3 players to fill LA Angels last starting rotation spot

The LA Angels have their starting rotation almost set.

Their first five consists of these guys:

1. Shohei Ohtani

2. Noah Syndergaard

3. Patrick Sandoval

4. Jose Suarez

5. Michael Lorenzen

That one through four is solid, although I'm a bit concerned with Lorenzen in the rotation, as he's been a much better pitcher out of the pen in his career than as a starter. For the last spot in that rotation, we can either go with an external option, or an internal option. First, I'm going to take a look at someone in our system who has the potential to get the job done in our six man rotation.

No. 3 player to fill LA Angels last starting rotation spot: Reid Detmers

Admittedly, LA Angels mega prospect Reid Detmers by no means had good numbers in his first taste of the big leagues last year. Posting a 1-3 record, Detmers also posted a 7.40 ERA and a 1.790 WHIP in his five starts.

It was just five starts, however, and he went straight from Double-A Rocket City to the Bigs. He wasn't quite ready yet. Now that he'll be a year older, he'll be in a better position to succeed.

And besides, while his numbers were indeed down, he did show a lot of flashes. His slider was clearly improved from where it was on draft day, and he showcased good command with his strong curveball as well as his fastball. If we do get a spring training, look for a bounce-back effort from Detmers.

No. 2 player to fill LA Angels last starting rotation spot: Jaime Barria

Jaime Barria wasn't spectacular last year for the LA Angels by any means. He does, however, have some successful baseball under his belt.

The Halos may choose to go with a guy who's been successful before, and Barria has had multiple seasons with not only winning records, but sub-4 ERA's as well. He's performed at the level we are looking for in a No. 6 guy, and remains a strong candidate for the last spot.

If he can improve his strikeout count, he has the chance to be a force for the Angels. And it's important to remember that he's only 25. He's still young, and coachable due to his youth.

He'll have a bit more stability this time around now that he won't have to randomly switch pitching coaches at the beginning of the season in 2022. It appeared like he had really started to grow under Mickey Callaway, and understandably lost his rhythm when we had to make the change. Matt Wise did an admirable job last year for what he was given, and now has a better chance to really work with Barria and develop him throughout a full season.