Too Fun For the Majors

 

A couple years ago, when the White Sox were going for the all-time losses record, occasionally it would be said, 'oh, well this is a minor league team, isn't it?'. And that is what the 2024 White Sox felt like at times. The only star feels like he is rehabbing, the big pitching talent is being kept under preexisting MLB talent, the big prospect's bored out of his mind, most people are replacement level. Sad stuff.

So when I say that the Angels right now feel like a minor league team, that's not necessarily an insult. So far in 2026, we've yet to find a last place team that truly bores me to tears every time I have to write about them. Every last place team is interesting this year, from the somehow-superior Rockies to the disappointing but rallying Mets to even the backpedaling Royals. The Angels, being one of the candidates for last overall, should be an exhausting last place team. But they're not. Because they've somehow cobbled together a motley crue of former top prospects and have created the most surprising lineup in the bigs. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy who runs the Bananas is taking notes. 

Beyond Mike Trout, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel, this lineup is so frigging weird. So first of all, you have Jo Adell, former top prospect, who will either hit 2 home runs and have the catch of his life or strike out 3 times and make an embarrassing error. No in-between. He's got 10 homers and 37 RBIs already, but at what cost? Then you have Oswald Peraza, consistently blocked in New York, playing everyday and hitting .270 with 7 homers and some terrific 2B play. 

That's basically the extent of the understandable lineup additions though. Cause then you get to the really wild stuff. Like Wade Meckler, former Giants farmhand waived this January, who's hitting .300 in left and is already an upgrade from Josh Lowe. Then you have backup catcher Sebastian Rivero, a career minor leaguer who had some cups of coffee with the Royals in the early 2010s who just went 5 for 5 with 6 RBIs against the DODGERS of all people. Just in the last few weeks you've had insane comeback campaigns from Jose Siri, who's hitting .375 with a 1.068 OPS, 9 RBIs and 2 homers in 19 games, and Nick Madrigal, who's hitting .346 with 9 hits in his first 10 games back. Both of these guys were dead on arrival after some injuries got them dropped by the Mets, and now they're succeeding in Anaheim.

AND! AND! Just last night the Angels brought up Trey Mancini, who hasn't played since his Cubs contract in 2023 didn't go well. He went 3 for 4 with an RBI. This is ridiculous, but somehow it's working. And to be clear, the Angels were thinking like this before as well, that's how Travis d'Arnaud, Jeimer Candelario, Adam Frazier and Yoan Moncada got roster spots. But like...none of them worked. So they brought in people who WERE doing well in the minors, and they're actually helping the team. This team beat the Dodgers 13-5 on Sunday. Not every team this season's gonna be able to say they scored more than 10 against the Dodgers.

Now, does this make them a competitor? No, not necessarily. They're playing the Astros and Rays this week, two teams that have been doing the 'whichever cheap guys can help the big league ballclub' schtick better, and for longer, than the Angels have. Last night the Astros squeaked one out. The Angels are still expected to finish in last, and I do not think this month's bonkers mentality is sustainable. But they're not exactly keeling over and dying, and they're not giving the fans a product that isn't worth going to games for.

I salute these piecemeal, ragtag Angels, for making things interesting when they could be otherwise cut-and-dry.

Coming Tomorrow- 

On This Absolutely Bizarre World Series Matchup

 
The Astros making it I kinda figured. 

You know, with all the teams in the AL race, I kinda figured the feel-good ones would eat themselves, the Yankees would collapse, and nobody would be able to stop the Astros, and they'd make it to another World Series by the strength of their unreprimanded core.

But the Phillies? The 2022 Phillies making it to a World Series over teams like the Braves, Dodgers, Padres and Cardinals? GOD no. I'm...still in shock. 

The Phillies, as I've discussed, have so many flaws that have prevented themselves from seeming great, and none of them have really been on display this postseason. I thought Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott were weak young infielders that made too many mistakes, they've been great in the playoffs and Bohm has looked more legitimate than ever. I thought the outfield defense was atrocious, Castellanos has made some amazing catches and Marsh has been a big step up from other options. I thought the bullpen was gonna fall apart like they usually do, and it turns out that Jose Alvarado, Andrew Bellatti, Seranthony Dominguez, David Robertson and Brad Hand have, for the most part, held their own.

So yeah...Astros are going against the Phillies in the World Series. I'm...floored. I had no idea this was an option. Here we are.

And it's great, because the sportswriters are gonna go 'HOW WILL IT GO WHEN THIS TITAN OF A TEAM TAKES ON THE LITTLE PHILLIES', and like, dude, we already know. They had a tense three game series before the playoff started, Aaron Nola allowed 2 hits against the toughest team in the majors, the 'Stros won the series but only barely due to a tight 3rd game. Yes, the Astros won 2 of 3, but they had to work a little harder for it.

Now, the Astros haven't lost a playoff game yet this season. The last loss the Astros had...was at the hand of the Philadelphia Phillies. So many of the Astros' playoff games were won on by 1 or 2 points. They've been undefeated, but they haven't been blowouts.

...2007 Patriots, meet the 2007 Giants. Good luck holding onto the win column.

And as we eulogize,

Man, the Padres got damn close. I genuinely thought they had the pennant down when they took out the Dodgers. I genuinely thought that, with Machado and Soto together, they could make a legendary World Series team. But...man did the Phils have their number this week. It was a hell of a series, but they were just outmatched. It was awesome to see Austin Nola hit one out on his brother's pitch, though.

...[long sigh]

Money can buy a lot of things. It can buy contracts, and expensive seats behind home plate, and advertising deals, and incentive for the best prospects to come by. It cannot buy Championships. The Excess Spending Yankees have only won 1 Championship since 9/11, and since the true rise of the emphasis on capital in America. The teams that overspend and buy everybody don't really win as much anymore, and it's always the scrappy young teams that gain momentum late, as it should be, that take it. The Astros aren't exactly an over-spendy team, they're just extremely well built and know how to run their organization. The Yankees think that just paying for great players will work instead of actually building an organization, like Cashman and co. did in the 90s, and we're really not at that point anymore.

The Yankees probably won't win a World Series until they accept this. The answer is not paying too much money to sign Jacob deGrom, the answer is developing people who, with one swing of a bat, can make Jacob deGrom wish he was never born. We can no longer sign the best, we have to be the best. 

Let Judge go, bring up Volpe, trade the guys who only hit .220, and start over. Or else it's gonna be 3 more years to losing to the goddamned Astros.

Phils-Astros is gonna be fun. I hope the Phils can somehow win it.