Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
In the looming second half of the MLB season the Los Angeles Angels have a lot to prove. They have a higher payroll than many MLB teams and yet could be seen as sellers at the trade deadline just because of their record. As bad as things went early on they have actually gotten a little better of late. Some say that the second half success or turnaround will depend on parts of the offense. I completely disagree with that and I’ll explain why.
First of all the entire team should have played better in the first half. The only one that I can think of that pulled his weight all year long would be Mike Trout. Everyone else could have played much better except maybe Howie Kendrick who also played very well most of the season. Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols certainly could have played better but everything doesn’t depend on them. Hamilton could provide a lot more runs but I’m not sure anyone could expect much more from Pujols with his injured foot.
The main thing the Angels need is pitching. They need Tommy Hanson to return just as good as he has ever been and for Jason Vargas to come back as strong as he was before he went to the disabled list. From there the bullpen should get a little help from within, a trade or the minors. Everyone playing a little better with maybe some pitching help should be all this team needs. Most of the pieces are there, they just need better execution of talent all around.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google Plus.
