Angels Player Power Rankings – Week 24

As always, the rankings are based on a player's overall season performance with a weight on recent performance.

RANK PLAYER CHANGE COMMENTS
1 Mike Trout — 0
Last Week: 1
Mike TroutYou know, Mike.  You could really put all this MVP debate to rest if you'd just switch back into Superman mode and carry the Angels for the next two-plus weeks.
2 Jered Weaver green arrow up+1
Last Week: 3
Jered Weaver He probably doesn't have the innings to win the AL Cy Young, but with the way he pitched in his first game back, he's at least going to make voters think long and hard about it.
3 Albert Pujols Red arrow down-1
Last Week: 2
Albert Pujols – It is the Angels' biggest stretch of games this season and Pujols just turned in a .530 OPS this week.  And now he has a newborn at home to keep him up all night long.  This isn't going to end well.
4 Zack Greinke green arrow up+1
Last Week: 5
Zack Greinke It's not your fault, Zack.  You did everything you could.  It's not your fault.  IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!
5 Torii Hunter Red arrow down-1
Last Week: 4
Torii Hunter – Hunter shifted back to the four-hole some this week and caught fire, just like he did when he first got shifted to the two-hole.  This either means batting order doesn't affect performance or that every time Hunter needs to start hitting better, Scioscia should move him to a different slot in the order.  You make the call!
6 Kendrys Morales — 0
Last Week: 6
Kendrys Morales – All of the sudden Kendrys Morales is the late-inning Superman for the Angels.  Better yet, he's doing it without snapping his leg like a toothpick, which is always nice.
7 Erick Aybar green arrow up+2
Last Week: 9
Erick Aybar – I know he doesn't fit the profile, but Aybar has an .857 OPS since the break.  Why he isn't getting a chance to hit fifth in place of the human rally killer that is Howie Kendrick is beyond me.
8 Howie Kendrick Red arrow down-1
Last Week: 7
Howie Kendrick – His game-ending GIDP on Tuesday might have been the most predictable GIDP of all time, with a big assist to Peter Bourjos for not trying to steal second (possibly at Scioscia's direction).
9 Chris Iannetta green arrow up+1
Last Week: 10
Chris Iannetta – If the rotation problems last month had anything to do with Iannetta's receiving or game-calling, those issues look to have been (mostly) ironed out.
10 Ernesto Frieri Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 8
Ernesto Frieri – We all know how nasty Er-nasty can be when he is on his game, but when he isn't… well, just see Saturday's game.  Also, feel free to reference the EIGHT homers he has allowed this season.
11 Ervin Santana green arrow up+3
Last Week: 14
Ervin Santana – 35 home runs allowed and counting.
12 Dan Haren — 0
Last Week: 12
Dan Haren He used to be a lock to give you seven innings or more, but he's only gone seven innings in just one start since the end of May.
13 Mark Trumbo Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 11
Mark Trumbo – Trumbo went almost an entire month between homers.  I didn't even think that was possible for him.
14 Kevin Jepsen Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 15
Kevin Jepsen Two saves on the season for Jepsen.  I'll give you a minute to try and piece your mind back together.
15 Scott Downs green arrow up+2
Last Week: 17
Scott Downs – The old Downs looks like he is mostly back, but clearly Scioscia is still wary since Downs has faced almost exclusively left-handed batters the last few weeks.
16 C.J. Wilson — 0
Last Week: 16
C.J. Wilson – Looking back to how C.J. and Albert started the season, it is kind of hard to believe that the Straight Edge Racer is the one finishing the season looking like an iffy free agent signing.
17 Alberto Callaspo Red arrow down-4
Last Week: 13
Alberto Callaspo – I still have no idea why Luis Jimenez wasn't called up to at least see what he can do as a possible upgrade over Callaspo.  This comment will remain in place until Alberto either starts hitting or Lucho gets promoted.
18 Jordan Walden green arrow up+1
Last Week: 19
Jordan Walden – He is channeling his early 2011 self with five Ks, 1 H, 0 R and 0 BBs in 2.2 IP this week.
19 NO IMAGE AVAILABLE green arrow up+7
Last Week: 26
Nick Maronde – Interesting question, who do you trust more out of the pen to get out one tough lefty right now: Downs or Maronde?
20 Garrett Richards Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 18
Garrett Richards – Richards did his part to try and blow the first game of the Royals series but Morales bailed him out.  He should probably buy him a Double Double or something.
21 Vernon Wells Red arrow down-1
Last Week: 20
Vernon Wells – With just a .655 OPS last week despite playing in six games, I think it is time to drop the narrative that Wells might finally be coming around, if anyone was ever actually buying that in the first place.
22 Bobby Wilson green arrow up+1
Last Week: 23
Bobby Wilson – He didn't do much of anything this week, but gunning down Jarrod Dyson stealing second in the ninth inning on Sunday was pretty huge.
23 Jerome Williams Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 21
Jerome Williams – He was put in an unfair position making his spot start and he performed about as well one would have expected under such circumstances.
24 LaTroy Hawkins — 0
Last Week: 24
LaTroy Hawkins – A perfectly fine week of pitching well while the Angels are losing.
25 Peter Bourjos — 0
Last Week: 25
Peter Bourjos – Remind me again why he isn't getting a shot at starting over Wells while Trumbo is mired in his slump?
26 Maicer Izturis Red arrow down-4
Last Week: 22
Maicer Izturis – Still broken.
27 Kole Calhoun green arrow up+1
Last Week: 28
Kole Calhoun – Yes, he moves up in the rankings because he legged out a potential GIDP, which allowed the Angels to tie the game.  Sometimes it is the small things.
28 Barry Enright green arrow up+4
Last Week: 32
Barry Enright – He quickly proved that he is already a better bullpen choice than Jason Isringhausen.
29 Jason Isringhausen Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 27
Jason Isringhausen – For some reason he was allowed to pitch with the Angels down by just two runs late.  That might be a more offensive use of the bullpen by Scioscia than the Greinke-Frieri debacle.  OK, not quite, but it is close.
30 John Hester — 0
Last Week: 30
John Hester – He actually got into a game this week which really only is relevant because it allowed my wife to once again tell me how handsome she thinks he is.  So there's that.
31 Andrew Romine Red arrow down-2
Last Week: 29
Andrew Romine – There is literally nothing interesting to say about Andrew Romine.
32 Hank Conger Red arrow down-1
Last Week: 31
Hank Conger – Not only has he not been playing, but his Twitter game has fallen off dramatically as well.  Such a shame.
33 Andrew Taylor — 0
Last Week: 33
Andrew Taylor – I'm not sure if Scioscia is even aware that he is out there sitting in the bullpen.  Maybe he just thinks he is an equipment manager?

Biggest Riser: Maronde, up seven spots

Biggest Dropper: Izturis and Callaspo, down four spots each

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