The Los Angeles Angels' offseason has been defined by their loss of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. General manager Perry Minasian can no longer pencil in a two-time Most Valuable Player to the designated hitter spot, leaving him little choice but to retool for 2024.
Outfielder Mickey Moniak recently interviewed with the Angels Recap podcast and acknowledged that expectations might not be as high in a post-Ohtani Anaheim.
Yet the team is embracing its underdog role. Know most outsiders will be counting them out, the young Angels squad can perhaps use that as motivation for the year.
“It’s an exciting time. We have a young team. A lot of young, talented guys. Maybe we’re not getting too much hype, not given much of a chance going into this year. It’s like Wash [manager Ron Washington] said at his press conference: it’s an inside-out mentality. We’re just worried about what’s going on in our clubhouse, what we’re going to do on a daily basis to get better, to win baseball games, to try and surprise some people.”
The Halos have some emerging talent on the roster already. Catcher Logan O'Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel showed glimpses that they belong in the big leagues in 2023, in their first long looks with the Angels.
Moniak mentioned each of them during his appearance on the podcast, and he's excited to see them continue growing as players. They represent the future of the franchise (Mike Trout is also under contract through 2030) and this coming year will be crucial to their development.
“It’s crazy to think about the young talent we’ve got. We’re excited to prove to some people that we belong and we’re a force to be reckoned with. It’s the first year where we get to go out there and prove it to ourselves, and to the Angels most importantly, and our fans. All I know is we’re all excited. We’ve been talking all offseason. We’re ready to go. We wish it was spring training already.”
Moniak is only 25 years old himself, so he is growing as well. The Halos could surprise some people this coming season, and the hope is that they can do enough to sneak into the postseason.
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