Same Team, Different Year
If you want a brief summary of the 2024 Angels, then just look at their last 9 seasons of sub par, mediocre, and pitiful baseball. If you want a look at the fan’s perspective and you are out of the loop of Angels Baseball, then this is the article you want to read.
This season marks the first season since 2017 without Shohei Ohtani and their fourth year losing Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon to major injuries. And despite the loss of offense and pitching, they are the same team we have seen year in and year out. Can’t hate consistency, right? The Angels’ Front Office has failed to wave the white flag and fully admit that they are in a rebuilding era with letting the kids play. But, if you are a fan, you know that they were “rebuilding” for a while, they just lack direction. I will give it to Perry Minasian for hiring the coaching staff he wants and fielding guys out there that he knows will develop into quality major league players. He has done a lot for having his hands tied by an owner who is completely oblivious to what his team is doing. He has had solid drafts the last three seasons. I for one am really excited to see Christian Moore play at the big league level. He’s been on fire since being drafted.
The biggest ridicule the front office is facing this season is how they fumbled the 2024 trade deadline. The Angels only made two trades, which as a fan, really helped the organization. However, there could have been a few more trades of guys who have expiring contracts. Maybe the Angels were selling high on guys like Ward and Tyler Anderson. No one took the bait. In the end, you can put players on the trading block, but if no one wants them, it is out of your control. With that being said, with losing their high profile guys to free agency or injury, they are where they are every year.
Ron Washington has had a positive impact on guys like Neto, O’Hoppe, and Jo Adell. So, instead of being negative and focusing on why the Angels suck (you already know why), I am going to give you some key guys that we can look forward to building around next year and beyond.
Zach Neto (.261/.325/.459): My current favorite player on the Angels, Zach Neto has put together a quiet, but productive year. As of this article, he is 2 homers away from having a 20/20 season. He plays stellar defense and is only getting better. The kid is a gamer and a fan favorite with his heart and hustle. This might surprise you, but let me put Neto’s season into perspective. He has the same WAR, fewer strikeouts and a higher batting average than Elly De La Cruz. Neto also holds spots in some of the top 10 offensive categories among shortstops.
Ben Joyce (1-0 2.54 ERA): Drafted in 2022 out of Tennessee, Joyce is known for how fast he throws topping 105 MPH just a few weeks ago. Joyce made his debut in 2023 with some rocky innings before losing the rest of his season to an injury. This year, Joyce started in AA before getting called up. He figured out how to pitch instead of just throwing hard and it showed when he went on a 20 plus inning scoreless streak this season. I figure Joyce to be the future closer for the team. He has filled the role nicely since the trades of Luis Garcia and Carlos Estevez.
Logan O’Hoppe (.255/.314/.432): A one for one swap with the Phillies for Brandon Marsh, O’Hoppe has solidified himself as a top catcher in the league. 2023 saw glimpses of how good Logan could be, but he suffered a torn labrum in the beginning of the season. However, he came back towards the end of the season and crushed 9 homers in September. This season, O’Hoppe is top 10 in every offensive category among qualified catchers. Logan has also shown the fan base that he has stepped up as the leader of the team with Trout on the injured list. He is well respected with the starting and relief pitchers. And when a pitcher has a bad outing, he takes accountability for it.
I know it has been a rough 2024 for the Angels and their fans, but I think within the next few years, we can see a competitive team on the field. We have the players to do it, the organization just needs to be patient and let guys develop. I know there is one thing baseball fans can agree on and that is Arte Moreno needs to sell.
By Brian Caprino