season in Anaheim Rendon got off to a slow start, yet he still posted a line of .286/.418/.497 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 52 games. He was voted the best third baseman in baseball, and his league-leading numbers prove it. Batting a career .309 with runners in scoring position, look for Rendon to drive in plenty of runs this season in the cleanup spot.

LA Angels Opening Day: Justin Upton will be the most important hitter in the lineup.

No.5 Justin Upton-LF

Of all the projected starters, I believe Justin Upton will be the X-factor in this Angels lineup. When he’s on a roll, he can be one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Unfortunately, the Halos have seen the cold side of Upton’s streakiness for the past two seasons. Injuries have played a part in the struggles, but now it appears Upton is fully healthy and ready to go. In 45 plate appearances this spring, Upton is slashing .357/.400/.738 with four home runs and 10 RBI. He’s even got two stolen bases. If the Angels can get Upton to produce at a high-level along with the other big-names in this lineup, it’s going to be bad news for the rest of the league.

No.6 Albert Pujols-1B

Some people might expect Jared Walsh to be in this spot of the lineup while playing first base. He could be, and Walsh will get his share of starts throughout the season. However, given this could be the final season for future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, I believe manager Joe Maddon will give him the nod on Opening Day. I also believe this based on his solid performances in spring training. In 48 at-bats, Pujols slashed .313/.365/.479 with one home run and six RBI. Don’t expect him to be the dominant slugger he was in the past, but he could still have some production left in the tank. If he struggles, we’ll start to see Walsh get regular playing time at first base.

No.7 Jose Iglesias-SS

Shortstop Jose Iglesias could be an underrated addition for the Angels this season. All he’s done this spring is slug (.704) and make defensive plays of the year. Last summer in Baltimore he slashed .373/.400/.556 with three home runs and 24 RBI through 39 games. Depending on how well he’s swinging the bat, I think Iglesias will bat in this spot or at No.9 this season. He’ll join some exclusive names in the shortstop free-agent market this winter, so expect to Iglesias to continue his all-out efforts for the Halos in 2021.

LA Angels Opening Day: Someone in the bottom of the order needs to step up.

No.8 Max Stassi-C

As of now, the starting catching job is Max Stassi’s to lose. The Angels were looking to upgrade the catching position this past offseason, also in part due Stassi recovering from hip surgery. Instead the Halos opted to bring in veteran Kurt Suzuki as to make spot starts. He performed well in 31 games last summer slashing .278/.352/.533 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. He’s projected with poor offensive numbers this season (.220/.303/.373), so if that occurs the Halos will need to look elsewhere for help behind the plate.

No.9 Dexter Fowler-RF

He’s not the All-Star leadoff man of the past. Instead, the Angels will turn to Fowler to provide leadership in the clubhouse. Fowler is one of the league’s best in that department, but at some point, the Halos will need production in their corner outfield. That could come in the form of Juan Lagares who swung a red-hot bat this spring. Fowler is also serving as a placeholder for young outfielders Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh. In 43 spring at-bats, Fowler slashed .209/.217/.372 with one home run and five RBI. It won’t take long for Maddon to begin using Lagares in the outfield if those offensive trends continue.

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Even though it wasn’t the offseason many fans hoped for, there’s still a lot to be excited for with this Angels offense. I’m going out on a limb and predicting they’ll rank top-5 in most offensive categories this year, but the potential is there.