Grading the first half of each Angels position player

LA Angels position player first half grade: Luis Rengifo

Luis Rengifo had a breakout of his own last season, hitting 17 home runs and posting a 103 WRC+. The one weakness in his offensive game last season was his lack of discipline. That has improved dramatically as his walk rate has spiked from 3.3% last season to 10.9% this season. For reference, Mike Trout has a 12.6% walk rate and is one of the most disciplined hitters in the game. The walks have been great, but everything else has taken a steep hit.

The switch-hitter is slashing .219/.312/.326 with five home runs and 22 RBI on the season. He has a WRC+ of 80, while being a below-average defender and base runner. He was swinging a good bat before the break so maybe he'll have a strong second half, but spent a majority of the first half playing like a minor leaguer.

Grade: D+

LA Angels position player first half grade: Gio Urshela

GIo Urshela was brought in to play a sort of super utility role and he filled it just about as well as we expected. He began the year as the starting shortstop, then played mostly first base, and filled in admirably at third when Anthony Rendon spent time on the IL. The defense lived up to the billing, and his bat was solid too.

Urshela slashed .299/.329/.374 with two home runs and 24 RBI. The lack of power was a bit surprising for a guy who had hit as many as 21 home runs in a season and hit 13 last season, but he always put up a professional at-bat and made the right baseball play. Unfortunately, he's likely out for the year with a fractured pelvis, and the Angels have missed him dearly. When healthy, he played well.

Grade: B+