2021 Roster Review: Los Angeles Angels

77-85 (4th in Division; 19th in MLB)

[PREVIOUS REVIEWS]

SP Wins: 40 (21st)

RP Wins: 37 (12th)

Saves: 39 (17th)

1+ Save: 5 (Raisel Iglesias 34, Mike Mayers 2, Patrick Sandoval 1, Alex Claudio 1, Austin Warren 1)

100+ Ks: 3 (Shohei Ohtani 156, Andrew Heaney 116 [total: 150], Iglesias 103)

.260+ AVG (min. 350 PA): 3 (Jared Walsh .277, David Fletcher .262, Phil Gosselin .261)

65+ Runs: 3 (Ohtani 103, Fletcher 74, Walsh 70)

65+ RBI: 2 (Ohtani 100, Walsh 98)

10+ HRs: 5 (Ohtani 46, Walsh 29, Justin Upton 17, Max Stassi 13, Jack Mayfield 10)

5+ SBs: 5 (Ohtani 26, Fletcher 15, Brandon Marsh 6, Mayfield, José Iglesias 5)

BEST BUY: Shohei Ohtani

I realize it can be hard for a 1st rounder to be a Best Buy, but that just speaks to Ohtani’s greatness. Even in leagues where you have to pick hitter or pitcher at the beginning of the week, he is remarkably valuable as a superstar in both avenues. I tend to draft him as a hitter and spot him in at pitcher as needed and if I somehow wind up with an uber-loaded offense, then I have 100 ace-level innings at the ready.

ON THE RISE: Jo Adell

Quick, how old is Adell? Next year will be his age-23 season which I would guess is younger than many of you thought if you weren’t fully aware ahead of time. He is already in a post-hype stage despite being so young and having all of 272 PA under his belt, yet many fantasy managers have moved on. He had a sharp run at Triple-A (122 wRC+, 23 HR, 8 SB in 339 PA) before being fine with the Angels (90 wRC+, 4 HR, 2 SB in 140 PA). He also finished on a high note with an 8-game hit streak that included 3 HR and a 1.140 OPS. The 2022 draft season could be the last time to get him cheaply.

OFF THE RADAR: Brandon Marsh

Marsh didn’t do much in a 260 PA sample with the Angels (86 wRC+) and he wasn’t regarded as a huge fantasy prospect prior to the debut so he will be available cheaply during draft season, though he is likely only a deep league option at this point until we have clarity on where he will start the year. He might need more time in Triple-A to hone his skills after just 24 games there during which he posted a 108 wRC+ but he has the plus power and speed skills to be a fantasy stud and he could start contributing to fantasy teams as early as 2022.

HOT TAKE: Reid Detmers is an all-formats option by the summer.

The 2020 1st rounder had a strong pro debut, dominating Double-A for 54 innings before getting a taste of Triple-A (8 IP) and MLB (20.7 IP) with mixed results. His swing-and-miss stuff will give him a strong foundation to build upon and there is quick impact potential. A super-hot take would have him being useful from the jump, but I think he starts the season in Triple-A and comes up sometime in May.

ICYMI: Jared Walsh was 1 HR and 2 RBI away from the fabled 30 HR/100 RBI mark. He actually lived up to the hype of his short sample 2020 (151 wRC+ in 108 PA).

ICYMI Pt. 2: Mike Trout wasn’t mentioned anywhere in this piece. He was limited to just 36 games and while he was still great (190 wRC+), he just didn’t play enough to qualify for anything.