Fantasy baseball managers notably love to grumble about their poor luck, such as when one of their hitters provides little statistical excellence while the rest of his team's offense puts on a show. Los Angeles Angels DH/SP Shohei Ohtani -- only the best player in the sport -- is the latest example of this sad scenario, as he offered merely a single, an RBI and a run scored in seven at-bats as his team embarrassed the hometown Colorado Rockies on Saturday night, winning 25-1.
As a team, the Angels had 28 hits and struck out three times. Ohtani, offensive team leader in just about everything (and a league unicorn), had just one of the former and two of the latter. The other Angels hitters enjoyed themselves considerably more, although it is anyone's guess as to exactly how many fantasy managers enjoyed the exploits. I find the Angels, playoff outsiders since 2014, to be such an interesting if tragic story -- and not just because their best player may play elsewhere next season (I can't imagine he'll end up as July trade bait).
Here lies one analyst's thoughts on all of these Angels, who scored 25 runs one day and yet still managed to lose the weekend series to the clueless Rockies. Oh, and by the way, they also made two easily overlooked trades over the weekend.
Ohtani, just as a hitter, ranks third on the ESPN Player Rater, as nobody has more than his 25 home runs, and his 1.001 OPS tops all qualifiers. Ohtani mashed 46 home runs and stole 26 bases in 2021, and many thought he could not possibly match those figures ever again. He didn't in 2022. Now he's enjoying his best offensive season, up 40 points in batting average from 2021 as he has slashed his strikeout rate from 29.6% to 21.6%. His contact rate has never been greater.
Ohtani isn't stealing bases like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Corbin Carroll -- the top two hitters on the Rater -- but he is stealing enough for us. Ohtani has never been better, and this is just as a hitter. We are seeing historical greatness here
You knew this was coming, but OF Mike Trout, who homered on both Friday and Saturday in Denver, hasn't had a disappointing season like the current one since he was a teenager, when he was an overwhelmed rookie. Sure, his current OPS is .851, which is still 25th among qualifiers and worthy of All-Star attention, and he may reach 40 home runs yet again and flirt with 100 RBIs and 100 runs for the first time since 2019. That said, was he worth a top-20 fantasy pick? Definitely not.
Trout attempted his first stolen base a few weeks ago, so that's one problem, but the .255 batting average is a real downer, and it's not BABIP-anchored. Trout's managers can focus on the positive, though. The power remains significant, and he is on pace for his most games/PA since 2016. Everything else is a bit concerning, including the FB/GB rates, which may continue to cap his batting average.
Trout is the No. 85 option on the Player Rater, behind Jorge Soler and Josh Naylor, yet he's missed only five games. This is concerning indeed, and makes him more like a fourth- or fifth-round choice in 2024.
Leaguemates made fun of me when I invested in Angels 3B/1B/2B Brandon Drury several rounds earlier than his standard "ranking" in one of my leagues, because who expected this journeyman to replicate his 2022 breakout ever again? Well, in truth, I did not, but versatile infielders with even modest power matter. Drury hit .263-28-87 for the Reds and Padres last season, and he's doing almost the same exact thing now, with his .813 OPS from 2022 up a tad (sure, with much thanks to Saturday's big game) to .815.
Drury's plate discipline and contact is even worse than it was last season, and there is some risk here since he doesn't hit enough fly balls to warrant 30 blasts, but these numbers work in roto leagues. Honestly, it seems like half the time when leaguemates chuckle about someone's draft-day pick or auction investment it turns out months later to be unwarranted. Nobody knows for sure in March! And now, at the tail end of June, Drury ranks 77th among hitters on the Rater, while Trout is only No. 49.
Many of us long ago gave up on 3B Anthony Rendon, currently on the IL again, this time due to a bruised wrist. Oh, what a terrific player Rendon used to be with Washington. This fellow hit .319 with 34 HR and 126 RBIs in 2019! He has hit just .251 with 21 total home runs and 110 RBIs over 195 games and 838 PA in the four years since, succumbing often to physical woes. Health is a skill. Rendon lacks it, and he has hit just one home run. Stop investing.
Weekend trades for Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas are notable. The Angels cannot trust in Rendon or 1B Jared Walsh, and they needed to replace injured 3B/1B Gio Urshela. The beleaguered Mets didn't need Escobar because Brett Baty is better. Escobar scored four runs in his Angels debut Saturday and, as with Drury, those seeking power in roto leagues should have interest here. Escobar hit 20 home runs last season and 28 in 2021. He will play regularly, even when Rendon returns.
Moustakas came over from the Rockies mere minutes after the 25-1 rout. I was rooting for Walsh, who smacked 29 home runs in 2021, after his 2022 campaign was ruined by an injury that necessitated surgery to aid thoracic outlet syndrome, a malady that often truncates pitching careers. Walsh has been dealing with insomnia and migraines this year. Moustakas is a platoon bat we can probably avoid, but there is some pop there. Drury can play second base, but he really shouldn't. I am interested in seeing what the Angels lineup looks like this week.
Phillies fans continue to ask my thoughts on OF Mickey Moniak, the failed No. 1 pick from the moribund 2016 draft who, on the surface, looks mighty rejuvenated these days. Moniak hit a sad .129 over only 105 PA over parts of three seasons with the Phillies, never truly given an opportunity -- and he wasn't consistently awesome in the minors, either.
Well, Moniak had five hits Saturday, including a home run, three doubles and five runs. Ohtani is the lone Angels hitter -- including Trout -- who is averaging more fantasy points per game this season. Moniak is hitting .337 and slugging .707 in brief duty. He has seven home runs and even has two stolen bases in his 27 games. Notably, he also has three walks versus 30 strikeouts and is a pure platoon bat who cannot touch lefties.
Don't invest in fantasy. This cannot remotely continue.
I loved the brief offensive contributions from rookie C Logan O'Hoppe (also a former Phillie, acquired in the Noah Syndergaard rental) until he wrecked his non-throwing shoulder, and there is no reasonable insight that he will return this season. Next year, he'll be top-10 catcher! Perhaps. Former corner infielder Matt Thaiss -- now a catcher! -- homered on Saturday and, thanks to the many walks, is an option for multi-catcher points formats.
Rookie SS Zach Neto may come off the IL after his oblique strain in a week, and fantasy managers absolutely should invest in deeper formats. Neto is a volume numbers guy, with six home runs and five steals in fewer than 200 PA. Plate discipline was an issue early on, but unlike the Yankees' Anthony Volpe, Neto had improved in that area before the injury. Neto may be leading off for the Angels after the All-Star break, and a top-10 fantasy shortstop lurks. Those who add soft-hitting 2B/SS David Fletcher after his four-hit, five-RBIs game on Saturday are making a mistake.
Nobody roots for injuries, but that seems like the only way slugging OF Jo Adell will get another shot with the Angels. He really needs a trade. Adell has hit 21 home runs in 66 games for Triple-A Salt Lake (which isn't so unusual in the Pacific Coast League) and he mashed one 451 feet in his Angels debut earlier this month. It was his only game with the team. It's weird.
The Angels don't seem to want Adell, so why not move him for pitching! Adell, 24, always had both power and contact question marks. Last season, in 284 Angels PA, he walked 3.7% of the time, and whiffed 37.7% of the time. That's bad. Perhaps he could be another Soler-type if he were on the Royals. I wouldn't give up on him yet in dynasty roto formats.