California Angels - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

Decade

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Titles:

Top Angels Players of the Twenty Twenties

None

Pitchers:

Angels Stadium

Shohei Ohtani (15) - 30

Tyler Anderson (5.3) - 14

Team Name:

Jose Soriano (4.9) - 12

Angels

Raisel Iglesias (3) - 12

Carlos Estevez (2.3) - 12

Owner:

Patrick Sandoval (5.69) - 11

Artie Moreno

Griffin Canning (4.57) - 11

Jose Suarez (0.61) - 9

General Managers:

Reid Detmers (4.57) - 9

Billy Eppler (2020)

Andrew Heaney (3.25) - 6

Perry Minasian (2021-2025)

Kyle Hendricks (1.7) - 6

Kenley Jansen (2.4) - 6

Managers:

Yusei Kikuchi (3.3) - 6

Joe Maddon (2020-2022)

Phil Nevin (2022-2023)

Catchers:

Ron Washington (2024-25)

Logan O'Hoppe (5) - 11

Kurt Suzuki (2025)

Max Stassi (3) - 8

No Hitters:

First Basemen:

2022 - Reid Detmers (Tampa Bay)

Jared Walsh (2) - 17

Nolan Schanuel (6) -11

Hall of Famers:

Albert Pujols (-0.25) - 2

None

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Luis Rengifo (6) - 17

None

Brandon Drury (1.8) - 6

MVP:

ShortStop:

2021 - Shohei Ohtani

Zach Neto (14) - 31

2023 - Shohei Ohtani

Jose Iglesias (1) - 5

Andrew Velasquez (0.92) - 5

Cy Young:

None

Third Base:

David Fletcher (5.08) - 9

Notable Events:

Anthony Rendon (3.06) - 6

□ 2020 - Artie Moreno bought the Angels in 2003 and for the first dozen years Artie spent

and the Angels competed. They were an exciting club always in contention during that time.

Outfield:

It's been ten years since Anaheim had a winning season (2015) and eleven since they

Mike Trout (16) - 45

won the Division (2014). Owner Artie Moreno used to spend on the team like there was

Shohei Ohtani (18.33) - 40

no limit and the Angels were contenders. That's all changed now. The organization is

Taylor Ward (16) - 30

clearly not up to fielding a competitive club when not spending lavishly. Moreno has tried

Jo Adell (3) - 13

here and there to spend on a big name, but too little and too haphazardly. And what hurts

Mickey Moniak (4) - 12

even more is that the cross town Dodgers not only outspend the Angels, but are the most

Hunter Renfroe (0) - 4

competent organization in the industry. Anaheim doesn't stand a chance to compete with LA.

Losing Ohtani to the Dodgers was the most recent huge slap in the face to the Angels

Notable Events:

organization.

2020 - Artie Moreno bought the Angels in 2003 and for the first

Prospects for 2026 are poor. This was a 72-90 team last year for a reason. The Angels gave

thirteen years, he was a model owner as far as the fans were concerned.

up 111 more runs than the league average, that is heading towards a run a game

Artie was engaged, enthusiastic and spent and in those first dozen

territory and scored 48 less runs than the league average.

years Anaheim averaged ninety wins and were competitive pretty

The runs given up were a combination of poor pitching and poor defense.

much every year.

And, based on their anemic batting averages and high strike out rates, it's surprising they

Things reversed ten years ago (2016) and the Angels have been

only scored 48 runs less than the league average.

under water and uncompetitive ever since. A large part of it was Artie

who didn't keep up the intensity and didn't invest in the organization

Let's take the high road and be optimistic and see where that takes us with this team.

like he had. Artie would try to make a big splash here and there.

Starting Pitching:

His signing of Albert Pujols in 2012 was lunacy. Pujols was aging

□ RHP - Jose Soriano, 27, '16 IFA, 10-11 4.26

and Artie was a fanboy. Bad combination. That brings us to 2020

□ LHP -Yusei Kikuchi, 35, '25 FA from Houston, 7-11 3.99

where Artie tried to make another splash when he signed 3B

□ LHP Reid Detmers, 26, '20 draft 10th overall pick, 5-3 3.96

Anthony Rendon from Washington to a huge contract. Rendon

□ RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 26, '26 trade from Orioles, '24 13-4 3.86

was to be the perfect fit between OFs Mike Trout and Shohei

□ RHP Alek Manoah, 28, '26 FA from Toronto, '22 16-7 2.24

Ohtani in the middle of the lineup. A murderers row. You can't

The starting rotation was poor in '25. There are two survivors, Kikuchi and Soriano.

fault Artie for trying altho' you could criticize that he was placing

Detmers, a first round pick in '20, will be given another chance to move into the rotation.

too many of his eggs in one basket. Anyway, Rendon laid a huge

The Angels took a flyer on two guys who were once brilliant before injury in Rodriguez and

egg as he went from being one of the top hitters in baseball to a

Manoah. Rodriguez cost them OF Taylor Ward who hit 36 homers and knocked in 103 runs

complete washout with Anaheim. No one saw that coming, but it was

last year. It will be well worth the price if Grayson returns to his former form. Manoah is

an absolute disaster for the Angels as Artie had just shot his load

really wishful thinking. He was great all the way back in '22 for the Jays but has been

between the Rendon signing, keeping Trout and the recent (2018)

injured and ineffective ever since. If both these guys come back, Anaheim will have hit the

Ohtani signing, which was a huge success.

lottery. Chances are neither one of them does. But, if they do, the rotation will be a strength.

Anyway, Artie's Big Splash philosophy while scimping on the nuts

Relief Pitching:

and bolts of the operation has obviously not worked - big time.

□ RHP - Kirby Yates, 39, '26 FA from Dodgers, '25 4-3 5.23 3 saves

□ RHP - Robert Stephenson, 33, '24 FA from Tampa Bay, '25 2-0 2,70

2020 - GM Billy Eppler was fired in November. He failed and needed

□ RHP - Ben Joyce, 25, '22 draft 3rd round pick, '24 2-0 2.08

to go. Perry Minasian, a young up and coming assistant GM in the

□ RHP - Chase Silseth, 26, '21 11th round pick, '23 4-1 3.96

successful Atlanta Braves organization takes his place. This

□ RHP - Ryan Zeferjahn, 28, '24 trade from Boston at the deadline, '25 6-5 4.74

seemed like a good idea at the time. Artie signed Minasian to a five

□ LHP - Drew Pomerantz, 37, '26 FA from Cubs, '25 2-2 2.17

year deal, but unless Anaheim makes a remarkable and unexpected

□ RHP - Sam Bachman, 27, '21 9th overall pick, '25 2-3 6.20

turnaround in 2026, Minasian's tenure has been an abject failure.

□ RHP - Caden Dana, 22, '22 11th round pick, '25 0-4 6.40

The bullpen is another area where, if the Angels hit the lottery, it would be a strength, but

2020 Joe Maddon is hired on as manager. Unfortunately, the

chances are, it will be a weakness. Lots of guys who will be good if they recover from injury.

Angels never have the horses during the decade to the point where

The Angels are taking another flyer, this one on closer Kirby Yates, who was awful out of

the manager will make a difference. Phil Nevin (2022), Ron

the pen for the Dodgers last year. This is after a 1.17 33 save '24 with Texas. So, who knows?

Washington (2024), and Kurt Suzuki (2026) are subsequently

Robert Stephenson signed a three year deal and has been injured the first two of them.

brought in to manage.

He was decent before the injuries. Another one recovering from injury is Ben Joyce who

looked pretty good in 2024. And yet another one who has been battling injuries for two

2021 - Anaheim brings in a pair of Iglesias' in trades.

years is Chase Silseth. Rounding out the bullpen are veteran Drew Pomerantz who

SS Jose from Baltimore and closer Raisel from the Reds.

pitched well last season and a couple of journeymen Ryan Zeferjahn and Jordan Romano.

Raisel has a big year in '21, but is gone by the end of '22.

The Regulars:

Jose was not an answer.

□ C - Logan O'Hoppe, 26, '22 Trade with Phillies, '25 19 43 .213

□ 1B - Nolan Schanuel, 25, '23 11th overall pick, '25 12 53 .264

2021 - Ohtani wins the MVP and is a force of nature both at the plate

□ 2B - Christian Moore, 23, '24 8th overall pick, '25 7 16 .198

and on the mound. There's been no one like him since Babe Ruth.

□ SS - Zach Neto, 25, '22 13th overall pick, '25 26 62 .257

□ 3B - Denzer Guzman, 22, '21 IFA, '25 AA-AAA 17 74 .247

2023 - Anaheim brings in a group of newcomers, they don't help:

□ OF - Jo Adell, 27, '17 10th overall pick, '25 37 98 .236

□ CF - Kyren Paris, 24, '19 2nd round pick, '25 6 11 .190

2021 - Artie signs Noah Syndegard to a one year 21 million deak

□ OF - Josh Lowe, 28, '26 Trade with Tampa Bay, '25 11 40 .220

Noah, unfortunately, is toast

□ DH - Mike Trout, 34, '09 25th overall pick, '25 26 64 .232

□ C -Travis D'Arnaud, 37, '25 FA from Braves, '25 6 21 .197

2022 - C Logan O'Hoppe is picked up for OF Brandon Marsh

□ 3B - Oswald Peraza, 29, '25 Trade with Yankees, '25 5 20 .223

Quality young prospect for quality young prospect.

□ 3B - Vaughn Grissom, 24, '26 Trade with Boston, '25 AAA 13 48 .270

□ 3B - Yoan Moncada, 31, '25 FA from Chicago, '25 12 35 .234

2023 - Anaheim brings in a group of newcomers, they don't help:

□ OF - Jorge Soler, 34, '25 Trade from Braves, '25 12 34 .215

□ RHP Carlos Estevez, FA from Colorado - 31 saves 3.90 ERA

□ OF - Bryce Teodosio, 27, '21 IFA, '25 1 7 .203

□ LHP Tyler Anderson, FA from the Dodgers - goes 6-6

□ OF - Mathew Lugo, 25, '24 Trade from Boston at deadline, '25 4 9 .232

□ 1B Gio Urshela, trade from Minnesota - injured in June

The Angels were a below average hitting team in '25 and their defense was even worse.

□ 2B Brandon Drury, FA from San Diego - .803 OPS

In the off season, the Angels traded away their RBI leader Taylor Ward who had 103.

□ OF Hunter Renfroe, trade from Milwaukee - ,737 OPS

The team strikes out way too much and their batting averages are poor.

On the bright side, there are two good young hitters who have come up thru the

2023 - Odd deal at the trade deadline. Minasian deals two highly

organization, OF Jo Adell and SS Zach Neto. With these two, Anaheim has a core to build

rated young prospects P Ky Bush and C Edgar Quero for

a lineup around. Veteran Mike Trout is in the twilight of his injury filled career and is a DH

P Lucas Giolito. Odd deal because Anaheim isn't going anywhere.

now, but he gives the Angels a solid third stick in the middle of the lineup. After that you've

Anyway, Giolito goes 1-5 6,89 with Anaheim and gets waived to

got four flawed veterans: 1B Nolan Schanuel (no power for a 1B; OF Jorge Soler (aging);

Cleveland before the end of the season. Turns out he got hurt

OF Josh Lowe (mediocre at best); and C Logan O'Hoppe (getting old at 26 - it happens

immediately (or maybe was damaged goods that the Sox dumped)

sometimes with catchers). These four guys are keys to the Angels lineup in 2026. If they

continue to decline, no bueno. If at least a couple of them can bounce back and hit like they

2024 - Ohtani leaves the Angels for the Dodgers as a free agent.

did not too long ago, bueno. Schanuel needs to add power. If these four don't cut it, then

The shame of it is that Ohtani probably would have stuck around if

Anaheim will need to rely on a bunch of talented, athletic, speedy but unproven young

the Angels were at all competitive. The deal he signed with the

hitters if they want to improve: Vaughn Grissom, Christian Moore, Kyren Paris, Denzer

Dodgers was not all about money, as much as there was.

Guzman, Bryce Teodisio, Mathew Lugo. Moore is a former first round pick. The others

The feeling is that Artie could have matched the Dodgers deal if it

don't nearly have that kind of pedigree so it wouldn't surprise anyone if none of the

was worth while to do so on either end. But Ohtani / Dodgers was a

youngsters turns into anything special.

match made in baseball heaven and the Angels were a treadmill

at this point.

2025 - Anaheim makes two deals over the winter. They trade

P Griffin Canning for OF Jorge Soler to the Braves. Soler turns out

to be a bust. And they sign P Yusei Kikuchi to a three year deal.

Kikuchi is a good middle of the rotation innings eater.