Angels may have stumbled into two roster answers nobody saw coming

The Los Angeles Angels have become the baseball kings of "lost seasons." It's been over a decade since they made the playoffs -- a trend that isn't ending this year -- and the team tends to fall out of the race some time around the All-Star Break, if not earlier.

As such, Angels fans know all too well the importance of the fabled "silver linings." When a season tends to only reward faithful watchers with the hope for a high draft pick, it's important to have a few breakout stars that not only provide entertainment in the present, but also some hope for the future.

It's almost certainly too early to thrust Wade Meckler and Donovan Walton into the breakout conversation, but there's no denying that they've been two of the best contributors to the Halos' cause in recent weeks. Insofar as we all need something to root for in another lost season, that duo is filling a big need in Anaheim.

Wade Meckler, Donovan Walton have (somehow) effectively replaced two weak links on Angels' roster

This story is especially fun since Meckler and Walton were called up at the same time; the former ostensibly took the place of disappointing outfielder Jose Lowe, while the latter is replacing the injured (and similarly disappointing) Yoán Moncada.

We'll start with analyzing Meckler, a former top prospect for the San Francisco Giants who the Angels quietly snagged off waivers over the offseason. The 26-year-old has primarily played in left field since getting the call, and he's more than earned his spot in the starting lineup by hitting .389/.421/.639 (195 wRC+) over his first dozen games.

The sample is too small to draw any firm conclusions, but Meckler's production doesn't give off any flukey vibes at the moment. He's barreling and squaring the ball up a ton, which makes up for his below-average bat speed and exit velocities. Likewise, he's just not swinging and missing, which backs up his minuscule strikeout rate (13.2%).

The Angels also deserve some credit for his success, as they've very carefully deployed Meckler, protecting him at all costs from left-handed pitchers. Even if he never evolves beyond being a dangerous platoon bat, he's a wildly valuable player to have given that he still has five years of team control remaining beyond 2026.

Walton's story is a little less exciting, given both his age (32) and middling offensive output (94 wRC+, .693 OPS). Still, he's a far more enticing player than Moncada at this point, in no small part thanks to his ability to capably play second, third, or shortstop.

We'll need to see them maintain their performances over a longer period of time before either can be considered legitimate assets, but hoping for the best with change-of-scenery candidates is sort of the whole point of being a (perpetually) rebuilding franchise.

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