Projecting LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation during MLB lockout

No. 5 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Jose Suarez

Jose Suarez is a major breakout candidate for next year's MLB season, and he'll be pitching for our LA Angels. Suarez already proved that he's a fine starting pitching option last season, doing a GREAT job down the stretch.

In his last five starts, he recorded a 2.97 ERA to go along with a 3-1 record and .202 BAA. Suarez really made the most of his audition to be a starter in the 2022 rotation last year. He handled that audition better than everyone else.

Suarez has the stuff to succeed. It's why he was already doing a great job in the pen before he even got his chance to show up in the rotation. He really bounced back on the mound after a couple of tough seasons, and proved that he can be a staple for the Halos for years to come.

Still just 24 years old, Suarez comes into 2022 after posting a 3.75 ERA, an 8-8 record, and a 119 ERA+. Ever since his complete game last year, he's been building momentum for what will be an undoubtedly strong 2022 campaign for the lefty.

No. 4 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Patrick Sandoval

Patrick Sandoval is another LA Angel who really found his groove last year. After a rough couple of years, Sandy recorded a 3.62 ERA and a 1.207 WHIP. He struck out a decent amount of hitters, fanning 9.7 per nine innings.

Sandoval got hurt and couldn't pitch last year after August 13th, but he showed plenty of promise and already proved himself as someone who can be a key fixture of this rotation. When Jose Quintana had an awful season for the Halos, Sandoval was asked to step up.

He delivered, and is going to be coming into the year with a lot of confidence. I don't know that he'll be an All-Star type of player, like the next three guys on this list, but I do believe that he'll be about as good as he was this past season. And that's an important guy.

He's a young, 25-year-old who boasted a solid 124 ERA+ in 2021. He always had talent, and really put it all together this past season. Give him a full offseason and season with the same pitching coach and watch him continue to develop.

No. 3 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Frankie Montas

According to MLB insider and former MLB GM Jim Bowden, the LA Angels have "had conversations with Oakland about Frankie Montas and Chris Bassitt." As for Bassitt, they'd likely have to deal Brandon Marsh in that package. As for Montas, they may not have to trade as much.

Perhaps they would have to trade Jo Adell, or hopefully (and possibly) even a lesser prospect. We want to keep Marsh and Adell if we can, so trading for Montas would be an awesome way to acquire a quality guy without trading away too much of our future.

And we of course need pitching more than anything, so it makes sense as to why the Halos are already talking to the A's about him. The Angels have been developing Marsh since 2016. They will likely want to keep him if they can, so I see them taking the option where they can keep their future star center fielder.

That would mean that out of the three teams Bowden says they're talking to (Reds for Luis Castillo, Oakland, and Miami), the legit option that still won't cost us our best prospect would be Montas. If I had to make a projection of who will be in our rotation, I have him in the fold.

The Halos are currently also being linked to Carlos Rodon in free agency, but they've been reluctant to add starters through the free agent market after Noah Syndergaard. They acquired Lorenzen, but let many top free agent starters head to other teams. They are going to want to cash in on the A's fire sale instead to bring in someone new, as they can not only hurt the A's but also improve our team.

No. 2 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Noah Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard would be the No. 2 starter for the LA Angels even if the Halos acquire Montas. While Montas can pitch at a very high level, Syndergaard has a ceiling that allows for him to pitch at the HIGHEST level.

In Syndergaard's first four years in the league (2015-2018), he posted a 2.93 ERA and 132 ERA+. In that time, he also boasted a 2.66 FIP and 1.133 WHIP. Sriking out 9.9 batters per nine innings, he only walked two per nine frames.

And despite being a fireballer, he allowed just 0.7 home runs per nine innings. He was lights out, and was elite in the postseason too. He's the type of pitcher anyone can trust.

He was an All-Star in 2016, and led baseball with two complete games in 2018. There's concern that he's only pitched a couple of innings in these past couple of years, but Shohei Ohtani had pitched less than that in the past couple of years entering 2021, and he ended up churning out the greatest season in sports history. There's no denying Thor's talent, and he's going to have another full offseason to recover.

No. 1 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is going to have a monster year in general next year for the LA Angels, and that absolutely applies to the type of player he's going to be on the mound. Ohtani really learned how to pitch at an Ace level last year--starting the All-Star Game as not only the AL's DH but also as the AL's starting pitcher.

He was robbed of Cy Young contention due to him only having 23 starts, but he still led the team in starts and innings. And some of his missed starts came from fluke injuries, like when he got hit with a foul ball in the dugout. He could still hit, but couldn't go on the mound for a little.

He also missed a start or two due to fatigue, which won't be as big of a problem next year because he now has a much better feel for how to approach a two-way season and how to pace himself in his workload.

Again, I don't like how this rotation starts off with Lorenzen being in the fold, but few rotations are going to have the top three that we have, and Sandoval as well as Suarez are coming into 2022 with a lot of momentum. If the Halos really can get a deal done with Montas, this rotation has the chance to shine much brighter than many were expecting this upcoming season.