With the start of the 2019 season rapidly approaching, I believe it’s time that we give you the ultimate breakdown of each division and predict their position in the standings come season’s end. It’s hard to predict record, so we’ll just give you their placement in the standings. Of course, this is coming from a fan’s perspective and what we think it could look like, not what it will. We’ll be starting off with the west coast and moving our way to the east. Today, we focus on the American League West:
Los Angeles Angels
2018 record: 80-82, 4th in AL West
Projected Lineup: Starting Rotation: Key Bullpen Pieces: Key Bench Pieces:
RF Kole Calhoun LH Andrew Heaney RH Cody Allen IF Tommy La Stella
CF Mike Trout RH Matt Harvey RH Hansel Robles
RF Justin Upton LH Tyler Skaggs
DH Albert Pujols/Shohei Ohtani RH Jaime Barria
1B Justin Bour RH Trevor Cahill/Nick Tropeano
SS Andrelton Simmons
3B Zack Cozart
C Jonathan Lucroy
2B David Fletcher
Another team that seems to have the offense needed but a lack of pitching, the Angels need to do whatever they can and show they want to win for the best player in the game in Mike Trout, who’s a free agent after the 2020 season. There’s no need to predict what Trout will do because he will continue to do what he’s done for the last 7 years-rake. Albert Pujols is entering his age 39 season; his playing time should begin to lessen with the emergence of reigning AL Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani, who will focus more on his offense than pitching after his offseason Tommy John surgery that will keep him off the mound until 2020. Upton enters his age 31 season still seen as one of the best LF in baseball. For his career, his 162 game average is 28 home runs, 32 doubles and a triple slash line of .268/.348/.478. We know what he can do with his glove, but Andrelton Simmons has started to come into his own as a hitter over the last few seasons after ending 2018 with a .292 average, .337 OBP, and 162 hits. Justin Bour was also a fine addition this past offseason after spending 2018 with the Marlins and Phillies, bringing some additional pop to the middle of that order as well as an everyday 1B in lieu of Pujols.
Starting pitching here seems to be pretty decent with guys like Heaney and Skaggs, but the loss of Ohtani at the top of the rotation will hurt. The pickup of Matt Harvey on a one-year deal seems like a fair deal for both parties as Harvey hopes to get back to his “Dark Knight” days. Personally, I don’t see that he will ever the dominating starter he was for a hot minute, but with a strong 2019 he can show teams he can be a reliable, middle of the rotation guy.
The addition of Cody Allen is very big, in my opinion. Down year in 2018, but there’s no denying the stuff that Allen has. This is a guy who was a key piece of that Indians bullpen during their 2016-2017 runs.
2019 prediction: 3rd in AL West
