Angels News: Halos Among ‘Honorable Mentions’ for Best Pitching Staff in MLB

Let's give credit where credit is deserved!

The biggest show in baseball plays for the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani has taken the league by storm since he joined in 2017 and he has gotten even better as the years have gone on. The former American League MVP looks like almost a lock to win the award again this season and he is showing why he will earn more than $500 million this offseason as a free agent.

However, sometimes the greatness of Ohtani tends to overshadow his teammates and the achievements of them. The Angels as a whole took time to bring in pitching this season to help Ohtani out and despite the team’s overall record, the pitching staff has been decent for the team. It’s not just Ohtani who helps elevate the staff and it’s time that people recognize.

The Angels pitching staff isn’t a top five and maybe not even a top 10 staff but they deserve some love for their performance in the first half of the year. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report ranked the top pitching staffs around baseball at midseason and the Angels did make the list, as an honorable mention. This doesn’t sound like much but for a team that has struggled with pitching in recent years, it’s a big jump.

"Contrary to popular belief, the Angels are more than just Shohei Ohtani. Reid Detmers is having a productive second full season in the big leagues, and closer Carlos Estévez has gone a perfect 21-for-21 in save opportunities. Things do get a bit ugly in a hurry from there for the Halos pitching staff, though."

Per Bleacher Report

Taking Ohtani out of the equation, the Angels have had some strong performers this season. As Miller mentioned, Estévez has been a key weapon out of the bullpen for the Angels and he gives them a chance anytime he takes the mound. His 1.80 ERA and perfect save record has allowed this team to feel confident at the end of games.

Reliever Jacob Webb has been solid out of the pen as well. He has an ERA of 2.29 and has only given up three runs over his last 14 appearances. All in all, the biggest issue for the pitching staff is the starters outside of Ohtani. The bullpen has been decently solid for the team this year. 

As the season starts to wind down, the Angels are going to need their guys to step up if they want to make the playoffs. If not, the team will see another season without a postseason trip.