3 players who did not meet expectations in 2022

The Los Angeles Angels as a team did not meet expectations, finishing with just 73 wins in 2022. They did have some players who had great seasons, but this was yet another disappointing season for the Halos.

Something that's important to point out is that guys who missed most of the season won't be considered as not meeting expectations just because that is out of the player's control.

Anthony Rendon only played in 43 games, so he gets a pass from this list. However, there are plenty of players who disappointed in 2022.

1) Angels player who did not meet expectations in 2022: Aaron Loup

Aaron Loup was one of the big free-agent pickups for the Angels this past offseason. He signed a two-year $17 million dollar deal. He's making $7.5 million dollars annually with a club option in 2024 for another $7.5 million dollars.

Loup was coming off of a year in New York where he posted a 0.95 ERA in 65 appearances. That number rose to 3.84 in the same number of appearances.

The southpaw got off to a horrible start, ending the month of July with a 4.71 ERA. Loup did improve as the season progressed, but the Angels simply didn't get what they paid for.

Loup was supposed to be one of the key relievers to send close games to Raisel Iglesias but he had five blown saves. To put that number in perspective, Loup allowed just six earned runs in all of 2021.

Loup walks went way up and his strikeouts went down. Nobody ever expected him to duplicate what he did in 2021, but Loup was expected to be a lot better than just a mediocre middle reliever.

2) Angels player who did not meet expectations in 2022: Jared Walsh

After the 2021 season, Jared Walsh was a player I was extremely high on. I thought he was going to be the cheap, middle-of-the-order impact bat the Angels have been looking for.

Walsh was an all-star as he hit 29 home runs while driving in 98 runs. A lineup with Trout, Ohtani, Rendon, and Walsh was something worth salivating over. Unfortunately, Walsh was not the same player this season.

Walsh slashed .215/.269/.374 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 118 games played. He had just nine hits in 70 at-bats before being shut down for the season to undergo surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Pitchers like Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg underwent that procedure.

Walsh hopefully will be better than ever in 2023 because this past season was as nightmarish as it could've been for the Angels slugger.

Walsh struck out more, walked less, and had just a 78 WRC+ this season. I don't know how long he was bothered by the injury, but it's clear it affected him at least a little bit.

If the Angels have any dream of being competitive in 2023 they will need Walsh to be the player he was in 2021.