Call to the pen
Fansided

Los Angeles Angels: Major Takeaways From the 2016 Season

By Greg Goldstein

Sep 28, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia (14) looks on as the team trainer talks with center fielder Mike Trout (27) after he was hit by a pitch in the shoulder in the eighth inning of the game against the against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angels won 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia (14) looks on as the team trainer talks with center fielder Mike Trout (27) after he was hit by a pitch in the shoulder in the eighth inning of the game against the against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angels won 8-6. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next

The Good (The Emergence of CJ Cron)

August 31, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman C.J. Cron (24) reaches first after he hits an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
August 31, 2016; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman C.J. Cron (24) reaches first after he hits an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Outside of Trout and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, it was unclear of who would be the other middle of the order threat in the Angels lineup. The team did have Yunel Escobar and newly acquired Andrelton Simmons to help the team round out their lineup, but they aren’t huge bats in the middle of the order. Kole Calhoun is a solid player too, but the team needed another power hitter to help protect the Angels top two sluggers.

Enter C.J. Cron. The former 2011 first round pick already had about a year and a half of MLB experience coming into 2016. However, while he did have some moments during that time, his skills indicated that he could do much more with the bat. Mike Scioscia gave his young first baseman a chance to prove himself and the former top prospect rewarded his faith.

Cron suffered an injury in the summer, but still was able to appear in 116 games. The first baseman hit for a solid .278 batting average while clubbing 16 homers, which matched his 2015 total. He posted career highs in batting OPS, OPS+ and slugging percentage as well. Cron’s 2.1 WAR also was a major improvement over his 0.2 mark from 2015.

Looking outside of his statistics, Cron held his own in the fifth spot in the batting order, slotting in right behind Albert Pujols. Cron showed an improved approach at the plate and would have sat solidly in the 20 home run range if he had played the entire season.

This was a big season for the former top prospect. The Angels need younger players to start to step up if they hope to compete in the twilight years of Albert Pujols’s career. So while Cron didn’t do enough to enter the all-star conversation, he did show improvement over this pedestrian numbers from his first two years in the big leagues. This should be a welcome development to Angels fans that haven’t seen much from their farmhands in recent seasons. Cron’s performance this season should also provide some hope that the 26 year-old can continue to improve in 2017.

Home/Los Angeles Angels