One bright spot from the Los Angeles Angels’ disappointing 2022 season was their pitching staff emerging as a potential building block for years to come. The group finished ninth in ERA and appeared to be a major strength heading into 2023.
That unfortunately has not been the case as the Angels’ pitching staff has been arguably their biggest weakness with two months remaining in the regular season.
The unit entered Sunday ranked 20th in ERA (4.46) and WAR (8.8), 23rd in FIP (4.53), 24th in home runs per innings (1.29) and 28th in walks per nine (3.81).
While some are quick to place the blame on Angels pitching coach Matt Wise and assistant pitching coach Bill Hezel, Patrick Sandoval believes they have done an excellent job this season, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group:
To that end, Sandoval said the coaching staff – pitching coach Matt Wise and assistant pitching coach Bill Hezel – should not take any of the blame for the staff’s disappointing performance.
“They’ve been awesome,” Sandoval said. “They do their job. Day in, day out, they come in ready to help us. It’s on us once the game starts to make pitches and execute. They can only do so much in between our starts. I feel they do a great job of preparing us. They’re getting us ready to face whatever lineup we’re facing or make an adjustment from our previous outing. Once the game starts, it’s on us.”
Reid Detmers echoed similar sentiments and praised Wise for the work he has done:
Detmers fully endorsed Wise.
“I love him,” Detmers said. “He’s awesome. Nothing but good things to say about him.”
Detmers and Sandoval are among the starting pitchers who have taken a step back this year after an impressive 2022 season. The left-handers have seen their ERA from 2022 rise by more than a full run this year.
Even with several starters experiencing a decline in their performance, the Angels’ rotation still ranks in the middle of the pack this season. The team’s bullpen has bore the brunt of the struggles in 2023.
Phil Nevin believes Angels’ pitching staff ‘starting to show signs’ of progress
Angels manager Phil Nevin recently admitted the pitching staff has performed below expectations thus far but is seeing signs of improvement.
