3 LA Angels That Can Win Comeback Player of The Year

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While players are preparing for the new season and the LA Angels continue to improve the team, there are players on the team with a lot to prove next season. While the results last season were not what the team was hoping for, there are players that did not contribute enough which in turn helped result to the unfortunate season. There are at least 3 players that are poised for a huge comeback next season and really need to step up if the team wants to have a huge 2023.

1) Angels player that can win comeback player of the year: Anthony Rendon

Of course, we have to talk about the biggest miss of the 2022 season which is the Angels big name third baseman, Anthony Rendon. He's going into his 4th season with the team and while fans are going to wait and see if he's going to start producing, the wait might be worth it based on his stats after some time with the Nationals.

Besides a tremendous 2014 season which saw him with a OPS+ of 126 and playing a personal record of 153. There was a stretch of exactly 4 seasons that saw him progressively get better from 2016-2019 where he averaged an OPS+ of 135 and slashed .299/.384/.528 during that span. Of course, 2020 was a little different with a smaller sample size, but that was Rendon's first season in the American League, and guess what? 2023 will be his 4th season with the team as he should be more familiar with pitchers.

In an article by Sports Illustrated, it reads "He's my pick for Comeback Player of the Year," Minasian said at the Winter Meetings. "I think he's going to have an unbelievable year. We all know how good he is when he's healthy. And he's had some injuries that aren't necessarily common. So I think, he's in the weight room, he's getting strong, he's focused. He wants to win." This should excite fans that are hoping to see the former third base All-Star get back to form as Angels general manager Perry Minasian spoke highly of him.

2) Angels player that can win comeback player of the year: David Fletcher

David Fletcher is another player to keep an eye on when debating players making a comeback. While he may not produce insane power numbers like Trout or Ohtani, he's going to play for the Angels almost every day for his versatility. David Fletcher has always been a tough at-bat for pitchers, but in 2021 and 2022, teams started figuring him out and placed fielders very shallowly.

Fans should remember that Fletcher was out for a few months due to surgery for his adductor muscles which also resulted in his lack of production. In 2022, he slashed .255/.288/.333 with an abysmal OPS+ of 77 in a total of 61 games which made adding more depth even more important for the team. In an interview in an article for The Athletic, Perry Minasian stated "I think we've all seen what David Fletcher is when he's healthy... I think he's going to have a way better year than he's had the last two." His ability to play nearly every position on the field makes him a comeback candidate as he'll always be on the field as long as he is not hurt.

3) Angels player that can win comeback player of the year: Griffin Canning

It was not too long ago when Angels fans were excited about the call-up Griffin Canning when he was one of the top prospects in the team's system. Since he made his much-anticipated debut, he put up an ERA+ of 101,114, and 80 along with a Gold Glove in 2020 which has shown that he has great potential. However, a nagging back injury sidelined him for all of last season and made him a question mark for 2023 on whether he can repeat his performances from his previous seasons.

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In another article from Sports Illustrated, Perry Minasian also spoke about Canning being back in 2023 stating "He's on his throwing program and I think we all would be pretty excited to see a healthy Griffin Canning," Minasian said. "He's really talented. He's had some pretty good years, so he'd be a welcome addition." Canning would be on the outside looking in as the Angels seem to have their rotation already filling out, but he could definitely fight his way into the rotation if he puts up good numbers again in the near future.

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