That the Angels would have a better record in late June than the: Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Padres, Mets, Cardinals (who most thought would be front runners in the NL Central), and Brewers…I’m not sure I would have believed it.
It’s not like the Angels seem incredibly good. It’s that for once, the Yankees and Astros in the American League are showing flaws and seem to lack the depth to overcome injuries.
The Orioles and Rangers (and the Rays incredible start) are a surprise in the AL, but it feels like this year the Angels have a better chance and have more depth than previous years.
Perry Minasian’s offseason moves of Webb, Devenski, and Estevez in the bullpen, along with Renfroe and Urshela’s contributions have been huge. The trades made to bring in Ohoppe and Moniak for Marsh and Syndergaard worked. Drafting Neto and Bachman was incredible.
It finally feels like the Angels are headed in a good direction with good minor league talent.
I’m cautiously optimistic about the playoffs simply because the Angels play 13 out of 17 series in July and August against teams that are at or above .500 which is brutal.
Losing Urshela and Neto to injuries for a substantial amount of time isn’t going to be easy. But hopefully Rendon’s return and eventually Matt Moore’s return will help. And then there’s the trade deadline to look forward to.
It’s been a while since the Angels have had this much promise and optimism heading into the All Star Break. Let’s hope they can keep it up in the second half!
