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5 biggest Angels success stories of the 2023 season
There are some real positives that have come out of this rough Angels season.
The 2023 season will go down as another lost season for the Los Angeles Angels. The team was competitive for the entire first half and all the way through July but a historically bad trade deadline combined with more injuries than anyone can count has the Angels hoping they remain below the 90-loss mark.
While there's been a lot more bad than good, it's always more fun to be more positive than negative. There have been many good things to come out of this season, even with the Angels' record sitting where it is.
As we reflect on the season we just watched, let's focus a bit on the good things we saw this season.
1) Several LA Angels rookies are developing in front of our eyes
The biggest story from this season might have been the play of several rookies. If Perry Minasian remains the Angels GM past this season, his ability to draft and develop players very quickly would be a huge reason why.
Zach Neto was the team's spark plug for much of this season. Neto was promoted in April less than one year after being drafted and when the team was going well, Neto was a huge reason for that. He fit in perfectly at shortstop defensively and had some great moments offensively as well. The Angels were 42-41 in games he played and just 30-48 in games he didn't. Quite the contrast.
Nolan Schanuel has reached base in each of his first 28 games to begin his MLB career. Sure, you'd like to see more power, but that's so encouraging from a guy who was drafted just a couple months ago. Schanuel, like Neto, appears to have a future spot solidified as of now which is a great thing.
Logan O'Hoppe is another Angels rookie who has really impressed when he's played. His injury was a crusher, but he's shown a ton of power, particularly down the stretch, and looked like a seasoned veteran defensively. It's hard to find a catcher who can both hit and defend, and the Angels might've finally done that.
Who can forget the rookie pitchers we've seen? Ben Joyce, Jose Soriano, and Sam Bachman all showed a ton of positive flashes when healthy. Who knows whether Bachman will remain in the 'pen or not, but Joyce and Soriano look like legitimate late-game arms in the future. There's a ton of young talent to be excited about.
2) Griffin Canning was a stablizing presence in the LA Angels rotation
Griffin Canning had a lost year in 2021. He had a 5.60 ERA in 14 appearances before being sent down to the minors. He only made one start in AAA, hurting his back and missing the rest of the season after that. Not only was the 2021 campaign a lost one, Canning didn't throw a single pitch last season.
The last time we saw this right-hander throw a MLB pitch was July of 2021. The last time we aaw Canning pitch effectively in the majors was the shortened 2020 season. We didn't know what to expect from Canning entering this season.
The right-hander won a rotation job out of Spring Training but had to sit out again due to injury, missing the first couple of weeks with a groin strain.He was able to return in April and when healthy, was one of the few consistent Angels starters the team had to offer.
Canning had a 4.32 ERA in 24 appearances (22 starts) and 127 innings pitched. Unlike with guys like Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval who had rough outings fairly often, you never felt out of a game with Canning. His cailing might not be as high, but he was mostly reliable as a guy who could give a little bit of length and keep you in a game.
Canning is either a lock for the 2024 rotation or a really solid trade piece for this offseason if the Angels shock the world and enter a rebuild. The season would've been even more of a mess without him.
3) Mickey Moniak looks like a legitimate MLB regular
Mickey Moniak played his heart out in Spring Training and had done well enough to earn a role on this team even if he didn't end up winning one. The Angels had their outfield set heading into camp making Moniak's mission of making the Opening Day roster almost impossible, but the young outfielder kept improving in the minors until the Angels simply couldn't keep him there anymore.
Moniak got his shot in mid-May of this season and never looked back. He hit a leadoff home run in his first at-bat in Cleveland. He recorded three hits in four at-bats that day including a walk and two stolen bases. Moniak remained a staple from then on most of the time against righties playing somewhere in the outfield and doing really well.
The 25-year-old has 14 home runs and an .802 OPS heading into the season's final day. He's shown off some really nice speed, incredible defense, and more power than expected as well. Moniak does have to draw more walks and limit more strikeouts offensively, and also has to learn how to hit lefties, but there was so much to like from Moniak who absolutely has a future role on this team.
4) Brandon Drury was one of the best free agency signings from this past offseason
The Angels had more of a bad offseason than a good one. They made some good signings, bringing in guys like Carlos Estevez and Matt Moore on solid deals, but the bad ones stick out more. The Tyler Anderson deal looks awful. The Hunter Renfroe deal aged poorly. A big reason the Angels are where they are right now is they didn't do enough this past offseason.
One move the Angels can be happy about was the Brandon Drury signing. Nobody knew what to expect from the veteran who broke out in one of the best hitting environments in baseball in 2022. He won a Silver Slugger last season and played at an all-star level. While he won't win a Silver Slugger this season, he played at an all-star level for much of the season for the Angels and was one of their few clutch hitters.
Drury enters the final day slashing .258/.301/.480 with 24 home runs and 80 RBI. He's one of few Angels who actually elevates his play in big spots as he's hitting .281 with an ..861 OPS with runners in scoring position. The team stunk in those spots, but Drury rose to the occasion.
He ranks third in AL second basemen behind just Marcus Semien and Gleyber Torres in home runs and WRC+. If he didn't miss over a month with injury, chances are he'd be leading AL second basemen in home runs at the very least. Drury is on board for another season at just $8.5 million making him a very affordable middle infielder for the Angels or a very enticing trade piece if they want to rebuild.
He's a player who actually wanted to be here, swung a great bat for most of the season, and was a sound defender at second base as well. There aren't many negative things to say about the season Drury just had for the Angels.
5) Shohei Ohtani might have had the greatest season in MLB history
Let's save the best for last. Forget the fact that the Angels should have traded him. Forget the fact that he can't pitch in 2024. Let's just focus on the fact that Shohei Ohtani might have had the greatest season in MLB history.
Ohtani slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI in 135 games. He tacked on 26 doubles eight triples and 20 stolen bases. Shohei led the AL in home runs and total bases while also leading the league in OBP, Slugging, OPS, and OPS+. Oh yeah, he missed the final month of the season!
The offense alone might've won Shohei his second MVP award in the last three seasons, but it's easy to forget this man is also an all-star pitcher. He went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts and 132 innings pitched. He wasn't quite as dominant as he was in 2022, but he held opponents to a .184 average, a .618 OPS, and had a 31.5% K-rate. He was quite good on the mound.
We have no idea what the future holds regarding Shohei Ohtani, but watching him take home his team MVP award last night was the icing on the cake to an absurd season. Hopefully the Angels find a way to keep him around, but it's easy to appreciate everything he's done even if he leaves.
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