The 4 most important Angels who have to prove they belong in the big leagues

The Los Angeles Angels find themselves in a tough spot following Shohei Ohtani's departure. The team expects to be competitive based on everything Perry Minasian has said and how Arte Moreno has always acted, but taking the MVP off of a 73-win roster makes it extremely tough to build a real contender.

While team success might not be there, the MLB futures of these four players could be on the line. These four players should have ample opportunities to prove themselves. They have to show that they belong in the majors.

1) Chase Silseth

Chase Silseth's 2023 season was certainly an odd one. He lost out on the sixth spot in the rotation in Spring Training, but went down to the minors and pitched his way to a call-up. The only caveat that came with that promotion is that Silseth was going to be used as a reliever. Silseth showed some increased velocity and had some decent results, but the Angels wound up sending him back down in early June to get stretched out again.

The right-hander came back just after the all-star break and wound up earning a spot start against the Yankees in Anaheim. That start went so well to the point where Silseth had taken over the sixth starter spot. Silseth had several impressive outings against good teams like the Braves, Mariners, and Astros. He posted a 3.34 ERA in six starts before getting hit in the head by an errant throw, knocking him out of action for a month.

This was a big blow for Silseth who was auditioning for a rotation spot in 2024. He'd return for one final start in Oakland to finish out the year, but even with how well he pitched in his seven starts he hasn't quite proven himself.

Silseth pitching well would be crucial for this Angels team that lacks prospects they can rely upon to take the reigns in the future. Silseth being just 23 years old with tons of team control being locked into the rotation would be an awesome development for the Angels.