It has been a thrilling week of playoff baseball with some razor tight games and big performances on baseball’s biggest stage. One of the things that makes baseball so unique is that you have no idea who will be up in the most crucial moments. In other sports you know the ball will be in the hands of the biggest star.
But in baseball, you get moments like this:
Yes, a dude who spent a decade in the minors came up with the hit that cemented the game for the Blue Jays and let the Yankees clubhouse crew know to start packing for 2026. Lukes has gone an unbelievable 5 for 7 with runners in scoring position for Toronto this October.
We also saw a guy who hit 55 home runs this season strike out a guy who hit 56 home runs this season. If you asked me 30 years ago if that would ever happen I’d have bet the farm against it. Yet, here’s the proof.
In the midst of all this playoff greatness and energy, Angels GM Perry Minasian held a press conference that inspired little confidence from the fanbase. While none of us expect a GM to fully lay out the team’s budget and plan, we did hope for a little accountability and sense of urgency. None of that was apparent.
Perry did put big pressure on the next manager of the Angels. But, ultimately, his complete lack of accountability along with Arte’s refusal to replace his college buddies in the executive suite are the storylines here.
The fans want a return to October baseball. We’ve talked about the weaknesses of the team, but let’s take a look at the actual math of a playoff team in 2025.
On the pitching front, the Toronto Blue Jays had the worst team ERA of all playoff teams with a 4.19. Most of the playoff field was half a run or so better than that mark. The Angels team ERA last year was 4.89, meaning they need to shave off roughly 0.75 earned runs per game to really be in the playoff conversations.
This is evidenced in the runs allowed category. The Angels pitching staff allowed a total of 837 runs, which is 116 more than Toronto and 146 more than Detroit. 162 games x 0.75 earned runs = 121 runs reduced. It is just math.
Offensively, the Cleveland Guardians throw a wrench into all of the calculations. They simply pitched so well and had such good numbers with runners on for the final 6 weeks of the season they won their division despite the second lowest OBP and third fewest runs scored in all of baseball.
The lowest run total of a playoff team other than Cleveland this year was the Padres at 702. The average total number of runs scored (including Cleveland) was 768. The Angels clocked in with 673.
Overall the numbers indicate the Angels are about 250 total runs away from being a playoff team. Yes, we focused on the -164 run differential but that only gets us to about .500. To play with the big boys, we need to find about another 100 runs scored or saved.
This is a long winded way of saying the Angels need significant improvement on all sides of the ball. And with a likely limited budget and weak free agent class, I don’t see a way to get from here to October in one off season. But we can get into the Angels off season maybe’s at a later date.
One thing I have learned over the years is to listen to Turk’s Teeth. He’s right far more often than he’s wrong when it comes to prospects. He’s on the Nelson Rada train and I’m right there with him.
Look at this:
For a team huge on strikeouts and low on contact approach hitters, Rada provides the opposite. We’re also a team with bad defense and Rada brings a great glove. He can’t single handedly be the answer, but he should be able to save some runs with his glove and turn some of the solo dingers into 2 run shots.
It is October, but I’m already tabbing Rada as my biggest storyline in Tempe.
A little later down the road, perhaps some in house pitching will emerge. FanGraphs updated their Top 100 list and two Angels starters are on it.
From around the league:
Aaron Judge says he might need elbow surgery. I know it is fashionable to hate in the MFY, but Judge is such a great dude that I always wish him well.
I posted Schwarber getting K’d above but he had a huge night on Wednesday to keep the Phillies alive, including this insane home run.
Reputations, nay legends, are made in October and Schwarber’s is as one of the post season’s greatest sluggers.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I’m finally healed up enough from my injury to get in the ring and trade some leather and I couldn’t be happier. I’m already sporting a nice bruise under my right eye and my wife is oh so happy about it, but that’s life. I’ll be helping my fighter prep for a rematch against the guy he faced in LA a month ago and am thrilled to be part of a camp again.
Other than that, I’ll enjoy family time, some playoffs and football, and probably watch Boots Ennis box. I hope you have a great weekend as well.
