3 Angels hitters who will be on a short leash this season

If the Los Angeles Angels want to get back to the postseason, they're going to have to hit better. Plain and simple. 25th in runs scored won't get you anywhere close, and that's where the Angels finished in 2022.

The Angels will be relying on three different players to bounce back from poor showings last season. What the Angels cannot afford to do is waste time banking on those players to bounce back. These players need to be on short leashes with viable options to back them up.

1) LA Angels player on a short leash: Jared Walsh

Jared Walsh was seen as a guy who could flat-out rake before a horrific 2022. We all know he was dealing with an injury that caused him to undergo surgery to help treat thoracic outlet syndrome but it's too early to know if we can blame his struggles only on that.

The Angels cannot afford Walsh giving them the same kind of production that he gave them last season when they have a viable option in Gio Urshela to just take over at first base every day.

It's unfortunate that the Angels cannot afford to give Walsh time to re-adjust after surgery but that's just the reality of the situation right now. A playoff berth is a necessity if they want any realistic chance at retaining Shohei Ohtani and Walsh giving the Angels a .642 OPS while striking out 30% of the time isn't good enough.

I expect Walsh to bounce back but it's hard to know how a position player will bounce back from an injury like this. Hopefully he gets off to a good start but for now, his seat is very hot and his leash is very short.