At 12 games under .500 and 15 games back of the AL West, it's fair to say that the Angels will not be playing into October. The Halos didn't get off on the right foot in April and have trailed ever since, battling Seattle for third place in the division. For the last few years now it has been a fight between Oakland and Texas and it just goes to show you, you can't buy wins. You will hear people use the "injury" excuse, which is reasonable. Weaver, Vargas, and Hanson have all been on the DL for periods of time. Pujols and Bourjos were not healthy the entire year. Let's not forget Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson who could've potentially formed into the eight, nine spots never made it out of the gate. Injuries are a part of baseball when you play 162 games. Even with these injuries, the Angels should be more competitive. Hamilton, Trumbo, Iannetta, and Conger all hit below .240. Hamilton and Trumbo are supposed to be the four and five hitters with Pujols in the lineup. It became difficult to watch them guess and whiff pitch after pitch, game after game.
2013 POSITIVES:
TROUT: How could we not look at Mike Trout and not be proud with our chests out. Bryce Harper's Nationals are in a similar spot with the Angels, but Harper has no where near the production in the sophomore race. Harper, Machado, and Trout will all be stars for the next 15 years, but Trout will be going down as one of the greatest if he keeps putting up these numbers. A .330 average with 21 home runs, over 75 RBI's and 26 stolen bases makes him one of the most potent offensive players in the league. Let's just hope the Angels kept enough money when his arbitration years are over.
TURNING TWO: The Angels still can say they have one of the best combinations up the middle from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Erik Aybar and Howie Kendrick are a dynamic duo defensively. Aybar can be considered as a top five defensive shortstop while Howie Kendrick continues to hit .300.
OUTFIELD ASSISTANCE: With Bourjos going down for the year and Hamilton struggling, it was a pleasure to watch JB Shuck, and most recently Kole Calhoun take advantage of the opportunity. Both players are hitting right at .290 and Shuck also has the Angels play of the year when he leaped into the left field stands to rob a home run. Collin Cowgill has also been solid in the outfield mix.
The negative is self explanatory. Besides the 3, 4, 5 hitters being unproductive in Pujols, Hamilton and Trumbo, it really comes down to pitching and defense. There was no comfort for a fan outside of Weaver and Wilson starting a game. Joe Blanton was a complete bust. The only relief pitcher with an ERA under 3.50 was Scott Downs (1.84) and the Angels traded him away. Frieri lost his touch with an ERA close to 5. Last but not least, you have to play catch as a team. Out of 30 teams in major league baseball, the Angels finished 28th in team ERA and 28th in defensive fielding percentage. This is not a recipe for any type of winning besides earlier tee times at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach.
We should not blame this on Mike Scioscia and he should not be fired. He did not forget how to coach over the last two seasons, but does have to make an adjustment if given another chance by Arty Moreno. Strong teams these days are built from the ground up. Yes the Dodgers went out and spent a lot of money too, but they have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. The Pirates, Cardinals, Braves, Rays, Royals, and A's all have outstanding farm systems led by pitching then have great role players in the field. Arte does have a lot of money, but you can't buy wins and happiness. The Angels have to go back to restoring their bus leagues to rebuild this team. Most of this year's positives have come from guys who have grown through the system. If only Trumbo could find a comfort with the strike zone and figuring out pitchers, this team could be built on purely themselves. Get some young arms and build it from within. The future under the halo is as unknown as ever before.
