3 reasons why the Angels are still in the running and 2 why they're not

2. Why the LA Angels are not in the running: The Starting Pitching is concerning

An area of some concern is the starting pitching which has always been known since the start of the season. Not counting Tyler Anderson and Shohei Ohtani, there were not any proven starters in the rotation and even the two previously mentioned have faced challenges. The team as a whole is 24th in MLB in terms of starter ERA with 4.83 and hitters with a .255 opponents batting average.

Outside of Ohtani with a 3.32 ERA overall, the second-best starter in terms of ERA is Patrick Sandoval with 4.52 along with 48 strikeouts. The young rotation is a concern which is something that Tyler Anderson was supposed to improve, but his performance has shown otherwise. Anderson having a three-year deal with the team does bring into question his future.

The one intriguing thing to notice is Reid Detmers and how his performance has been, despite having a 4.79 ERA overall, he also has a 3.39 FIP. This does show that Detmers could just be facing some bad luck and things could turn a corner for him. Being selected in the 1st round with the 10th pick for the Angels in 2020, Detmers could be expected to be the ace of the staff when it all comes together.