Hansel?? HANSEL??

[had to]

Yeah, Angels ain't making the playoffs either, but at least you've got some things to talk about that aren't Mike Trout this year. I mean, granted, Trout's awesome and is probably gonna win his 3rd MVP, because...I mean, why the hell wouldn't he?

There's still gems hiding in that roster though, like Hansel Robles, the former Mets relief arm who wound up in LA after a waiver deal, and became the 9th inning fixture that had evaded the team since Huston Street left. Robles has 19 saves and a 2.60 ERA, and has already become a favorite in Anaheim. Heck, most of their bullpen, including Ty Buttrey, Cam Bedrosian and Noe Ramirez, is actually pretty good.

You also have people like Andrelton Simmons and Justin Upton, who've missed time due to injuries yet have still found their way back to the roster, and with good numbers as well. This is also a team where Shohei Ohtani, Brian Goodwin or David Fletcher can do great statistical things in the event that Trout has a weak night, or in addition to whatever Trout is doing.

Does this mean that an Angels run is on the horizon? Well...I'm not sure. I'd like to think that the young arms like Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval, Jaime Barria and Jose Suarez can all line up their talents and pitch great seasons together, but that takes a lot of hope and a lot of offseason work. You also have to hope that guys like Kevan Smith and Matt Thaiss can rebound from disappointing recent streaks.

There's a lot on this Angels team that could work, especially with Trout, but...I don't know how far away that team is.

Coming Tonight: In April, this rotation seemed ironclad. Now...not so much, but this guy's still pretty good.