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The unforgiving cycle of the Halos 2021 pitching rotation gave way to the brief appearance of Hunter Strickland, a right handed pitcher who threw a total of 6.1 innings in an Angels uniform during the 2021 season before he was designated for assignment less than a month after his debut with the Halos.
Strickland played 9 games with the team from mid-May to early June, and that was enough to earn him a devastatingly high 9.95 ERA, allowing 11 hits, 9 runs, 7 earned runs and 3 home runs after throwing 129 total pitches.
He was originally traded from the Tampa Bay Rays in May 2021 for cash, and at the time, it looked like a smart move. Strickland had pitched 13 games with Tampa and walked away with a 1.69 ERA. Unfortunately his run with Anaheim fell very short, very fast. However, despite his lack of performance with the Angels, after he left Anaheim to join the Milwaukee Brewers in June 2021, Strickland gave fans a season performance reminiscent of his time in Tampa. He pitched 35 games with the Brewers and earned a 1.73 ERA.
Owing to the stark disparity between his performances in Milwaukee and Tampa versus with the Angels, it appears that the Angels simply weren’t a good fit, and fans might agree that parting with him less than a month after his debut was the right choice for everyone involved.
2021 Stats, as an Angel
0 Wins / 0 Losses / 9.95 ERA / 9 Games / 6.1 Innings Pitched / 4 Strikeouts / 4 Walks / 2.37 WHIP / 11 Hits Allowed / 9 Runs Allowed / 3 Home Runs Allowed / 7 Earned Runs
Best Performance of the Year
May 25 vs. Texas Rangers
Strickland struck out Rangers second baseman Nick Solak during this summer game to finish off the 9th inning and seal the Halos’ 11-5 victory at home.
What to Expect in 2022:
The righty’s time with the Halos came to a quick halt in June 2021 when he was designated for assignment. A little less than a week after being designated, he was traded to the Brewers for cash. From June to early November, he played with the Brewers before ultimately electing free agency on Nov. 3, 2021. He is still a free agent as of now, but with the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Dec 1, there’s time for him to be picked up before the potential lockout begins.