Angels Season Preview 3/13

Season Preview- Anaheim Angels
By: Steven Grossi

Starters (by Position)

Catcher- Ben Molina- .262 batting average, 6 home runs, 40 RBI’s in 96 games for the Angels last season. Molina is a solid player. He will give u decent numbers in batting average and a few of the power numbers. If he gets into a grove and stays healthy then he can be a decent back up for your fantasy roster.

1st Base- Scott Spiezio- .271 batting average, 13 home runs, 54 RBI’s and 5 stolen bases in 139 games for the Angels last season. Spiezio is a solid first baseman. He can give you solid power numbers. The problem with Spiezio is that he will not start every day. He will share time with Shawn Wooten. With the depth ness at first base Spiezio should not be on your roster.

2ed Base- Adam Kennedy- .270 batting average, 6 home runs, 40 RBI’s, and 12 stolen bases in 137 games for the Angels last season. With the lack of depth at second base Kennedy can be a decent back up and maybe even a starter. He is young and he is getting better with time. He needs to stay healthy and he can have a good season.

Short Stop- David Eckstein- .285 batting average, 4 home runs, 41 RBI’s and 29 stolen bases in 153 games for the Angels last season. Eckstein is solid at short stop. There exists a real lack of depth at short stop which would make him a possible back up. Though he may not be a good pick to fill a roster spot for the fact that he splits time with Benji Gil. With the way Gil played last season Eckstein may lose his starting spot if he does not play up to his potential.

3rd Base- Troy Glaus- .250 batting average, 41 home runs, 108 RBI’s and 10 stolen Bases in 161 games for the Angels last season. This guy is a flat out hitter. He is top 3 player at 3rd base. He has the potential to hit 50 home runs and drive in 130 RBI’s. He will also get the .250 batting average up this year. He should he a middle to late first round pick. He is surrounded by a group of very talented hitters, so pitchers have to pitch to him. Also he is young and he plays everyday. If you can get your hands on him do it. You will be very pleased.

Left Field- Garrett Anderson- .289 batting average, 28 home runs, 128 RBI’s and 13 stolen bases in 161 games for the Angeles last season. Anderson is a very solid player in the outfield. He should be starting in your out field. He will hit between 25-35 home runs and he will drive in around 130 RBI’s. He plays every day and he performs.

Center Field- Darin Erstad- .258 batting average, 9 home runs, 63 RBI’s and 24 stolen bases in 157 games for the Angels last season. Erstad is due for a very big season. He had a stand out year in 99 and fell off in 2000. Last year he was playing hurt all year. He is healthy now and will be back to 99 form. He is the leadoff hitter in the very powerful lineup. He will hit over .310 and he will score over 100 runs. Also with average and runs he will steal a large number of bases this season. He should defiantly be a starter in your outfield.

Right Field- Tim Salmon- .227 batting average, 17 home runs, 49 RBI’s and 9 stolen bases in 137 games for the Angels last year. Salmon is a decent outfielder. He had a down year last season. He is capable of hitting 20 home runs and driving in 80-90 runs. If you are need for an outfield Salmon can be a solid pick up. He is not worth drafting but can serve as a solid bench player.

Designated Hitter- Brad Fullmer- .274 batting average, 18 home runs, 83 RBI’s, 5 stolen bases in 146 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year. He is a great young hitter. He should be on your roster. He can hit 30 home runs and can easily drive in over a 100 RBI’s. He is in a stronger line up this season and will get the opportunity to drive in many runs.

Bench

1.Shawn Wooten (1st base, Catcher) - Very Solid player. He is having a great spring and will see a lot of time at first base and catcher. He came into the middle of last season and did a great job. Don’t be surprised if he is in the starting line up after the first month of the season. If u can get a hold of him take your chances.

2.Benji Gil (Short Stop) - He is a good player and may see a lot of time at SS. He had a good year last season. His power numbers won’t be great but he will get on base and he will score runs.

3.Orlando Palmeiro (Outfield) - He is the back up for Salmon and Anderson in the outfield. Don’t expect him to see too much of the field. If someone gets hurt he might be a decent pick up. Other then that won’t waist the pick or the roster spot.

4.Jorge Fabregas (Catcher) - He is a solid player. He is going to split time with Molina at catcher. If he does a good job he can get most of the play time. If you are in direr need of a catcher then he might be an ok pick up.

Pitching Rotation

1.Kevin Appier- 3.57 ERA, 11 wins, and 172 strike outs in 33 starts of the Mets last year. He a very solid pitcher. He will most likely be the number one pitcher in this rotation. He will pitch a lot of innings. He needs to receive the support of his hitters and his win total can reach 15 or higher. He is not a big strike out pitcher but he gets out and keeps a low ERA. He should be on your roster and starting ever day is pitchers

2.Aaron Sele- 3.60 ERA, 15 wins and 114 strike outs in 34 starts for the Rangers last season. He a great pitcher. He was on a terrible team last year and he still won 15 games. He has the ability to win 20 games this year. He is not a power pitcher and will keep ERA and WHIP low. He should be one of your starting pitchers.

3.Jarrod Washburn- 3.77 ERA, 11 wins and 126 strike outs in 30 starts for the Angels last season. He had a break out season last season. He will be third in the rotation and that will bring his numbers up. He can win 15 games this season. He would be a solid free agent pick up. He will give you solid numbers.

4.Ramon Ortiz- 4.36 ERA, 13 wins and 135 strike outs in 32 starts for the Angels last season. I am expecting big things from Ortiz this year. He is in the 4 spot instead of the one or two spot like last year. He will not have the pressure of going against other teams aces. He can win anywhere between 15-18 games next year. He is young and will pitch a lot of innings. The comparisons to Pedro will be seen next year. He is a sleeper pick up. He will have a good year and should be in your rotation.

5.Scott Schoenweis- 5.08 ERA, 10 wins and 104 strike outs in 32 starts for the Angels last season. He is a very streaky pitcher. He will look great one game then terrible the next. The pick ups of Appier and Sele will help him greatly. He will not have to carry the load on his back. He will be going up against other number fives in the rotation. If you are in a need of a pitcher Schoenweis can be a decent pick up.

Bullpen

Closer- Troy Percival- 2.65 ERA, 39 saves, and 71 strike outs in 57 appearances last season for the Angeles. He is one of the top closers in baseball. He brings the heat and no one can touch it. He plays with intensity and pitchers hard every night. He should defiantly be one of the top five closers on your list.

Dennis Cook- 4.53 ERA, 38 strike outs, and 1 win in 62 appearances for the Mets and Phillies last season. He is going to be the set up man for Percival. If u are in a league that record holds then he would be a good pick up. Middle relief pitchers aren’t very good pick ups in fantasy league.

Al Levine- 2.38 ERA, 40 strike outs, 8 wins and 2 saves for the Angels last season. If you were to pick up a middle relief pitcher he would be one to pick up. He will get a win every ounce in a while and he does keep his ERA low.

SUMMERY

The Angeles have a very good team this year. They do have a chance to make the playoff and they will put up very big numbers. They have a great line up and the best pitching staff they have had in a long time. Their season will rely on the bats of Glaus and Anderson, and the will need big comeback from Salmon and Erstad. The pitching staff is considered one of the best in the majors this year so they will do fine. This is going to be an interesting season to watch and see how the Angels perform.