Los Angeles Angels 2011 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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Last year the Angels were overtaken by the Rangers. This year, the A’s are making a strong push. Is this franchise now on the downswing?

Los Angeles Angels 2010 MLB Record: 80-82
Los Angeles Angels 2010 MLB Home Record: 43-38
Los Angeles Angels 2010 MLB Away Record: 37-44

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Betting

Los Angeles Angels Odds to Win the American League: +1200
Los Angeles Angels Odds to Win the World Series: +3000

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Preview & Prediction

The Angels once again return from an offseason fishing expedition in which the big one got away. Two years ago, they tried to re-sign Mark Teixeira after a three-month rental and were outbid by the Yankees. Smaller signings (Brian Fuentes, Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu) and a breakout season by Kendry Morales soothed their loss, and the Angels went on to win 97 games and another AL West title in ’09. This time, free agent outfielder Carl Crawford was the object of their offseason affection, but they were outbid again (by the Red Sox). The Angels are again counting on Morales (returning from a fractured ankle that ended his 2010 season in May) and smaller signings (relievers Hisanori Takahashi and Scott Downs) to put a championship-caliber team on the field in 2011. It will be much harder to make that work after a number of needs were expo~ed in Morales’ absence last season.

Los Angeles Angels Manager: Mike Scioscia – 12th year Record: 980-802

Now one of the longest-tenured skippers in the majors, Scioscia has entrenched himself in Anaheim by leading a club that always plays good fundamental baseball.

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Projected Batting Order: 3B Maicer Izturis (S), DH Bobby Abreu (L), 1B Kendry Morales (S), RF Torii Hunter (R), 2B Howie Kendrick (R), C Mike Napoli (R), LF Juan Rivera (R), CF Peter Bourjos (R), SS Erick Aybar (S).

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Projected Rotation: RH Jered Weaver, RH Dan Haren, RH Ervin Santana, RH Joel Pineiro, LH Scott Kazmir.

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Projected Closer: RH Fernando Rodney

2011 Los Angeles Angels Offense:

3B Alberto Callaspo could be the leadoff man by default. His on-base skills aren’t great. OF Bobby Abreu gives them some on-base skills. Hopefully the 37-year-old can slow his decline with more DHing. Speaking of aging outfielders, 35-year-old Torii Hunter looked a half a step slower and lost a little bit of power last year. The return of 1B Kendry Morales gives this lineup a boost. It’s just a matter of when he gets his timing back. If he’s not traded, OF Juan Rivera will provide moderate power in the NO.5 hole. The Angels can’t afford to have C Jeff Mathis’s bat in the lineup, so look for power hitting/defensively brutal C Mike Napoli. Prospect Hank Conger could be the solution later in the year. It’s time to accept that 2B Howie Kendrick’s best case is .300 with moderate power if he’s lucky. Erick Aybar’s mediocre batting average plus lack of power cancel out the steals. Peter Bourjos could open the year in center. He doesn’t offer any plus skills besides speed.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Rotation:

Jered Weaver should be right back in the Cy Young hunt. The concern for fantasy owners is whether he’ll get the run support to win a lot of games (our guess is probably not). He rounded into form as last year went on, and it’s reasonable to expect Dan Haren to return to an All-Star level. His rising flyball rate isn’t as big an issue at Angel Stadium. His velocity is still slightly down, and Ervin Santana was a17-game winner last year more because of defensive help than effective pitching. He’s more of a middle-of-the-rotation talent now. He didn’t suffer much of a drop-off coming to the American League, and Joel Pineiro still throws enough strikes and induces enough ground balls to be a solid NO.3-caliber starter. After a series of injuries, Scott Kazmir’s velocity is down and his command is even worse than usual. He’s only draftable in deep leagues that have bench spots. Perhaps Matt Palmer would get another chance if Kazmir doesn’t work out.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Bullpen:

Scioscia has been talking up a closer by committee to start the year. Fernando Rodney would likely head it up. Rodney throws hard, but his command comes and goes and he’s been far from lights out over the past three seasons. Scott Downs figures to get the call in lefty-heavy save situations. He’s fairly effective against righties as well and could close fulltime if Rodney struggles. Youngsters Kevin Jepsen and Jordan Walden could also figure into the mix. They gave Hisanori Takahashi an $8 million contract, so you’d figure he’d have a bigger role than the long relief role he had for the Mets last year. He did post a 2.04 ERA after moving to the bullpen.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Middle Infield:

A number of Angels regressed in 2010, chief among them shortstop Erick Aybar, who lost his aggressiveness as a hitter — and eventually his position at the top of the lineup. He finished the season with a disappointing .253 average and .306 on-base percentage. The offensive struggles and a series of nagging injuries affected his defense as well (career-high 21 errors). Aybar might not be the .312 hitter of 2009 every year, but a bounce-back in 2011 is essential. Second baseman Howie Kendrick turned in a mixed bag of a season. His batting average (.279) was a career low and continued a four-year slide. But he also set career highs in home runs, doubles, RBIs, stolen bases and hits. Continued slides by either Aybar or Kendrick could open the door for Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis, who figure to get playing time at a combination of infield positions.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Corners:

This was Ground Zero for the Angels’ offensive struggles in 2010. When Morales fractured his ankle while celebrating his walk-off grand slam on May 29, it ended his season and crippled the Angels’ offense. Scioscia started nine different players at first base in the 111 games Morales missed and got only a fraction of the production they expected from Morales. A full recovery is expected for Morales, and the Angels are counting on him to pick up where he left off in 2009 (a .306 average, 34 home runs, 108 RBIs and .569 slugging percentage). The solution is nowhere near as obvious at third base, where long-heralded prospect Brandon Wood was a total flop in 2010. The Angels did nothing to address the black hole during the offseason and appear committed to crossing their fingers that a combination of Izturis and Callaspo can do better in 2011. The oft-injured Izturis has been on the DL at least once in five of his six seasons with the Angels, but they might turn to him to address their need for a leadoff hitter as well.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Outfield:

After missing out on Crawford, the Angels will instead rely on Wells while they wait for the arrival of Mike Trout, one of the top prospects in baseball, who is on a fast track to the majors at age 19. Wells, a former Gold Glove winner in center field, hit 31 home runs and drove in 88 for the Blue Jays last season. While those numbers are acceptable, they are not worthy of the four remaining years on his contract that will pay him an average of $21.5 million a season. Peter Bourjos did wonders for the Angels’ outfield defense after his promotion to the big leagues in early August. The speedy center fielder’s exceptional range was enough to move nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter to right field. It remains to be seen, though, how quickly Bourjos’ offensive game can develop and whether the Angels can sacrifice offense for defense at that spot in the lineup while it does. Hunter carried a tremendous load in the Angels’ Morales-deprived lineup last season and led the team in RBIs (90). He’ll have a little more help with Morales back in 2011 but must continue to produce at the same level. With Wells taking over in left, this will be among the best defensive outfields in the majors.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Catching:

The Angels may be prepared to turn over the catching duties to former first-round pick Hank Conger. With Mike Napoli gone to Texas via Toronto in the Wells trade, Jeff Mathis is the only catcher with experience. Mathis has long had the reputation of all defense and no offense, but he regressed defensively after an early season wrist injury in 2010 and remains ineffective as a hitter. Mathis will play until Conger proves he’s ready, which the Angels hope will occur in spring training. Bobby Wilson can be a serviceable backup.

2011 Los Angeles Angels Bench:

Despite respectable production in 2010 (.274, 21 homers, 84 RBIs and a team-leading .820 OPS), the Angels let Hideki Matsui leave as a free agent. That clears the way for Bobby Abreu to spend a good deal of time at DH in 2011. Abreu’s defense declined noticeably in 2010. His offensive numbers dipped in most areas as well, but the Angels are hopeful a less stressful role (with Morales back) will produce a rebound in 2011. Only in the infield, where Callaspo, Wood, Izturis, Kendrick and Aybar will fill three spots in the lineup, is there any depth.

Los Angeles Angels 2011 Season Predictions

After a disappointing 2010, the Angels didn’t exactly do much over the winter to improve.They’ve still got a deep pitching staff that should keep them in most games, but their best offensive players (Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter) aren’t getting any younger. There doesn’t appear to be enough to get them back into the top half of the division. – We predict that the Los Angeles Angels will finish 78-84 & 3rd in the AL West Division.

Los Angeles Angels 5-Year Win Trend

2006: 2nd AL West 89
2007: 1st AL West 94
2008: 1st AL West 100
2009: 1st AL West 97
2010: 3rd AL West 80

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