LA Angels: Who’s Behind Their Strong Start?
The Los Angeles Angels have had a very strong start to the 2021 season so far. Spring Training saw them win multiple games and set themselves up for a successful start to this season.
Considering the names you will find in their roster, there are many times when betting on them winning is a no-brainer. This piece will go through the players that have put the Angels into such a dominant position so early on in the season already.
Shohei Ohtani
You can’t talk about the Angels right now without talking about Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese batter/pitcher has proven himself to be an invaluable asset to the Angels. In his very first start on the mound back at the beginning of the season, he struck out seven batters. The first pitch he faced that day in the batters box went for a 450 foot home run.
Ohtani has given the Angels something most teams are always looking for and needing consistency. Not only can he pitch a few solid innings in a game, barely giving away any runs, with a bat in hand, he has been getting runs and homers like he was born to do it.
While Ohtani has had some slip ups, namely against the White Sox and the Blue Jays, he has been solid, and has already put himself in the driver’s seat as the MVP for the season.
Alex Cobb
While Alex Cobb is still very new to the Angels, he has quickly established himself as a pitcher that they can definitely use. What he did against the Royals proved that he still has what it takes to play in the big leagues.
He rediscovered his splitter, which he pitched 52 times during his stint at the mound. For the first time since 2014, Cobb struck out 10+ batters. While he most likely isn’t going to start or play a huge amount of games, Cobb can most certainly turn himself into that x-factor that the Angels can use to win games.
Dylan Bundy
Dylan Bundy is another pitcher that is proving to be very vital to the Angels starting rotation. His second start of the season against the Astros, which the Angels did go on to lose 4-2, Bundy was a standout star.
Bundy struck out 10 batters in his 6 innings at the mound. This was also the ninth time Bundy had struck out ten or more batters, with it being the fourth time with the Angels, as he did it three times last season.
Once again, Bundy will be part of the rotation, and will most likely be swapped out mid-game most times, but like Cobb, he is showing his versatility and consistency, and in a full season like teams have started already, consistency is key, especially across multiple players.
David Fletcher
While he has yet to score a home run, as that has been dominated by Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, Fletcher has been a reliable player with bat in hand, and he is primed o just improve as the season goes on.
Jared Walsh
Jared Walsh is another player showing that he isn’t a one-season wonder. Coming off an incredible season last year, Walsh has just picked up where he left off. In his 12 starts, he has 3 homeruns in his 37 AB’s, the third highest behind Trout and Ohtani.
Walsh is now aiming to take the first base position away from Albert Pujols. Pujols is most definitely now in the twilight of his career, and with Walsh performing substantially better with a bat in hand, he is getting a ton of attention, and is quickly becoming a staple of the franchise.
Mike Trout
Of course Mike Trout is on this list. The 29 year old center fielder is arguably the best player in the league. So far this season he has shown once again why he has that title. His 42 AB’s have resulted in 10 runs, 4 doubles and 4 home runs.
Considering he is coming off of a “bad” 2020 season, where he played 53 games, hit 17 homeruns and had 46 RBI’s, it is really hard to see which other player in the league is even close to his level right now.
He has had a couple of dud games, but you would be sorely mistaken if you don’t think he is the Angels best player. Considering how Ohtani has been playing too, the Angels have one of the best offensive forces in the league.
As you can see, the Los Angeles Angels have had a tremendous start to their 2021 season, and while they have had some losses, they are the home to some seriously talented players who, if they stay fit, can easily help them to a World Series spot. Only time will tell.
