To the credit of the front office in Anaheim, there was no overreaction to falling short against a hot Kansas City team that went on to win the American League pennant. The only significant changes to the lineup from last year are that second baseman Howie Kendrick was traded to the Dodgers for elite pitching prospect Andrew Heaney, while Matt Joyce was acquired from the Rays for reliever Kevin Jepsen to split time at DH with C.J. Cron.
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So, what can be expected from the Angels in 2015? Here are five predictions.
1. Troutstanding
Mike Trout had, from a wins above replacement perspective, the worst season of his career in 2014, when he was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League. Trout led the majors in runs scored and total bases, and led the American League in RBIs, while hitting .287/.377/.561 with 36 home runs. What a chump. Well, this year, Trout will make up for his disappointing campaign by hitting .325/.449/.592 with 38 homers, and boost his WAR from a mere 7.9 back to where it belongs, at 9.5. He will win his second consecutive MVP award, and also land on Mars, cure lupus, broker peace in the Middle East, invent hover technology for cars, solve California’s water crisis and strike out 158 times, because nobody is perfect.
2. Royal Albert fall
Albert Pujols got some MVP votes last year after he hit .272/.324/.466 with 28 home runs, a strong rebound from his injury-plagued 2013 season. But it was still the worst full season of the three-time MVP’s career. Pujols’ .324 on-base percentage, in fact, was even lower than his .330 figure in 2013, when he set career lows in the other categories. We have now entered the stupid part of Pujols’ contract, where he will get a $1 million raise every year through 2021 — his salary goes from $23 million last year to $24 million this year, all the way up to $30 million at the end. This is where it begins to end badly, with last year being something of an illusion because it was better than the year before. Pujols will hit .265/.319/.453 with 22 homers, and his 78 strikeouts will be his most since his rookie year, when he fanned 93 times.
MORE PREDICTIONS: A’s | Red Sox | Yankees | Orioles | Royals | White Sox | Indians
3. Street’s ahead
Huston Street will vault from 30th on the all-time saves list to 15th by closing out 52 games for the Angels, second in team history only to Francisco Rodriguez’s 62-save season in 2008. Is the save an overrated stat? Sure, but Street’s contribution will be important — the Angels’ ability to rely on him will give them the best record in baseball in one-run games, an important part of garnering a second straight playoff appearance in a season that sees statistical regression from key starters Jered Weaver and Matt Shoemaker.
4. Double vision
Johnny Giavotella, acquired from the Royals to replace Kendrick at second base, will not prove to be an adequate replacement, as he hits .239/.272/.340, but he will carve out a special place in Angels history. On May 23 in Boston, Giavotella will pepper the Green Monster with baseballs and set a new team record with four doubles. The current record is three, set by Albie Pearson in 1962 and matched 28 times, most recently by Josh Hamilton last year.
5. Wild finish
With their rotation taking a step back, albeit helped by the return of Garrett Richards, the Angels will not put up the best record in baseball. The division title will go to the Mariners, whose offseason lineup upgrades and progress of young arms in the rotation will propel them forward. The Angels remain good enough to snag one of the American League’s wild-card spots, and that is exactly what they will do. What the Angels do not have is an ace who matches up against White Sox left-hander and American League Cy Young winner-to-be Chris Sale. So, instead of going home after three playoff games, the Angels will pack their bags after just one game this time around.
