As is the case with just about every team in the majors, the coronavirus-forced delay to the start of the season will have an effect on the Angels. It may be at least two or three months before we see any meaningful games, which isn’t necessarily horrible news for the Angels’ rotation. Last season, the organization’s fifth straight without a playoff berth and its fourth in a row with more losses than wins, the Halos’ starting staff was especially ineffective. The club’s starters ranked toward the bottom of the league in virtually every key statistic and didn’t have a single hurler amass 100 or more innings.
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One important reason the Angels’ rotation had such difficulty in 2019? The absence of two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who could only DH – not pitch – after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in October 2018. The hard-throwing Ohtani dazzled on the mound as a rookie that year, albeit over a mere 10 starts and 51 2/3 innings, with a 3.31 ERA/3.57 FIP and 10.97 K/9 and 3.83 BB/9. The Angels desperately needed that type of front-line production from someone last year, and perhaps Ohtani will be able to provide it over a larger sample of work this season. In a normal season, though, the Angels would have had to go at least several weeks before finding out whether Ohtani would be able to pick up where he left off as a pitcher two years ago.
At last check about a month and a half ago, the 25-year-old Ohtani wasn’t going to be ready to return to the Angels’ rotation until the middle of May. Now, with the season having been pushed back, the Angels might be in position to get a full year from Ohtani the pitcher. That’s welcome news for a team that, despite its best efforts, was not able to pull in a high-end starter during the offseason.
The Angels’ staff also could be more likely to get a whole season (or something close to it) from righty Griffin Canning. His status is less certain than Ohtani’s, though. The 23-year-old received “biological injections” in his balky right elbow March 11, at which point it was reported more would be known on Canning’s status in three to four weeks. But if Canning emerges with a clean bill of health and can take the hill in 2020, it would be yet another boon for the Angels. He enjoyed a respectable debut showing last year, after all, tossing 90 1/3 frames of 4.58 ERA/4.37 FIP ball with 9.56 K/9 against 2.99 BB/9.
If the season opened when it was supposed to on March 26, it’s unclear whom the Angels would have relied on after Andrew Heaney, Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy. Patrick Sandoval, Matt Andriese, Jaime Barria and Dillon Peters are the other starting possibilities on their 40-man roster. It’s fair to say there isn’t a ton of upside in that group, but getting Ohtani and Canning back would change that and give the Angels a better chance to vie for a playoff berth.
Elsewhere, the Angels are anticipating the MLB debut of Jo Adell – a hard-charging outfield prospect who ranks as one of the sport’s elite farmhands. The soon-to-be 21-year-old seemed like a sure thing to come up sometime this season, but will that change with a shortened schedule? Will the Angels decide Adell needs a good deal more seasoning at the Triple-A level, where he accrued 132 homer-less plate appearances last season? And what about service-time considerations? That’s something every team keeps an eye on with respect to its top prospects, but we don’t know how baseball will sort that out in a truncated campaign. And, of course, whether Adell does premiere in 2020 will have an impact on the Angels’ current right field choices, Brian Goodwin and David Fletcher chief among them.
Up in the front office, the executive who drafted Adell – general manager Billy Eppler – is entering a contract year. One has to wonder if a season of fewer than 162 games will affect his status. For example, if the Angels struggle, will owner Arte Moreno be more inclined to give Eppler the benefit of the doubt because of these strange circumstances? That’s just one of the intriguing questions the Angels are facing heading into what will be an unusual season of baseball (if we get one at all).
It’s a chance for the remaining pitchers to get TJ surgery?
More Ohtani and less Pujols should be good things. I can see an outfield of Goodwin, Trout, Adell providing great defense while Upton gets a DH day with Ohtani on the mound.
Ideally Tommy La Stella would be spending every day learning how to play first base and be ready when/if the season starts.
Reaction Halo Clowns!
Everyone just don’t even reply to this loser. Hopefully this thread ends here
Which one the 1st one or 2nd one? The 2nd one is probably at home giggling and wetting his pants like a girly man.
Uhhhh what?
trevor Cahill had over 100 innings
True, but he was coming out of the bullpen for 49 of them.
He did, but I was only talking about full-time starters there.
IF the Angels get a healthy Ohtani. And IF they get a healthy Heaney. And IF one of their young starters takes a big leap forward (assuming Canning is out). And IF Bundy and Terhan can deliver 5-6 innings per start. THAN what was a good bullpen early last year, before being overworked, can deliver 3-4 innings per night and hold up over the course of an abbreviated season.
That’s a lot to ask for but much of that needs to happen for the Angels to have a successful year. The fact that the season will be shortened, if played at all, only benefits their beleaguered pitching staff.
Would like to see MLB give Super 2 status to any prospect who starts the season with the big club.
The later starting period should benefit Pujols with more rest but it will take away AB’s to reach 700 HR’S. I think the hiring of both Maddon and Callaway will greatly benefit the team with better bullpen management and better philosophy in general.
I don’t see why they are saying they’re going to need another month to begin playing Once they resume baseball activities. why not just begin playing games. if a starting pitcher only goes 2 innings, so be it
Because they don’t have 40-50 guys on a roster once the games start. You can’t have 2 inning starters every day for two or three weeks.
You obviously never played the game. For hitters laying off for just a couple of games can be problematic. For pitchers, they have to be stretched out and get a feel for their various pitches which can take several outings. Mostly, the players need to be in game shape to hopefully avoid injuries. The players need 3-4 weeks to get ready.
even with less than a stellar rotation angels’ superb pen will keep the game for the hitters to bust open. in the short season the pen won’t be as drained as it was towards the end of the season. many may not believe it but it will be a very good season.
I am counting on this too vizionaire. I am amazed and chagrined at the absolute crazy amount if Angel pitching injuries the past 4 or 5 years. somewhere our luck has to change
Well, supposedly their drug culture is fixed. That should help to keep pitchers alive. RIP Tyler Skaggs; wish the league would enact some sort of justice.
Justice against who? The man overdosed on drugs bought on the street.
from an angels employee lol
A ghoulish use of lol.
This misses by far the biggest strength. A shortened season disproportionately benefits these 85-92 projected win teams by increasing their playoffs odds by 10-15%
The Angels and A’s love a 120 game season.
The added rest might help Pujols and Upton. Especially Pujols. Given the questionable pitching staff this shortened season might benefit the Angels the most. Might.
fletcher for mvp?
All he does is find ways to help the team win… everyday. If you don’ watch him consistently and see the contributions he makes, you would have a very hard time understanding this comment. He contributes beyond what his slash line would suggest. He is a winner that needs to play everyday.
Angels really benefit here. Ohtani possibly being available the entire season is something a razor thin rotation really needed and fewer games increases the chance that maybe the Astros start out cold and the Angels start hot. Over a longer season a better team like the Astros are more likely to end up on top but a shortened season offers a better chance for inferior talented teams. Still don’t like their chances but like them better in a shortened season with Ohtani ready day one than I do in a longer season with Ohtani not pitching for a chunk.
Well said. Thank you. Keep posting…