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Clips

(April 1, 2017)

April 1, 2017 Page 2 of 44

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Documentary on Angels star, ‘Mike Trout: Millville to MVP,’ to air Sunday on MLB

Network

Some things you may not know about your Angels

Who are the Angels’ top prospects?

Talent-rich Astros are choice to shine in AL West

2017 Angels roster: A position-by-position breakdown

Some restoration drama at the Big A as Dodgers top Angels, 3-1

Angels getting used to the new LED lights at Angel Stadium

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 18)

With improved rotation, optimistic Angels might be much better than expected

The 2017 Angels: Position by position

Angels scouting report: Player bios

A wave of young position players have quickly become the best players on some of

MLB's best teams

Rich Hill tunes up as Dodgers beat Angels to end Freeway Series losing streak

Angels reliever Huston Street cleared to resume throwing Tuesday

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 37)

Richards sharp vs. Dodgers in final tuneup

5 Statcast storylines for ’17 Angels

Street (strained lat) cleared to begin throwing

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 42)

Dodgers’ Hill finished strong after tough spring

April 1, 2017 Page 3 of 44

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES .

Documentary on Angels star, ‘Mike Trout: Millville to MVP,’ to air Sunday on MLB Network

By Mike DiGiovanna

Mike Trout spent part of his Friday at the ESPN Zone in Anaheim conducting a Q&A session with MLB

Network’s Brian Kenny before a screening of “Mike Trout: Millville to MVP,” an hourlong documentary

that the network will air on Sunday, April 9, at 8 p.m. EDT.

The film chronicles Trout’s rise from a small town in South New Jersey to become arguably the best all-

around player in baseball, a 25-year-old who has won two American League most valuable player

awards and was the MVP runner-up three times in his first five seasons.

Among those interviewed for the film are Trout’s parents, Jeff and Debbie; former Angels outfielder Torii

Hunter; current Angels Kole Calhoun and Richards; Trout’s Millville High School coach, Roy Hallenbeck;

and Oakland Athletics executive Billy Beane, whose team passed on drafting Trout in 2009.

But outside of Trout, the stars of the documentary may be Trout’s hometown of Millville (population.

28,711) and the interviews with local residents — several of which were filmed at Jim’s Lunch, Trout’s

favorite restaurant — that are sprinkled throughout the film.

“It was big for Millville,” Trout said. “Not a lot of people know about Millville. It’s a nice town. That’s

where I grew up. It’s good that it’s getting recognized a bit.”

Some things you may not know about your Angels

By Houston Mitchell

“It was big for Millville,” Trout said. “Not a lot of people know about Millville. It’s a nice town. That’s

where I grew up. It’s good that it’s getting recognized a bit.”

The Angels have retired five numbers in their history: 11 (Jim Fregosi), 26 (Gene Autry), 29 (Rod Carew),

30 (Nolan Ryan) and 50 (Jimmie Reese). There are two other numbers that, while not officially retired,

haven't been used in a long time. No. 15 hasn't been worn since Tim Salmon retired in 2006 and No. 34

hasn't been used since Nick Adenhart was killed in a 2009 car accident.

• Angels pitchers have thrown 10 no-hitters, four of them by Nolan Ryan. The other no-hitters were

thrown by Bo Belinsky, Clyde Wright, Mike Witt (perfect game), Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver. Mark

Langston and Witt combined for a no-hitter in 1990.

Including the playoffs, the Angels have played 9,006 games. Mike Scioscia has managed 2,802 of those

games, or 31.1% of the games in franchise history.

• The Angels have only named two team captains, Jerry Remy (1977) and Don Baylor (1978-82).

April 1, 2017 Page 4 of 44

• There are 15 members of the Angels Hall of Fame, as selected by the team: Garret Anderson, Gene

Autry, Don Baylor, Rod Carew, Dean Chance, Brian Downing, Chuck Finley, Jim Fregosi, Bobby Grich,

Bobby Knoop, Jimmie Reese, Nolan Ryan, Tim Salmon, Mike Witt and the 2002 World Series champion

team.

• Jered Weaver has made the most opening day starts for the Angels, with seven. Among position

players, the most is 12 by outfielder Garret Anderson.

• The Angels' rally monkey is named Katie, and she is a white-haired Capuchin monkey. She also

appeared as Marcel in the television series "Friends."

Who are the Angels’ top prospects?

By Pedro Moura

As of last year, the consensus around baseball was that the Angels’ farm system was the worst in the

sport. It has improved some, but is still among the five worst, according to most evaluators. Years of

international neglect and sacrificing top picks for free-agent signings could hurt the club for another half

a decade or longer. Here are the club’s top five prospects.

Keynan Middleton

6-2, 185, RP

Bats: Right. Throws: Right

Hometown: Portland, Ore.

Middleton was the Angels’ 2013 third-round pick, a junior college two-sport athlete who had more

experience playing basketball than baseball. Now 23, he was a failure in his first two full years in the

organization. When he converted to the bullpen before last season, it unlocked the velocity scouts had

projected. His fastball was regularly clocked between 96 and 99 mph, and reportedly touched 102. His

secondary pitches are not as impressive, but on a good day his slider deceives. He could pitch for the

Angels sooner rather than later.

::

Matt Thaiss

6-0, 195, 1B

Bats: Left. Throws: Right.

Hometown: Jackson, N.J.

A college catcher at Virginia, Thaiss switched to first base when the Angels drafted him 16th overall last

June. Club officials worked him out at the position just before the draft. He’s far slighter than is standard

April 1, 2017 Page 5 of 44

for major league first baseman, but his bat control is well-regarded among talent evaluators, and he is

expected to be a capable major league hitter. He walked almost as much as he struck out in his first half

a season.

::

Jahmai Jones

6-0, 215, OF

Bats: Right. Throws: Right.

Hometown: Roswell, Ga.

Still 19, Jones is said to have the highest ceiling of any prospect in the organization. He was the club’s

second-round pick in 2015, and received a bonus well over MLB’s recommended figure. Two of his

brothers have played in the NFL, and his father played at Notre Dame. Because Jones spent two months

of 2016 in extended spring training, he played only 64 games split between rookie ball and low Class A.

But, in those games, he stole 20 bases and hit .302 with an .801 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

::

Taylor Ward

6-1, 185, C

Bats: Right. Throws: Right.

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio.

Ward was taken surprisingly high, 26th overall, in the 2015 draft. Many amateur scouts projected him as

a backup, and many professional scouts still do. But club officials rave about his defense. After pounding

less experienced pitching in 2015, Ward struggled at Class-A Inland Empire last season, hitting .249 with

a .323 on-base percentage and .337 slugging mark. Now 23, he needs a rebound season to retain his

prospect status.

::

Nate Smith

6-3, 210, SP

Bats: Left. Throws: Left.

Hometown: Spokane, Wash.

Smith would have pitched for the Angels last September had he not reported elbow tendinitis on the

eve of his call-up from triple-A Salt Lake. But the 25-year-old says he’s healthy now, having changed his

April 1, 2017 Page 6 of 44

workout routine over the off-season to better protect his arm. Scouts offer different opinions on his

potential. Some say he could be a fine No. 5 starter right away; others say he’s destined to spend his

career shuffling between triple A and the majors.

Talent-rich Astros are choice to shine in AL West

By Mike DiGiovanna

A look at how the American League West is likely to play out during the 2017 MLB season. (Listed in

order of predicted finish. Lineups are projections as of March 28.)

1 | HOUSTON ASTROS

2016 | 84-78, 3rd in West

Last year in playoffs | 2015

The Astros are so deep that three projected reserves — slugger Evan Gattis, utilityman Marwin

Gonzalez and speedy outfielder Jake Marisnick — could start for most teams. There is an abundance of

up-the-middle offense with center fielder George Springer (29 home runs, 82 RBIs in 2016), second

baseman Jose Altuve (24 HRs, 96 RBIs), shortstop Carlos Correa (20 HRs, 96 RBIs) and catcher Brian

McCann (20 HRs, 58 RBIs). If Houston can bolster its rotation — a trade-deadline deal for Chicago White

Sox ace Jose Quintana, perhaps? — it could reach the World Series.

Starting lineup

CF George Springer

2B Jose Altuve

SS Carlos Correa

DH Carlos Beltran

C Brian McCann

3B Alex Bregman

RF Josh Reddick

1B Yulieski Gurriel

LF Nori Aoki

Pitching rotation

LH Dallas Keuchel

RH Lance McCullers

April 1, 2017 Page 7 of 44

RH Charlie Morton

RH Joe Musgrove

RH Mike Fiers

Closer

RH Ken Giles

::

2 | SEATTLE MARINERS

2016 | 86-76, 2nd in West

Last year in playoffs | 2001

The Mariners have lots of athleticism and speed, particularly in the outfield, where natural center

fielders Jarrod Dyson and Mitch Haniger will play the corners. Jean Segura, who led the National

League with 203 hits for Arizona in 2016, should be a significant upgrade at shortstop, and the middle of

the order — Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager — packs punch. Ace Felix Hernandez is motivated

to bounce back from a career-worst season (11-8 record, 3.82 ERA), but there is enough pitching depth

to end a lengthy playoff drought.

Starting lineup

LF Jarrod Dyson

SS Jean Segura

2B Robinson Cano

DH Nelson Cruz

3B Kyle Seager

RF Mitch Haniger

1B Dan Vogelbach

C Mike Zunino

CF Leonys Martin

Pitching rotation

RH Felix Hernandez

April 1, 2017 Page 8 of 44

LH James Paxton

RH Hisashi Iwakuma

LH Drew Smyly

RH Yovani Gallardo

Closer

RH Edwin Diaz

::

3 | TEXAS RANGERS

2016 | 95-67, 1st in West

Last year in playoffs | 2016

The Rangers should score plenty of runs, especially if Shin-Soo Choo stays healthy, and a deep bullpen

headed by closer Sam Dyson and hard-throwing right-handers Matt Bush, Keone Kela and Jeremy

Jeffress should be a strength despite the loss of left-hander Jake Diekman, who will miss the first half

after surgery to remove his colon. A top-heavy rotation thins out after Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels, but

if Tyson Ross (thoracic outlet surgery) and Andrew Cashner (biceps soreness) return by May, Texas

should challenge for a playoff spot.

Starting lineup

CF Carlos Gomez

DH Shin-Soo Choo

3B Adrian Beltre

1B Mike Napoli

2B Rougned Odor

C Jonathan Lucroy

RF Nomar Mazara

LF Jurickson Profar

SS Elvis Andrus

Pitching rotation

April 1, 2017 Page 9 of 44

RH Yu Darvish

LH Cole Hamels

LH Martin Perez

RH A.J. Griffin

RH Dillon Gee

Closer

RH Sam Dyson

::

4 | ANGELS

2016 | 74-88, 4th in West

Last year in playoffs | 2014

A lineup led by two-time AL MVP Mike Trout looks deeper, and run prevention should be a strength with

strong-armed catcher Martin Maldonado, rangy second baseman Danny Espinosa and speedy left

fielder Cameron Maybin added to a defense that features Gold Glove winners Andrelton Simmons at

shortstop and Kole Calhoun in right field and the superb Trout in center. But the rotation, and especially

the bullpen, appear too thin for the Angels to contend for a playoff spot.

Starting lineup

3B Yunel Escobar

RF Kole Calhoun

CF Mike Trout

DH Albert Pujols

1B C.J. Cron

LF Cameron Maybin

2B Danny Espinosa

C Martin Maldonado

SS Andrelton Simmons

Pitching rotation

April 1, 2017 Page 10 of 44

RF Matt Shoemaker

RH Ricky Nolasco

RH Garrett Richards

LH Tyler Skaggs

RH Jesse Chavez

Closer

RH Cam Bedrosian

::

5 | OAKLAND ATHLETICS

2016 | 69-93, 5th in West

Last year in playoffs | 2014

There are some promising young starting pitchers, with Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea and Jahrel

Cotton making strides last season and Frankie Montas and Daniel Gossett waiting in the wings. Sonny

Gray will help if he returns from a strained back by May. The bullpen looks strong, with Sean Doolittle,

Santiago Cassilla, John Axford and Ryan Dull ahead of closer Ryan Madson. A lineup led by under-the-

radar slugger Khris Davis (42 homers in 2016) has some pop, but the defense, especially in the outfield

and at shortstop, is shaky.

Starting lineup

CF Rajai Davis

2B Jed Lowrie

RF Matt Joyce

LF Khris Davis

C Stephen Vogt

DH Ryon Healy

1B Yonder Alonso

3B Trevor Plouffe

SS Marcus Semien

April 1, 2017 Page 11 of 44

Pitching rotation

RH Kendall Graveman

LH Sean Manaea

RH Jahrel Cotton

RH Andrew Triggs

RH Raul Alcantara

Closer

RH Ryan Madson

2017 Angels roster: A position-by-position breakdown

By Pedro Moura

Starting rotation

Garrett Richards:

On comeback trail after a stem-cell injection regenerated a torn elbow ligament, he pitched normally all

spring.

Matt Shoemaker:

Brain surgery after being hit by a line drive in September has not held him back.

Ricky Nolasco:

Veteran right-hander relies on a sinker to eat up innings.

Jesse Chavez:

A veteran at 33, he has a reputation for starting strong and then fading.

Tyler Skaggs:

Longtime top prospect is now 2 1/2 years removed from elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Alex Meyer:

At 27, the lanky right-hander is probably facing a make-or-break season.

::

April 1, 2017 Page 12 of 44

Bullpen

Cam Bedrosian:

The Angels’ best reliever a year ago, he sat out the final two months because of a blood clot in his arm.

Andrew Bailey:

Earned a contract for 2017 with a solid September after signing a minor league deal.

Jose Alvarez:

A left-hander, he has not dominated left-handed hitters as the club would like him to do.

JC Ramirez:

Tried as a starter this spring, he is expected to offer multiple-inning relief.

Bud Norris:

A longtime starter, Norris’ velocity improved once he started coming out of the bullpen.

Mike Morin:

The changeup is his calling card, but he has been inconsistent in recent seasons.

Yusmeiro Petit:

Has been with seven organizations since turning pro in 2001. Made the team as a nonroster invitee.

Huston Street:

The longtime closer will open the season on the disabled after suffering a strained muscle in his back in

his first spring appearance.

Austin Adams:

Has career ERA of 6.29 in 58 2/3 big league innings.

Blake Parker:

Journeyman right-hander emerged late in the spring by logging strikeout after strikeout.

::

Catcher

Martin Maldonado:

Has one of the strongest arms in the game, but scouts say he’s overmatched as a hitter.

April 1, 2017 Page 13 of 44

Carlos Perez:

Opening-day starter a year ago has been pushed to a backup role, but he’ll still play a lot.

::

First base

Luis Valbuena:

Was crushing right-handed pitching during spring training until hamstring injury sidelined him..

C.J. Cron:

Without an obvious spot to play, the power hitter is a trade candidate.

Albert Pujols:

He is expected to play little on defense after another off-season spent rehabbing from foot surgery.

Jefry Marte:

He hit 15 home runs in 2016, which makes him an option to play at a few spots.

::

Second base

Danny Espinosa:

An above-average defender at shortstop, he should be an asset at second base.

Cliff Pennington:

He can handle every defensive position, but his OPS hasn’t reached .600 since 2014.

Shortstop

Andrelton Simmons:

A wizard on defense, he went more than half of 2016 without hitting a home run after launching 17 in

his first full season with the Atlanta Braves.

::

Third base

Yunel Escobar:

A skilled hitter, but one with little power whose effort on defense and the basepaths tends to wane.

April 1, 2017 Page 14 of 44

Luis Valbuena:

Escobar sat out 30 games a year ago, so he could be called upon regularly.

Jefry Marte:

This the position he came up playing.

::

Left field

Cameron Maybin:

An athletic marvel who has hardly played left field as a pro.

Ben Revere:

Signed on the cheap after struggling throughout 2016, he puts the ball in play and has great speed.

::

Center field

Mike Trout:

Generally regarded as baseball’s best all-around player, he has vowed to go for 40 stolen bases, more

than he has had the last two seasons combined.

Cameron Maybin:

It’s unlikely he’ll play here much, but he has experience.

::

Right field

Kole Calhoun:

Scouts say he is among the most underrated players in the sport.

Ben Revere:

His weak arm hurts here, but his range makes up for some of it.

::

Designated hitter

Albert Pujols:

April 1, 2017 Page 15 of 44

Big production numbers last season, but only a .323 on-base percentage.

C.J. Cron:

Improved his defense at first base last season, but still may be best suited to this spot.

Some restoration drama at the Big A as Dodgers top Angels, 3-1

By Mike DiGiovanna

Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill put some distance between himself and his spring of discontent Friday

night, while Angels right-hander Garrett Richards put the finishing touches on his spring time of renewal.

Hill allowed four hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 exhibition victory at Angel Stadium, striking out

two and walking one, a marked contrast from the 8.03 earned-run average he posted in five Cactus

League starts, when he walked 14 and struck out 13 in 12 1/3 innings.

Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill put some distance between himself and his spring of discontent Friday

night, while Angels right-hander Garrett Richards put the finishing touches on his spring time of renewal.

Hill allowed four hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 exhibition victory at Angel Stadium, striking out

two and walking one, a marked contrast from the 8.03 earned-run average he posted in five Cactus

League starts, when he walked 14 and struck out 13 in 12 1/3 innings.

He said his curve and slider were the sharpest they had been all spring.

“It was pretty weak contact throughout the game,” he said. “I think that’s an indication of how the ball is

coming out of your hand.”

Richards allowed one run and two hits in four innings, striking out three and walking one in a 57-pitch

tuneup for his regular-season debut Wednesday in Oakland.

His only blemish was a 1-and-1 slider that Justin Turner lined over the left-field wall in the fourth for a

solo home run, giving the Dodgers third baseman, who is batting .385, a team-leading four homers and

16 runs batted in for the spring.

That Richards will open the season in the rotation is something of a miracle considering his setback last

spring. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in May and seemed headed for Tommy

John ligament-replacement surgery.

Instead, he opted for stem-cell therapy, in which stem cells from his own bone marrow were injected

into his elbow. A procedure that didn’t work for teammate Andrew Heaney worked for Richards, who

pitched in the instructional league last fall and has looked strong this spring, his fastball clocked in the

96-mph range.

“I just feel very blessed, very thankful, for my teammates, who stood by me the whole time, for our

training staff and doctors,” Richards said. “Everybody did such a great job with me, and I really

April 1, 2017 Page 16 of 44

appreciate it. It’s been a long time, and I’ve got to watch a lot of baseball, so it’s good to be out there

competing again.”

Richards said any doubts about the integrity of his elbow were eliminated in the instructional league. He

had to overcome a similar mental hurdle in the spring of 2015 when he returned from major left-knee

surgery.

“I feel normal,” Richards said. “My body is finally feeling complete again. I’m over the knee, my arm

feels good.”

Richards’ only concession to the elbow injury will be a pitch limit that the Angels hope to keep at around

100. A workhorse by nature, Richards threw 118 pitches and 115 pitches in consecutive April games last

season.

“I don’t think we’ll see 110-pitch outings from Garrett, but there’s nothing to say he won’t pitch deep

into games,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think the extremes with Garret are something we’ll

avoid. Early in the season, we’re not going to see him throw 115 pitches. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The Dodgers were encouraged by Hill’s command Friday night, when he walked one of 16 batters after

walking 14 of 58 batters in Arizona. He struck out Albert Pujols looking at a looping curve to end the

first. He pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second and retired the side in order in the third.

Left fielder Andrew Toles helped Hill with a running, lunging catch of Jefry Marte’s drive to the wall in

the fourth, and Hill finished his night by striking out Danny Espinosa looking at a full-count curve.

The Dodgers scored twice off Angels reliever Kirby Yates in the eighth when Erick Mejia and Franklin

Gutierrez led off with doubles and Cody Bellinger hit a two-out RBI double.

Angels right-hander Blake Parker may have solidified a bullpen spot when he struck out the side in the

ninth, extending his consecutive strikeout string to 17 batters.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out two of three in the fifth, and probable Angels closer Cam

Bedrosian retired the side in order in the seventh, giving him nine scoreless innings this spring.

Angels getting used to the new LED lights at Angel Stadium

Mike DiGiovanna

It’s normal for batters to chit-chat with the opposing team’s first baseman after a hit or a walk, but C.J.

Cron of the Angels found it peculiar when the same topic kept coming up in conversations with Dodgers

players in the first game of the Freeway Series in Angel Stadium on Thursday night.

“When they got to first, all the Dodgers were saying, ‘When did you guys switch to cream-colored

pants?’ ” Cron said before Friday night’s game. “I’m like, ‘We didn’t, but we have new lights, and they’re

trying to figure these things out.’ ”

April 1, 2017 Page 17 of 44

The Angels this winter joined a growing list of major league teams to install a new LED lighting system,

which is expected to improve visibility, reduce glare and shadows on the field and lower maintenance

costs and energy usage.

The Seattle Mariners were the first team to install LED lights in 2015. The Texas Rangers, San Diego

Padres, New York Yankees and Houston Astros installed LED lights in 2016, and the Baltimore Orioles did

so this season.

The first thing players noticed was that the new lights made their white uniform pants look cream-

colored. Mike Trout noticed a theater-like effect from his position in center field.

“It seemed like it was darker in the stands,” Trout said. “They’re obviously different than last year. It’s

going to take a few games to get used to them, and they’re definitely going to adjust them during these

first couple of games and throughout the season. But I like them, for sure.”

Cron was one of several players who struggled to adjust to the new lights.

“I just don’t think they’re locked in yet,” the Angels first baseman said. “It could be because it was our

first night game in seven months, but it just didn’t feel perfect. Something seemed a little off. I don’t

think there’s supposed to be shadows at night.

“I guess they can tinker with them to get them where they need to be. I guess they’re going to be

different [Friday] night. We’ll see if it’s any better.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said the team is working with stadium officials and lighting engineers to iron out

any kinks in the system.

“I’m not sure about the technology,” Scioscia said, “but there all kinds of ways to adjust these lights.”

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said Angels third base coach Ron Roenicke turned to him in the

sixth inning to say the lights were new and ask if he had any problems with them.

“I saw the ball fine,” Turner said.

Street smart

Reliever Huston Street credited a platelet-rich plasma injection that he received 2 1/2 weeks ago with

promoting the healing of an upper back strain that has sidelined him since early March. The veteran

right-hander was cleared to begin a throwing program on Tuesday and could return by May.

“As an athlete, you want to know that it’s healed, and now I can start working confidently,” Street said.

“We all play through a lot of stuff, but when you’re injured, you can be working in a negative direction.

So we got good news [Thursday] that we’re working in a positive direction.”

Street, who is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2016 season in which he went 3-2 with a

career-worst 6.45 earned-run average, must progress from flat-ground throwing to bullpen sessions and

April 1, 2017 Page 18 of 44

will need five to seven rehabilitation appearances before returning. He declined to place a target on that

return.

“I’m not shooting for anything,” Street said. “I made the mistake last year of coming back too early from

the oblique [injury]. That was my fault. You’re a competitor and you want to pitch. I learned a little bit

from that mistake.”

Short hops

Lower-back soreness sidelined Andrelton Simmons for the fifth straight game, but the shortstop

completed a vigorous pregame workout Friday, and Scioscia said he “anticipates” that Simmons will play

Saturday night. … Pitcher Matt Shoemaker, who underwent emergency brain surgery after being struck

in the head by a line drive in Seattle last September, has decided to wear a small carbon-fiber piece of

equipment, made by Safer Sports Technologies, inside the right side of his cap to help protect his head.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .

With improved rotation, optimistic Angels might be much better than expected

By Jeff Fletcher

If you are looking for reasons the Angels might be better than the experts think, there are the obvious

ones like the return of Garrett Richards, a vastly improved defense and, of course, the best player in

the majors.

And then there is the number 10.

For all that went wrong with the Angels in 2016 – from the conga line of starting pitchers to the black

hole in left field to the four closers they used – when it was all over the Angels had allowed just 10

more runs than they scored.

The Angels scored 717 runs and allowed 727. Baseball analysts tell you that run differential is a better

indicator of a team’s true level of play than even wins and losses. The 74-win Angels, at minus-10, had

a better run differential than the 84-win New York Yankees, at minus-22.

Which can plausibly lead to the conclusion that the 2016 Angels weren’t actually as bad as you thought.

Which can plausibly lead to the conclusion that the 2017 Angels – who have seemingly plugged a few

holes in their lineup and begin the season with a healthy Richards – could be better than you think.

Of course, in the clubhouse, run-differential doesn’t carry as much as weight as good, old-fashioned

self-confidence, which is never in short supply just before opening day.

“You just look around the clubhouse and we improved in a lot of spots,” Kole Calhoun said. “That gets

me excited.”

April 1, 2017 Page 19 of 44

Added Matt Shoemaker: “We all feel like the sky is the limit. If we go out and perform the way we

know we can, we seriously believe that we can go out and have a great, fun, winning season.”

Shoemaker and his colleagues in the starting rotation, as always, are the key to whether the Angels live

up to their expectations, or down to the baseball’s world skepticism.

“Any team goes as the pitchers go,” Shoemaker said. “We know that and we embrace it. We love the

challenge.”

The glass-half-full perspective of the Angels’ rotation begins with the fact that they have essentially

added an ace in Richards. His 98 mph fastballs in spring training seemed to demonstrate that he’s

healthy after undergoing stem-cell therapy instead of having Tommy John surgery to repair a damaged

ulnar collateral ligament. Last season, the Angels got just six starts out of Richards before he got hurt.

Now, they are hoping for a full season from a pitcher who has a 3.11 ERA in the three seasons he’s

been a full-time starter.

“When he went down last year we were really playing catch-up, looking for arms,” Calhoun said.

“Definitely having Garrett take the bump more than five or six times will be important.”

Besides Richards, the Angels lost Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano to Tommy John surgery. C.J.

Wilson didn’t throw a major league pitch in 2016. Tyler Skaggs, who was supposed to be ready in April,

didn’t make it back until July. As a result, the Angels used 15 starters, most in the league, and that

included the likes of Brett Oberholtzer, David Huff and Tim Lincecum, who was allowed to take the ball

nine times despite posting an ERA of 9.16.

Now the Angels have Richards back. They have Shoemaker, who was their best starter for four months

in 2016. They have Skaggs, who has shown flashes of brilliance in his brief big league career. They have

veteran Ricky Nolasco, who posted a 1.47 ERA over his last six starts in 2016, thanks to increased use of

his sinker.

“Our rotation has the probability of being much deeper and much more effective,” Manager Mike

Scioscia said.

Of course, there is a glass-half-empty perspective too.

None of those starters is anything near a certainty, Richards because of his elbow and the others

because they’ve all been consistently inconsistent.

The Angels’ bullpen also could go either way. Huston Street, Joe Smith and Cam Bedrosian all took

turns as closer last year, each eventually getting hurt. They finished the season closing games with

Andrew Bailey, trying to revive his career after three years lost to shoulder trouble.

Now they have a bullpen led by Bedrosian, Bailey and Street, who should be off the disabled list

sometime this month. There is potential, for sure, but also plenty of question marks.

April 1, 2017 Page 20 of 44

There are fewer unknowns with the position players, who figure to be a stronger group offensively

than the Angels have had in at least the past two years. Defensively, they could be exceptional.

“The way you would project this to be is probably the best all-around defensive team we’ve had here,”

said Scioscia, who has managed the Angels since 2000.

Shortstop Andrelton Simmons is perhaps the best defensive player, at any position, in the majors.

Center fielder Mike Trout and Calhoun, in right, are both well above average at their positions. To that

mix, General Manager Billy Eppler has added second baseman Danny Espinosa, first baseman Luis

Valbuena, left fielders Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere and catcher Martin Maldonado.

All of them are above average to elite.

“That’s going to be important in making the plays you should make and limiting extra pitches for

pitchers,” Scioscia said. “Billy Eppler made a focused effort to upgrade defensively and we have.”

Offensively, Espinosa and the combination of Maybin/Revere plug the two biggest holes the Angels had

in their lineup last year, second and left. The Angels have had the worst production in baseball in left

two years in a row. They also added some balance to a lineup that leaned hard to the right, with the

left-handed Valbuena, Revere and the switch-hitting Espinosa. Valbuena, though, will be out until at

least late April with a hamstring injury.

“I think (the lineup) can be really good,” Calhoun said. “We have a lot of guys who can run, guys who

can handle the bat. That’s got to make anyone excited.”

And, of course, no discussion of the Angels’ potential is complete without examining the one spot at

which they have a leg up on every team in the majors.

They have Trout.

The major league leader in Wins Above Replacement in each of his five full seasons, Trout gives the

Angels instant credibility, no matter how the rest of the team looks.

“He’s the best in the game,” Calhoun said. “We can rally around him. Hopefully he brings the same

caliber of play he’s brought the last five years. He’s definitely a special talent. He’s the kind of guy who

can put a team on his back.”

The 2017 Angels: Position by position

By Jeff Fletcher

The Angels are hoping for a better season out of their rotation, largely because of the return of

ace Garrett Richards, who rebounded from last season’s UCL injury with stem-cell therapy.

The rest of the pitchers have been inconsistent, although each has shown signs of being above average.

April 1, 2017 Page 21 of 44

Matt Shoemaker has been good for most of his career, and he seems to have no lingering effects from

the line drive to the head that ended his season. Ricky Nolasco had a 3.21 ERA after the Angels got him

from the Minnesota Twins last season, and the Angels are hoping he can perform that way again.

Tyler Skaggs has at times looked like a top of the rotation starter, and at others he’s struggled. Jesse

Chavez has had good stints as a starter, but other teams have preferred him out of the bullpen.

RELIEF PITCHING

Cam Bedrosian seems primed to finally get a look at the Angels closer. Bedrosian dominated for much

of 2016, but just when the closer job came to him because of injuries, he got hurt.

Andrew Bailey is back after an impressive one-month cameo last September. The former Rookie of the

Year closer is trying to revive his career following major shoulder surgery.

Huston Street also figures to be a part of the late-inning mix once he recovers from a lat strain suffered

during his first outing of spring training.

J.C. Ramirez was worked out as a starter in the spring. Although he’s now pitching in relief, the Angels

hope he can provide multiple-inning work to hold leads.

The Angels will once again be without a true situational lefty. Jose Alvarez is the best lefty they have,

and he’s more of a middle reliever.

INFIELD

The Angels acquired some depth at first base that seemed to create some lineup questions, but they

were alleviated with Luis Valbuena’s hamstring injury late in spring training. Valbuena will be out until

at least late April, allowing C.J. Cron to be the everyday first baseman while Albert Pujols is the DH.

Once Valbuena returns, they will have a daily choice between Cron and Valbuena.

The rest of the infield is set, with Danny Espinosa at second, Andrelton Simmons at shortstop and Yunel

Escobar at third.

Espinosa and Simmons should form one of baseball’s better middle-infield combinations defensively.

Offensively, they provide different elements. Espinosa has power, but strikes out frequently and

doesn’t get on base. Simmons is almost the exact opposite.

Escobar was a revelation at the leadoff spot last year, with a .355 on-base percentage that was second

on the team. Defensively, he has some issues throwing, but his hands and range are playable.

OUTFIELD

The Angels could have one of the best outfields in the majors, no matter what they get out of left field.

Of course, Mike Trout is the best player in the majors, coming off his second MVP award and his fifth

straight season leading the majors in WAR.

April 1, 2017 Page 22 of 44

Right fielder Kole Calhoun is one of the most under appreciated players in the majors. He won a Gold

Glove in 2015, and has a career adjusted OPS of 114.

Left field has been the Angels issue lately. They had the worst OPS in the majors at that spot two years

in a row. This season they are turning to Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere to correct that. Maybin is

coming off one of his best seasons and Revere is coming off one of his worst. If each just finds his

career norm, it will be a significant improvement.

Defensively, the Angels are well above average at all three spots, which should help in the spacious

outfield at Angel Stadium.

CATCHING

Although neither Martin Maldonado nor Carlos Perez provide much offense, both are above average

defensively. The Angels acquired Maldonado from the Milwaukee Brewers with the idea that he’s an

elite defensive catcher, adept at working with pitchers and pitch-framing and with what is considered

one of the best arms of any catcher in the majors.

Going into the season, it seems that Maldonado is going to get the first crack at the majority of the

playing time, but that figures to be an ongoing question. Don’t expect either catcher to work more than

100 games.

BENCH

The Angels have been burned in recent years by a lack of depth, but this season they seem to be in

better shape. If everyone is healthy, they will have either Valbuena or Cron and either Maybin or

Revere on the bench. All four have shown the ability to be everyday players.

The Angels will now be able to rest players more regularly because they won’t lose as much with the

substitutes.

MANAGER

Manager Mike Scioscia has enjoyed the job security of a 10-year deal, but he’s now in Year 9, which

means it’s more reasonable to think he might feel some pressure if the team doesn’t have a good

season.

He does have a team that seems to fit his managing style, offensively at least. Scioscia prefers action on

the basepaths, and the Angels have good speed and contact hitters.

Wtih the pitching staff, though, Scioscia will be tested by a group of starters who might not get as deep

into games as he’d like. That will put a premium on bullpen management.

April 1, 2017 Page 23 of 44

Angels scouting report: Player bios

By Jeff Fletcher

48 - JOSE ALVAREZ - LHP

Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 180

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels sent infielder Andrew Romine to the Tigers for Alvarez on March 21,

2014.

SCOUTING REPORT: The Angels acquired Alvarez in hopes of him being a starter, but it would seem

he’s now settled into a middle relief role. At times late in 2015 he was used as a situational lefty, but

mostly the Angels have used him in middle relief. He has shown an exceptional skill for inducing weak

contact.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

37 - ANDREW BAILEY - RHP

Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 235

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent in August 2016, after being released by the Philadelphia

Phillies. Re-signed as a major league free agent following 2016 season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Bailey relies on a cutter that generates ground balls. He has lost a little on his

fastball, from about 94 earlier in his career to 92. After reaching the big leagues and becoming an All-

Star closer with the Oakland A’s, Bailey was traded to the Boston Red Sox and endured three years of

trouble with his shoulder, including major surgery.

2017 SALARY: $1 million

32 - CAM BEDROSIAN - RHP

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 230

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels drafted Bedrosian with the 29th pick in the 2010 draft. He received a

$1.116 million signing bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Bedrosian, whose father Steve was a major league closer and Cy Young winner,

struggled in his first few stints in the majors, unable to command his fastball or throw his slider

consistently. In 2016, however, he put all the pieces together, thanks to finally discovering a working

grip for his slider. Bedrosian had a 1.12 ERA in 2016, and was primed to begin 2017 as the closer.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

56 - KOLE CALHOUN - RF

April 1, 2017 Page 24 of 44

Ht.: 5-10 Wt.: 200

HOW ACQUIRED: Drafted by the Angels in the eighth round in 2010.

SCOUTING REPORT: Calhoun defied the experts to reach the majors, and become a better-than-

average everyday player, despite being overlooked throughout his amateur and minor league careers.

Despite his size, he has some pop, consistently hitting 15 to 20 homers a season. He has improved his

plate discipline in recent years, getting on base in front of Mike Trout. In the outfield, he’s a Gold Glove

winner whose arm is his best tool.

2017 SALARY: $6.35 million

40 - JESSE CHAVEZ - RHP

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 175

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed for $5.75 million as a free agent in November 2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Chavez has been used as a reliever for most of his career, but the Angels signed

him to be a starter, which is the role he prefers. A slender pitcher, Chavez can nonetheless get his

fastball up to 94 mph. As a starter, he uses his entire repertoire, including a cutter, a curveball, a slider

and a changeup.

2017 SALARY: $5.75 million

24 - C.J. CRON - 1B

Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 235

HOW ACQUIRED: Cron was the Angels’ first-round draft choice in 2011, 17th overall.

SCOUTING REPORT: Cron is the streakiest hitter on the team, at times looking like an outstanding

hitter and other times looking lost. One of his issues is that he swings at too many pitches out of the

zone. When he gets mistakes, though, he does damage. Defensively, Cron has improved, but is still a

below-average first baseman.

2017 SALARY: $550,000

0 - YUNEL ESCOBAR - 3B

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 215

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels traded RHP Trevor Gott and minor league RHP Michael Brady to the

Washington Nationals for Escobar on Dec. 10, 2015.

SCOUTING REPORT: At the plate, Escobar has a knack for putting the bat on the ball. He rarely strikes

out, and still draws some walks. He doesn’t have much power, but he gets on base enough to make

him a legitimate leadoff hitter. Defensively, Escobar is athletic and can cover some ground, but he has

April 1, 2017 Page 25 of 44

issues with throwing accuracy and concentration. He is prone to mental mistakes, in the field and on

the bases.

2017 SALARY: $7 million

3 - DANNY ESPINOSA - 2B

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 205

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels traded minor league RHPs Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin to the

Washington Nationals for Espinosa on Dec. 10, 2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Espinosa is outstanding defensively, having played shortstop for most of his life

before moving to second to yield to Ian Desmond in the majors. After Desmond left the Nationals,

Espinosa became the Nats everyday shortstop. He has been an all-or-nothing hitter lately, racking up

homers and strikeouts. He has said it’s a matter of timing, not overswinging, so he believes he can cut

down the strikeouts without losing power.

2017 SALARY: $5,425,000

12 - MARTIN MALDONADO - C

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 230

HOW ACQUIRED: Trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, along with minor league RHP Drew Gagnon, for C

Jett Bandy.

SCOUTING REPORT: Maldonado is considered to have the best arm of any catcher in the majors. He’s

also known for his pitch-framing and ability to handle pitchers. The Angels thought so highly of his

defense that they traded Bandy, who has more years of control and seemingly more offensive upside.

At the plate, Maldonado has never hit much, but in 2016 he showed better discipline at the plate and

reached base at a decent clip.

2017 SALARY: $1,725,000

19 - JEFRY MARTE - 3B/1B

Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 220

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels sent minor league RHP Kody Eaves to the Tigers for Marte on Jan. 27,

2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Marte came up as a third baseman, but he got some time at first in the Tigers

system and the Angels began experimenting with him in left field in 2016. He has the tools to play all

three spots, but he needs more seasoning in the outfield. Offensively, his power is his best tool, and

he’s reasonably disciplined.

April 1, 2017 Page 26 of 44

2017 SALARY: $535,000

9 - CAMERON MAYBIN - LF

Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 215

HOW ACQUIRED: Traded from the Detroit Tigers for minor league RHP Victor Alcantara on Nov. 3,

2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Maybin was once a top prospect, good enough to be included in the Tigers’ deal

for Miguel Cabrera. His career didn’t work out as expected, though. He struck out too much and didn’t

get on base enough. He bounced back with a career season in 2016, mostly because of changing his

approach to hit the ball up the middle. Defensively, Maybin has outstanding range.

2017 SALARY: $9 million

64 - MIKE MORIN - RHP

Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 220

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels selected Morin in the 13th round of the 2012 draft, out of the University

of North Carolina.

SCOUTING REPORT: After a breakthrough rookie season in 2014, Morin struggled in 2015 and at times

in 2016. He has bounced between the majors and minors in each season. Morin throws two above-

average changeups, one that moves in to right-handed hitters and one that moves away. When he’s at

his best, he generates lots of ground balls. He also throws a sinker that frequently generates ground

balls. His fastball averages 92 mph..

2017 SALARY: $535,000

47 - RICKY NOLASCO - RHP

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 215

HOW ACQUIRED: Trade with Minnesota Twins, Aug. 1, 2016, along with Alex Meyer, for Hector

Santiago and Alan Busenitz.

SCOUTING REPORT: Nolasco has been a classic innings-eater for most of his career, working at least

190 innings six times, even though he has had only two seasons with an ERA under 4.00. Late in 2016,

though, Nolasco began throwing his two-seam fastball much more often than his four-seamer, and the

results were dramatic. He was one of the best pitchers in the league in September.

2017 SALARY: $12 million ($4 million paid by Twins)

20 - BUD NORRIS - RHP

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 215

April 1, 2017 Page 27 of 44

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as minor league free agent January 2017.

SCOUTING REPORT: Norris had an up and down career, which peaked in 2014. Norris throws a fastball

and a slider primarily. He got off track in 2015 when he lost weight because of an illness, and he

bounced around in 2016. He now projects as a swingman, able to help in the rotation or the bullpen.

2017 SALARY: $1,750,000

7 - CLIFF PENNINGTON - IF

Ht.: 5-10 Wt.: 195

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed a two-year, $3.75-million deal as a free agent on Nov. 17, 2015.

SCOUTING REPORT: Pennington is known for his arm, which is why he made history by being the first

position player to pitch in the postseason, for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Otherwise, he’s a solid

infielder who has sure hands at all three spots. Pennington doesn’t provide much at the plate, though.

He strikes out too much for a player with little power.

2017 SALARY: $2,250,000

58 - CARLOS PEREZ - C

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 210

HOW ACQUIRED: On Nov. 5, 2014, the Angels acquired Perez and RHP Nick Tropeano from the

Houston Astros in exchange for C Hank Conger.

SCOUTING REPORT: In his first time in the majors in 2015, Perez showed flashes with the bat – most

notably in the clutch – but overall he showed poor discipline at the plate. Then in 2016, he slumped

badly at the plate and lost his job, eventually getting sent to the minors. He added a leg kick to his

swing for 2017, hoping it will help his timing. Defensively, the Angels believe Perez is above average.

His arm is better than his receiving though.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

36 - YUSMEIRO PETIT - RHP

Ht.: 6-1 Wt.: 255

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as a minor league free agent in January 2017.

SCOUTING REPORT: Petit is a bit of a crafty righty, throwing a fastball around 88 mph. He throws his

fastball about half the time, and the rest of his pitches are evenly split between curves, changeups and

cutters. Petit has been effective as a starter and reliever, throughout his career. He was a key member

of the 2012 Giants World Series team because of his versatility.

2017 SALARY: $2,250,000

April 1, 2017 Page 28 of 44

5 - ALBERT PUJOLS - DH

Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 230

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed a 10-year, $240-million deal as a free agent on Dec. 8, 2011.

SCOUTING REPORT: In his prime, Pujols was one of the best all-around hitters in major league history,

with power and the ability to hit for a high average. He also made himself a Gold Glove first baseman

after bouncing around other positions in his younger years. Now, Pujols can still pick it at first, but he

doesn’t move well. And generally, he’s limited to DH to preserve his legs, which have given him trouble

with age. Offensively, he still has the bat control to put the ball in play, but shifts and his lack of speed

have robbed him of lots of hits. He can still hit the ball over the fence as well as ever, though.

2017 SALARY: $26 million

66 - J.C. RAMIREZ - RHP

Ht.: 6-5 Wt.: 245

HOW ACQUIRED: Claimed on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds in June 2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ramirez has a power fastball, which averages 97 mph and induces plenty of

ground balls. He’s been mostly a fastball-slider pitcher, but he started throwing a curve this spring

because the Angels gave him a look as a starter.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

25 - BEN REVERE - OF

Ht.: 5-9 Wt.: 195

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed a one-year, $4-million deal on Dec. 23, 2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Speed is Revere’s best tool, both on the bases and in allowing him to cover ground

in the outfield. He doesn’t have a strong arm, though. Revere has been a solid average hitter

throughout his career. He’s also excellent at putting the ball in play, which allows him to use his speed

to find extra hits.

2017 SALARY: $4 million

43 - GARRETT RICHARDS - RHP

Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 210

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels took Richards out of the University of Oklahoma with the 42nd overall

pick (compensation round) of the 2009 draft.

April 1, 2017 Page 29 of 44

SCOUTING REPORT: Richards is a rare starter who has reliever velocity, routinely hitting 97-98 mph. He

also throws a dominating slider. Richards tried to add a changeup in 2016, but he believes it

contributed to his elbow injury, so he scrapped it. Instead, he uses his sinker to play off the harder

four-seam fastball.

2017 SALARY: $6.85 million

52 - MATT SHOEMAKER - RHP

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 225

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels signed Shoemaker as an undrafted free agent on Aug. 14, 2008, giving

him a $10,000 signing bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Shoemaker used a dominating split-finger fastball to become one of baseball’s

best breakout stories in 2014, when he came from non-prospect status to finish second in the Rookie

of the Year race. Since then he’s been inconsistent. In 2015, he struggled most of the season, but in

2016 he was good again. He said the key to his improvement is when he’s aggressive with his fastball.

2017 SALARY: $3,325,000

2 - ANDRELTON SIMMONS - SS

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 195

HOW ACQUIRED: Traded from the Atlanta Braves, along with minor league C Jose Briceno, for SS Erick

Aybar and minor league LHP Sean Newcomb and RHP Chris Ellis on Nov. 12, 2015.

SCOUTING REPORT: It’s no secret that Simmons is arguably the best defensive player in the majors. His

talent goes beyond simply his glove, though. Simmons has such a strong arm that it allows him to steal

outs by making throws other shortstops can’t make. At the plate, he makes contact, but the results

have been inconsistent. He had a season in which he hit 17 homers without much average, and in his

first with the Angels he hit just four homers, but with a .281 average.

2017 SALARY: $8 million

45 - TYLER SKAGGS - LHP

Ht.: 6-4 Wt.: 225

HOW ACQUIRED: Skaggs came back to the Angels, the club that originally drafted him, as part of the

three-team deal that sent Mark Trumbo to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December 2013. Jerry Dipoto

traded for Skaggs twice, once to get him from the Angels to the Diamondbacks in 2010, and then to get

him back to the Angels.

SCOUTING REPORT: Skaggs relies on a fastball in the low 90s and a big, breaking curveball. He endured

a long road back from Tommy John surgery in 2014, missing nearly two years of major league time

April 1, 2017 Page 30 of 44

before returning in July 2016. The jury is still out on how good he can be when healthy, because he

hasn’t had a full major league season yet. His upside is as a No. 2 starter, but he could also end up in

the bullpen.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

16 - HUSTON STREET - RHP

Ht.: 6-0 Wt.: 195

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels received Street and pitching prospect Trevor Gott from the Padres on July

19, 2014, sending San Diego four prospects in return: infielders Taylor Lindsey and Jose Rondon and

pitchers R.J. Alvarez and Elliot Morris.

SCOUTING REPORT: Street arrived in camp this spring having lost some weight, after his poor

conditioning in 2016 contributed to injuries and a bad season. When healthy, Street has been one of

baseball’s most consistent relievers, getting the most out of a fastball that sits in the upper 80s and a

slider. He succeeds by enticing hitters to swing at poor strikes and balls just off the plate, inducing

weak contact and a fair amount of swing-and-misses.

2017 SALARY: $9 million

27 - MIKE TROUT - OF

Ht.: 6-2 Wt.: 235

HOW ACQUIRED: The Angels picked Trout with the 25th selection in the 2009 draft, using a pick they

got as compensation from the Yankees for signing Mark Teixeira as a free agent.

SCOUTING REPORT: There isn’t much to say about Trout that the baseball world doesn’t know. He does

it all, hits for average and power. He’s an above-average center fielder and his arm – once thought to

be his weakest tool – has improved. Trout had been striking out too much, but he’s cut that down two

years in a row. In 2016, he won his second MVP in five seasons. The total package of his skills and his

performance make him not only the best player in the majors, but on a track to be a Hall of Famer.

2017 SALARY: $20,083,333

18 - LUIS VALBUENA - 1B

Ht.: 5-11 Wt.: 215

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed a two-year, $15-million deal on Jan. 24, 2017.

SCOUTING REPORT: Valbuena came up as a second baseman, but he eventually moved over to third

and now plays first. He can still play the other two positions, but the further each one gets in his rear-

view mirror, the worse he is. At first, he is still considered above average, though. A left-handed batter,

April 1, 2017 Page 31 of 44

Valbuena has fared particularly well against right-handed pitchers in recent seasons, which is why the

Angels wanted him to balance their lineup. In the past few years, he’s improved at getting on base.

2017 SALARY: $6.5 million

39 - KIRBY YATES - RHP

Ht.: 5-10 Wt.: 200

HOW ACQUIRED: Claimed on waivers from the Yankees on Oct. 5, 2016.

SCOUTING REPORT: Yates relies mostly on a 94 mph fastball and a slider, but this spring he

incorporated a split-finger fastball, which he felt made a dramatic improvement. Yates has bounced

around early in his career, from the Tampa Bay Rays to the New York Yankees to the Angels.

2017 SALARY: $535,000

A wave of young position players have quickly become the best players on some of MLB's

best teams

By Bill Plunkett

Your Tamagotchi died of neglect. Your Pogs collection has gathered more dust than value and you

never did develop the photos in that last disposable camera.

Your frosted tips grew out long ago. Your Zubaz are still sitting in a Salvation Army donation box

somewhere and you’ve forgotten the words to “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred – well, most of them.

Even Suzanne Somers has stopped using her Thighmaster. Your VCR has stopped flashing “12:00” and

you finally threw away the Blockbuster membership card you had been carrying in your wallet.

But some things created in the ’90s are faring pretty well.

Six of the 10 top-five finishers in the Most Valuable Player voting in both leagues last season were 25

years old or younger, including both winners (25-year-old Mike Trout in the American League and 24-

year-old Kris Bryant in the NL). Twenty-seven players at last year’s All-Star Game were 26 or younger.

The Chicago Cubs set a postseason record when their starting lineup for Game 2 of the World Series

included six players 24 or younger.

Starting with Trout and Bryce Harper (now 24) in 2012, young position players have stepped in and

quickly become the best players on some of MLB’s best teams – the face of those franchises and MLB’s

biggest stars. This “prodigy group” with “accelerated maturity,” as Cubs manager Joe Maddon puts it

includes Bryant, who won the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season and the MVP award with the

108-year drought-ending Cubs in his second, 22-year-old shortstops Corey Seager of the Dodgers and

Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros, 23-year-old Francisco Lindor of the AL champion Indians, 24-year-

olds Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox, Manny Machado (a five-year veteran at

April 1, 2017 Page 32 of 44

age 24) of the Baltimore Orioles and Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies (a greybeard in this group

who will turn 26 in April).

“Ah, there’s nothing more valuable,” Jon Daniels, the Texas Rangers’ president of baseball operations,

said of finding a precocious young star around whom a team can build. “You’re talking about – we say

controllable, which in a lot of ways means inexpensive, and you’re talking about one of the best players

in the game and now you’ve got cost savings so you can build your team out around them.

“There’s really nothing more valuable in the game than homegrown talent – at that level especially.”

Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi sees this “pretty special wave of young talent in the league right now” giving

their teams financial freedom in team-building – and more.

“As much as anything, it’s continuity,” Zaidi said. “We talk a lot about that. That was a big part of our

strategy this offseason, being able to bring back our free agents allowed us to have that continuity in

the clubhouse. When you’ve broken a guy in that young, you have that much runway left with him –

you know you’ve got that spot figured out for the next ‘X’ years and it gives you some leeway to focus

on other positions.”

If the young players in this wave solve problems for the GMs of their teams, they also raise a difficult

question – why have so many of them burst into stardom at such a young age right now?

“It feels like the timing has come together for an influx of young talent in the major leagues,” Angels

GM Billy Eppler said. “I’m sure we can find different periods in the last 10 and 20 years when there has

been an injection of six, eight, 10 players all south of a certain age that rise to the top of the game or

put themselves in the conversation with others who are more established.”

It is a popular explanation – the current crop of young stars is simply the latest manifestation of

baseball’s mystical ability to renew itself.

“I just think it’s cyclical,” Daniels said. “I think we’re just going through a five-, six-year run where the

game is pumping out some really talented young players.”

Others pointed to the mid-90s arrival of a precocious group of shortstops as another recent example of

this cycle of fertility. In 1996, Alex Rodriguez won the AL batting title at age 20 and Derek Jeter the

Rookie of the Year award at 22. A year later, Nomar Garciaparra was the AL’s Rookie of the Year at age

24.

“So, there you go,” Maddon said with a smile when told of the comparison. “Maybe it’s just cyclical.

Every 20 years, you get this anomaly, prodigy group.”

Maddon was being facetious and Zaidi was not ready to accept such a facile explanation either.

“Those guys are just special guys. I can’t explain it any other way,” Zaidi said. “If you have a hypothesis

– for example what would have happened to Bryce Harper 20 years ago? The same thing, right? Like a

Ken Griffey Jr.

April 1, 2017 Page 33 of 44

“I totally agree that the last six, seven years there’s been … a lot more young talent exploding on the

scene and working their way very quickly into the upper echelon.”

In part, these stars might be “exploding on the scene” because teams are letting them.

“The environment in the game makes it easier to trust young players and allow them to succeed or fail

at the big-league level,” Oakland A’s GM David Forst said. “For a long time there was this idea that we

needed to let veterans play it out and young players were to be seen and not heard, I guess. We all

have become more trusting of young players and their ability. And they’ve rewarded us by taking over

the game to some extent.”

Uber-agent Scott Boras – who represents Bryant, Seager and Harper among others – does see a

difference in the way teams are evaluating young players, pointing to the “institutional intellect” that

exists in this new, sophisticated age of front office decision-making.

“The mention of players isn’t about their age,” Boras said. “There’s more attention, I believe, to their

traits, their capacities. I think that with better development and better coaching and executives being

able to diagnose who these players are and what they can take – that all goes into the opportunity

given to these players.”

Zaidi agrees that front offices seem to be more attentive and more aggressive when it comes to

developing young talent.

“I bet if you studied it, there are a lot more in-season promotions than there used to be with top

prospects,” the Dodgers GM said. “I do think now there’s a lot more conversation when a top prospect

is doing well about ‘When are we promoting this guy?’

“We had this conversation about Corey a lot in the last couple years – how do we know he’s not in his

physical prime now?”

The elephant in the room in these discussions is PEDs. Before drug testing, players willing to traffic in

the shadows could extend their prime deep into their 30s. Without that (or at least with its influence

diminished), players’ primes now end at a younger age. Maybe teams are willing to take their chances

with players at a younger age because their decline will arrive sooner than it might have in the so-

called Steroid Era.

“I think there’s an emphasis on nutrition. I’m not talking PEDs, I’m just saying nutrition,” Maddon said

when the topic was brought out into the open. “The training techniques are better, too.”

Maddon also grudgingly points to another possible factor – the rise of travel ball and showcase circuits

for amateur players. The rapid growth of the lucrative industry might be debilitating to young pitchers

(as discussed in Jeff Passan’s recent book, “The Arm”) but beneficial to young position players. Zaidi

points to the increased sophistication of youth baseball as a potential factor in the current wave of

young pro stars, saying it might be growing a crop of “amateur players, particularly the really good

ones, (who) are more equipped to move more quickly” when they become pros.

April 1, 2017 Page 34 of 44

“I’ve thought about it,” Maddon said. “I’m anti-travel ball. … It’s a lot of wasted money so I’m not into

that. However, some of these guys that have come up have been spectacular.

“Did it provide an avenue for this next group of superstars to be developed by traveling, being

accustomed to that, being accustomed to scrutiny? The thing that always bothered me about that was

players who came up that way you have to be careful their only concern doesn’t become being ‘Best in

show.’ There’s no competitive component as a team. It’s only competitive as you vs. 25 or 40 other

guys so if you were ‘best in show’ you were satisfied. It had nothing to do with your group winning.

That was part of the concern that I had when I learned about that method of development. … All this

travel-ball stuff, the showcases really promotes individualism more than it promotes team play.”

The wave of young stars making its mark across MLB might be a product of all of that. Or none of it. Or

maybe there was just something in the Crystal Pepsi their parents were drinking back in the ’90s.

“Maybe it’s just a couple outliers we’re seeing. Maybe it’s not an overall trend,” Maddon said. “But the

guys that are surfacing among that group are spectacular.”

Rich Hill tunes up as Dodgers beat Angels to end Freeway Series losing streak

By J.P. Hoornstra

ANAHEIM – If a 2.05 earned-run average over the last three seasons didn’t guarantee Rich Hill a spot in

the Dodgers’ starting rotation, a new three-year, $48 million contract did.

So it meant little that the veteran pitcher had allowed 11 runs in 10-1/3 spring training innings coming

into his final exhibition game Friday.

In the Dodgers’ 3-1 Freeway Series victory over the Angels, Hill looked ready to begin the season at

last. He didn’t allow a run in 3-2/3 innings, walking one batter and striking out two.

“Everything is going in the right direction,” Hill said. “Today was a good outing and a good way to finish

spring training.”

Hill had lamented his fastball and curveball command after most of his Cactus League starts. Including

Friday, he walked 15 batters and struck out 15 in exhibition play.

But aside from a double by Danny Espinosa and a line-drive out by Jefry Marte, Hill limited the Angels

to only soft contact Friday. He also froze Albert Pujols on a sweeping curveball that grazed the top of

the strike zone.

“The ball was coming out of my hand well today, both the slider and curveball were the best I’ve seen

this spring. And the fastball played well too,” he said. “There was pretty weak contact throughout the

game and that’s an indicator of how the ball is coming out of my hand.”

April 1, 2017 Page 35 of 44

Hill is lined up to start the Dodgers’ third game of the season Wednesday against the San Diego Padres.

He threw 65 pitches Friday, and Manager Dave Roberts said that a “jump to 90 pitches is totally fair”

for Hill in his next start.

For the second straight night, the Angels’ offense fell into a slumber. This time they could not stage a

late-inning rally. Luis Avilan (one-third of an inning), Kenley Jansen (one inning), Chris Hatcher (1-1/3),

Grant Dayton (two-thirds), Sergio Romo (one) allowed four hits over the first eight innings.

It was the Angels’ first home loss in a Freeway Series game since 2003, ending a 14-0-2 streak that

spanned three presidential administrations.

The Angels got their only run in the ninth inning against Dodgers minor leaguer Andrew Istler, on a

double by Jefry Marte and an RBI single by Ben Revere.

Angels starter Garrett Richards had little reason to complain. He allowed two hits and one run in four

innings, walking one batter and striking out three. A solo home run by Justin Turner was the only

blemish on Richards’ ledger.

“It felt good just to be out there on a big league field and be able to compete,” Richards said. “First

inning, I tried to settle myself down and go right at guys and repeat my delivery. Everything feels good.

I would say it’s a solid outing.”

Richards has allowed only two runs in his last 10 innings spanning three starts.

Turner served as the Dodgers’ designated hitter while Logan Forsythe started at third base. He’s

batting .385 with four home runs this spring.

The Dodgers added two runs in the eighth inning against Angels reliever Kirby Yates. Back-to-back

doubles by minor leaguer Erick Mejia and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez put the Dodgers ahead, 2-0.

An RBI double by Cody Bellinger scored Gutierrez with the Dodgers’ third run.

Angels pitcher Blake Parker struck out Yasiel Puig, Kiké Hernandez and Mejia in the ninth inning,

extending his streak of batters retired by strikeout to 17.

Angels reliever Huston Street cleared to resume throwing Tuesday

By Elliot Teaford

ANAHEIM – The medical news was very good for reliever Huston Street on Friday, a positive first step

after a month-long layoff because of a strained lat muscle suffered during a Cactus League game March

3. Street said he would resume light throwing Tuesday.

“We had been doing some pretty aggressive exercises, so we felt confident the muscle was at least

healing,” Street said before the Angels faced the Dodgers in a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel

Stadium. “We’ve been working the area and the tissue around it pretty consistently.”

April 1, 2017 Page 36 of 44

It means Cam Bedrosian is likely to be the team’s opening-day closer and Street will begin the season

Monday on the 10-day disabled list, as expected. Street said he would remain behind to continue his

recovery and rehabilitation rather than join the Angels for their season-opening four-game series in

Oakland.

Bedrosian was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 10 strikeouts and two walks in eight innings in eight spring

appearances going into Friday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say who would

take over the closer’s role in Street’s absence, however.

“We’ve got some power arms,” Scioscia said when asked about defining bullpen roles.

Meanwhile, Street couldn’t say when he might be sound enough to pitch again. It’s likely to take

several more weeks to re-build his arm strength again, followed by an undetermined amount of time

before he’s ready to throw in a rehab game in the minor leagues.

“It has been four weeks, but you don’t lose it in four weeks,” Street said of his layoff since his injury.

“I’m not shooting for anything. This is one of those things. It was my fault. I made the mistake of

coming back too early last year from the oblique (injury). That was 100 percent on me.

“I was given every opportunity to say, ‘No, I’m not ready or I need a couple more outings.’ You’re a

competitor. You want to go pitch. I learned a little bit from that mistake, really. There’s also the

minimum innings you need, whether it’s five, six, seven or whatever we all collectively decide.

“And performance. You don’t want to say, ‘Oh, it’ll show up in the big leagues’ when I’m at whatever

level I’m at. There are a number of relevant factors we’ll have to consider. Step one: building up my

arm where I can get off the mound, building up aggressiveness and intensity.”

ROTATION SETTLED

Scioscia confirmed Tyler Skaggs will start the season as the Angels’ fourth starter in their rotation,

assuming there are no setbacks after the left-hander threw 90 pitches in a minor league game

Thursday. Skaggs missed all of 2015 and most of last season after undergoing elbow surgery.

Ricky Nolasco will be the Angels’ opening-day starter, followed by Matt Shoemaker, Garrett Richards,

then Skaggs to complete the series against the A’s. Jesse Chavez will start the Angels’ home opener

next Friday against the Seattle Mariners.

SIMMONS UPDATE

Andrelton Simmons was not in the Angels’ starting lineup because of ongoing back tightness, although

Scioscia said he would play in the Freeway Series finale Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Cliff Pennington

replaced Simmons at shortstop Friday.

“Obviously, you’re being a little bit cautious,” Scioscia said. “If this was a regular-season game, he

would have played through this and it would heal up as you play through it. ... An aggressive workout,

we feel, is the best course of action.”

April 1, 2017 Page 37 of 44

PUJOLS UPDATE

Scioscia had a one-word answer when asked if there was any chance Albert Pujols would play first base

in Oakland. “No,” Scioscia said. Pujols is expected to be the everyday designated hitter, after

undergoing offseason surgery on the plantar fascia in his right foot.

With Luis Valbuena expected to miss most if not all of April with a strained hamstring, C.J. Cron is

expected to be the full-time first baseman indefinitely.

ALSO

Dustin Ackley, an infielder, was assigned to the minor league camp, trimming the roster to 33 players.

... After the game, the Angels optioned right-handed reliever Mike Morin to Triple-A Salt Lake. Scioscia

said he expected the Angels to finalize their final two bullpen spots Saturday.

FROM ANGELS.COM .

Richards sharp vs. Dodgers in final tuneup

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Justin Turner crushed a solo home run off Garrett Richards in the fourth inning to help lift

the Dodgers to a 3-1 win over the Angels on Friday night in the second game of the Freeway Series at

Angel Stadium.

Turner blasted a 1-1 slider from Richards to left-center field, opening the scoring and collecting his

fourth homer of the spring. It had an exit velocity of 106.6 mph, which would have been his third-

hardest hit of the Statcast™ Era (2015-16) had it counted in the regular season. Turner is now batting a

torrid .385 with 16 RBIs in exhibition play.

"Ever since maybe late May, early June of last year, he's been sort of locked in," Dodgers manager Dave

Roberts said of Turner. "He's squared up a lot of baseballs. He hits good pitching. He gives you a quality

at-bat every time he gets out there."

The Dodgers added two runs in the eighth off Angels reliever Kirby Yates, who surrendered RBI doubles

to Franklin Gutierrez and Cody Bellinger.

The Angels were held scoreless through the first eight innings before Ben Revere put them on the board

with an RBI single in the ninth.

With the win, the Dodgers evened the three-game series with the Halos, setting up a rubber match for

Saturday's finale at Dodger Stadium. The Angels took the Freeway Series opener, 3-1, on Thursday.

April 1, 2017 Page 38 of 44

In one of his best outings of the spring, Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings,

giving up four hits and one walk while striking out two. Hill is in line to start the Dodgers' third regular

season game Wednesday against the Padres.

"Just getting him out of Arizona, I don't know if it was the sea level or what, [but] he just had a much

better feel of all his pitches," Roberts said. "This is the best I've seen him since last year."

Richards allowed one run on two hits, including the home run to Turner, over four innings in his final

tuneup of the spring. He walked one, struck out three and threw 57 pitches.

"It felt good just to be out there and be on a big league field and be able to compete," said Richards,

whose fastball hovered between 92-97 mph. "The first inning, I was just trying to settle myself down and

just kind of go right at guys and just repeat my delivery. Everything feels good, and I feel good right

now."

Richards is scheduled to start the Angels' third game of the regular season against the A's in Oakland on

April 5. Last year, the 28-year-old made his final start for the Halos on May 1 after being diagnosed with

a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, but he avoided Tommy John surgery by receiving an injection of

stem cells in his damaged right elbow.

"I just feel very blessed and very thankful for my teammates who stood by me the whole time and

obviously our training staff and our team doctor," Richards said. "Everybody did such a great job with

me, and I really appreciate it. It's been a long time. I've got to watch a lot a baseball, so it's good to be

out there and competing again."

Angels right-hander Blake Parker, who's fighting for a bullpen spot, extended his impressive streak by

striking out the side in the ninth. Parker's last 17 outs have come via strikeout.

Dodgers Up Next: The Dodgers return home Saturday to Chavez Ravine for the conclusion of their spring

exhibition slate. Righty Brandon McCarthy, who was named the club's fourth starter earlier this week,

will start the Freeway Series finale against the Angels at 6:10 p.m. PT.

Angels Up Next: Right-hander Jesse Chavez closes out exhibition play for the Angels by starting against

the Dodgers on Saturday in the Freeway Series finale at Dodger Stadium. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m. PT.

5 Statcast storylines for ’17 Angels

By Matt Kelly / MLB.com

As the 2017 season begins, so does the third season of Statcast™, the state-of-the-art technology that

has tracked every play in every Major League ballpark since Opening Day 2015. And with two full

seasons of data now collected, plus advances in applying that data, Statcast™ is better than ever. New

metrics, such as Catch Probability and Hit Probability, will provide a deeper layer of analysis and further

our understanding of the game.

April 1, 2017 Page 39 of 44

With that in mind, here are five Statcast™ storylines to know about the Angels heading into the 2017

season.

1. Barrel it up

Since the Statcast™ Era began in 2015, no hitter in baseball has been as prolific in generating hard

contact as Mike Trout. The Angels star leads the Majors with 125 barrels -- or batted balls whose

combination of exit velocity and launch angle give them a minimum .500 expected batting average and

1.500 slugging percentage -- over the past two seasons.

Most barrels among Major League hitters in 2015-16

1. Trout: 125

2. Nelson Cruz: 123

3. David Ortiz: 115

4. Chris Davis: 114

5. J.D. Martinez: 110

2. A call to arms

With two offseason additions, the Angels' infield is suddenly filled with some of the strongest defensive

arms in baseball. New second baseman Danny Espinosa actually led all shortstops for strongest

"competitive" throws -- or throws in a player's 90th percentile of effort or higher -- while incumbent

shortstop Andrelton Simmons also placed within the top 10.

Meanwhile, new catcher Martin Maldonado led all catchers in average pop time and tied for the fourth-

strongest arm behind the plate in 2016.

Highest average "competitive" arm strength (minimum 150 throws from shortstop)

1. Espinosa: 90.7 mph

2. Didi Gregorius: 88.3 mph

3. Jonathan Villar: 88.2 mph

4. Carlos Correa: 87.5 mph

5. Brandon Crawford: 86.5 mph

6. Jorge Polanco: 85.6 mph

7. Trevor Story: 85.5 mph

8. Alcides Escobar: 85.4 mph

9. Simmons: 84.7 mph

10. Brad Miller: 84.0 mph

Quickest average pop time to second base by a catcher (minimum 15 tracked times)

1. Maldonado: 1.91

2. J.T. Realmuto: 1.92

3. Gary Sanchez: 1.92

4. Welington Castillo: 1.93

5. Salvador Perez: 1.94

April 1, 2017 Page 40 of 44

3. Better luck for King Albert?

Albert Pujols' .780 OPS in 2016 was the lowest in any season of his career in which he played at least 100

games. But some of that figure may have been attributed to bad luck. According to Statcast™ hit rates,

which estimate a player's expected numbers based on the exit velocity and launch angle of his batted

balls, Pujols actually produced an estimated OPS of .894.

That 114-point gap between Pujols' estimated and actual OPS was the fourth highest of any player with

at least 500 plate appearances in 2016. Much of the difference could be attributed to the gap between

Pujols' estimated (.544) and actual slugging (.457) percentages.

Largest negative gap between actual vs. estimated OPS in 2016 (minimum 500 plate appearances)

1. Kendrys Morales: -.147 (.795 vs. .941)

2. Miguel Cabrera: -.142 (.956 vs. 1.098)

3. Pujols: -.114 (.780 vs. .894)

4. Joe Mauer: -.093 (.752 vs. .844)

5. Howie Kendrick: -.085 (.691 vs. .776)

4. Give it a spin

Right-hander Garrett Richards is attempting a comeback from stem-cell treatment surgery on his

pitching shoulder, but regaining the velocity on his fastball is just one step toward returning to his

former self. While Richards' average fastball velocity did sit in the mid-to-upper 90s, it was the spin

rate on his fastball that separated the pitch from most other heaters in baseball.

Richards averaged 2,510 rpm on his four-seam fastball in 2015, the most of any pitcher who threw that

pitch at least 700 times. That kind of spin elicits more swinging strikes and produce softer contact from

hitters, as shown by opponents' 86.6 mph exit velocity against Richards' four-seamer two years ago --

the third-softest contact against any pitcher who induced at least 120 batted ball plays.

Highest average spin rate on four-seam fastballs in 2015 (minimum 700 pitches)

1. Richards: 2,510 rpm

2. Justin Verlander: 2,500 rpm

3. Max Scherzer: 2,498 rpm

Lowest average opponent exit velocity vs. four-seam fastball in 2015 (minimum 100 batted balls)

1. J.J. Hoover: 85.6 mph

2. Clayton Kershaw: 85.7 mph

3. Johnny Cueto: 86.2 mph

4. Richards: 86.6 mph

5. Trevor Gott: 86.7 mph

5. Time for a change

Matt Shoemaker threw his changeup (also referred to as a split-finger fastball by some) 23.1 percent of

the time through his first six starts of 2016 before deciding to make it a focal point of his repertoire. By

season's end, Shoemaker had thrown the changeup for 40 percent of his total pitches, which was the

April 1, 2017 Page 41 of 44

highest usage of the changeup among all big league pitchers who threw at least 1,500 pitches last

season. In fact, Shoemaker used the changeup a full 8.4 percent more than second-place Chris

Devenski of the Astros.

So, why the change? The answer lies in the contact: Opposing batters averaged an exit velocity of just

85.6 mph against Shoemaker's changeup, which ranked as the fourth-softest contact against any pitcher

who induced at least 100 batted balls with the pitch.

Highest percentage of changeups thrown in 2016 (minimum 500 total pitches)

1. Shoemaker: 40.0 percent

2. Chris Devenski: 31.6 percent

3. Marco Estrada: 29.6 percent

Lowest average opponent exit velocity vs. changeup in 2016 (minimum 100 batted balls)

1. Marco Estrada: 82.5 mph

2. Kyle Hendricks: 83.2 mph

3. David Price: 85.3 mph

4. Shoemaker: 85.6 mph

5. Hector Santiago: 85.8 mph

Street (strained lat) cleared to begin throwing

Angels right-hander has been sidelined since March 3

By Maria Guardado / Special to MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Angels right-hander Huston Street visited Dr. Steve Yoon for a checkup Thursday and gained

clearance to begin throwing Tuesday for the first time since suffering a strained right lat on March 3.

Street said he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his back two-and-a-half weeks ago and showed

sufficient healing to advance to the next phase of his rehab.

"It was great news," Street said Friday. "I think Dr. Yoon was excited with the way the injection took.

We've been doing pretty aggressive exercises, so we felt fairly confident that the muscle was at least

healing… The next step is obviously the most important step, which is throwing and getting ready to get

my arm back in shape."

Street, 33, said he expected to play catch Tuesday and will gradually build up to throwing off the mound.

After that, he will start facing hitters and eventually pitch five to seven innings over a series of rehab

outings.

"We've got to get enough innings in because I've missed almost all of Spring Training," Street said. "The

good thing is I got through all my bullpens and all my live stuff, so you don't lose it all in four weeks."

April 1, 2017 Page 42 of 44

Street appears on track to rejoin the Angels in late April, though he wouldn't establish a timetable.

Street said he tried to rush back from an oblique injury last year and consequently struggled, posting a

career-worst 6.45 ERA over 22 1/3 innings in an injury-marred season.

"I fundamentally -- and it was my fault -- made the mistake of coming back too early last year from the

oblique, and that was 100 percent on me," Street said. "I was given every opportunity to say, 'No, I'm

not ready,' or 'I need a couple more outings.' You get competitive. You're a competitor, and you want to

go pitch. But I learned a little bit from that mistake."

The Angels had planned on having a three-way competition between Street, Cam Bedrosian and Andrew

Bailey this spring to determine who would enter the season as the club's closer. With Street injured,

Bedrosian, who has not allowed a run in eight innings this spring, appears poised to handle closing

duties for the Angels. Bailey will likely serve as the club's setup man.

Worth noting

• The Angels made a pair of roster cuts Friday, reassigning infielder Dustin Ackley to Minor League camp

and optioning right-hander Mike Morin to Triple-A Salt Lake. Ackley is rehabbing from shoulder surgery

and has not been able to play the field yet. Morin, who had been in the bullpen mix, logged a 4.35 ERA

over 10 1/3 innings this spring. The Halos now have 32 active players in Major League camp.

• Left-hander Tyler Skaggs will open the season in the Angels' rotation after bouncing back well from his

Minor League start against the Giants on Thursday. Skaggs will make his next start on April 6 against the

A's in Oakland.

• Shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who has not played since March 25, remains out of the Angels' lineup

with a bothersome back. Manager Mike Scioscia said Simmons would be re-evaluated Saturday.

"Obviously we're being a little bit cautious," Scioscia said. "I think if yesterday was a regular-season

game or before, he would have played through this and hopefully would heal up as you play through it.

But we have the luxury right now of not having the season start. Getting him to work out with an

aggressive workout, I think, is the best course of action. We'll read him and see if he can get out there

tomorrow."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dodgers’ Hill finished strong after tough spring

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rich Hill had mostly lousy starts this spring, and still left every game with a similar

message:

"I'm pretty much terrible every spring," he said. "I'll be fine when the season starts."

April 1, 2017 Page 43 of 44

Hill pulled it all together just in time, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Los Angeles

Dodgers beat the Angels 3-1 on Friday night.

Hill had easily his best outing of the spring, holding the Angels to four hits and a walk. He struck out two.

"Everything is going in the right direction," Hill said. "Today was a good outing and a good way to finish

spring training."

Six relievers followed Hill, the first five -- Luis Avilan, Kenley Jansen, Chris Hatcher, Grant Dayton, Sergio

Romo -- preserving the shutout without allowing a hit.

The Angels finally scored with two outs in the ninth, when Ben Revere singled off Andrew Istler.

Garrett Richards, also making his last preseason start, pitched an effective four innings for the Angels,

save for one pitch to Justin Turner -- a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Turner smacked a line-drive home run to left. It was his fourth home run of the spring.

Richards, returning from a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow that he treated with stem cells,

allowed a run and two hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked one.

"It felt good just to be out there on a big league field and be able to compete," Richards said. "First

inning, I tried to settle myself down and go right at guys and repeat my delivery. Everything feels good. I

would say it's a solid outing."

The Dodgers added two more runs in the seventh off Kirby Yates on doubles by Erick Mejia, Franklin

Gutierrez and Cody Bellinger.

Angels reliever Blake Parker struck out the side in the ninth and has gotten his last 17 outs via strikeout.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia has yet to say Parker, 31, has made the team.

"We're not going to announce our roster yet, but he's put his best foot forward," Scioscia said.

Friday marked the Dodgers' first victory at Anaheim Stadium since 2003.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: SS Corey Seager is scheduled to rejoin the team and start in Saturday's final preseason game.

Seager has appeared in only five spring games because of an oblique injury, though recently has played

in minor league games. Manager Dave Roberts said he was confident his National League Rookie of the

Year would be ready to play a full game in the season opener Monday against the Padres.

Angels: SS Andrelton Simmons has missed five consecutive games with lower-back stiffness. He did,

however, do a full workout Friday. Scioscia said the Angels were simply being cautious with Simmons

and expect him to play Saturday.

PUIG ORDER

April 1, 2017 Page 44 of 44

Yasiel Puig, once the Dodgers' greatest prospect, is still trying to find his place on this current team. He is

still their primary right fielder, but manager Dave Roberts has been batting him as low as eighth in the

lineup: "I don't see him in the middle of the order right now. That can change with production."

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy is scheduled to start when the Freeway Series moves to Chavez Ravine

on Saturday. McCarthy, who has appeared in only 15 games the last two years because of elbow and hip

injuries, won the final spot in the Dodgers' rotation despite going 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in four

appearances.

Angels: RHP Jesse Chavez (2-0, 2.51 ERA) starts Saturday at Dodger Stadium. A reliever last season, the

Angels are converting him back to a starter and have named him to their rotation.