Seattle Mariners: The other four teams, a preview of the 2020 AL West
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. (Photo by thatlostdog, via Flickr)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Projected Win Total: 29.5
Odds to Make the Playoffs: +165
Odds to Win the A.L. West: +650
2020 Song Quote: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you.” – Stealers Wheel
Big Question: How much does it cost to field a third-place team, and could they have done it for much less?
Fun Question: Can someone please order the team to have only one location in their official name?
Fun question 2: Does the Angels’ offense suffer when Shohei Ohtani pitches?
Best under the radar move: The pitching staff was terrible last year, catcher Jonathan Lucroy made them worse. New backstop Jason Castro will help.
At a Glance
The Angels keep spending money and getting almost nowhere. Bringing in Joe Maddon to manage this team was a stroke of genius. He can put a lineup together with rubber bands and spit if he has to. Their most significant offseason player addition, third baseman Anthony Rendon will put more oomph into an already good lineup. It’s tantalizing to think about the damage that the middle of the order, Mike Trout Otani, and Rendon can do.
Otani is back in the rotation. He didn’t pitch last season after his Tommy John Surgery in 2018. He should give them a big boost considering only one Halos pitcher, Trevor Cahill threw over 100 innings last year. The bullpen, anchored by Hansel Robles is pretty good but not good enough to overcome the lack of starting depth.
What the Seattle Mariners can learn from LAA
Spending money doesn’t always win championships. Spending money wisely does.
PNWS Prediction for 2020
LAA has a great lineup that gives Mike Trout more protection than he’s had in his career. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough pitching to make a serious run at (or in) the postseason. Even with Rendon in the lineup, they will still miss Cole Calhoun. The Angels are a third-place team, period.