Heading into the 2022 season, Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian put his focus squarely on pitching, saying it was time to make significant upgrades in that area. He signed several starters and relievers in the hopes that the Angels would finally have enough pitching to compete.
His plan worked, as the Angels had an above average pitching staff in all phases. They ranked ninth in ERA (3.77), 12th in WHIP (1.24), seventh in OBA (.230), and allowed the 11th-fewest home runs (168). But in a rare turn of events for an Angels roster, it was the offense that fell behind.
The Halos ranked 24th in batting average (.233), 23rd in OPS (.687), 30th in strikeouts (1,539), 25th in walks (449), and 22nd in total hits (1,265). So Minasian — in an effort to improve pitching — forgot to keep the bats afloat.
As he reviewed the Angels lackluster performance in 2022, he understood that putting too much emphasis on one area can lead the others to fall behind, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“If you told any of us that watched last year that we’d be in the top 10 in pitching, you’d think we’d be at least in the mix,” Minasian said. “But that’s baseball. You have to be good at everything. There’s no secret formula. You have to be able to compete on a daily basis in every area — the bullpen, the rotation, lineup, bench depth. All those things. And we did not do that. That falls directly on me. We need more players. And not in specific areas. And that’s something I learned from last year.”
It’s almost impossible to fathom a team having two of MLB’s best players in addition to a top 10 pitching staff, and still winning just 73 games. However, after Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the Angels lineup was abysmal. Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward had quality seasons, but that’s about it.
The left field platoon of Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak struggled. The never-ending rotation of infielders — including Andrew Velazquez, David Fletcher, Matt Duffy, Matt Thaiss, and many others — failed to hold their own. Meanwhile, Max Stassi had his worst year as an Angel at the plate.
So as Minasian prepares to build out a roster for 2023, he has to keep in mind depth at every position while still maintaining a quality pitching staff. It’s a tall task, but it’s one Minasian has to give his best attempt at as the team heads into a critical campaign.
Angels may go to five-man rotation
In an effort to potentially improve bullpen or bench depth, the Angels have not ruled out the possibility of going to a five-man rotation. However, they must weigh the benefits of gaining an extra roster spot with the drawbacks of having Ohtani and their trio of young starters pitching more often.