LA Angels: Predicting breakout seasons for these 3 homegrown players

Of the current Angels position players not named Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout, first baseman Jared Walsh is on pace for a monster season.

The 27-year-old is slashing .385/.467/.808 with three home runs and nine RBI in 30 plate appearances this season. More importantly, Walsh has come through during clutch situations in half of the Halos wins so far.

Walsh is proving his small sample size last summer was no fluke.

Jared Walsh Career Statistics:

• 2019 (31 games): 87 PA (.203/.276/.329) 1 HR 5 RBI (-0.3 WAR)
• 2020 (32 games): 108 PA (.293/.324/.646) 9 HR 26 RBI (0.7 WAR)

As future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols plays into the final days of his Angels career, Walsh will see more playing time at first base during the season.

Angels: Jared Walsh is on the verge of becoming an All-Star.

I will be the first to admit, I wasn’t sure if Walsh was the real deal after a small showing in 2020. Even though it’s still early, I think he’s clearly developed all the tools necessary to take the next steps towards becoming an All-Star caliber first baseman.

You can’t help but love a player like this. A former 39th round pick in 2015, Walsh has defied the odds to make it to baseball’s highest level and now he’s making his case to stay for good.

Even better news for the Angels is Walsh does not become arbitration eligible until the 2023 season.

Whether it was intentional or not, the Halos found a hidden gem in Jared Walsh.