Baseball Prospectus standings projection features shocking LA Angels prediction

The LA Angels have missed the postseason seven straight times. If the team doesn't make the playoffs again, Joe Maddon's job may not be safe. While the inability to make the playoffs in Maddon's first two seasons with the Angels was far from his fault, the reality is that massive changes will likely be made within the organization if the postseason is not made yet again.

So far this offseason, it's been quite the mixed bag. The Halos did pick up a really nice addition in Noah Syndergaard, and an elite bullpen pickup in Aaron Loup. The Halos didn't, however, do anything else of significance in terms of bringing in external players.

Therefore, it's unclear how much better the Angels will really be. They'll be getting the likes of Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Justin Upton back from injury. Those are three massive contracts that were on the IL last year, so that will certainly make a major difference. But with how snake-bitten this franchise has been for the last seven years, it's unclear if these returns will definitely get them over their hump.

Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA standings projections, however, have the LA Angels making the postseason.

There will be three Wild Card spots in each League this year due to a rule change, and the LA Angels are picked to get the second Wild Card spot according to Baseball Prospectus. They are predicted to finish second in their division behind only the Houston Astros.

The projections have the Angels winning 88.7 games, the fifth most in the American League (Yankees, Blue Jays, White Sox, Astros). They have a 37.3% chance to win their division according to these projections (second-most in division), and they have a 68.4% chance to make the playoffs (also second in the AL West, fifth in AL).

They are projected to finish with the ninth overall record in baseball. Unfortunately, these projections only give the Halos a 44.9% chance to get past the Wild Card round, however. That's fifth in the AL. On the bright side, however, this is progress from where the Halos have been for the last seven years.

They haven't even had a winning season in the last six years. This at least shows the Angels as a team that will improve, and gives them a chance. After all, the team will finally have two MVPs playing to their potential and healthy in the same lineup every day. Trout and Shohei Ohtani are easily the two best players in baseball, and give the Halos the foundation to outslug whomever they play regardless of if the pitching improves or not during the rest of this offseason.