2012 Los Angeles Angels Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Los Angeles Angels finished second in the AL West with a 86-76 record. It was the second straight season where the Angels failed to make the postseason. The first time that has happened under owner Arte Moreno. The Angels figure to have a hard time missing the playoffs in 2012, as they went out and signed first basemen Albert Pujols and starter C.J Wilson in the biggest single day free agent expenditure in history. Whether or not the two big additions will be enough to overtake the Texas Rangers in the West is still up in the air. Let’s take a closer look at the Angels projected starting lineup, starting rotation, and closer situation for 2012.
Projected Lineup
Chris Iannetta (Catcher) – The Angels went out and acquired Iannetta with the hopes that he will be able to give them a little more offense from the catcher position. Iannetta hit 14 home runs with 55 RBI in 112 games with the Rockies last year, but his .238 batting average isn’t all that appealing. The big concern here is whether or not his power numbers will carry over now that he isn’t playing the majority of his games at Coors Field.
Albert Pujols (First Base) – Los Angeles is hoping that Pujols will get back on track in 2012. The former MVP hit .299 with 37 home runs and 99 RBI in 2011. Pretty impressive numbers for most players, but were talking about a guy who had never finished with fewer than 100 RBI or an average below .312 in his first 10 seasons.
Howie Kendrick (Second Base) – Kendrick really came on strong in 2011. The 28-year-old hit .285 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI, while also swiping 14 bases. There is plenty of reason to believe he will continue to improve in 2012, especially now that he is hitting in the 2-hole ahead of Pujols.
Erick Aybar (Shortstop) – Aybar is another player to keep your eye on this season. The Angels’ leadoff hitter hit .279 with a career-high 71 runs, 10 home runs, 59 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 2011. He too should benefit from Pujols hitting behind him, plus you have to like his potential to continue to grow as a power hitter. Prior to last year, he had just 14 home runs.
Alberto Callaspo (Third Base) – Hard to expect more than a respectable average out of Collaspo. While he hit .285 last year, he doesn’t have the power (six home runs) or speed (eight stolen bases) to make a huge impact offensively.
Vernon Wells (Left Field) – Wells was a bit of a disappointment in his first season with the Angels. After hitting .273 with 31 home runs and 88 RBI in 2010 with the Blue Jays, Wells hit just .218 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI in 131 games. He still figures to give the Angels 20+ home runs, but I wouldn’t count on him reviving his career in 2012.
Peter Bourjos (Center Field) – Bourjos is one of the promising young players in the Angels organization. The 24-year-old hit .271 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI and 22 steals last year, and the best is still to come. When you add in the fact that he plays Gold Glove-caliber defense in center, it’s easy to see why they are so high on this kid.
Tori Hunter (Right Field) – The Angels are hoping Hunter still has a couple solid years left in the tank. The 36-year-old hit 23 home runs with 82 RBI in 2011, but his .262 average and 125 strikeouts are pretty good indicators that he is on the decline.
Kendrys Morales (Designated Hitter) – Morales hasn’t played a single game since severely injuring his ankle in 2010. It wasn’t that long ago the 28-year-old was considered one of the promising young hitters in the game. The guy hit .303 with 34 home runs and 108 RBI in 2009, but it’s hard telling what to expect from him at this point. Luckily for the Angels, they have a pretty good backup plan in Mark Trumbo, who led the team in homers (29) and RBI (87) as a rookie last season.
Projected Rotation
Jered Weaver (RHP) – Weaver solidified himself as one of the top pitchers in the game with an outstanding 2011 season. He went 18-8 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 33 starts. If it wasn’t for Justin Verlander’s incredible season, he likely would have won the AL Cy Young. At just 29, there is plenty of reason to believe he will put up similar numbers in 2012.
Dan Haren (RHP) – Haren lived up to the hype in his first season with the Angels. The 31-year-old went 16-10 with a 3.17 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 34 starts. It was the seventh straight season Haren made at least 33 starts, and only once in those seven years has he posted an ERA above 4.00. Still plenty left in the tank for one of the most dependable arms in the game.
C.J. Wilson (LHP) – The fact that Wilson is projected to be the Angels No. 3 starter, gives you a pretty good idea of just how good this rotation should be in 2012. Wilson went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 34 starts with the Rangers last year, giving him 31 wins over the last two seasons combined.
Ervin Santana (RHP) – Santana is a pretty solid guy to have as your No. 4 starter. The 29-year-old went 17-10 with a 3.92 ERA in 2010. While he ended up going just 10-11 in 2011, he had a career-best 3.38 ERA. He likely won’t get a lot of attention going into the season, but Santana could easily win 15+ games this year.
Jerome Williams (RHP) – Williams showed enough in six starts with the Angels to warrant a starting spot in the rotation this season. He went 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.36 WHIP (including four relief appearances). However, I don’t think he will be able to produce at the level over the course of a full season.
Projected Closer
Jordan Walden (RHP) – The Angels are hoping Walden can take that next step and become a dominant closer this season. The 24-year-old stepped in and saved 32 games last year, but he also blew 10 saves. The good news is he appeared to get better as the season went on. With an improved offense and one of the best rotations in all of baseball, Walden has the potential to save 40+ games in 2012.
| 2012 Los Angeles Angels Odds | |
| World Series | +700 |
| AL Pennant | +350 |
| AL West |
-125 |
| Total Regular Season Wins | O91.5 (-125) |
| U91.5(-105) |
Over/Under Total Home Runs in the 2012 Regular Season
Albert Pujols – 37.5
Kendrys Morales – 27.5
Vernon Wells – 20.5
Tori Hunter – 21.5
Over/Under BA in the 2012 Regular Season
Albert Pujols – .310
Howie Kendrick – .285
Over/Under Total Wins in the 2012 Regular Season
Jered Weaver – 15
Dan Haren – 15
C.J. Wilson – 14.5
Ervin Santana – 12.5
Over/Under Total Saves in the 2012 Regular Season
Jordan Walden – 34.5
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