Which non-playoff teams can become contenders in 2020?

MLB Teams to Watch

Los Angeles Angels

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When will we see Mike Trout in October again? Trout only made one postseason appearance in 2014 with the Angels, as Los Angeles has fallen on some hard times in the past decade. In 2019, they underachieved once again, finishing with a 72-90 record, which was good for a 4th place finish in the AL West. Another MVP-Caliber season wasted on a mediocre team.

However, general manager Billy Eppler and the Angels’ front office have made it clear they want to compete now and are ready to spend big bucks in order to do so. The first move they made was firing manager Brad Ausmus, and replacing him with World Series champion manager Joe Maddon.

There is a lot to improve on the Angels roster, but they have the resources to give Maddon a good team to work with. It is realistic for Angels fans to be optimistic about the near future, as they have faced many years of disappointment in the past decade.

The Good

Obviously, Mike Trout is the good. Mike Trout is the very good. The game’s best player bested himself once again, having one of his most productive seasons. He led the American League with a .438 OBP, .645 SLG, and 1.083 OPS. He also bashed a career-high 45 home runs with 104 RBIs in just 134 games. He will fight for his 3rd MVP award. While there are no other Mike Trout’s in the league, the Angels did have some other offensive players.

Kole Calhoun turned his season around after an abysmal start to the season. He ended up hitting a career-high 33 home runs while playing stellar defense in the outfield. Brian Goodwin and David Fletcher had impressive years with the bat, and look to improve even more in 2020.

Shohei Ohtani also had a productive year at the plate. The two-way phenom did not pitch in 2019 due to his Tommy John surgery but remained a force offensively in another MLB season shortened by injury. Tommy La Stella had a surprise breakout year, hitting .295/.349/.486 with 16 home runs in half a season before he went down with a broken leg. The Angels have a good lineup that underachieved in 2019. If players like Justin Upton, Zack Cozart, and Andrelton Simmons can return to form, the Angels offense can make some noise with a little outside help.

Where they need improvement

Pitching is the obvious weakness for the Angels. As a team, the Angels ranked 25th in ERA with a horrible 5.12. In their starting rotation, they only have three bonafide starters going into next season. Those will be Griffin Canning, Andrew Heaney, and a healthy Shohei Ohtani. Thus, it is clear that they need help from the free-agent market. Expect the Angels to make aggressive pursuits for the likes of Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Madison Bumgarner, and pretty much anybody who can provide them with quality innings. Oh, and just for good measure, their bullpen can use some work as well.

The X-Factor

For the Angels, it’s hard to tab anyone other than Ohtani as their X-factor. His young career has been full of success, but also full of injuries. When he has been able to stay on the field, he has been spectacular on both sides of the field. At the plate, he has a career .286/.343/.532 with 40 home runs and 123 RBIs in just 210 games. As a pitcher, he has a 3.31 ERA in just 10 career starts. No matter who they sign this offseason, much of the success of their starting rotation is going to be dependent on whether or not Ohtani can stay healthy and give them quality starts. On the days he doesn’t start, they need him to remain productive offensively. The Angels have a lot to improve on, but it all starts with a healthy and elite Ohtani.