That Familiar Feeling

 

I think this is the third straight year that the Angels have peaked in April. And it's been almost the exact same thing every time. A thrilling start from some young players, the veteran pitchers doing what they're paid for, the promise of a new star in the making, and then within seconds they hit a losing streak and Mike Trout hits the IL. It happens this year every April. They just get it out of the way, and the rest of the year is filled with abject mediocrity. Like, this year it was literally 'oh wow, they're 9-5 and taking down Houston, this could be turning around, what's that they're in last already?'

Because a lot of teams, like the Rockies, Pirates and White Sox, will infuriate fans with just how pathetic they can be, but the Angels keep giving the fanbase the illusion that they'll be good. They put money into the team, they have good prospects, they position a strong group of people...and yet it always leads to this garbage.

There are a few people on this team worth a damn, but they're not exactly in much position to turn the tide. Zach Neto might be the only person in this lineup doing everything he's supposed to. He's still in his prime, has 4 home runs and has been great at short. And the rotation trio of Tyler Anderson, Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano has been pretty damn strong actually. Anderson's having another great season in Anaheim, with a 2-1 record, a 2.58 ERA and 39 Ks. This would be great even for a team that wasn't the Angels. Kikuchi, despite not having won a game yet, also has 39 Ks and a 0.9 WAR. Soriano, essentially auditioning for a spot on another rotation now, has a 4 ERA and 37 Ks. These guys, while generally at the mercy of the lineup, go deep and provide the needed cover. 

But...too many people on this team are just not playing well. Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward, Nolan Schanuel, Reid Detmers, Travis d'Arnaud, Jo Adell...that's too many guys that were trusted to keep this team moving and just haven't. Ward, despite his 8 homers, is hitting .182. The theme of this team is that while there is power hitting, done by Trout and Ward and Jorge Soler, it's not pretty. Only three guys have an average over .250. Even Kyren Paris, after a fantastic April, has gone cold and his average is hurtling back towards .200. It's not pretty. Even without Trout and Rendon, which is kind of a given, the Angels just cannot get anything done.

It's more infuriating when you see teams like the Mariners and A's doing better, working towards the top of the division, while the Angels continue not to learn, even WITH Ron Washington. I'm not even sure what will work at this point. People are convinced that Trout coming back will save this team, and the way he was hitting before doesn't convince me too much.

Coming Tomorrow- There was a feeling, when he hit the majors after years in Triple-A, that he'd be a nice flukey, flash-in-the-pan story for a year. And now here he is six years later still leading the team and playing beautifully.