Angels Did Have Some Silver Linings In Their Sad Season

The Los Angeles Angels lost 100 games this season, and on a team with that kind of record there typically aren’t a lot of bright spots. But there were some silver linings among the dark clouds that constituted the Angels season, and the major ones are well worth a review. 

Walbert Urena RHP 

The right-hander is the biggest one by far, simply because he’s just 21 and Urena has ace potential. He came from out of nowhere, too, as the Angels expected him to just be a spot reliever. Instead, Urena is a contender for Rookie of the Year award, although his chances are probably poor because of the team he played for. 

Reid Detmers LHP

Detmers was the team’s actual ace while Urena challenged him, and he pitched like it in the second half despite an offense that could easily be sued for non-support. Detmers started the season as a reliever trying to make the transition to the rotation, and while he did suffer some inconsistent starts early on, by the end of the season he was hurler the Halos could count on to give them a good game every time his number came up.

Mike Trout CF

Trout was the best story in baseball for the first two months of the season, as he was able to man his old post in center and play well. His early power display was impressive, and Trout has reached the point in his career where everytime he achieves something he sets some kind of record. The advanced metrics may not like his range in center, but Trout was often one of the few reasons to watch the Angels play. 

Zach Neto SS

Neto had a strange season. His numbers were way down, and he often looked confused at the plate about whether he should be hacking-and-whacking or trying to control the strike zone. The result was a lot of strikeouts, although Neto rebounded in the second half to make his numbers look like the way his baseball card says they should. Neto also had a tough year defensively, as he made numerous errors on easy plays. The ultimate result was 27 homers and 77 RBIs, and the Angels offense would have been virtually non-existent without him. 

Wade Meckler OF

Meckler came over on a minor league deal from the San Francisco Giants, and he turned out to be the ultimate definition of a scrappy hustle player. By the end of the year he was way more than that offensively, and he ended up with a slash line of .289/.366/.365.