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4 LA Angels players who deserve an A grade for the 2022 season

By Zachary Rotman |
Sep 5, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is
Sep 5, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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After a promising start, the Los Angeles Angels once again limped to the finish line in 2022, finishing with a 73-89 record. The Angels were fourth in the American League West and missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

The Angels were decimated by injuries to key players like Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher while other key players underperformed.

Despite all that went wrong in 2022, the Angels did have some players who broke out and had excellent seasons.

1) Angels player who deserves an A grade: Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani was obviously the best player on the Angels in 2022. The reigning MVP was arguably even better this season than last. If Aaron Judge didn't have the historic season he just had, Ohtani would be the easy choice for AL MVP once again.

Ohtani slashed .273/.356/.519 with 34 home runs and 95 RBI. His hitting was not as good as last season, but he was still among the best in the American League at the plate.

Ohtani finished seventh in the American League with a 142 WRC+. He ranked sixth in OPS and fourth in home runs. He was without a doubt one of the best hitters in the American League.

Of course, what makes Ohtani special is his ability to be a two-way superstar. He had his best pitching season by far in his time as an Angel.

The right-hander went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts. He struck out an American League-leading 11.9/9 while walking just 2.4/9. His 1.012 WHIP ranked fifth in the American League while his 172 ERA+ ranked fourth in the AL.

Ohtani finally pitched enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and he finished fourth in the AL in that category.

Shohei Ohtani's 2022 campaign was another all-around ridiculous season that nobody has ever and will ever duplicate.

2) Angels player who deserves an A grade: Mike Trout

If only Mike Trout could stay healthy. The Angels superstar outfielder had another monster season in 2022 but it was limited by injury. Trout played in just 119 games for the Angels.

In those games, Trout slashed .283/.369/.630 with 40 home runs and 89 RBI. Despite Trout being three plate appearances shy of qualifying, his 40 home runs were the second most in the American League.

Trout tied for third in the American League in extra-base hits, finished third in OPS, and sixth in bWAR. If he had enough at-bats to qualify, Trout would have been third in the American League with a 176 WRC+.

It is very hard for someone who doesn't even qualify for the batting title to get an A grade but Trout had a season to remember in 2022.

Something encouraging about Trout's season is even with the missed time, he played more this season than he had in any season since 2019. Hopefully, this trend will continue next season.

Even in a limited sample, Trout was one of the most valuable players in the American League. With each day that passes by I become increasingly thankful that he is signed through the 2030 season.

3) Angels player who deserves an A grade: Patrick Sandoval

For years the Angels have been searching for pitching. Even this season they had guys like Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen, guys who could boom or bust, in their rotation, and neither panned out like the Angels hoped.

In his first full season as a member of the Angels rotation, Patrick Sandoval solidified himself as a future piece of the staff.

The 25-year-old went 6-9 with a 2.91 ERA in 27 starts. His 3.09 FIP suggests that his low ERA was not a fluke. What was so impressive about his season was the lack of home runs allowed. Sandoval allowed just eight home runs in 148.2 innings pitched (0.5 HR/9) and that really helped him out.

Sandoval does have one big flaw. His 3.6 BB/9 is a number that has to get better for him to take the next jump into an elite starting pitcher. But for his first full MLB season, he was so much better than I expected.

Sandoval had a 138 ERA+ this season which if he had enough innings to qualify, would be the sixth-highest mark in the AL. That's ahead of guys like Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, and Kevin Gausman.

Sandoval being so young with four more years of team control is a great thing for Los Angeles. The southpaw can be considered a key piece to the core that is slowly coming together.

4) Angels player who deserves an A grade: Taylor Ward

To me, Taylor Ward was somewhat of an afterthought heading into this season. He's a guy who can play a couple of positions and be a serviceable bat. Last season he did have a slightly above-average OPS+ of 107 in 65 games.

I did not expect Ward to be the player he was in 2022. The 28-year-old slashed .281/.360/.473 with 23 home runs and 65 RBI. He was in the top three for the Angels in average, runs, hits, home runs, and RBI. On a team that includes Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani who are guaranteed two spots and some other decent bats as well, that's an impressive feat.

Ward was in the top 15 of the American League with a 137 WRC+. That's just five points shy of Ohtani. He was ahead of guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, and Kyle Tucker.

His name flew under the radar because his team wasn't great and he's on a team with Trout and Ohtani, but Taylor Ward had an unbelievable season for the Angels.

He shattered his career highs in virtually every statistical category and has earned a starting role for at least the 2023 season. If next season is not a fluke, the Angels might really have something here.

Ward's baseball savant page is a thing of beauty as there are only red circles. He was in the 93rd percentile in chase rate and the 92nd percentile in xwOBA. He was disciplined, and he hit the ball hard. I'm so excited to see how he does for the Angels in 2023.

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