A strong finish to the 2023 season was exactly what Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers had in mind for himself. On Tuesday, he turned in a gem against the Texas Rangers, putting a stamp on a rocky sophomore campaign.
The former 2020 first-round pick was a notable piece to the Angels plans in the starting rotation coming into the year, but after posting a 4.31 ERA, 3.76 FIP, while average nearly 3.5 walks per nine, he was clearly in a tough spot. Detmers continued to battle, but things never improved.
Including Tuesday’s outing, Detmers finished his season with a 4.48 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 4.13 FIP. He was responsible for a 4-10 record, but against the Rangers he ended the year with a high note to bottle up moving ahead, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“It’s nice,” Detmers said. “Obviously, the season didn’t really go as planned. There’s been lots of ups and downs. And not just speaking for myself but for the whole team. It’s been disappointing.
“For myself, I struggled at times, but I’ve proven I can bounce back. To end the season on that kind of note against a really good ballclub is always nice.”
Alongside Logan O’Hoppe, the battery mates figure to be working together for the foreseeable future. He discussed the continuity they built in the starts in which the rookie backstop was behind the plate, noting that they were taking building the team as a day by day experience.
Detmers had his sights on wanting to finish out strong, and fortunately enough, a division opponent was there to allow him to capitalize. It was just the fifth time all season he completed seven innings, his second against the Rangers.
Fellow lefty Patrick Sandoval endured difficult year for Angels
Highlighting on Sandoval, the left-hander broke out last season, tossing 148.2 innings, amassing a 2.91 ERA across 27 starts. His 3.09 FIP was among the best in baseball, but he unfortunately lost a bit of his touch this year.
In 28 starts, Sandoval has carried a 4.11 ERA, 4.18 FIP with a 1.51 WHIP this season, and the rock in manager Phil Nevin’s rotation has been through a tough season.
Sandoval discussed the positives of his season to this point.
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