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2011 Mlb Predictions - Los Angeles Angels
With the addition of Wells and the return of Morales, the Angeles offense should be much better than it was a year ago. Morales had 11 home runs and 39 RBIs in just 51 games before his season was cut short with a fractured ankle from celebrating a walk-off grand slam. Morales hit 34 home runs and drove in 108 runs in 2009, and we think he will be able to return to those numbers this season. Wells looks to be a great addition this offseason, especially coming off his best season in four years. Wells hit .273 with 31 home runs and 88 RBIs with Toronto last year, and could be the reason why Los Angeles wins the division in 2011. Right fielder Tori Hunter is no longer a young pup, but still managed to hit 23 home runs with 90 RBIs in 2010. Don't be shocked if he struggles to keep up with those numbers this season. Second baseman Howie Kendrick finished with a career-best in doubles (41), home runs (14), and RBIs (75), and it appears the move to become more of a power hitter is working, but he must raise his .313 OBP. Veteran DH Bobby Abreu hit 20 home runs to go along with 78 RBIs, but hit just .255 and could be in for an even bigger drop off in production. The rest of the order doesn't figure to give the Angeles a whole lot offensively. Center fielder Peter Bourjos is great in the field, but he hit just .204 with an OBP of .237. Catcher Jeff Mathis hit just .195 with and OBP of .219 in 205 at-bats last season. Shortstop Erick Aybar isn't expected to hit for much power, but if he is going to keep his job, he has to hit better than .256. The Angels are hoping Maicer Izturis can take over the starting job at third, after Brandon Wood completely flopped. The potential is there for Izturis to hit 15+ home runs with 75+ RBIs, but he has to find a way to avoid injuries and stay on the field. Starting Rotation The Angeles figure to have one of the top starting staffs in the division with the likes of Jered Weaver and Dan Haren at the top of the mix. Weaver went just 13-12 in 2010, but his 3.01 ERA and 1.074 WHIP, show just how good he actually was. He has progressively better with each year, and if the offense improves like they expect, he could be in the running for a Cy Young. The same could be said for Dan Haren, who was brilliant after coming over from Arizona in a midseason trade. Haren went 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA in seven starters with Los Angeles, and should be back around the 15-18 win mark this season. Ervin Santana is coming off one of his best years in 2010. He led the Angels with 17 wins, and finished with a respectable 3.92 ERA. However, Santana has struggled to put together two great seasons in a row. Joel Pineiro finished last year with a record of 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA, but almost all of his success came at home. He was outstanding at home, going 7-2 with a 2.18 ERA, but was just 3-5 with a 6.31 ERA on the road. Scott Kazmir was a huge disappointment in his first year with Los Angeles, going just 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA. His strike out total was way down, and its hard to see a big turnaround in 2011. 2011 Projections: 3rd Place AL West While there are still a few concerns at a couple positions, we think the Angels will have enough offense to go with their impressive starting rotation to make them a serious threat in the division this year. The problem is the Rangers and Athletics both look like contenders as well, and we have the Angels finishing third in a close race. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Jack Jones is a seasoned baseball handicapper who offers expert MLB predictions. His goal is to help you win through exploiting weaknesses in the daily baseball lines. |
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