31 March 2010

great expectations

I've been churning out posts like crazy lately! What can I say, opening day has got me excited and inspired.

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Over at the OC Register Angels Blog, they've set up a little prediction questionarre, which yours truly filled out & submitted! Though it was fun to think about what would constitute a reasonable expectation (I want to win!), it didn't leave much room for, uh, creative spectulation.

So here's three of mine (since I'm endlessly pondering the Halos), complete with lots and lots of mindless explainations:

At least two of the 5 pitchers in the rotation will become a "number 1."
I've already pegged Kaz as doing big things this coming season, so what other pitcher am I expecting to rise? Weaver is a very appealing (and popular) choice among fans and talking heads alike, but this is about going out on a limb right? So how bout I pick Ervin Santana. Ervin is far from consistant, but I think he's gotten to a point where he's putting everything together. I like the maturity he's shown since that disasterous 2007 season and even more, I like that he's healthy and has regained his fastball velocity. He's always had the stuff to be really really good - it's always been about his head more than anything. I've seen a bit of a shift - the nonchalant character he had on the mound during the ALCS last year, the decision to focus on his health rather than play winter ball this offseason, and the easy and genial quotes he's giving the media. His description of Rodney as "a little crazy, but it's a good crazy, not a bad crazy" made me laugh and indicates to me that Ervin is back to being loose and just having fun playing the game. Sure, I could be wrong, but it'd make a fantastic story for two formally highly touted hard-throwing prospects to rebound from down years to rise to the top of this rotation.

(As for the rest of the rotation? I think it's an easy prediction that the rotation as a whole will be better than most talking heads think (they should be in the conversation for the best rotation along with New York, Boston, White Sox, Braves). I don't think Weaver will regress much (I actually think he's a good bet to build on his breakout year), and I'd expect Saunders to be better now that he's healthy. Together they'd provide two capable #2s. Pineiro is the wild card of course (despite his promising spring showings), but still think that the worst he'll be is of the #3 variety.)

Whatever Brandon Wood does, it'll be quietly
For being a former hot prospect and replacing a franchise face, the chatter around BWood's spring performance has been surprisingly quiet. There have been some mentions of his strikeouts, some quotes by Sosh that he has to earn the third base job, and some praise when he performs a spectacular play. But for the most part there doesn't seem to be much pressure (from the media or fans). Perhaps it has to do with more glaring and the sheer quantity of other question marks on this team, or perhaps it's cause BWood hasn't done anything wild and crazy to excite or worry observers this spring. Whatever it is, I think that since this season isn't going to hinge on BWood, the pressure (and spotlight) is bound to be focused elsewhere regardless of how he performs.

Fuentes will envoke jeers, but eventually will win fans grudging acceptance.
Last season, Fuentes was about as unpredictable as Rodney was. Granted, the scorn he inspires isn't quite all warranted, but he was bad enough for Angels fans. I don't think Fuentes is a shutdown closer. I can very well picture him blowing and/or almost blowing a few games early in the season. But I do think he's a good enough closer, and that his increased velocity and Sosh's PR skills will resign fans to the fact that he's our closer. I'm fairly confident that Sosh won't pull him from the closers role unless he is horrible beyond horrible, and I don't think Fuentes will get there. I think he'll be serviceable, not shutdown, and not flammable. And with mediocrity and Sosh's trust in his veterans, his option will vest. :::sigh:::


(+1: Jeff Mathis will have a career year...in the batter's box
Am I being too optimistic? Maybe. But then again, Jeff can really only go up. Maybe this time around he won't let those improvements and lessons from the batting cage "get away from him" and he can translate an improved spring training stint into some semblance of a batting average. Or maybe now that he and Naps have admitted that they need to get away from each other, he will actively fight for a place in the Angels's future plans)

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