Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani made history during Sunday night's game against the Chicago White Sox. 

Per MLB.com's Paul Casella, Ohtani is the first player since 1903 to hit second in the lineup in the same game he's the starting pitcher:

Shohei Ohtani is the first starting pitcher to bat in the top-2 spots in the order since Jack Dunleavy hit 2nd for the Cardinals on Sept. 7, 1903.

Dunleavy went 0-for-4 at the plate, while allowing 7 runs on 12 hits in a CG loss. https://t.co/PACR77negU

— Paul Casella (@Paul_CasellaMLB) April 4, 2021

By using Ohtani in the lineup, Angels manager Joe Maddon also gave up his designated hitter for the game. 

While that seemed like a potentially risky move going into the series finale against the White Sox, Ohtani helped his own cause by turning on a first-pitch 97 mph fastball from Dylan Cease for a solo home run in the bottom of the first. 

But can your pitcher do... THIS? pic.twitter.com/vW7nesRyZ6

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 5, 2021

According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, Ohtani's blast traveled a projected 451 feet.

Before taking his first at-bat of the game, Ohtani also showed off dazzling stuff on the mound. The 26-year-old threw 12 fastballs that were all at least 96 mph, including two that registered 101 mph on ESPN's radar gun. 

Shohei Ohtani has thrown the fastest pitch of any starting pitcher so far in this early season (100.6 MPH) and has the hardest-hit HR of the season by any player (115.2 MPH exit velocity). pic.twitter.com/P3GmsQoJmK

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 5, 2021

According to @EliasSports Shohei Ohtani is the first starting pitcher to homer in an American League game since the DH was instituted in 1973. pic.twitter.com/itUjyhIqWn

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 5, 2021

The 2020 season was a struggle for Ohtani, who was working his way back from Tommy John surgery the previous year. He only threw 1.2 innings as a starting pitcher, allowing seven earned runs on three hits and eight walks. The Japanese star also hit .190/.291/.366 with seven homers and 24 RBI in 44 games. 

As long as Ohtani can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for what he can do for the Angels. 

When healthy and fully operational, only one player in Major League Baseball strikes fear into hitters and pitchers alike.

His name is Shohei Ohtani, and healthy and fully operational is exactly how he looks this spring.

The Los Angeles Angels' two-way star made highlights with both his bat and his arm last week, launching a home run over the batter's eye in an exhibition against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and then striking out five in 1.2 innings against the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

The obligatory disclaimer here is that results in spring training don't necessarily portend results in games that actually count. And yet, there are reasons to believe Ohtani will be an exception.

      

Shohei Ohtani's Resume

• 26 years old
• Played in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league from 2013 to 2017
• Signed with the Angels in December 2017
• American League Rookie of the Year in 2018
• 254 G as a hitter: 125 OPS+, 47 HR and 29 SB
• 12 G as a pitcher: 97 ERA+, 66 K and 30 BB
• Tommy John surgery in October 2018
• Left knee surgery in September 2019
• Limited to two starts by a forearm strain in 2020

      

Why to Believe in Ohtani's Arm

When the Angels first signed Ohtani back in 2017, he was coming off a season with the Nippon Ham Fighters in which he'd made only five starts because of an ankle injury. He was also known to have a damaged UCL at the time, so it was no great surprise when he went under the knife less than a year later. 

Though Ohtani's elbow had had enough time to heal when he returned to the mound in July 2020, he was only a few months removed from the knee operation that ended his 2019 season early. It was clear even before the pandemic-delayed season started that he was rusty.

Ultimately, that rust carried over into the season proper. He threw only 40 of 80 total pitches for strikes and walked eight batters through two starts, and it's fair to wonder if his obvious mechanical issues contributed to his forearm injury.

Despite all this, the Angels had good reasons not to give up on him as a pitcher.

In his heyday in Japan between 2014 and 2016, Ohtani ripped off a 2.24 ERA with 402 more strikeouts than walks over 458 total innings. The tools that drove that effort also worked as he was putting up a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 22 walks in 51.2 innings as a major league rookie in 2018.

Namely: a fastball that touched 101 mph and an utterly devastating splitter against which opposing batters went just 2-for-55 with 35 strikeouts.

To these ends, it was deja vu all over again for Ohtani during his spring pitching debut:

You love to see the Ohtani filth. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/i9ikpQRGXr

— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2021

Ohtani's fastball, which ranged between 89 and 97 mph in 2020, touched 100 mph Friday. And not for the first time this spring as he was also clocked at 100 mph during a bullpen session the previous Saturday.

As for his splitter, leave it to Rob Friedman (AKA the "Pitching Ninja") to illustrate just how unhittable it was:

Shohei Ohtani Splitter, with Freeze Frames pic.twitter.com/o4uXeXwiD5

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 5, 2021

In addition to the sheer nastiness of his two primary weapons, it's also noteworthy that Ohtani threw 24 of 41 pitches for strikes and, in the words of Angels manager Joe Maddon, was more "clean and consistent" with his delivery Friday.

Given his history, whether Ohtani's health will permit him to stay on the mound for regular starts is a good question. But for now, it's good enough that this is the first time in a long time Ohtani has been able to gear up for a season without having to worry about an injury or rust.

       

Why to Believe in Ohtani's Bat

As impressive as he was on the mound last week, highlights don't get much more rewatchable than the absolute tank of a home run Ohtani hit a couple of days earlier:

Sho off 😏#LAASpring pic.twitter.com/DDAohzsZ4d

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 3, 2021

The Angels didn't see that kind of power from Ohtani all that often in 2020. In 44 games, he hit just seven home runs and finished in just the 55th percentile with his exit velocity.

But in 2018 and 2019, Ohtani's exit velocity was in the 96th and 97th percentiles, respectively. Because he also kept his walk and strikeout rates in respectable territories, his results included a 134 OPS+ and 40 home runs in 210 games.

As for what happened in 2020, the rust that hindered him on the mound was also a factor at the plate as he struggled with his mechanics and his timing. It also didn't help that MLB prohibited access to in-game video last year—in part because of the pandemic and in part because of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal—which Ohtani understandably griped about this spring.

Ohtani is determined not to repeat the mechanical struggles he had last year. With his left knee now fully recovered, he's been emphasizing keeping his back foot planted so as to have a stronger hitting base.

"We've been seeing it all camp with that good balance and the ball coming off hot," Maddon said, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. "He's working good at-bats. The hitting coaches are very happy right now and so is Shohei. I know it can continue. He looks so much better than he did at really any point last year."

In-game video, meanwhile, is set to make a comeback in 2021. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, players will be able to watch video on iPads in a way that doesn't give away the opposing team's signs.

In short, two major forces that worked against Ohtani's bat in 2020 won't be issues again in 2021. Thus is his way cleared back to what he was doing in 2018 and 2019.

      

Shohei Ohtani, Uncaged

Albeit without any specific plans, the Angels were broadcasting at the outset of spring training that they weren't going to hold Ohtani back as either a hitter or a pitcher in 2021. If all goes well, he'll work as both their primary designated hitter and as a member of their six-man rotation.

Again, Ohtani's health will ultimately have the final say on how many starts he makes and how many plate appearances he takes this season. But since he looks genuinely good to go on both fronts, it's fair game to imagine what a full season's worth of his hitting and pitching might look like.

This is where the first two months of his rookie season are instructive. Before the injury bug came for him in June, Ohtani had made eight starts and taken 117 plate appearances through May. Had he stayed on those trajectories, he would have finished 2018 with 24 starts and between 350 and 400 plate appearances.

On their own, neither of those sample sizes is befitting of an impact player. But together...well, that's a different story. Because not even Babe Ruth hit those marks in a single season, Ohtani would be the first player to do so since Harry Howell all the way back in 1902.

Within those sample sizes, the best possible versions of Ohtani would be a candidate for a .900-plus OPS and 25 home runs as a hitter and a sub-3.00 ERA and upwards of 200 strikeouts as a pitcher. By way of being elite at two part-time jobs, he'd be an elite full-timer.

Or, in other words, an AL MVP candidate.

This is obviously less of a promise and more of a possibility. But it's certainly an intriguing one, and the Angels and baseball fans everywhere will be treated to a season unlike any other if it comes true.

       

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Mickey Callaway was reportedly well-known for his inappropriate behavior toward women long before five female sports media members accused him of aggressively pursuing them in a February report by Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic.

The current Los Angeles Angels pitching coach has been suspended pending an investigation, but former employees with Cleveland and the New York Mets say management of both teams was aware of his behavior.

"I laughed out loud when I saw the quote (in The Athletic’s original report) that said it was the worst-kept secret in baseball, because it was," a Cleveland employee told Ghiroli and Strang in a new report Tuesday. "It was the worst-kept secret in the organization."

A former Mets employee also said several people within the organization called him "Dick Pic Mick."

A former pitcher under Callaway also said his conduct was also "widely known" dating back to 2010, when he worked in the minor leagues.

Ghiroli and Strang's latest article contains allegations Callaway had a consensual affair with a married woman in 2017 that included him sending her lewd photos and at least one video. After finding out about the affair, the woman's husband contacted the Cleveland organization, with team president Chris Antonetti, manager Terry Francona and general manager Mike Chernoff all allegedly told of the complaints. 

Antonetti previously said he never knew of Callaway's conduct while he was the club's pitching coach from 2013 to 2017. 

"When I read the article, that was the first time I became aware of the alleged behaviors," Antonetti said at the time.

"There had never been any complaints against Mickey in his time with us, either to me or to our human resources department or other leaders," he added.

Nick Francona, the son of Terry Francona who also worked in the Mets front office from 2017-18, said Tuesday in a statement that his father lied to him while Cleveland's top brass withheld information about Callaway:

This isn’t easy, but it needs to be said. Here is my statement: https://t.co/g90fYnptH6 pic.twitter.com/hAR8tc02Zz

— Nick Francona (@NickFrancona) March 2, 2021

The Mets hired Callaway to be their manager in 2017 but have indicated they did not know of any allegations of misconduct. Team president Sandy Alderson said Monday the organization considered him a "hot commodity" and were simply "shortsighted" in the vetting process, per Joon Lee of ESPN.

"I think especially in retrospect, there probably should've been a broader assessment of his qualifications," Alderson said. "In terms of people we actually talked to, there were no reservations. I think the process should've been broader. We've learned that lesson and the process that we currently have is and will be broader than it was in 2018."

According to Ghiroli and Strang's latest article, the Mets were in fact told of his 2017 affair in an email from the husband that said Callaway sent his wife "unsolicited pornographic material."

New York's general counsel David Cohen, the human resources department and team security were all reportedly aware of the email.

Callaway served as Mets manager from 2018 to 2019 before being fired for his team's poor performance.

Mike Trout's first game-worn jersey is on the auction block, and bidding could reach seven figures.

Lelands Auctions currently has the jersey up for sale through April 2, with a current auction price of $162,800 on 11 bids. The reserve for the item has not yet been met, so the seller expects the jersey to fetch far more than its current listing.

Bids started at $100,000 and quickly climbed up as eager bidders sought to get their hands on the once-in-a-lifetime jersey.

Trout memorabilia has been increasing in popularity as the Angels star cements his place among the game's all-time greats. A rookie card for the eight-time All-Star sold for $3.9 million last year, the all-time record for a sports card.

Trout already ranks 81st in career wins over replacement at age 29 and would have climbed even higher if the 2020 season was not shortened by COVID-19. At his current rate of performance, Trout will almost certainly wind up having one of the 10 highest WARs in baseball history and could top Babe Ruth's record of 182.5 if he plays into his 40s.

The 2021 season may be the final one of Albert Pujols' legendary career—but that has yet to be determined.

"Nothing has changed what we talked about last week," he told ESPN's Enrique Rojas. "I will make a decision about the future, depending on what happens this season."

Last week, Pujols told Rojas that he did not have a plan for the future, noting his body will impact how long he plays.

On Monday, Deidre Pujols, who is the slugger's wife, wrote the following lengthy message on her Instagram page. Albert responded with emojis of hearts: 

"Today is the first day of the last season of one of the most remarkable careers in sports! I’m talking about my husband @albertpujols who since the time he was a child would eat, sleep, and breath this sport. I have had the privilege to walk out 23 years of this baseball journey and it is with such a full heart that I speak a blessing over him as he finishes this good race! I’ve never known anyone more dedicated, disciplined and consistent than Albert. He has loved the game, he has hurt for the game, and he made sacrifices for this game as if it was his own child. He has grown from just a zealous young man into a confident leader who so many look up to. We by no means are perfect and he is definitely not a machine as so many have called him but he has given all he had to make sure we all had a victory to experience with him on the field. Albert says he doesn’t want to be known for what he did on the field but rather who he was off the field...today I will celebrate both! God isn’t finished with you yet my love and as you finish out this last season I know already prepared for you is another journey full of goodness waiting just for you! Thank you for 21 years of incredible baseball thrills! Finish strong like the Angel you are and I know you will wow us all this 2021 season as usual! #lastseason #baseball #mlb #baseballplayer #albertpujols #angelsbaseball"

However, as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic noted, she adjusted her message to say it is the last season of his current contract:

Deidre Pujols has amended the Instagram post: pic.twitter.com/mhdLXRbbCa

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 23, 2021

Aaaand now Deidre Pujols has amended the post again (and said on her IG story) that it’s not a retirement announcement: pic.twitter.com/nPrRO4v7il

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 23, 2021

"A person close to Albert Pujols said he has 'not determined yet if it's going to be his last year,' but the Angels slugger did respond to his wife's Instagram post that he will be retiring after 2021 with three heart emojis," Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times wrote. "I guess that's what passes as confirmation these days?"

Pujols, 41, is already well on his way to the Hall of Fame regardless of what happens during the 2021 campaign.

He is a three-time league MVP, two-time World Series champion, 10-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, two-time Gold Glover, six-time Silver Slugger, one-time batting champion and one-time National League Championship Series MVP.

Much of his production came as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played 11 years from 2001 through 2011. All but one of his All-Star appearances came in St. Louis, as did both of his World Series titles.

Pujols led the league in home runs twice, runs scored five times, hits once, RBI once, batting average once, on-base percentage once and slugging percentage three times during his tenure with the Cardinals. In all, he slashed .328/.420/.617 with 445 home runs and 1,329 RBI in St. Louis.

He joined the Los Angeles Angels prior to the 2012 campaign and remained a feared run producer in the American League.

In nine years with the Angels, Pujols has reached the 100-RBI mark four times and the 30-homer mark three times. He launched 40 home runs in 2015, which is the only season he made the All-Star Game as a member of the Angels.

Pujols appeared in 39 games during the shortened 2020 campaign and slashed .224/.270/.395 with six home runs and 25 RBI.

He is no longer one of the best players in the league, but he has the opportunity to make the playoffs in what may be his final season as part of a strong lineup that also features Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Justin Upton and Shohei Ohtani.

Mike Trout is the best player of his generation, but there's a major blight on his otherwise impressive resume—he hasn't been to the postseason since 2014. 

The Los Angeles Angels outfielder told reporters on Monday he's more than ready to end that drought. 

"It's definitely weighed on me. I hear it every year," he said. "The only way to change that is get to the playoffs. I'm tired of hearing, 'Hey, Mike, is adding this guy or that guy gonna get you to playoffs?'"

Trout, 29, has done everything possible to end that playoff drought. He's a three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star who has hit at least 30 homers in six of his MLB seasons, posted 100 or more RBI three times, scored over 100 runs seven times and stolen 20 or more bases five times. 

His career OPS sits at an impressive 1.000, the best among active players, while he's led the American League in WAR four times, per Baseball Reference. He also holds a career batting average of .304. 

Trout is well on his way to eventually being a Hall of Fame selection, though for the time being his only priority is returning to the postseason:

"I'm trying to get to playoffs obviously. We all are. I think if that isn't the mindset, you shouldn't be here every year. That's why I come in with that in my mind. We got one goal—get to the playoffs. It's still the same goal here.

"Obviously, there's a lot of new faces this year. Kind of cleaned house a little bit and looking for a fresh start. I'm getting older, for sure, but I'm still young. I still feel great."

The Angels, built around Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani, made a number of smaller moves this offseason, adding players like Jose Iglesias, Raisel Iglesias, Alex Claudio, Kurt Suzuki, Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb, among others.

Whether that's enough to get the Angels over the hump remains to be seen. Until that happens, though, Trout is going to be asked about that postseason drought. 

Heading into the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Albert Pujols is unsure if he will continue playing beyond 2021.   

Speaking to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (h/t The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya), Pujols said he hasn't decided if he will retire from Major League Baseball after this year. 

This isn't the first time Pujols has teased retirement when his Angels contract expires. 

Here's what he told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez about his playing future in May 2020:

"It's my last year under contract, but that doesn't mean I can't keep playing. I haven't closed that door. I'm taking it day by day, year by year, but you haven't heard from my mouth that I'm going to retire next year, or that it's going to be my last year, or that I'm going to keep playing. I haven't said any of that. When that time comes, we'll see. Just because you have one year left on your contract doesn't mean it's your last year. It could be, but it could not be. God hasn't put that in my heart yet."

The Angels signed Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract in December 2011.

His 11-season run with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2001-11 is one of the best in Major League Baseball history. The Dominican star was named to the All-Star team nine times, won three National League MVP awards and two World Series titles and hit .328/.420/.617 in 1,705 games during that span. 

Pujols has been unable to replicate that performance in Los Angeles during the second half of his career. He has had some good seasons, including an All-Star appearance in 2015 and a top-20 AL MVP finish in 2014, but he's posted a .242/.291/.406 slash line since the start of 2017. 

The Angels owe Pujols $30 million this season. He's split time between first base and designated hitter in recent years due to foot injuries. 

Pujols and the Angels are scheduled to report to spring training this week. The team's first full-squad workout will take place on Feb. 22. They are scheduled to open the regular season on April 1 against the Chicago White Sox. 

The Los Angeles Angels haven't given up hope on using Shohei Ohtani as a two-way star even though injuries largely precluded the right-hander from taking the mound in 2019 and 2020.

"I'm hearing full-go," Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters in reference to Ohtani both hitting and pitching in 2021.

Angels manager Joe Maddon on Shohei Ohtani's readiness for a 2-way season: "I'm hearing full-go. The reports I've been getting are fabulous. If we get Shohei in the right direction, going to be a pretty good offseason acquisition right there. I'm excited to watch this."

— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) February 16, 2021

The 26-year-old had a 3.31 ERA through 10 starts in 2018 before suffering an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. That eliminated any shot of his pitching in 2019.

Ohtani resumed those duties in 2020 but allowed seven earned runs over 1.2 innings. Los Angeles limited his usage once again upon discovering he had a Grade 1-2 flexor strain in his right elbow.

ESPN's Bradford Doolittle ranked the Angels starting rotation No. 18 in baseball, encapsulating the biggest issue surrounding the unit.

"This rotation is just so ... Angels," Doolittle wrote. "That is, there are plenty of familiar names and even a certain amount of stability in the group's collective forecast. Yet, it's hard to look at the one-through-seven outlook and conceive of any way to describe it that would really excite Halos fans."

Especially if Dylan Bundy's 2020 was a mirage, the Angels are devoid of a true ace. Perhaps Ohtani, who averaged 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and sported a 2.55 ERA in Japan, could claim that title because he clearly has the stuff to be a top-end starter.

Two years ago, Shohei Ohtani made his pitching debut.

He was nasty from the start. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XsDA5a9kxd

— MLB (@MLB) April 1, 2020

The team and fanbase will probably remain cautiously optimistic about the prospect, though. As great as the idea of Ohtani as a two-way player sounds, the toll of doing so seems to have caught up with him.

Shohei Ohtani won't go through the arbitration process after all.

The Los Angeles Angels announced Monday that the two sides have agreed to a two-year, $8.5 million contract without heading an arbitration hearing. 

Ohtani was arbitration-eligible for the first time in his three-year career. 

A two-way player, the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year hasn't been able to build off of that campaign on the hill. In his first year in MLB, Ohtani went 4-2 on the mound with a 3.31 ERA while hitting .285/.361/.564. 

He didn't pitch in 2019 because of Tommy John surgery, and he struggled in 2020, hitting just .190/.291/.366 with seven homers and 24 RBI in 44 appearances as a designated hitter. He was also limited to just two pitching starts prior to suffering a flexor strain in his right elbow that ended his season on the mound.

Despite his quiet 2020, Ohtani said he expects more from himself in the upcoming campaign.

"The numbers show that I didn't have a great year and I'm fully aware of that," Ohtani said through an interpreter in September, per Beth Harris of the Associated Press. "I found a lot of things I need to work on in the offseason. I'm looking forward to getting that underway."

The extension gives the 26-year-old a much-needed opportunity to prove himself over the next two seasons. 

The Los Angeles Angels added some veteran depth in their outfield by acquiring Dexter Fowler from the St. Louis Cardinals for cash. 

While Fowler's numbers at the plate have left plenty to be desired in recent years, the 2016 World Series Champion provides the Angels with a steady arm in the field as well as someone who has worked well in the past with L.A. manager Joe Maddon—who previously led Fowler during his two-year stint with the Chicago Cubs. 

OFFICIAL: The #Angels have acquired OF Dexter Fowler and cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Welcome to the Halos, @DexterFowler! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BdcYTW8a0N

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) February 5, 2021

Fowler slashed .218/.320/.370 with 31 home runs and 113 RBI in 271 games over the last three seasons. He hasn't batted above .240 since hitting .264 in 2017. 

Here's a look at how he fits in on the Angels.

   

Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart

SP: Dylan Bundy, Shohei Ohtani, Andrew Heaney, Griffin Canning, Jose Quintana

RP: Mike Mayers, Felix Pena, Ty Buttrey, Luke Bard, Alex Claudio, Raisel Iglesias

C: Max Stassi, Kurt Suzuki, Anthony Bemboom

1B: Albert Pujols, Jared Walsh, Taylor Ward, Matt Thais

2B: David Fletcher, Franklin Barreto, Luis Rengifo

3B: Anthony Rendon, Matt Thaiss, Luis Rengifo

SS: Jose Iglesias, Luis Rengifo, David Fletcher

LF: Justin Upton, David Fletcher, Taylor Ward

CF: Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Franklin Barreto

RF: Dexter Fowler, Jared Walsh, Jo Adell

DH: Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton

  

Outlook

Fowler has one-year, $14.5 million left on a five-year deal he signed with the Cardinals, which explains a bit why the Angels targeted him.

The future of Los Angeles' outfield includes highly-touted prospect Jo Adell, but early struggles when the Angels called him up last year put L.A. in a position to call for reinforcements. Adell slashed .161/.212/.266 with three home runs and seven RBI in 38 games last season. 

It was a rough start to whats expected to be an exciting career. 

Given the Angels ability to contend in the American League West this year, there isn't too much room to suffer through an early-season slump as Adell gets used to life in the majors. The position may be Fowler's to lose at the moment, but the competition is closer behind than he'd like. 

For the Angels, it's a battle they'll gladly watch unfold as they attempt to return to the postseason for the first time since 2014.