We’re staying in the greater Los Angeles area, as we make our way south on I-5 to issue our next report card to Mike Scioscia’s Angels.
Los Angeles Angels
Record: 80-82 (Third place in AL West, 10 games behind Texas)
Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Torii Hunter (.281)
Home Runs: Mike Napoli (26)
RBIs: Torii Hunter (90)
On-base Percentage: Hideki Matsui (.361)
Pitching Leaders
Wins: Ervin Santana (17)
Strikeouts: Jered Weaver (233)
Innings Pitched: Jered Weaver (224.2)
ERA: Jered Weaver (3.01). Bullpen- Brian Fuentes (3.52)
WHIP: Jered Weaver (1.07). Bullpen- Brian Fuentes (1.20)
Saves: Brian Fuentes (23)
Highlight of the Season: On June 19, the Angels demolished the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 12-0. Starter Jered Weaver tossed seven strong innings in that game, striking out 11 and walking none.
Lowlight of the Season: On May 29, the Angels would lose their star first baseman Kendry Morales for the season in an unfortunate on-field accident. After hitting a walk-off grand slam to defeat the Mariners 5-1 in 10 innings, Morales jumped and landed awkwardly on home plate during the on-field celebration, breaking his leg and ending his season.
The Lowdown:
The 2010 season was a long and frustrating one for the Angels, one that resulted in the team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2003. Many were expecting the team to be a bit weaker in their lineup after losing Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins to free agency, however many still expected the team to be more competitive than what they were throughout the season. Making matters worse was losing their power-hitting first baseman Kendry Morales for the season due to a broken leg on May 29, something that severely crippled this lineup. Despite his injury, the scrappy and experienced Angels hung tough throughout June and July, but they began to fade badly once August hit, as the Texas Rangers hit their stride and ran away with the division.
Offense:
The Halos offense in 2010 was considerably weaker than 2009, thanks in large part to the absence of Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and Kendry Morales (due to injury). The team finished toward the middle or near the bottom of the majors in many offensive categories, including runs (19th), batting average (23rd), home runs (13th) and slugging (20th). Outfielder Torii Hunter took control of the offense as the main run producer, leading the team in batting average and RBIs while finishing second in homers to catcher Mike Napoli. Even though Napoli was the home run leader on this team, he only batted .238, along with getting on base at a paltry clip of .316. Hideki Matusi and Bobby Abreu began to show their age this year, too, as they only hit .274 and .255 respectively, despite each of them recording over 20 home runs. Howie Kendrick also suffered from an uncharacteristic down year, hitting only .279, a slight drop from his .291 average in 2009.
Unfortunately for the Angels, what was once their strength turned into a weakness for them in 2010, as their ability to manufacture runs declined considerably.
Final Grade: C
Pitching:
The Angels’ pitching was fair this year; however it wasn’t enough to make up for the team’s lack of offense. Even though the team could still use John Lackey at the top of their rotation, his presence isn’t necessary, as Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver are still there to pick up the slack. Santana rebounded back to his 2008 form this year, going 17-10 with a 3.92 ERA in 222 innings pitched, achieving career highs in both wins and innings. Weaver also put together a career year, finishing with a 1.07 WHIP and a 3.01 ERA, along with leading the majors in strikeouts with 233. Although his record was a seemingly mediocre 13-12, he was usually the victim of poor offense, much like Felix Hernandez in Seattle.
Perhaps the most disappointing arm in the rotation is lefty Scott Kazmir. Even though his potential is still high, his pitch velocity and numbers declined precipitously this year, finishing 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA. The Angels acquired him from Tampa Bay in 2009, thinking they got themselves a steal from the Rays; however, he unfortunately has yet to produce. A way the Angels tried to make up for his lack of production while strengthening the rotation for the future was by trading for Dan Haren, who put up solid numbers for the Halos. He would make 14 starts with the team, finishing with a 5-4 record along with an ERA of 2.87.
The bullpen was below average by L.A.’s standards this year, finishing 19th in ERA at 4.03. No pitcher that appeared in at least 30 games finished with an ERA below three, and the free agent acquisition of Fernando Rodney did not work out, as he would finish with a 4.24 ERA in 72 appearances. Reliever Scot Shields finally appeared to be showing signs of wear, finishing with an ERA north of five in 42 appearances, while the team’s best reliever, Brian Fuentes, would be traded to Minnesota in late August.
Even though the staff collectively wasn’t that bad, they weren’t all that great, either.
Final Grade: C+
Wild Card: Stolen Bases
Unfortunately, this will not be looked upon in a positive light. Even though the team still finished 11th in baseball in steals with 104, it is still quite a drop from last year, when they finished third in MLB with 148. Failing to get Carl Crawford in free agency was another kick in the gut for this team.
Final Grade: B-
Overall:
Even though this year was an uncharacteristic one for the Halos this year, one can only wonder if they would have been more competitive with a healthy Kendry Morales. Texas appeared to go into cruise control mode during the final month of the season, and if Morales was healthy, I think they would have put a lot more pressure on Texas. Depending on how you look at the situation, the AL West could be the most competitive division in baseball entering next year, or it could be the worst. If the Angels are healthy, they will definitely contend next year.
Final Grade: C
Check back soon for the report card on the Florida Marlins!
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