As the Angels continue to spiral. One thing is beginning to take shape. The future is now for the Angels. There is the start of a young core taking shape for the Angels, with their last two first-round picks making their debuts this season. Under new leadership, the Angels are letting the kids play.
Angels Young Players Take the Stage
Lack of Building From Within
One thing that the former regime should have done was build a team from within the organization. In the Eppler years, the Angels had an issue developing talent. The picks were young athletic players with sky-high potential, but it has yet to materialize. Jo Adell was at one point the top prospect in all of baseball, but constant strikeouts and poor defense have hindered him. Another apparent thing is the lack of grit, the scrappy determination around all those winning years under Scioscia. Instead, the internal option was phased out for signing big-name free agents.
Many of the Angels’ errors could be placed on owner Arte Moreno. Who, according to reports, wants the big-name players. There is nothing wrong with wanting the shiny object. Why not if that player fits the team’s structure and play style? The issue with that is the loss of a draft pick, which could matter for a struggling team. Fortunately, the days of fixing the team’s issues via free agency are behind them.
For years the Angels had a team of players drafted and developed by the Angels. This leads to an organization’s identity from the top to the bottom. Much of that has been lost, but it could be coming back under Perry. Looking towards the future was lost. Something to note is the two former Angels general managers, Jerry Dipoto and Billy Eppler, have had “bad” farm systems. Mariners rank 22nd and have the 11th farm system post-trade deadline. Whether or not the ranking matter is up to the individual, but it is worth noting.
A Young Core is Building
The last time the Angels made the postseason was in 2014. Mike Trout and the required C.J. Cron remain the only Angels from that team. There have been three general managers and many changes in that time frame. This left the Angels without a fundamental core of players to build around. Granted, good players were playing alongside Trout, just a few young talents around him then. Looking ahead to now, a few guys could be leading the team into a new era.
Zach Neto, Logan O’ Hoppe, and the newly recalled Nolan Schanuel have the makings of something to build around. All three are young and have made their impacts on the extensive league roster. Nolan was drafted only six weeks ago and already looks good in his first taste of significant taste of professional baseball. This has been something the team has been lacking for almost a decade. The number of players the team has developed since Trout has been slim.
With the future seeming to be here sooner than later, it leads to a changing of the guard. With the end is now attitude, the tide could be turning. Neto has a leader and grinder mentality already, being so young. O’Hoppe had the trust of the pitching staff before hurting his shoulder, and Schanuel knows the strike zone incredibly well. He was slashing .370/.510/.493 in the minors. O’Hoppe, in limited action, has a .259/.500/.813 line. Neto has a line of .241/.315/.411 line. That alone gives the Angels promise that something is right around the corner.
Something to Build Upon
Look around the league, and one thing every winning team has is a young core. The Angels have needed that identity for years. Luckily the future is now for the Angels, young guys who could lead the charge for change in the organization are here now. It won’t change the Angels’ terrible play over the past few seasons. However, it does mean the Angels are ready to turn the page on the past and things that didn’t work. Return to building from within, getting quality players will make an impact.
Main Photo Credits: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
