Luis Rengifo is better than you think. At this point, he might be one of the Los Angeles Angels‘ best players this season in an incredibly disappointing year for the Angels. Rengifo has been a bright spot for them. Under those circumstances, excelling is hard. Yet, Rengifo has become a player that could be playing himself into a starting spot next season.
Luis Rengifo Is Better Than You Think
His Breakout Season
Going into the 2022 season, Luis Rengifo needed a spot to play. The player who was blocking him just had a breakout season. David Fletcher was becoming the utility player that Joe Maddon was known for. In that case, Rengifo would be the backup middle infielder. In this situation, the organization thought it would be better for him to play in AAA. On the negative side, the players who did make the team underperformed, opening the door for Rengifo.
2022 was just as bad of a season, if not worse than 2023. In particular, the 14-game losing streak that led to the firing of Joe Maddon. On top of David Fletcher getting hurt, Tyler Wade getting let go, and Andrew Velazquez only being good on the defensive side of the ball. All of this allowed Rengifo to get a shot. In 127 games, he had a slash line of .264/.294/.429 and wRC+ of 102. Not to mention his WAR of 1.6 compared to his WAR of -1 in 2021, something might be there.
A lot of his at-bats came from injuries and underperforming players. However, he did seize the opportunity as a 25-year-old. The clock was ticking for him to get things going in his career. Funny enough, he was known as a speed guy in the minors, and now, in the majors, he has 18 stolen bases in his career. Although he has shown more power in his first season in the big leagues, hitting 16 home runs in 127 games. By all means, a second baseman with the potential to hit 20 to 25 home runs is a plus.
Following It Up
Entering the spring following his breakout season, Rengifo still had lingering questions. Surprisingly, the Angels didn’t sign a shortstop in the offseason. Naturally, this led to a competition for the starting job at shortstop. While a handful of players could play the position, it was Rengifo’s spot to lose. Despite many thinking the team would give David Fletcher another chance. Even though the starting job at shortstop did go to Gio Urshela in game one of the season, Rengifo did get a roster spot to start the season.
The first half of the 2023 season was nothing short of a disaster for Rengifo. To begin with, this slash line was .219/.300/.312 and a wRC+ of 77. Compared to his 2022 season, this was a disappointing showing to start the season. Consequently, the question was asked: Should the Angels punt on him? Even more so, the defense for Rengifo could be better. His UZR is -0.4 in 440 innings. Consequently, Zach Neto’s emergence gave him another obstacle.
However, baseball has 162 games in the season. Be it as it may, baseball is a what have you done for me lately sport. For one thing, he improved his batting average by 27 points, on top of 11 second-half home runs. Most importantly, he is taking the opportunity and making the best of it. Unquestionably, he has all the tools to be a starter for the Angels. They don’t have a spot for him. In light of that, he has slid into the utility role to get into the lineup. Without a doubt, Rengifo has the bat. Give him one spot on the defensive side of the ball and let him get used to that spot.
He Is Good
To sum it all up, Luis Rengifo is a good player. He might not have a regular spot, but his bat regularly gets him in the lineup. With his purpose in mind, things could change to make it fit. The team might see if he can handle the outfield full-time. The Angels might not add a lot of players in the offseason. Rengifo could do well in a regular role, and it works in a small sample size. 2024 could be the season where Rengifo gets his shot.
Main Photo Credits: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
