AngelsWin.com Staff’s 2018 Predictions

It’s Opening Day. Nothing is better. Baseball is back, and not in a Spring Training way. The games are real. The stats count. For the next 6 months, the chase for October is on!

With that in mind, the AngelsWin.com staff (dare I say brain trust?) has put our collective baseball analysis together, and have come up with our 2018 predictions for the Angels. Feel free to copy and paste your own predictions as we count down the minutes until our 1:00 opener in Oakland.

What grade would you give the Angels this offseason?  

Nate Trop: A- (Would have liked a reliever).

Robert Cunningham: A

Brent Hubbard: A- The Angels addressed all of their offensive holes and added a future ace pitcher, with the bonus that he is a part time DH. The Minus is only because Kinsler at age 36, while certainly a great candidate for a season, isn’t really a long-term solution.

Geoff Stoddart: A

Chuck Richter: A

Adam Dodge: A

Dave Saltzer: A

Biggest question going into the season?  

Nate Trop: Bullpen.

Robert Cunningham: Starting Rotation.

Brent Hubbard: Who is the Angels best reliever? Someone will step forward, I just don’t know who.

Geoff Stoddart: Will our pitching (starting and pen) be enough for us to compete?

Chuck Richter: Bullpen, health of starting pitching.

Adam Dodge: Pitching health.

Dave Saltzer: Will the starting pitching hold up? (close second question, how will the bullpen do?).

Which Angels player or prospect will create a buzz out of the gate? 

Nate Trop: Adell

Robert Cunningham: Player: Cozart, Prospect: Adell

Brent Hubbard: Player: Cozart, Prospect: Jones.

Geoff Stoddart: Ohtani

Chuck Richter: Ohtani

Adam Dodge: Ohtani

Dave Saltzer: Player: Ohtani, Prospect: Marsh

Who is your Angels’ 2018 sleeper?

Nate Trop: Calhoun (lowered wall baby!)

Robert Cunningham: Ramirez

Brent Hubbard: I don’t know if you can call a player with a .933 OPS in 2017 a sleeper, but Cozart. Last year was borderline MVP caliber. He could be the 2nd or 3rd best hitter in the lineup.

Geoff Stoddart: Cozart

Chuck Richter: Rivera

Adam Dodge: Tropeano

Dave Saltzer: Kinsler (he’s going to be the sparkplug this lineup needs and has something to prove).

Which Angel player is most likely to disappoint in 2018?

Nate Trop: Skaggs or Ohtani, depending on how sky high your Ohtani expectations are.

Robert Cunningham: Bridwell

Brent Hubbard: Maldonado. If his offense isn’t near a .650 OPS, I don’t think he’s the regular catcher by the end of the year.

Geoff Stoddart: Pujols

Chuck Richter: Skaggs

Adam Dodge: Kinsler

Dave Saltzer: Ohtani. With all the hype and pressure in trying to be a 2-way player, it creates a really stressful situation for him. After adjusting to the league, he will do much better, but by then, the media frenzy could be brutal for him. As fans, we need to remember he is 23, and a rookie, and should treat him as such.

Which Angel player is your 2018 comeback player of the year pick?

Nate Trop: Calhoun

Robert Cunningham: Calhoun

Brent Hubbard: Pujols. He slumped badly in 2017, but a return to 2012 numbers (in only 140 games) is going to happen.

Geoff Stoddart: Calhoun

Chuck Richter: Pujols

Adam Dodge: Calhoun

Dave Saltzer: Richards. He’s back, he’s healthy, and he’ll be our team’s ace!

Which Angel starting pitcher will lead the team in strikeouts? 

Nate Trop: Ohtani

Robert Cunningham: Richards

Brent Hubbard: Richards

Geoff Stoddart: Ohtani

Chuck Richter: Ohtani

Adam Dodge: Richards

Dave Saltzer: Richards

Which Angel reliever pitches in the most games in 2018?

Nate Trop: Alvarez

Robert Cunningham: Bedrosian

Brent Hubbard: Bedrosian

Geoff Stoddart: Bedrosian

Chuck Richter: Johnson

Adam Dodge: Alvarez

Dave Saltzer: Bedrosian

Which Angel player finishes with the highest batting average?

Nate Trop: Trout

Robert Cunningham: Cozart

Brent Hubbard: Trout

Geoff Stoddart: Trout!!!

Chuck Richter: Trout

Adam Dodge: Trout

Dave Saltzer: Trout

Which Angel player finishes with the most home runs?

Nate Trop: Upton

Robert Cunningham: Trout

Brent Hubbard: Trout

Geoff Stoddart: Trout!!!

Chuck Richter: Upton (45)

Adam Dodge: Upton

Dave Saltzer: Trout

Which Angel player gets the most RBIs?

Nate Trop: Upton

Robert Cunningham: Upton

Brent Hubbard: Upton

Geoff Stoddart: Trout!!!

Chuck Richter: Upton

Adam Dodge: Upton

Dave Saltzer: Upton

Which Angel player steals the most bases?

Nate Trop: Trout

Robert Cunningham: Trout

Brent Hubbard: Trout

Geoff Stoddart: Trout!!!

Chuck Richter: Kinsler

Adam Dodge: Kinsler

Dave Saltzer: Kinsler

Will Mike Trout win the MVP Award? 

Nate Trop: No, but he will deserve it.

Robert Cunningham: Yes

Brent Hubbard: Yes

Geoff Stoddart: Yes!!!

Chuck Richter: Yes

Adam Dodge: No

Dave Saltzer: Yes

Will Ohtani find more success as a pitcher or a hitter? 

Nate Trop: Pitcher

Robert Cunningham: Pitcher

Brent Hubbard: Hitter. I think he’ll finish the year with a .300 BA, 20 HR and a .850 OPS whereas he’ll be a 3.75-4.00 ERA starter.

Geoff Stoddart: Pitcher

Chuck Richter: Pitcher

Adam Dodge: Pitcher

Dave Saltzer: Pitcher

Will Ohtani win the ROY award?

Nate Trop: Yes

Robert Cunningham: Yes, A.L. Rookie of the Year (Acuna wins N.L.)

Brent Hubbard: Yes

Geoff Stoddart: Yes

Chuck Richter: Yes

Adam Dodge: No

Dave Saltzer: Yes

Which Angels prospect will be named the Angels minor league player of the year? 

Nate Trop: Adell

Robert Cunningham: Adell

Brent Hubbard: Ward. Big offensive numbers out of nowhere.

Geoff Stoddart: Jam Jones

Chuck Richter: Marsh

Adam Dodge: Barria

Dave Saltzer: Marsh

How many runs will the Angels score in 2018?

Nate Trop: 815

Robert Cunningham: 828

Brent Hubbard: 835. This is +125 over last year, but Trout’s transcendence into MVP God leads the way and the Angels have 3 hitters with OPS over .900 (Trout, Cozart, Upton) and 6 more over .800. (Pujols, Calhoun, Ohtani, Simmons, Kinsler, Valbuena).

Geoff Stradling: 777

Chuck Richter: 750

Adam Dodge: 811

Dave Saltzer: 780

How many games will the Angels win in 2018? 

Nate Trop: 96

Robert Cunningham: 92

Brent Hubbard: 96

Geoff Stradling: 88

Chuck Richter: 91

Adam Dodge: 90

Dave Saltzer: 92 (regular season and at least 5 in the postseason)

What AL West team will be the toughest competition for the Angels in 2018? 

Nate Trop: Astros

Robert Cunningham: Astros

Brent Hubbard: Astros, but only because they finish at 88 wins.

Geoff Stradling: Astros

Chuck Richter: Astros

Adam Dodge: Astros

Dave Saltzer: Astros

Which team in any league will give the Angels the most trouble?

Nate Trop: Yankees

Robert Cunningham: Indians

Brent Hubbard: The Cleveland Indians, who are the best team in Baseball.

Geoff Stradling: Astros

Chuck Richter: Astros

Adam Dodge: Blue Jays

Dave Saltzer: Astros. Every game with them will be a playoff game. And, we play them more than the Indians.

Will the 2018 Angels make the playoffs?

Nate Trop: Yes

Robert Cunningham: Yes

Brent Hubbard: Yes. By Winning the AL West.

Geoff Stradling: Yes, wild card.

Chuck Richter: Yes

Adam Dodge: Yes, wild card.

Dave Saltzer: Yes, as the wild card.

Your fearless prediction?

Nate Trop: Houston struggles a little bit and the Angels win the division.

Robert Cunningham: Angels win the World Series vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in six games.

Brent Hubbard: Mike Trout has a transcendent year that breaks the 1.250 OPS wall. That only has three names: Ruth, Bonds, and Williams. He has a 50+ 2B, 50+ HR, and 50+ SB season.

Geoff Stradling: Ohtani will pitch a no hitter.

Chuck Richter: The Angels battle the Astros for the division all season long.

Adam Dodge:  Tropeano 15 Wins.

Dave Saltzer: Not only do the Angels make the postseason, they advance to play the Indians for the American League Title.