MLB Win Totals: Is 2023 the year the Los Angeles Angels turn things around?

For a franchise with arguably the greatest player, that's embarrassing. And don't forget they have the most versatile player in baseball in Shohei Ohtani on their team too. 

And it's not like the Angels aren't spending money in order to put the best possible product on the field, it's just that they keep handing out money to guys way past their prime. I mean where should we start? Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, Josh Hamilton? You get the point. This has been a recurring problem for LA, and it's hindered their long-term success. But is 2023 finally the year the Halos get back on track? Only time will tell, but we're pretty darn confident it's not. 

Once again, the Angels were buyers this offseason, but we're not so optimistic these signings pan out quite like they expect. Tyler Anderson had a career year with the Dodgers last year — 15-5, 2.57 ERA in 28 starts — but prior to 2022, the southpaw had never made 20 or more starts and finished with an ERA below 4.00. It always seems like guys save their best season a year before they hit the free agent market, and that very well could be what happened here with Anderson. Anderson hit the bank with a three-year, $39 million contract this winter, but we're not so sure he lives up to the hype, especially this season. 

Signing Anderson is certainly an upgrade for LA, but outside of Ohtani, it's really hard to fully trust the Angels starting staff. Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Jose Suarez each had nice seasons last year, but that was in a six-man rotation. Manager Phil Nevin said earlier this month that this year's rotation is essentially a 5.5-man rotation, with the sixth starter being more of a "swing man" than a conventional starting pitcher, and we're not so optimistic each starter is going to be able to adjust to that. Plus, five of the Angels' "six" starters are lefties, and for teams with a strong right-handed hitting lineup, that's going to be a problem for Los Angeles. 

Meanwhile the Angels bullpen was definitely much better last year than it was two years ago, but it was still not great. LA relievers finished in the bottom half of the league in ERA and struggled keeping the ball in the ballpark. Halos relievers allowed the sixth most home runs and in a division that includes some dangerous lineups like Texas and Houston, that's a problem. Signing Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez was huge, but outside of Jimmy Herget, this bullpen has some question marks. 

As for the offense, you'd think a lineup with Trout and Ohtani would have no problem scoring runs, but you'd be wrong. The Angels scored the third-fewest runs in the AL last season and were in the bottom third of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits and walks. And even more concerning, the Angels led MLB in offensive strikeouts. That's not a recipe for success, and we're not confident that changes in 2023.

Could a healthy Trout make all of last year's offensive woes disappear? Certainly. But as we've learned over the last couple of seasons, two-star players — Trout and Ohtani — can't get you 81+ wins on their own. Getting a healthy Anthony Rendon back at third base should help, but remember earlier when we talked about bad, overpaid free agent signings? Yeah, you can probably add Rendon to that list in the near future. 

Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela were all nice free agent signings, but how Nevin utilizes them has yet to be seen. And what about first baseman Jared Walsh? He had a monster year in 2021 but didn't even hit his weight or 20 home runs last season. If that repeats itself in 2023, the Angels have a serious problem.

The AL West is stacked with the reigning World Series Champions in Houston, a 90-win club a year ago in Seattle, and a Texas team that spent a lot of money in the offseason to improve its pitching, which doesn't make things any easier for LA. So, excluding Oakland, there's no pushover in the AL West. Ultimately, we see the Angels missing the playoffs once again, and finished slightly below .500, which is why we're going with the under of 81.5 wins. 

The Bet: Los Angeles Angels (under 81.5 wins, -110)
Bet $110 to win $100

All odds via Caesars Sportsbook