MLB Preview: Los Angeles Angels

Well, we've made it to our final ten franchises in our MLB preview. It's been a bit of a ride so far, hasn't it? Well, don't expect it to let you down, as today we head down south to Anaheim, CA, home of the Los Angeles Angels. Talk about your identity crisis, these guys aren't even sure where the play home games.

And now, I ask you to feast your eyes on this!



Oh it burns! It burns! Not as much as it did before last November but it still burns! Bay Area fans could unite in their hate of that god forsaken monkey. 2002. That's when the A's were supposed to get there, or then, when that fell through, when the Giants were supposed to end their drought, and looked like they had it in the bag, this happened.

WARNING: ONLY CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE A STRONG STOMACH AND ENJOY WATCHING DREAMS DIE

2002 was a good year to be an Angel, as was most of the rest of the decade. 2010 was not so generous, as the Angels playoff hopes died in the midst of a celebration, which brings me to one of my favorite points, don't step on your dick. The Celebration to End All Celebration.

And just like Kendry collapsed, so did the team around him with his season long recovery. Still, the Angels remained mediocre. They had the 13th most home runs (155) but only finished 23rd out of 30 in average (.248). The pitching was similarly mediocre, 14th in ERA (4.04) and 17th in strikeouts (1130). However, though these numbers aren't fantastic, and even without their best hitter, the Angels did what they've done so often under manager Mike Scioscia: find ways to win games. They finished 3rd in the AL West at 80-82 last year. Hmmmm... how mediocre.

This year, the Angels bring in a team that should be competitive in the close AL West. The big acquisition was trading one unwieldy contract for another in the trade for Juan Rivera for left fielder Vernon Wells (.273/31/88). Wells will be the linchpin of this team, if he produces, it takes the pressure off the rest of the lineup, and the Angels will flourish. Peter Bourjos (.204/6/15) will play a strong defensive center, and veteran Torii Hunter (.281/23/90) will round out the outfield. At 35, Hunter may have lost a step or two, but he's still a powerful outfield arm and powerful bat.

Kendry Morales will return from his injury to man first base and hopefully put up MVP like numbers. Howie Kendrick (.280/10/75) will play a reliable second base and try to near some of his potential at age 27. The shortstop will be Erick Aybar (.253/5/29), and third base will be a platoon of Maicer Izturis (.250/3/27) and Alberto Callaspo (.265/10/56). Only 10 homeruns between the three last year, but they are proven infielders. Behind the dish will be another platoon of Jeff Mathis (.195/3/18)and Bobby Wilson (.229/4/15), but if they struggle, rookie Hank Conger may be called on to provide some pop. The DH is slated to be Bobby Abreu(.255/20/78), but he may see time in the outfield as well.

Besides all that, perhaps the most interesting story on the Angels will be the rise of 25 year old 1B/RF Mark Trumbo, who is leading the AL this spring with 5 dingers while batting .348. Obviously, this guy can hit, and as Ken Rosenthal said yesterday, he is the Angels' "Ace in the Hole". Trumbo will make an appearance on this team at some point this season, and if he starts hitting, or a regular goes down, he will see plenty of ABs. If he stays as hot as he's been this spring, his addition to the lineup could push the Angels over that mediocre plateau.

On paper, the pitching will be anything but mediocre. Ace Jeff Weaver (13-12, 3.01, 233K) led the majors in strikeouts, and Dan Haren (12-12, 2.91, 216K) wasn't far behind. Third in the rotation will be Ervin Santana (17-10, 3.92), who though a bit less reliable, still qualifies for one of the best number three startes in the game. Rounding out the rotation will be Joel Pinero (10-7, 3.84) and Scott Kazmir (9-15, 5.94). Pinero is having plenty of success, while Kazmir will need to perform much better than he did last year to keep his spot in the rotation. Closing games will be Fernando Rodney, who stepped into the role last year after the departure of Brian Fuentes. He throws very hard, but will have to make sure to keep under control (K/BB ratio of 1.51).

Your 2011 Los Angeles Angels:

C Jeff Mathis/Bobby Wilson
1B Kendry Morales
2B Howie Kendrick
3B Maicer Izturis/Alberto Callaspo
SS Erick Aybar
LF Vernon Wells
CF Peter Bourjos
RF Torii Hunter
DH Bobby Abreu
SP Jeff Weaver
SP Dan Haren
SP Ervin Santana
SP Joel Pinero
SP Scott Kazmir
CL Fernando Rodney

Best Case Scenario
The Angels get off to a slow start to begin the season, finishing April 10-15. But, lightning strikes somewhere, and Trumbo is inserted into the starting lineup after Hunter goes down with a calf tear. Trumbo immediately charges the stagnant Angel lineup, and the pitching staff responds in turn. They turn it around and end up 44-33 after a few more months.

Weaver and Haren do their thing, and the back end of the rotation surprises. Scott Kazmir has a resurgence and validates the Angels' faith in him. By mid-September the Angels balanced attack runs away with the AL West Title.

After defeating the feel-good Blue Jays 3-1 in the division series, the Angels take on the Red Sox in the ALCS. They meet in a game 7 in Fenway, where Weaver throws a 1 hit shutout through 8 innings to win the series for the Angels.

In the World Series against the Giants, rally monkeys are on display everywhere. Fox displays 2002 footage at every turn, and people remember Scott Spezio again. Though Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez are amazing, Weaver, Haren, and Santana prove to be a little bit better against the weaker Giants lineup, and the Angels and that damned monkey win in 6 games after a walkoff home run from Morales. Celebration at the plate is muted.

Worst Case Scenario
The Angels get off to a hot start, burning to a record of 20-8. Feeling good, the send Trumbo down to the minors to get ABs. Upset about the move, Trumbo enters into a slump at AAA, becoming a "Jack Cust" kind of player. With Trumbo down in AAA, the rest of the offense slowly slides back to mediocrity. Hunter begins really showing his age, Bourjos fails to develop into an offensive threat, and Wells can only play sporadically after his knees begin to fail.

With reliever Scott Downs hurt and Rodney wild, the bullpen coughs up more than their fair share of games, and it doesn't help that Pinero and Kazmir have trouble getting them the ball in the first place. By mid-August, the Angels are right at .500, but 8 games back of the red-hot A's and Rangers, and they decide to retool with youth for next year. The Rally Monkey is burned at the stake.