MAKING THE PITCH: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

What can we expect from the Halos this season?

Felipe M

We take a look at the projected starting rotations and closer situations of every MLB team.  Of course, this will come from a fantasy perspective.  All cited stats are based on 2013 projections.

We'll take a look at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

1. Jered Weaver
• Good: Work-horse type of pitcher.  Nasty stuff.  Great control.  Meets all elite, pitching criteria.
• Bad: Seems like his K/9 has been dropping in the last 3 seasons.  However, he's projected to reach a good, K/9 of 7.79. 
2. C.J. Wilson
• Good: Arm is strong enough to reach 200+ innings this season.  Great command, good strikeout artist, and does a good job keeping ball in the park.
• Bad: Needs to control his walks.  He's currently projected to hit a BB/9 of 3.73.  By comparison, less-established pitchers like Jeff Samardzija, Lucas Harrell, and Felix Doubront are projected to give up similar walk rates.  
3. Tommy Hanson
• Good: Was able to pitch through 2012 despite shoulder issues.  High K/9 of 8.67 shows potential dominance of hitters.  8.20 H/9 is pretty decent as well.
• Bad: Projected WHIP of 1.29 is due to a disappointingly high BB/9 of 3.40.  His HR/9 is supposed to hit 1.10 (1.20+ HR/9 is considered terribly bad).  
4. Jason Vargas
• Good: Another strong, horse-like starting pitcher, Vargas is projected to reach close to 200 innings.  BB/9 of 2.47 is 3rd best on the team.  
• Bad: Has the 2nd highest, projected H/9 on the team at 9.04, which helps raise his WHIP to 1.28.  Worse of all, he's due to give up a HR/9 of 1.19.
5. Joe Blanton
• Good: Great understanding of the strikezone.  K/BB is supposed to be a high 4.30 and a K/9 of 7.39.  
• Bad: WHIP is raised to 1.26 due to a H/9 of 9.04.  Just like Vargas, Blanton is expected to give up a lot of homeruns at a rate of 1.20 HR/9.

CLOSERS

1. Ernesto Frieri
• Good: K/9 of 13.10 is impressive and stuff can prove to be unhittable.  Think Carlos Marmol, but with lesser walks.
• Bad: 4.10 BB/9 is still high, even for a closser, but not too bad where it affects his K/BB (3.19).  Closers with similar BB/9 are Steve Cishek and John Axford.
2. Ryan Madson
• Good: Been a big fan of Madson since he was in Philly.  K/BB of 4.64 and a HR/9 of .67 are the credentials of a really good closer.
• Bad: He is still struggling through elbow problems and the Angels are more than willing to take it cautiously slow with him.  Might not be ready for the start of the season.

FANTASY ADVICE

The Angels have a nice assortment of starting pitchers, but all come with holes to their game.  Weaver is the most reliable and even Wilson, with his control problems, can still prove to be dependable.  The other three can prove to be useful in fantasy, especially if you get lots of points for innings pitched in Points leagues, but can go into stretches where opposing batters can take hitting practice on them.  In other words, do not reach for Vargas, Hanson, and Blanton.

Personally, until I hear otherwise, I'm staying away from their closer situation.  You can try to handcuff Madson with Frieri or another closer and hope he comes back 100% healthy, but knowing what we know about closers, nowadays, your best bet is to draft more healthy and reliable options.

More MLB content is available here. 

Photo courtesy of Mike McCann's Field of Fotos.

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #10-6

The next Miguel Cabrera is somewhere on this list.  But who could it be?
(photo courtesy of Mike McCann's Field of Fotos). 

Felipe M

10. Miguel Sano--3B--Minnesota Twins

• 2012 Outlook: "Might not be ready until 2013 and only 18.  Struggles with strikeouts, but might be the next Miguel Cabrera."
• 2012 Achievements: #1 Minnesota Twins' prospect along with Best Power Hitter and Infield Arm; #2 Midwest League Prospect and Best Infield Arm in league.
• Conclusion: Interestingly enough, Sano has also been compared to Giancarlo Stanton. Unfortunately, for many Twins' and fantasy fans alike, Sano is probably a long way from contributing in the big leagues.  Also, he needs to improve on his defense as he committed 42 errors at 3B.  Career minor league numbers are impressive, but keep in mind that he has yet to play above Lo-A ball.  He also needs to improve his plate approach (BB:K of .45).  He'll turn 20 in May.

9. Mike Trout--OF--Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Trout might have lost the battle to Cabrera in the MVP
voting, but heated discussions between baseball
traditionalists and "stats' geeks" ensued.
(photo courtesy of Mike McCann's Field of Fotos). 

• 2012 Outlook: "A future star.  If one of the regulars goes down, he's probably 1st player to be called up in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: AL Rookie of the Year; 2nd place in AL MVP voting.
• Conclusion: Age and questionable, past prospects in the Angels' organization dropped Trout to #9 on the list.  His impressive Minor League numbers streamlined very well in the Majors last season.  He might be the best player in fantasy baseball this year as well.  Despite not winning the MVP this year, he did gain a lot of high reverence from the SABR community and was picked as the MVP in a lot of advanced, baseball stats' websites.  He is currently penciled in as the Angels' LF in 2013.  

8. Danny Hultzen--SP--Seattle Mariners

• 2012 Outlook: "Looked sharp in 2011 Arizona Fall League and might help in the Big Leagues, later in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: #3 Prospect in Mariners' system.  #4 and #7 Prospect in Souther and Pacific Coast League, respectively.  Best Change Up in Southern League and in Mariners' system.
• Conclusion: So what do you do to a highly-touted prospect with all the skills and tools in the world? You force him to start his first year of pro ball in Double-A: not Rookie, Lo-A, but Double-A!  Let that sink in for a bit...He dominated Double-A, but struggled once he arrived in Triple-A so he might have to prove himself in the Minors, although there is talks that he might break spring training camp on the Mariners' roster, but all signs point to Hultzen arriving by mid-season, at best.  His Minor League numbers are as followed: WHIP 1.31; H/9 6.3; BB/9 5.4; K/99.9; K/BB 1.81.  

7. Shelby Miller--SP--St. Louis Cardinals

Will Shelby Miller pitch in this ballpark for the duration of
the 2013 season?
(photo courtesy of Felipe M).

• 2012 Outlook: "Dominated in Minors. Could be called up by mid-season."
• 2012 Achievements: #6 Prospect in Pacific Coast League. Pitched 6 games for the Cards, making one start.
• Conclusion: 2012, Triple-A numbers: WHIP 1.38; H/9 9.1; HR/9 1.6; BB/9 3.3; K/9 10.5; K/BB 3.20.  There's talk out of spring training that Miller might make the Cardinals' roster as a relief pitcher, but with the recent injury to Chris Carpenter, Miller might compete for starter role after all.  Should be interesting to see what the Cards do with the young pitcher, either way.  

6. Nolan Arenado--3B--Colorado Rockies

• 2012 Outlook: "Contact/Power combo, only Casey Blake is in his way.  A future star."
• 2012 Achievements: #8 in Texas League and League's best defensive 3B; Rockies' Best Defensive Infielder and Infield Arm, and Best Hitter for Average.
• Conclusion: Arenado struggled a bit last season in Double-A, but finished the campaign strong.  Stats: .285/.337/.428/.766 B:K .67.  Arenado is a longshot to break with the Rockies out of spring training, but is certainly in the mix to compete for the Rockies' 3B position.  Nevertheless, he looks to be a mid-season call up, at best for 2013. 

Prospects #15-11 are available here.

Top 5 is available here.

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #30-26

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.

30. Anthony Rizzo--1B--Chicago Cubs

• 2012 Outlook: "If Bryan LaHair falters, he will make Cubs' roster. Would be much better at Wrigley than at Petco."
• 2012 Achievements: #5 Prospect in Pacific Coast League as well as its Best Batting Prospect.
• Conclusion: Not many prospects were hyped up more than Rizzo. Very rarely does a player's call-up make such a big deal. But these were no ordinary circumstances; these were the Chicago Cubs under new management and in the middle of a losing season. The pressure was on Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer for their handpicked "franchise player" to come up with a big game. He did. More importantly, Rizzo bounced back from a disappointing stint in San Diego. Rizzo would go on to play 87 games and accumulate 337 at bats for the Cubs. He hit .285 with an OPS of .805 and a BB:K of .44. Compared that to Rizzo's minor league numbers (.47 BB:K, .303 batting average, and .914 OPS), Rizzo is more or less on par to continue to improve and is all ready slated to play for Italy in the World Baseball Classic and will indubitably start 2013 as the Cubs' starting 1B.

29. Mike Montgomery--SP--Tampa Rays

• 2012 Outlook: "Struggled in Triple-A, but might get called up in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: Best Changeup in Royals' farm system
• Conclusion: Montgomery was one of the players moved out of Kansas City in order for the Royals to acquire starting pitcher James Shields. Montgomery once looked like a bonafide prospect, but has been struggling since moving up to Double-A ball in 2010. Control issues continue to plague him and during that time span, has seen his K/9 drop and his H/9 soar. He also struggled with keeping the ball in the park in 2012.  His career 1.72 groundball/flyball ratio probably doesn't help in keeping his homerun rate in check. Perhaps the Tampa system will help him regain his confidence that once made him a legit pitching prospect in Kansas City. In the meantime, Montgomery can be added to a list of highly touted pitching prospects that have fizzled in the Royals' system.

28. Alex Torres--RP--Tampa Rays

• 2012 Outlook: "Command issues, but might be first call-up for Tampa."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: To recapitulate, Torres' continued to have control and command issues in 2012. He was used both as a starter and a reliever in 2012, making 12 relief appearances. If there is a glimmer of hope for Torres to make the Rays' 2013 squad, it would have to be as a relief pitcher, but he still has an outside chance of making it.

27. Garrett Richards--RP--California Angels of Anaheim

• 2012 Outlook: "A rotation spot away from joining the Angels in 2012."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: Richards make 30 total pitching appearances for the Halos last season, including 9 starts. The results were disastrous, but did manage to record one save. Richards was all ready struggling in Triple-A before the Angels called him up last season. Just like Torres, Richards has a slim chance to make the Angels, but if he does, he's projected to join their bullpen and also counted on to be the team's spot starter. Most likely, the Angels are hoping Richards can pitch like he did in Double-A, where he posted a 7.7 H/9, 2.5 BB/9, 6.5 K/9, and a WHIP OF 1.14.

26. Devin Mesoraco--C--Cincinnati Reds

• 2012 Outlook: "Will start Major League career as the Reds' backup catcher. He comes with a power/patience combo."
• 2012 Achievements: N/A
• Conclusion: After much optimism for the young catcher, Mesoraco garnered 165 at bats for the Reds. The results: Slash Line of .212/.288/.351 and a BB:K of .51. Mesoraco's claim to fame, however, was getting into a heated argument and then proceeding to deliberately bump an umpire during a game, earning him a suspension. He's projected to be the Reds' backup catcher once again as the club is hoping he can display his power/patience package that was evident in Triple-A (.289/.371/.484/.855, BB:K of .62).

Prospects #35-31 are available here. 

Prospects #25-21 are available here.

2012 MLB PROSPECT REVIEW: #100-96

Felipe M

The following is a review of a list that was compiled way back in March of 2012.  "2012 Outlooks" are based on a summation of scouting reports (entering the 2012 MLB season) of each player condensed into a sentence or two for easier reading.


100. Taylor Jungman--P--Milwaukee Brewers

• 2012 Outlook: "Future #2 in Starting Rotation."
• 2012 Achievements: 0.4 HR/9, along with ability to induce groundball outs, displayed ability to keep ball low in the strike zone.
• Conclusion: Pitched more to contact in Hi-A ball, which resulted in a very disappointing K/9 (5.82). Also, high hit rate shows lack of dominance and command. Clearly, will need more seasoning before the Brewers can consider calling him up.

99. Trevor May--P--Philadelphia Phillies

• 2012 Outlook: "Long-term prospect, led Minors in K/9 innings."
• 2012 Achievements: Was added to Phillies' 40-man roster and will be invited to 2013 Spring Training.
• Conclusion: Issues with control are very transparent, but young enough to fix those issues. Despite posting a respectable K/9, May struggled mightily in Double-A ball, especially with the long ball, despite a history of showing ability to keep the ball in the park. Unless he shows otherwise next season, May might prove to be a fly ball pitcher in the long run, which combined with a newfound struggle to limit home runs allowed, might prove to be fatal in Philly.  Will more than likely be optioned back to the Minors next March.

98. Josh Vitters--3B--Chicago Cubs

• 2012 Outlook: "At 22 now, progress has stalled, but young enough to continue to develop."
• 2012 Achievements: Was called up to the Majors
• Conclusion: Power and production, along with a terrible approach at the plate, has been a disappointment throughout his Minor League career.  So not surprising, he was completely overmatched in call-up to the Cubs last season. He is still young enough to turn things around, bu the Cubs, before Theo Epstein arrived, were not very fond of him to begin with and, just like Vitters' approach at the plate, are growing more impatient with him.

97. C.J. Cron--1B--Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

• 2012 Outlook: "Long-term player with legit power, but has moderate ceiling."
• 2012 Achievements: Rated #9 Prospect and Best Power Prospect in California League
• Conclusion: Cron had surgery to repair a tear in right shoulder, but at 22, he might be 2 years away from making Angels' roster at the soonest. Posted impressive power numbers and contact rate, but still needs to continue on improving plate approach and drawing more walks (.327 OBP% in High-A).

96. Andrelton Simmons--SS--Atlanta Braves

• 2012 Outlook: "Long-term prospect, but has high upside. Lacks power."
• 2012 Achievements: #6 Prospect and Rated Best Infield Arm in Southern League
• Conclusion: Simmons has shown a wonderful approach at the plate.  He's also capable of posting high contact rate despite lacking power, resulting in legit, high batting average. He has speed, but has a lot of learning to do in the art of stealing bases. He's also shown improvement in OBP% in every year in the Minors. All of this resulted in Simmons being able to hold his own in the Majors last year as skills that were developed in Minors, streamlined fairly well in the Big Leagues. 

Players #105-101 are available.

Players #95-91 is also available.