3 Angels competing for postseason awards votes as second half begins

As the Angels gear up for a second half that could see them turn into playoff contenders or one of the richer sellers at the deadline, there are a few Halos who could be playing for more than just the postseason or their next contract. With the second half, postseason awards talk will begin ramping up and there are a few names worthy of consideration playing in Anaheim.

Can Yusei Kikuchi pitch himself into Cy Young votes?

The most likely of any Angels player finding themselves on one of the main awards' ballots would be Yusei Kikuchi getting down-ballot votes for Cy Young. As long as Detroit's Tarik Skubal finishes the season healthy, he will be picking up his second consecutive Cy Young Award (and will likely finish second or third in Most Valuable Player voting as well).

Kikuchi made 20 starts in the first half of the season, never missing a turn in the rotation. He pitched himself toa 3.11 ERA, striking out 115 batters. He has been well worth the contract the Angels gave him this off season, and has only gotten better as the season goes on.

While there is very little realism in imagining Kikuchi winning the award, he is right in the thick of getting voted onto the final ballot. If he can continue what he has accomplished thus far - accompanied by an Angels playoff push - Kikuchi could find himself on a fair number of ballots.

Can Zach Neto snatch a Gold Glove?

While a lot has been made of his prowess as a leadoff hitter - hitting for both power and average while supplying a shocking amount of leadoff home runs - Zach Neto has been a phenomenal defender his entire career. His original calling card, Neto’s range, instincts, and arm strength has turned heads his entire career in Anaheim but especially this season. 

Despite missing time and coming off of a shoulder injury (and some more in late June), Neto has been one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, per FanGraphs. His six Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) ranks fourth in MLB for shortstops with at least 600 innings played, and the three names in front of him have 50+ extra innings. Jeremy Peña is the only American League shortstop in front of Neto, making the Angels’ superstar a near shoe-in to be a finalist for the award in the AL.

Silver Slugger Jo Adell?

At the start of the season, many would have laughed at this section of the article. Nonetheless, Jo Adell's OPS of .804 ranks third amongst American League center fielders, putting him squarely in the conversation. Behind only Minnesota's Byron Buxton and New York Trent Grisham, Adell has a puncher's chance to win this award.

June and July have been the best months of Adell's career, and have Halo fans believing him to have turned a corner. If Adell can keep this pace up (and all signs post-All Star break say he can), there is no doubt the voters will be writing his name down. If the Angels can make some noise in the Wild Card race, it will only help Adell's chances to leapfrog Grisham and Buxton.