The March 4, 2016 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes Mike Scioscia giving his first hint at the opening day lineup, the team stepping up their analytical game in Tempe, and more…
The Story: Scioscia “committed” to batting Yunel Escobar in the leadoff spot
MWAH Says: Not a really big surprise, but you never know with Scioscia. The big question now is who he decides to bat second. We know it won’t be Mike Trout, much as some of us may want it to be, and there’s apparently a chance Scioscia bats Kole Calhoun in the five spot. If that’s the case, who bats second? Simmons? Nava? Giavotella?
The Story: Angels install TrackMan radar system at Tempe Diablo Stadium
MWAH Says: Still no PitchF/X, sadly, but the Halos will now at least be able to track baseline speed, velocity, spin rate, exit velocity, etc., for each of their players. Hopefully that will go a long way toward getting guys right before the season starts. E.g. Let’s say Richards is getting lit up all spring and they notice his spin rate has dropped significantly from the 2015 regular season. Before, they might just conclude he’s rusty, or has “dead arm” or something. Now they can point directly to the problem and work on a tangible solution. More information isn’t always better, but here it should be.
The Story: C.J. Wilson returns, will throw on flat ground
MWAH Says: Wilson is still at least a week away from any game action, which could mean he won’t be ready for the first regular season turn through the rotation. I’m still optimistic he’ll put together a couple strong spring starts and get dealt prior to opening day, though that optimism is waning.
The Story: Tyler Skaggs throws first bullpen in a week
MWAH Says: Like Wilson, Skaggs is still a week or so out from any Cactus League action. As I’ve noted before, whether the Angels can afford to deal Wilson largely depends on Skaggs’ health. If he’s good to go by April, there’s no reason for the Halos to not trade Wilson. I hear the Dodgers have plenty of outfielders and may be looking for a lefty starter…
The Story: Garrett Richards getting 2-seamer back to 2014 form
MWAH Says: I really hadn’t noticed how much Richards had gone away from his sinker. His overall usage dropped from 28% to 13% from ’14 to ’15, and that might undersell it. He threw the pitch just 8 percent of the time in his final seven starts, turning one of his best weapons into basically a non-entity. As Richards’ only offering with arm-side run, it plays an integral part in keeping hitters guessing. Getting it back this year would be huge. The new TrackMan system should help confirm he’s putting the spin he wants on it.
The Story: Cam Bedrosian on spin rate and a split-seam change
MWAH Says: It’s exciting to hear that a young guy like Bedrosian is so conscious of the intricacies of pitching. But knowledge only gets you so far if you can’t translate it into performance. Let’s hope his new split-seam change makes a difference.
The Story: Maicer Izturis announces retirement
MWAH Says: Mighty Maicer was in Blue Jays camp on a minor-league deal, but decided after two weeks that his body just wasn’t up to the task anymore. He’d missed almost all of 2014 and 2015 with various injuries. We wish him all the best, and hope he finds his way back to Anaheim before too long.
The Story: Angels give big bats a helping hand
MWAH Says: Well, maybe. Still have to see how Escobar and Nava pan out in Anaheim. The idea is certainly to give Trout and Pujols a “helping hand” on offense—i.e. someone to actually drive in—but whether that’ll happen or not remains to be seen.
The Story: Ron Washington expects improved ‘D’ out of Giavotella
MWAH Says: Tell ’em, Wash. Giavotella worked on defense with the former Rangers skipper this winter in an effort to lock down his spot as the starting second baseman. I sure hope it worked, hard as Wash may tell us it is to do.
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