This is the 6th of 30 blogs that will provide an analysis for every major league baseball team's projected OV/UN regular season wins total for the 2008 season. I will have a recommendation for each club with two levels of ranking (1-star and 2-stars).


Los Angeles Angels-OV/UN Regular Season Wins Total: 91.5 (various sportsbooks)

Last 3 seasons wins totals

2007-94
2006-89
2005-95


3-year average: 93  

Lineup-Torii Hunter is the new big addition to the Angels lineup. Here's a look:

C-Mike Napoli(26): He hasn't hit for a high average but Napoli has shown some pop with 26 homers in less than 500 at-bats over his two big league seasons.

1B-Casey Kotchman(25): Kotchman hit .296 in his first full major league campaign last season. The Angels are looking for the young hitter to develop a little more power this season after an 11 homer year in 2007.

2B-Howie Kendrick(24): Another promising youngster in the Angels infield. Kendrick hit .322 last year but was limited to only 88 games due to injuries.

SS-Erick Aybar(24): Aybar appears to have a slight edge over Macier Izturis in the battle for the starting shortstop spot. The Angels don't expect much offense from either player as the club will take a hit at this position offensively after the trade of Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox. The winner of this job will be counted on to play strong defense to support the team's strong pitching staff.

3B-Chone Figgins(30): A different kind of third baseman who brings speed instead of power to the table. Figgins has stolen 185 bases over the last four seasons and is coming off of career highs in batting average (.330) and OPS (.825) in 2007.

LF-Garrett Anderson(35): While age is catching up to him a little, Anderson is still a consistent run producer in the Angels lineup. He drove in 80 runs last year despite missing a third of the season. He will likely shuffle from the outfield to DH throughout 2008 as part of deep Angels outfield.

CF-Torii Hunter(32): He will be counted on for his outstanding defense and as a power bat to support Vlad Guerrero in his first season with Los Angeles. He has averaged 30 HR's and 103 RBI's over the last two seasons.

RF-Vladimir Guerrero(32): Guerrero has been remarkably consistent in his career. He has averaged 35 HR's, 114 RBI's, and a .329 batting average over the last ten seasons.

DH-Gary Matthews(33): Matthews will share DH/OF duties with Anderson and Juan Rivera. His first year with the Angels was a little disappointing as his OPS went from .866 with the Rangers in 2006 to .742 last season.

Overall lineup outlook(4 right-handed batters, 2 left-handed batters, and 3 switch-hitters): The Angels went from the AL's 11th best offense in 2006 all the way up to the league's 4th best offense last season. The ranking is even more impressive considering the fact that Napoli, Kendrick, Figgins, and Anderson all missed more than 45 games last season. LA (12th in the AL in homers) is able to use their speed and line drive hitting lineup to manufacture runs without a lot of power. The addition of Hunter will boost the home run total while giving some protection to Guerrero. With Hunter's arrival and a more healthy everyday lineup in 2008, the Angels should once again be a top five AL offense this season.

Starting rotation-Veteran Jon Garland brings some more depth to a quality rotation.

RHP-John Lackey(29): Lackey has emerged as the team's ace with a 46-25 record over the last three years with a 3.33 E.R.A. His durability is a big plus as well. Lackey has averaged over 210 innings pitched per season since 2003.

RHP-Kelvim Esocobar(32): A sore shoulder will keep Escobar out of action for the first month of the season. A very good number two starter who has posted a solid 3.44 E.R.A. over the last three years.

RHP-Jered Weaver(25): The league caught up to Weaver a little in 2007 after his dominant 2006 rookie season. Still, he was a very capable starter last season with a 3.91 E.R.A. in 28 starts.   

RHP-Jon Garland(28): After posting a pair of 18-win seasons in 2005-06, Garland slipped to ten wins a year ago although his 2007 E.R.A. was lower than his 2006 E.R.A. The former White Sox should benefit from pitching in a more favorable pitching ballpark in Anaheim. He has marginal stuff but his craftiness has enabled Garland to be a solid middle of the rotation guy.   

LHP-Joe Saunders(26): The lefty will likely be in a season long battle with right-hander Ervin Santana for the fifth spot in the Angels rotation. Saunders struggled to an E.R.A. of over five last season after the all-star break and has less stuff than Santana. However, Santana's vast inconsistency could give Saunders the edge.

Overall rotation outlook: The Angels top four starters are arguably the best starting foursome in all of baseball. Garland provides some more consistency to the back of the rotation while the top three hurlers can be counted on for a high percentage of quality starts. The fifth spot is a little shaky but the starters as a whole are one of the best groups in the league.

Bullpen-The Angels pen is poised for another strong year in 2008.

Setup relief-RHP Scott Shields(32) did have a career worst 3.86 E.R.A. last season but is still one of the best eighth inning pitchers in the game. RHP Justin Speier(34) has quietly emerged as another strong late inning pitcher in the AL. He has had an E.R.A. of under three in each of the last three seasons. LHP Darren Oliver(37) is a versatile member of the pen who can get out lefties while also being able to work long relief.

Closer-RHP Francisco Rodriguez(26): "K-Rod" will be pitching angry in his free agent year after the Angels failed to lock him up to a long term deal during the off-season. He has saved at least 40 games in each of the last three years as one of baseball's top young closers.   

Overall pitching outlook: The Angels were 5th in the AL in team E.R.A. last season. Weak seasons from Bartolo Colon and Santana weighed down the overall staff a little bit. Garland will add some more consistency to the rotation in 2008. The starters and relievers are able to get into a rhythm as the starters ability to go deep into games enables the pen to stay fresh. Los Angeles should be able to move up a notch or two in the AL pitching rankings in 2008 as the arms of the Angels will produce a solid campaign.  

Final recap and recommendation: The Angels have been consistent winners over the last four seasons as LA has won between 89 and 95 games since 2004. The lineup is a solid mix of youngsters and veterans. The Angels farm system has produced a lot of talent and management has been able to add some big parts in the free agent market over the years. Hunter will aid the team on offense and defense. While Cabrera will be missed in some regards, the overall offense should be better as the young hitters progress while Hunter protects Guerrero. Garland will eat up a lot of innings to strengthen the back of the starting staff. The bullpen is still very solid. The Angels have all of the ingredients to challenge for the AL pennant again this season. LA holds off the improving Mariners to win the AL West again in 2008.    

OVER 91.5 WINS-* 1-Star

About DC Sports:

David Jones, of DC Sports, has been one of the top four most profitable team handicappers since becoming a Sportsmemo handicapper in December of 2006 (12/06-2/08). Here's more info on the four sports that he handicaps for Sportsmemo:

NFL-DC Sports has been profitable in the NFL since coming on board in December of 2006. He has hit on 63% of his 20* NFL releases with a 10-6 mark. David was especially strong with his NFL O/U reports over the course of the 2007 season with a 34-20 (63%) record.

College Football-DC Sports is 9-4 (69%) with his 20* NCAAF selections for a combined 20* football record of 19-10 (66%). He went on a stellar 47-21 (69%) NCAAF run to close the 2006 regular season in his releases that were posted in the Sportsmemo forum.

NBA-DC Sports was profitable in the NBA over the entire 2006-07 season. He has followed up that winning campaign with a solid 84-72 mark so far in the 2007-08 season (through 3/4/08).

MLB-DC Sports turned in a profitable 2007 MLB season. He posted a 19-11 (63%) record with his recommendations for all 30 teams in his 2007 regular season over/under wins blogs before the start of the season.