This is a big weekend in Southern California baseball s the Angels travel up the 5 to face the Dodgers. Actually, it is a big weekend across baseball as rivalries abound. The Red Sox play the Yankees as well.
Just a few short weeks ago the Dodgers came to Anaheim and laid a beatdown on the Angels. It was brutal, it exposed just how far apart the two teams are, and it made a lot of money for everyone involved.
The local TV viewership for the Freeway Series eclipses the national audience for NHL playoff games. Such is the beauty of playing in a huge market that is full of baseball fans.
Yes, those links are recycled but I like to go green and they apply very well to this weekend.
Also big in SoCal baseball this weekend: the USC Trojans will play North Carolina in the NCAA Super Regionals. The winner of the best of 3 series heads to Omaha for the College World Series.
North Carolina is hosting the series because they are the higher seeded team. Here are the keys to the Trojans pulling off the upset.
A trip to Omaha is creeping up my bucket list. And I’m creeping closer to my bucket, so perhaps I need to get to going soon. I could probably play the “looking at who the Angels will draft” angle to get a press credential but I’d still need to pay for flights, rooms, and meals.
This is way too much text without a break. Take a look at how our AAA studs are doing right now.
A little context is key here. Moore has been crushing the ball since coming back from an injury. Prior to his IL stint he was still being dominated by breaking balls. Either it is a small sample size or he’s figured something out because he is now handling breaking stuff quite well.
Everybody’s offensive numbers are inflated by the PCL.
The S part in OPS will never be kind to Rada. He is all about the OBP and SB. In fact, I think bringing him up to the Majors will kickstart the Angels offense and help the team defensively.
Denzer Guzman is started to get some love by the big site.
The offense needs a boost, you say? Yes, most of the team’s worst performers in the month of May were offensive players. That is balanced out by the fact the studs were pitchers.
Or maybe the Angels found a sparkplug in local product Wade Meckler, who hit his first Major League grand slam over the weekend.
Meckler is proving to be a spark plug and a player Angels fans are gravitating towards. He is getting enough cheers at the Big A to temporarily drown out the “Sell the Team!” chants.
Yeah, those are not going away. In fact, the online community is planning on ratcheting up the protests.
MLB draft conversation time.
I’m starting to fall for Hunter Dietz. His stuff is filthy and his delivery is unusual enough to keep hitters off balance for a long time. Yes, he has an injury history and that is why is he projected to be available at 12 but the injury was a stress fracture not a torn ligament. Bones heal back to normal, ligaments don’t.
Cameron Flukey looks to be the easiest arm to project as an MLB starting pitcher. Liam Peterson is also solid across the board. But sometimes you have to take risk on upside and I think Dietz upside is a legitimate #1.
MLB.com just updated their mock draft and I’d be fine with the board falling this way.
One name being floated around the Angels is Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian. His swing is sweet and he’s likely destined for second base. But this bat is projected to play.
With wall to wall baseball it should be a great weekend to be a fan. And a bad weekend to be my remote control.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I’ll be spending time with family and mixing in a little work. The work is helping good friends buy a house, so I don’t mind.
Also, this is Play Ball weekend and the Angels are hosting 750 kids at the Big A. Reid Detmers and the aforementioned Wade Meckler will be helping out at the clinic and I will cover it for SI. I love covering the charity stuff and community events.
