Fansided

3 keys to the Angels breaking the postseason drought

By Zachary Rotman |
Apr 1, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) and Los
Apr 1, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) and Los / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
2 of 3
Next

A lot will have to go right for the Los Angeles Angels to break their long postseason drought. The team hasn't even had a winning record since 2015!

The Halos have as good of a shot as they've ever had in the last seven years to actually break this drought. They have as deep of a roster as they've had in years and can finally say they're able to surround arguably the two best players in baseball with legitimate talent.

The Angels unfortunately play in a very talented division and in a league with a slew of playoff contenders. A lot will have to go their way to get back to October baseball. Here are three keys to the Halos acheiving their goal.

1. Health is the most important thing for the Angels

In order for the Angels to get back to the postseason they MUST stay somewhat healthy. Mike Trout cannot miss months due to injury. Anthony Rendon has to play more than 60 games for the first time in his Angels tenure. Shohei Ohtani can't hurt himself at all.

The Angels have been decimated by injuries in recent memory. Just last season we saw most of the team spend time on the IL. Mike Trout missed 43 games. Anthony Rendon played in just 47. David Fletcher played in just 61 games. Jared Walsh's season ended prematurely due to injuries. It just got out of hand.

The Angels do have viable bench options for the first time in years to protect themselves from injuries, but no team survives if half of the starting lineup is out. If Trout, Rendon, Walsh, and Fletcher all get hurt and miss substantial time at the same time, this team is going nowhere.

The Angels having this versatility and depth have the ability to shuffle players in and out of the lineup to keep them fresh. This should be done especially to keep Rendon on the field. I look forward to seeing how Phil Nevin manages this.

2. The young Angels cannot take a step back

2022 was mostly a lost season for the Angels but one bright spot from the season was the improvement of their young pitchers. Patrick Sandoval had an era below 3.00 in 27 starts. He did this despite walking too many batters. Sandoval has to improve his command and pitch deeper into games, as he likely won't have the success he did have last season if he walks close to four batters per nine.

Reid Detmers shaved his ERA by almost a full run in the second half, as he posted a 4.11 ERA in the first half followed by a 3.36 ERA in the second half. Detmers finally showed an ability to pitch deeper into games consistently, and started striking batters out at a high level as well. That went from 7.3/9 in the first half to 9.9/9 in the second half. For the Angels to get back to the postseason, Detmers has to be the second half pitcher.

Jose Suarez is the wildcard of this rotation. We really don't know what he is. He was awful in the first half, but outstanding in the second half. He had a 5.60 first-half ERA followed by a 2.80 ERA in the second half. The poor competition Suarez faced definitely had something to do with that, but he did look like a legitimate starting pitcher. Since the Angels did not pick up another starting pitcher after Tyler Anderson, Suarez has to be a viable option. He doesn't have to pitch to a 2.80 ERA, but he does have to be usable, unlike that first half.

Sandoval is 26, Detmers is 23, Suarez is 25. The Angels need these guys to keep developing for them to punch their ticket to the postseason.

3. The Angels need players who struggled to bounce back

The Angels had plenty of players who have been good in the past take a step back in 2022. They need them to be better this season for them to get back to October baseball.

Jared Walsh looked like a guy who could hit 25 homers in his sleep after the 2021 season he had. Walsh was an all-star, had an .850 OPS and a 127 OPS+. He then struggled mightily this past season, slashing .215/.269/.374 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 118 games. We know the injury played a big role, but we also have no idea how good he'll be in 2023. The Halos need the Walsh of old to come back.

The catching situation is up in the air right now, and part of the reason for that is the awful season Max Stassi had. Stassi had a 103 OPS+ in 2021 while ranking in the 84th percentile in pitch framing. He had a 62 OPS+ last season while ranking in the 40th percentile in pitch framing according to baseball savant. He was putrid at the plate and even took a step back defensively. Stassi is going to play a lot to begin the season whether Logan O'Hoppe is here or not. He simply must be better.

The Angels brought in two relievers last offseason in Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera to try and improve the bullpen. Loup and Tepera weren't horrible, but they didn't meet expectations either. They both struggled mightily when the Angels were collapsing. The Halos won't need them to pitch as many high leverage innings because they brought in Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez, but they'll still need improved seasons from both of these guys.

Next. 15 worst Angels free agent signings in franchise history. dark

Next
Home / LA Angels News

Schedule