So Far… So Bad…

The Angels, perhaps more accurately Mike Scoscia, have proven that they can do A LOT with very little in seasons past. However, they have never been asked to do so much, with so little. 

This isn’t to say that the Angels don’t have talent, because they undoubtedly do, but rather that the talent is, perhaps, in the wrong places. Moreover, the talent is unfinished, unpolished, talent that doesn’t seem to work as cohesively as it could. 

Players like Aybar, Kendrick, Wood, Mathis, and Morales are the future of the club, future of the league, but that future is yet to be realized. Without enough time at the Major League level they cannot be asked to carry the club for the entirety of the season, and these first 7 games have made that clear. 

While the competition between players like Mathis and Napoli makes the game intriguing, and is certainly a talking point, the fact is that neither stands out as the must have guy at the catching position. While Napoli offers the advantage of a power bat, something the Angels need and have needed for seasons, Mathis is clearly the more agile of the two behind the plate, and has the ability to hit for doubles- a necessary skill for players on a small ball team. 

More importantly, however, as the Angels have cleaned house over the past few seasons there are few “fan favorites” left to make the, so far, dismal season any better. Shields remains the only player from the 2002 World Series Championship team. While it was inevitable that the players from that season would leave, it doesn’t make it any easier to accept for many fans- especially when favorites are replaced by former Yankee enemies in guys like Matsui. 

The season is still young, and there is still Spring optimism, so here is to hoping that the Angels can turn things around!