Grading the first half of each Angels starting pitcher

LA Angels starting pitcher first half grade: Reid Detmers

Reid Detmers is yet another Angel who has yet to find any consistency this season. He's looked unhittable at times followed immediately by a game-crushing inning.

It's easy to see why the Angels and Angels fans are so high on this guy. The stuff is legit. When he's on, he has the talent to be an ace or at least a number two. When he's off, you know he's off.

Detmers struggled through his first ten starts, posting an ERA of 5.15. It was the same story every night. He'd start out great, but when he saw hitters for a second and especially third time, he'd fall apart. He'd cruise through three or four before imploding.

In his next five starts, it looked like Detmers was finally turning the corner. A 1.42 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts compared to just ten walks made him the Angels most reliable arm for a month. Unfortunately, a start in which he allowed seven runs thanks in large part to three home runs ended his first half on a sour note.

A 4.31 ERA is higher than anyone would like, but Detmers has shown more positive signs than a guy like Sandoval who has a comparable ERA. His strikeout rate has taken a massive leap from 22.6% last season to 29.2% this season, and he's been much better of late pitching later in games. Hopefully his most recent start was just a one-start blip and he can get back to dominating like he was prior.

Grade: C+