Remember last week’s links full of the joy of a 7 game winning streak? That was fun. It turned into an 8 game winning streak then the wheels fell off. The team is currently riding a 5 game losing streak in which the offense has scored less often than I did in high school. And I was a band nerd in high school.
In assessing Ron Washington’s Angels at the 1/3rd mark through the season a few things are obvious: the offense is streaky, the defense is no bueno, and the bullpen has been a wreck.
The good news is the bullpen added a really solid arm this week.
Adding Stephenson to the generally solid Neris and Hunter Strickland should add some quality depth ahead of closer Kenley Jansen. The “anchor of the bullpen” model is starting to fade across baseball as teams look to use their best arms in the highest leverage situations, not necessarily save opportunities. As Jansen nears 500 saves, nobody is near him. Is he the last of his kind?
I try not to link too many paywall sites, but that is an interesting piece.
Perry Minasian made a flurry of roster moves in addition to activating Stephenson. Tim Anderson and his 42 wRC+ were jettisoned to make room for Scott Kingery. Kevin Newman and his wRC+ of 7 are safe.
Perry also brought in former Dodger Chris Taylor this week. His wRC+ sits comfortably between those of Anderson and Newman but he did make a nice defensive play this week. Jansen thinks his former and once again teammate has plenty in the tank and just needs regular playing time. Time will tell.
The offense may get a significant boost, though, as franchise icon Mike Trout is set to return to play today.
Trout in, Lugo to AAA to hone his craft. I just hope we get to see the real Mike Trout this summer. Baseball is better with him in it; especially as an Angels fan.
As for this week’s Highlight of the Week, I’m going a little off the board. How about Taylor Ward being honored as the AL Player of the Week for going 10 straight games with an extra base hit? Taylor was the catalyst of the winning streak and I’m glad he got some recognition.
We all knew this year would be rocky with an emphasis on competing down the line. As of now, the club is on pace to win 74 games which is right in line with preseason expectations. The winning streak was fun, this losing streak will end, and in the words of the immortal TAME, we will win some games.
So, while we focus on the farm, take a look at Christian Moore catching fire since his AAA promotion. It didn’t take him long to adjust to higher level and higher altitude baseball.
One reason Moore was so highly rated coming out of college was his performance on NCAA’s biggest stage. He was simply dominant in the 2024 postseason, and I’m really trying to make this a smooth segue into covering the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament.
But, first, let’s relive some Moore glory.
For those of you new to college baseball, it is really exciting and this week can be compared to the opening week of March Madness, complete with a really cool bracket you should save.
Here’s the deal: 16 mini tournaments of 4 teams each begin today. Each regional tournament is a double elimination format. By Monday evening, 16 teams will remain. I’ll break down future rounds as they come.
Here’s a full schedule with network listings for your viewing pleasure. If you have ESPN+, this time of year alone justifies the subscription. If not, ESPN and the SEC Network are included in most TV packages and have a ton of games.
Not only are the games and atmospheres great, the tournament leads right up to the draft. With the Angels picking second overall and again at 47 there’s a good shot that both names we hear on draft day will be in this tournament.
Nolan has done a great job following the NCAA prospects. Jaime Arnold and Liam Doyle are arms he’s profiled almost every week and they should both throw today.
A newer name rising up the board is Kyson Witherspoon and I have to admit I love this kid’s delivery. He’s the guy I’m hoping the Angels pick.
His delivery is just silky smooth. Sometimes you can look at a guy and just feel like he has “it” and I get that feeling with Kyson. He’s as cool as the other side of the pillow and I think he’ll make a solid 2/3 in a rotation with nights he looks like a genuine 1, making him somewhat of a 1A.
Witherspoon made this list of prospects to watch along with some other very talented players. There are talented players everywhere. MLB just released a Top 200 list and it is full of college players.
If the Angels go with a bat, it will likely be Oregon State’s Aiva Arquette. Oregon State is a pretty fun team to watch as well. Their offense keeps them in every game and their pitching isn’t quite good enough to completely slam the door.
North Carolina’s offense is really deep, so is Tennessee’s. Really, most of the SEC is stacked. UCLA is hosting a regional full of West Coast teams and the two Oregon schools are also hosting regionals. Expect those games to be on in prime time.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I will have closing ceremonies and a pizza party for my 5 to 7 year old team in a bit of a bittersweet moment. Those kids are amazing, their parents are amazing, and I’m so blessed to have this experience. But all good things must come to an end. Hopefully we keep in touch and they know Coach always believes in them.
On a more serious note, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it is critical you know you are loved and supported and have help if you need it. I had a lifelong friend take his life this week and it is devastating. If you feel you need help, please, seek it. Your loved ones would much rather receive a call for help than the call I got this week.
