As you guys know, I'm taking somewhat of the pessimist approach for 2019. I wrote a whole article on why the Angels should blow this thing up, somewhat centered around trading Andrelton Simmons. Then, that was taken. That's a good thing because then it gave me some time to think some more. Over the time I realized that while I don't think the Angels have shot at the playoffs this season, I conjured up a miracle for them to arrive in 2020.
So here is my top 10 list of players who will either move this franchise forward, or help it die to Portland. I am in the boat that Mike Trout needs to see something right away, and not predict the future in 2024 when he's 32. Trout's old school in how he acts and plays is probably the same in how he sees baseball. So below is my rudimentary analysis of guys who need to hit to make this all more appealing.
#10 Luis Rengifo
This one is all about Eppler. Did he really uncover this massive diamond in the rough for C.J Cron? Did he outfox the Rays? Renigfo seems like the first real steal of a deal move that Eppler’s dumpster diving prowess can be praised or laughed at. I am not sure he’s the future 2B of the franchise. We just don’t know based on how he’s sort of come out of nowhere, which was already detailed in another better article. So why do I have him making the cut as a franchise changing player? He simply serves as a strong placeholder, or bridge to perhaps better prospects taking his slot or making other prospects expendable in a trade. They’re calling him close to Major League ready which means we’ll be seeing him soon for his audition. Perhaps he is finally the lead-off hitter the franchise hasn’t had since they took that from Trout and before him Chone Figgins. I mean we’re really digging deep into our history now folks. That’s how much of a hole that Renigfo could fill for our franchise. A line drive hitting on base machine with a good glove that just sets the table for sluggers following after him? We need that in the worst way. While advanced analytics are the Thing, it seems like a guy like Mike Trout would love to have over 100 RBIs on his stat sheet, rather than trot around the bases with nobody to give him a high five. The best part is that we could see his impact this Spring.
#9 Jahmai Jones
In my book, I want Jones as the 2B of the future, but much like Renigfo, we don’t know how this turns out. The converted OF to 2B is still learning the position and the scouting reports that I read aren’t in love with the move yet. But he just moved so I’m giving this guy time. He’s from a family of athletes, so I’m trusting the Angels development team on this one. Clearly they want him to be a Swiss Army knife that can play all over the field. With the rapid rise of Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh, along with the arrival of Othani, Jones has fallen under the radar. He struggled a bit with his bat as he started his new position. But he had a great performance at the Arizona Fall League and it looks like this may be the most critical year in his development going forward. Jones offers more upside than Renigfo and ideally, he becomes the man at the keystone that can move around when needed.
#8 Ty Buttrey
It sure would be nice to grow a piece that helps solidify the back of the bullpen. We know that Eppler doesn’t like to buy expensive bullpen pieces (or any of that matter) so it’s going to have to come this way. He may not be a closer, but it would sure as hell be nice to have a set-up man that is devastating in his own right. When I think of contending teams around the league, I think about how they shut things down in the 7th and 8th. It goes without saying, but holding leads is just not our forte. If he can emerge as the guy, even better. I’m tired of seeing our position players walk sadly into clubhouse after a predictable blown lead occurs. It has been a long time since we sent up a Percy, Scott Shields or K-Rod up to the squad for daily appearances. Name our best reliever since K-Rod. That should be enough to understand how much of an organization changer it could be if Buttrey becomes that rock late in games.
#7 Justin Upton
I am going to enter my age-33 season shortly. While I don’t have an athlete’s physique (dad bod is more accurate) I don’t feel like my life is ending. I don’t feel like I’m on a cliff. But that’s how we do athletes. Funny, but Justin Upton is younger than me, but we’re already hoping he doesn’t crater.
Upton falls on this list because he is also sucking $20 million a year and while the whole fan base kind of forgets about him, he’s expected to produce at least 2-3 more years before his contract becomes dead weight. While he all expect him to follow a normal curve of doom, he should still be a serviceable player. I never saw him as the second guy to Trout or Cabrera, and definitely not the main bat. Believe it or not, but f-War has him as a top 10 LF in all of the majors. We had no LF since Bobby Abreau and we had to overpay to fill it. If he hovers in the same territory, the fan base can’t cry over another blown $20 million. But if he bombs, just think of the $50 million in dead weight and more pressure from the fan base. I think in the case of Upton, just keep hitting your .260 30 HR and decent OPS and don’t run past too many balls in the OF. No news is good news here.
#6 Kevin Maitan
In another time, he would be higher on the list. If you made the list, he might not even be on it. This guy is an enigma. But at some point is he was one of the hottest international prospects. There was the "he got fat" story. He made a minor league all star game even though he didn’t deserve it. He kind of lives in his own world if you follow his social media.
He’s not going to be a SS. No way. He probably is too awkward of an athlete to be a good 3B. He can probably eventually play 1B. But he’s a ways away. He’s not part of the Trout window. So why is he so high on my list? We need some of these roll-of-the-dice signings, especially from the international market. It will serve as marketing in itself to other international prospects that we will pay you handsomely and eventually get you Big Leagues ready. Of course there was the whole "the next Miguel Cabrera" component to this. If he looks like a future slugging 1B by 2020 with an ETA of ’22 or so, then we’re looking at a true youth movement ready for the 2020s. But this year is important that he doesn’t turn into the next Roberto Baldoquin.
#5: Brandon Marsh
I’m not sure Marsh ever winds up with the big club. But his development this year is critical. We have traded him here on HH many times. He just seems like the perfect trade chip doesn’t he? Power bat, decent glove. Seems like the Red Sox, As or Cardinals would slot this guy in the 7th slot and he’s lacing doubles in the gap in the playoffs. What kind of pitching would they hand over for him?
Then I realize that if we have a big gaping hole in CF in a couple years, we’re going to need this guy somewhere in the OF badly. If it all clicks for him, he just kind of screams 3-War player right? It’s hard not to imagine him as someone falling between Jayson Werth and Josh Reddick.
Like Maitan, Marsh represents the idea that we could have a surplus of prospects aside from our best ones. They are the lottery tickets that you cry about when you hear Oakland or St. Louis or now Atlanta or Philly bringing in over and over.
#4 Jo Adell
Our best prospect since Trout. The story on the early part of his career will most likely be one of two ways. Either the perfect Robin to Trout’s Batman. The Scottie to Michael. Or in my toddler’s view, the Donald to Mike’s Mickey. Or he will be the prospect that we pray produces half of Mike’s value while replacing him, lands in some All-Star games and makes our line-up less depressing.
When people rank our Farm, or Eppler keeps alluding to help being on the way, it’s basically this guy and the one next on this list. Quite simply, Adell HAS to make it and be the guy. If Adell fails, it basically ruins our cute narrative of building via the Farm. It will go a long way to shake ownership’s confidence in Eppler. Considering the timing of Trout’s impending free agency, and the way that his fellow prospects will be arriving into the Big Leagues, this year will be super critical in Adell’s development. In some ways, he is the savior to keeping Mike. No pressure kid, but essentially the organization is punting free agency and expecting you to cover their decisions. They may fast track his movement due to so much pressure. The way he handles it will be what we watch for.
#3 Griffin Canning
He’s not the prospect that Adell is. But our number two guy on the farm, according to at least one anonymous scout, is our organization’s best pitcher. And in my book, he’s the more important because of his role as future starting pitcher.
Adell is going to be the one that could convince Trout. But Canning’s arrival and success is about much more than that. It’s symbolic. It shows that we can draft a pitcher, keep him healthy and guide him into the rotation in ways that we haven’t in over a decade. He simply also needs to hit as a number two or at least a number three starter like his projections show. His development would also make our other pitching prospects look more appetizing as trade assets. Not to mention we need pitching in the worst way. You guys know how much I hate the Dodgers, but I can’t help but envy knowing that I fully predicted the way they drafted Walker Buehler low in the first round of the draft and basically turned him into their next ace. Maybe Canning isn’t a Cy Young ace. But can he our John Lackey? Jered Weaver?
There has to be a point midseason where the Angels decide to quit burning all of the mileage on Canning’s arm in AAA and let him try the Big Leagues like they let Barria. Imagine he comes up and he’s pitching better than Cahill and somewhere a notch below the next guy on our list. That would do wonders for our staff and the organization’s psyche.
#2 Tyler Skaggs
On our roster is a guy that some projected to be a top of the rotation pitcher, somewhere as a decent number two starter. Is this the year he finally puts it together?
He had three awful starts that really blew up his numbers. Getting rocked by Boston the series that ended our season. Smoked by Tampa towards the end. Finally, he got cooked by Oakland who was putting the finishing touches on their finale. Late season injuries and short appearances finally did him in. For a lengthy part of the season, though, Skaggs was looking at least like a legitimate third starter, bordering on even better.
Skaggs enters his age 27 season, and his controlled until 2021. He is a part of our Trout window and his assent into a reliable top of the rotation pitcher is essential to holding up any semblance of a decent staff. Skaggs needs to at least give us 150-180 innings and look more like the guy that had a sub 3.25 ERA with K/9 of 9. The top teams in the AL basically have a couple of aces at the top. Severino/Paxton. Kluber/Bauer. Verlander/Cole. Skaggs doesn’t really fit that bill. But being a traditional number 2-type starter would go a long way to fill holes in our pitching staff. Finally being healthy for a full season would be the goal here. Heaney was able to pull that off. Hopefully Skaggs can follow suit. Impending free agent aces (ahem, Garret Cole) could actually look at the staff and not expect to be shouldering the load of four other guys.
#1 Shohei Ohtani the batter
Let’s say you’re starting a franchise with a blank slate. You’re putting together a batting order. Well, Mike Trout, that’s the best pick in the league. Batting right behind him, you like this kid who played at San Diego , crushes home runs and is about to win MVP. His name is Kris Bryant. And the good news is that he’s signed for a minimum salary, cost-controlled for the next few years. Would you take that? Well duh, of course. Enter the Show.
Once again take a look at the following stat lines. Obviously the first line is Ohtani from last year. The second is Bryant’s line from his MVP season.
.285 22HR ,OBP361 ,OPS 925 OPS +152 in 367 PA
.295 39HR .OBP 385, OPS 946 OPS+ 146 in 699 PA
I have been one clamoring for a nice free agent signing. A big splash. A touchdown. But I can’t overlook that having Shohei for a full season batting in the line-up, mostly behind Trout, is like grabbing a superstar free agent. Remember, he literally spent half of his PA hitting in the 5th slot or lower in the line-up. Yikes. Considering he basically started raking at the beginning of the season, that deserves a big face palm. Sorry Sosh but you take an L on that one.
A back-to-back, righty-lefty duo of Trout and Othani at full-health and full-steam will be right up there with any other superstar combo in the league. Remember, Trout has never had someone protecting him like that. One thing that we noticed as Angels fans is how well Shohei has handled the heat. The press, domestic and foreign followed him in ways that even Mike doesn’t get tracked. Lets be honest, but Othani is probably our biggest star. Many people were hoping to see him fail. He lived up to the hype while battling injury and adapting to his new homeland. If he’s just the same player for a greater number of plate appearances, giving us last year’s Ohtani is enough to be special and quite the recruiting tool.
So that's my ranking. I think that in order for this Angels to really improve, about 7 of these guys need to do their thing. Who is most likely to hit? Who is most likely to bust?