3 Angels players who already have our trust in 2024

3) Brandon Drury

Let's be honest. In a big moment, who did you want to step up to the plate not named Shohei Ohtani this past season? As great as Mike Trout is, he underwhelmed in a big way with runners in scoring position in 2023. Anthony Rendon has a history of hitting well in the clutch but he's rarely even on the field. The answer for most fans would be Brandon Drury, and for good reason.

The Angels as a team struggled mightily with runners in scoring position, but Drury excelled when the lights got bright. The brighter they got the more comfortable he appeared to be. The numbers backed it up, as he hit .281 with an .866 OPS with RISP. He was solid in all areas, but was at his best when the Angels needed him most.

After winning his first Silver Slugger award in 2022, Drury backed up his breakout year by being a Silver Slugger finalist in his first season as an Angel at two positions. He was rock solid in the field, and was among the leaders at second base with 26 home runs and 83 RBI.

With Ohtani gone, Drury is very clearly the second-best hitter in the Angels lineup behind Trout (barring an additional move), and is the player most Angels fans would trust the most in a clutch moment.