Angels have high hopes

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High Hopes, we have high hopes,  just like the Sinatra song here in Anaheim. They have stiff competition as well.

The reader likely already knows, but the author will state for the benefit of anyone who might not, that it is generally the case with these projections that they’re more conservative than one’s own intuition might otherwise suggest.


Not infrequently, partisan commenters will respond to these posts with regard to this or that player, saying “I’ll take the over on that projection.” Perhaps, in some cases, that’s a fair statement to make: the relative success of the FAN projections also hosted at this site suggests that the crowd might have some insight into these matters. Still,my forecasts are derived empirically — and, to that end, can’t be merely ignored.

As has been the case in other editions of these posts, the starting pitchers included on the depth-chart graphic below are not listed in order of probable rotation slot. Rather what the author has done is to arrange the five pitchers most likely to make the opening-day rotation in order of projected WAR, according to experts.

While not a prospect proper, right fielder KoleCalhoun is a young player who enters the season with fewer than 250 career plate appearances and yet a decidedly encouraging projection — one basically on par with left fielder Josh Hamilton‘s, for example, at considerably fewer dollars per win. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly — even to Eric Stamets himself — shortstop Eric Stamets is projected to approach major-league average (or its equivalent in the minors), despite having recorded zero plate appearances above High-A. Much of that is due to his defensive projection, which benefits from +7 defensive runs beyond the already lofty positional adjustment for shortstops.



Watch for Garrett Richards early struggles, it may provide an opening for Skaggs to fit nicely. Also Freese is a nice addition, his steady defense and reliable RBI bat in the middle of the line up will reduce pressures on Pujols and Hamilton.


Here are composites of 2013 batting results, 

Player	B	Age	PO	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS
Mike Trout	R	22	CF	714	119	179	35	9	29	95	43	7
Albert Pujols	R	34	1B	538	68	133	28	0	24	81	5	1
Howie Kendrick	R	30	2B	579	65	150	27	4	13	65	11	5
Erick Aybar	B	30	SS	607	74	155	32	6	8	55	19	6
Josh Hamilton	L	33	RF	591	70	138	27	4	22	79	5	1
Kole Calhoun	L	26	CF	542	64	124	23	5	15	66	10	4
Chris Iannetta	R	31	C	352	34	64	12	0	10	36	2	2
David Freese	R	31	3B	484	46	107	20	1	11	55	2	2
Hank Conger	B	26	C	329	31	73	15	1	8	32	0	1
Jett Bandy	R	24	C	400	37	83	22	1	6	37	1	1
Eric Stamets	R	22	SS	498	49	112	19	1	3	35	10	4
Raul Ibanez	L	42	DH	424	47	94	18	2	20	59	1	0
Tommy Field	R	27	SS	498	48	97	19	3	9	41	6	2
Taylor Lindsey	L	22	2B	598	62	138	23	4	12	52	4	5
Shawn O’Malley	B	26	SS	383	41	78	9	4	2	23	15	5
Grant Green	R	26	2B	631	67	148	30	3	11	61	6	5
Luis Jimenez	R	26	3B	496	53	116	26	2	9	53	11	5
Collin Cowgill	R	28	LF	448	47	96	18	3	8	42	11	3
Alex Yarbrough	B	22	2B	523	51	126	21	4	6	47	9	3
Andrew Romine	B	28	SS	501	49	105	13	3	3	35	14	6
Luis Rodriguez	B	34	2B	386	38	84	17	1	6	40	2	4
Luis Martinez	R	29	C	282	23	59	13	1	1	21	1	1
Jimmy Swift	R	26	SS	434	36	89	17	2	5	33	5	3
Chris Nelson	R	28	3B	448	41	99	18	4	9	49	4	2
J.B. Shuck	L	27	LF	497	57	117	17	4	1	36	10	6
Zach Borenstein	L	23	LF	441	49	97	18	2	14	50	6	6
Cyle Hankerd	R	29	LF	210	23	43	8	1	6	23	1	1
Kaleb Cowart	B	22	3B	600	55	122	23	3	9	50	11	6
Luke Carlin	B	33	C	267	26	49	7	0	3	20	2	1
John Hester	R	30	C	296	30	56	10	1	6	23	1	2
Matt Long	L	27	RF	572	64	118	23	6	9	53	17	6
Scott Cousins	L	29	CF	262	27	51	7	2	4	21	6	2
Brad Hawpe	L	35	RF	187	17	34	6	0	4	16	1	1
Lou Montanez	R	32	LF	246	22	53	9	1	3	22	2	3
C.J. Cron	R	24	1B	536	52	121	26	1	13	63	4	4
Efren Navarro	L	28	1B	592	59	132	28	2	6	53	5	3
Trent Oeltjen	L	31	RF	403	41	75	18	3	8	37	12	6
Bill Hall	R	34	2B	242	23	42	8	0	7	22	2	1
Rusty Ryal	R	31	1B	336	28	65	11	1	3	23	1	1