A rather forgettable month for the Los Angeles Angels has been accompanied by a slew of issues, including down performance from some of their breakout players, including outfielder Mickey Moniak.
Some work with Angels coaches in the offseason had much to do with Moniak’s immense success, providing the team with multiple big swings in key spots. The former first-round pick made some alterations to his swing, crediting a more open stance.
Angels hitting coaches instilled a philosophy which Moniak gravitated towards, but the month of August has seen that progress fall on tough times. In 211 plate appearances heading into August, he posted a 148 wRC+ with 11 home runs and 35 RBI.
But in 47 plate appearances this month, he carries a zero wRC+ entering play on Aug. 16. But Moniak is aware of his rough patch, and is continuously working to flip a switch, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“I’ve always known that’s the kind of player that I can be, and obviously I have shown that for an extended period of time,” Moniak said. “It’s unfortunate the last few weeks are definitely not how I’ve wanted to play. But it is what it is. It happened. It’s over now. It’s my job to get out of it.”
Moniak is just one of many young players to carry a big role for this Angels team, his being the primary replacement for injured star outfielder Mike Trout. Having to call up a number of rookies isn’t exactly what the front office had in mind, but out of pure necessity, they had to.
Extended time in the big leagues exposes a player to the most intense scrunity, while putting them up to opposing scouts who find each weakness. Moniak’s two week cold-spell isn’t forever, it’s just his first patch of struggling this season:
“Every young player, when you first come on this scene and do what he did for a little while, it’s a game of adjustments,” Manager Phil Nevin said. “The league’s adjusting to him and he’s got to adjust back, just as he did earlier. He went through a little spell too.”
With a collective 121 wRC+ with 31 extra-base hits on the season is his breakout time, and with some more exposure to this level, he has an ability to be a regular contributor in the future. The Angels took a flier on Moniak and his turnaround, and he’ll have to work with coaches and himself to get on the right track.
Lucas Giolito falters again in Angels loss to Rangers
Lucas Giolito made his 25th start of the year, and through two innings, the 29-year-old had things under control. But after allowing a leadoff walk to Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski, he’d surrender two extra-base hits, putting the score at 3-0.
They’d go on to tally one more run against Giolito in his six complete innings of work, but his inability to limit his own damage is an area that has plagued his short tenure with the Angels.
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