Angels Insider Details Exact Issue with LA Right Now
The Los Angeles Angels have not been glaringly bad in one area to start the season. Their bullpen certainly needs work but progress has been made since the first couple of games. Errors have also costed them some wins but, just like team manager Phil Nevin stated, looking at those as the sole reason they lost would definitely be nitpicking.
With the Angels, it isn't a matter of looking at just one game of poor performances and needing to improve there. They currently rank as the MLB's 12th best squad at the pitching mound and eighth best when stepping up to bat. Those are not elite placements by any means but they are certainly solid.
On a roster with the likes of certified talents in Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon and rising talent in Logan O'Hoppe and Zach Neto, it is not expected for them to be at the bottom. However, Angels insider Jon Frisch had some strong words following LA's 1-2 loss to the Red Sox and he stated exactly what's wrong with the team right now.
"It was a 2-1 game and it was close throughout the whole thing," said Frisch. "But if it't not the pitching, then it's the hitting that goes cold. And if the hitting's good, then the pitching's not great. Reid Detmers is the only other pitcher besides Ohtani to get to the seventh and had a really decent outing."
(Via Locked on Angels)
This Angels franchise hasn't been to the playoffs since 2014, they are not used to stringing together a bunch of wins consistently and remaining that way for the whole year. They are relying on players to get more production than they're used to.
But this team has already won some big games in 2023 and they can continue to do so. It is just a matter of everybody buying in and picking up the slack.