Seventy games into the 2015 MLB season, the Los Angeles Angels are owners of a 35-35 record. At exactly .500 is not where Los Angeles wanted to be nearing the halfway point of the baseball season, but these 70 games are already banked. The wins and losses aren’t going anywhere.
With a plus-three run differential, the results are right in line with the production thus far. If not for the very surprising seasons put together by the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles may even have been closer to first place despite the mediocre record.
At 35-35, the Angels have shown some drastic strengths and weaknesses throughout the roster. Here are a few of the most influential things we’ve learned about the team up to this point.
The offense is much worse than it was last year
It wasn’t hard for the team’s offense to fall short of where it was a season ago. Last year’s Angels were great at the plate. They led all of baseball in runs (773) by a healthy margin. They finished in the top five in total bases (2,295) and seventh in OPS (.728).
This year’s squad is worse, and unfortunately, it has been considerably worse.
Through 70 games, rather than being a top-flight offense, it is a bottom-third unit. Los Angeles ranks 23rd in total bases (888), 24th in batting average (.242), 23rd in on-base percentage (.303) and 20th in slugging percentage (.384). Even though the lineup contains many of the same bats as last year, the production has not been at the same level. However…
The offense can be better in the second half
Because we have past examples of success from many of these hitters, it isn’t hard to predict, or expect, an offensive turnaround in the second half of the season.
Erick Aybar, for example, has never had a season with an on-base percentage under .300 when he’s gotten at least 300 at-bats. He also hasn’t stolen fewer than 12 bases in a season since seven years ago. Expect him to get to first base more often in the summer months and, as a result, steal a few more bases than he has thus far.
Similar arguments can be made to varying degrees about Chris Iannetta, C.J. Cron and Matt Joyce.
Joyce’s season is especially confounding. He has never been a good hitter against lefties but has always produced against right-handers. In 2015, though, even that platoon matchup has failed him. His .614 OPS against righties this year is nearly 200 points below his career split!
Huston Street is underrated yet again
Every season, Huston Street falls under the radar when the discussion of elite closers comes up. Every year, a bunch of closers with the job supposedly locked down get demoted to positions of lesser prominence. Every year, Street seems to avoid both the talk of the best guys as well as the slew of those relegated to lesser roles.
This year has been another example of both.
In 27.0 innings, Street is 20-of-22 in save chances, with a 2.33 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 28 strikeouts.
Starting pitching will be an issue all season
Although Street has anchored a strong bullpen, the starting pitching for Los Angeles has been a different story.
Hector Santiago has been good, but he has also seen the team skip his turn in the rotation and drop him to relief roles on occasion.
Garrett Richards has been OK, but he got a late start to the season and has not lived up to his sky-high talent.
Both Matt Shoemaker and Jered Weaver have been bad, and they have also battled through injuries. Shoemaker lost some turns in the rotation, and Weaver is currently on the disabled list with hip inflammation.
These four guys, along with C.J. Wilson, have combined to start 68 of the team’s 70 games. If Los Angeles doesn’t discover reliable sixth and seventh options, the injuries and below-average output will do great harm to the Angels’ record.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com