Wednesday, May 15, 2013

At Least I'm Not an Angels Fan

No matter how bad your team is doing this year, feel good knowing they aren't as bad off as the Angels (unless they are the Angels in which case sorry). This year, at 14-24, the Angels have the third worst record in MLB. Only the Marlins and the Astros are worse and those teams were supposed to be terrible. Some experts were saying the Astros might challenge for the worst single season record ever. The Marlins self destructed yet again this offseason and lost their best player, Giancarlo Stanton, to injury. Unlike those two lowly teams, the Angels were supposed to be in a very different place as a team.

Over the last two years the Angels have led the pack in free agency, signing both of the biggest available players. In 2012, they inked Josh Hamilton for $123,000,000 over 5 years and in 2011, they signed one of the greatest players of all-time, Albert Pujols, for $250,000,000 over 10 years. That is right, both of those guys are going to be making $25 million a year. GM Jerry Dipoto essentially has a limitless budget and he has been using it. And yet still this team has gotten off to the third worst start in the whole of baseball and basically killing their playoff chances by May 1st.

Despite the popular myth that everything is Josh Hamilton's fault (wRC+ of 73!), the largest contributing reason for the Angels lack of success has been their pitching. The starters have a combined 5.04 ERA, which is fifth worst in the majors and the relievers have a combined 4.01, which is eight worst. Joe Blanton is the poster boy for under performance as he has gotten walloped to a tune of a 6.46 ERA this year. His 4.10 xFIP points to better results in the future, but based on how deep of a hole the team dug itself that probably doesnt matter. 

None of that struggling pitcher stuff should really matter though. The Angels starting lineup features, Albert Pujols (a sure fire first ballot hall of famer), Mike Trout (a 21 year old phenom and reigning RoY), Josh Hamilton (a former MVP) and Mark Trumbo (who has clubbed 29 and 32 HR that last two seasons). Combined those guys could/should hit 120 HR and have a wRC+ well over 120. Throw in above average starters like Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick and the lineup should be capable of just flat out hitting anyone regardless of pitching performance. Instead they have gotten off to a slow start exactly when their struggling pitcher needed them the most.

Basically nothing has gone right for the Angels. Their pitchers are struggling and their hitters are struggling. Additionally their usual aggressive base running and motion style offense appears to be gone. They are 26th in the league in SB. I hate to say it but the Mike Scioscia magic seems to be gone and the rally monkey must have died of old age. At this point in the season there is no team in worse shape than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim