LA Angels: 3 areas of strength Halos can enter 2022 with

The LA Angels are getting into quite the pivotal offseason here this winter.

They have a lot to fix, but there’s also some things that the Angels are already pretty good at. They’ll need to tweak at least some of these areas of strength, but some they’re already looking just fine at.

Even if the Angels address some of their biggest issues this offseason, they may not necessarily turn from weaknesses into strengths. There are a few areas on this team that will be looking very strong coming into next year, though.

No. 3 area of strength the LA Angels can enter 2022 with: Back-end of the bullpen

For the LA Angels to improve the back end of the bullpen, they only really need to make one move.

They already have Raisel Iglesias, and not many closers get better than him. He’s got one of the best fastballs in the world.

Putting up 34 saves, a 2.57 ERA, and an 0.929 WHIP, we need to re-sign him for sure. So then comes the one move. If the Halos have Iglesias back, they only need one other big-time arm for the back end of the pen.

If they can just acquire an elite set up man, their eighth and ninth inning guys will be one of the very best tandems in the league. Kenley Jansen absolutely has what it takes to be an elite-level set-up man, and he’s available this offseason. Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly could be available this offseason too, if their clubs turn down their options.

There are players who can give the Angels a strong back end of their relief staff who the Angels have more than enough money to sign.

No. 1 area of strength the LA Angels can enter 2022 with: A complete lineup

This is what the LA Angels lineup may look like next year:

1. Brandon Marsh
2. Shohei Ohtani
3. Mike Trout
4. Anthony Rendon
5. Jared Walsh
6. Trevor Story
7. Justin Upton
8. Max Stassi
9. David Fletcher

If that lineup could stay healthy, it’s going to be scoring so many runs. There’s one of the top up-and-coming prospects in the AL hitting leadoff. There’s two MVPs in there at the second and three hole spots.

The middle of that order is pretty stacked too. A doubles machine who practically willed a Wild Card team to a World Series Championship in 2019 is hitting cleanup, an All-Star is batting behind him, and a two-time All-Star who’s a lock for an .800+ OPS is hitting in the sixth hole.

Of course, that’s if we sign Story, but we’ll probably acquire somebody similar to play shortstop this year. Story’s not even the best shortstop available.

The bottom of the order isn’t too shabby either. Batting seventh is a three-time silver slugger who was raking when healthy this year, a solid hitting catcher when healthy in the eight hole, and a lifetime .281 hitter is hitting second leadoff.

That lineup is stacked, and the baseball world is going to take notice. That’s a lineup that can at least make it to the ALDS with even just decent pitching. If we stay healthy next year, we are going to make moves in this league.