Are you missing baseball too? For those that don’t know me, hello! My name is Keith Schmelter and I was the most profitable MLB writer on the Pickswise staff last season. I finished +37.6 units on money line/run-line picks, +52.9 units on game totals, and +39.3 units (21-6-1) on three-star plays for Pickswise. I am a die-hard baseball fan with an even greater passion for statistics who loves to watch and bet on baseball. While the MLB is in a lockout, I will be analyzing every MLB team and giving my predictions for their 2022 season.
Moving along in the AL West, let’s analyze the Los Angeles Angels.
Los Angeles Angels breakdown
2022 World Series odds: +3500
2022 AL West odds: +390
2021 record: 77-85
2021 O/U record: 87-72-3
Key players in: Noah Syndergaard (SP), Michael Lorenzen (SP), Aaron Loup (RP), Raisel Iglesias (RP), Andrew Velazquez (SS)
Key players out: Alex Cobb (SP), Dylan Bundy (SP)
Story of last season
The Angels have missed the playoffs in 6 consecutive seasons. Even with the additions of Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles can’t seem to build a team that will compete in the postseason. Ohtani had a spectacular 2021 season in which he earned his first all-star nomination, the silver slugger, and the AL MVP. The two-way threat is slowly becoming the face of baseball alongside his teammate Mike Trout.
Ohtani grew into the role of the Angels’ ace in 2021 as he made 23 starts and posted a 3.18 ERA, but unfortunately he couldn’t pitch every day. The Los Angeles pitching staff ranked 22nd in ERA and 24th in WHIP in 2021 which proved to be their downfall. With many of the core Angels players reaching the prime of their careers, the 2022 season will be a very important season for the Angels franchise.
Los Angeles Angels 2022 MLB season predictions
The Angels made a huge splash in the free-agent market when they signed Noah Syndergaard to a 1-year, $21 million contract. The hard-throwing righty has only pitched two innings in the last two years due to Tommy John surgery and then setbacks in his recovery. The 1-year deal is a “prove it” type of contract which limits the financial burden on the Angels if Syndergaard crashes and burns, but also gives incentive for Syndergaard to pitch his best in order to get the contract he wants next offseason.
Since the Angels lost two starting pitchers to free agency, they needed to find a solid fourth starter in order to truly complete their rotation. That led to the signing of Michael Lorenzen who might just be one of the strongest players in baseball. The righty had a career year in 2019 as he posted a 2.92 ERA in 73 games, but a series of injuries has decimated his playing time in the last two seasons.
Lorenzen will likely follow Patrick Sandoval in the rotation which will give the Angels four quality starting pitchers. Sandoval earned his spot in the rotation after a solid 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.62 ERA and a 4.03 FIP, but his season was cut short due to a back injury. The southpaw will play an important role in a rotation that has drastically improved since last season.
The biggest need for the Angels right now is a shortstop. They lost defensive wizard Jose Iglesias at the end of last season and although they acquired Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez, neither player is a solid option. Utility man Luis Rengifo spent most of his 2021 at shortstop, but the switch-hitter managed just a .201 average. There aren’t a ton of shortstops available in free agency that the Angels can afford, so they may need to look for a trade prior to Opening Day or else they’ll be stuck with Velazquez or Rengifo.
This is the most competitive team the Angels have put together in years, but there is still a lot of uncertainty. Syndergaard is a total hit-or-miss this season, Lorenzen could be on the decline, and they might not have a shortstop that hits for a .220 average. I’ll be watching this new Angels team in 2022, but I won’t be betting on them in any sort of way.
2022 MLB season team previews
Check out the rest of our team previews for the upcoming baseball season!
AL East
AL Central
AL West
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