LA Angels: 3 overperforming pitchers in the first half

No. 3 LA Angels pitcher who overperformed in the first half: Shohei Ohtani

Not only will Shohei Ohtani be starting the All-Star Game as the American League DH, but the LA Angels’ Ace might even pitch in the game as well.

This is because Ohtani has a 3.60 ERA while striking out 12.45 batters per nine innings. That K/9 rate is sixth in the Majors among starting pitchers.

Ohtani could be better with walks, as he’s walked 5.25 batters per nine this year, but he’s not giving up many runs, and makes up for it with his strikeouts.

To be able to pitch at this level while also being the best power hitter in the MLB is nothing short of remarkable.

He’s absolutely been the MVP of the American League this far, and lots of that is due to his pitching.

He has the second-highest fWAR out of any pitcher on the Angels (not including his fWAR as a DH). He’s doing all of this while only making $3 million this year.

The Angels have been a mess at times this season, but found a way to pull it together as we head into the second half of the season. These three Angels deserve a ton of credit for that.