Game of the Week: March 26: LAA @ HOU

[Commissioner Erick]

Los Angeles Angels (0-0) @ Houston Astros (0-0)


LAA: Jeff Susino (0-0, 0.00)
HOU: Ryan Cain (0-0, 0.00)


Angels 3 Key Stats

121: Angels losses last year. The Angels have some truly horrid teams since losing 100 games in 2021, and have lost 100 games nine of their last 10 season (losing only 98 in 2022). However, last year was the second worst Angels record ever, surpassed only by 2029’s 122 losses. The Angels have needed a ton of work, and the farm is slowly building up, but the on-field product has arguably been worse the last two years than during the Robert Savard and Steve Strzepek era. Today will be a chance to show that progress is being made, or if the Angels will be just as moribund as ever.

1.6: Jeff Susino’s WAR last year: Susino didn’t have a great year last year with a 5.38 ERA and a 9-18 record. However, he did make progress. He improved his strikeout rate from 16.9 to 18.8 from 2030 versus 2029, and his walk rate from 8.5 to 9.5. His FIP was a respectable 4.58 last year. He’ll be 26-years-old in a week so it’ll be great to see if Susino is able to take another step, and today’s game is a great chance for him to show that he’s doing so.

6: The number of Angels last year who played at least 115 games and had negative WAR: The Angels didn’t cycle through players last year, riding with terrible players throughout the season. Daniel Escobar had an astoundingly bad -5.2 WAR last year. Sam Hodge is scheduled to be the team’s starting Shortstop this year and he had -1.2 WAR last year—for Double-A Mobile. The Angels could have a repeat performance from their Shortstop position this year, and other positions, if players have rough starts and are kept throughout the year.


Astros 3 Key Stats

52: Games played by Mookie Betts, Austin Meadows, and Mike Trout last year: Those three players look like Houston’s First Baseman, Left Fielder, and Designated Hitter this year. Houston will be putting a lot of stock in an older group of players that barely had PBA roles last year. Betts and Meadows have not had significant WAR totals since 2028, while Trout had a good 2029, but a rough 2030. This might be the last go for the trio to show they can still be viable PBA players.

.302: Dansby Swanson’s average last year: While Houston will be relying a lot on veterans who didn’t prove themselves last year, they’ll also be relying on a veteran who had an outstanding 2030. Dansby Swanson hit over .300 for the first time in his career as a 36 year old, and his 19 homers were tied for the third most of his career. The doubles power is a bit diminished, and the glove isn’t as good as it used to be, but Swanson’s bat is as good as it’s ever been, and he’ll look to show it off today.

3.0: Nick Chesley’s 2030 WAR: Chesley had a solid four years as a decent Catcher before taking off last year. He hit .299 with a .385 OBP. His .866 OPS was a career high, as was his 138 OPS+. It was an outlier occurrence though, so it’s unclear whether he can repeat it. Today will be a good day to find out.


Questions for the GMs:


For Alvin Kaufmann, building up the talent pool of your system is the main priority, but the on-field product hasn’t gotten better the last two years. Is there any hope of Angels fans seeing a competitive team this year?

Jeff Susino is showing improvement, but isn’t fulfilling the promise of being a Top 10 prospect. How big is this year for his future on your club?

What role will Marcus Stroman play for you club this year?

For Stephen Strosko, you brought aboard a lot of veterans. How much will you play them if they don’t perform?

What role will Kris Bryant play this year?

Nick Anderson was sub-replacement for Albuquerque last year. Why did you bring him aboard?


TRIVIA: Kris Bryant has struck out more often than any other hitter in PBA history. Who is second?

[laacommish]

The Angels settled on brining in a reliable mid to top tier Sp in Marcus Stroman. His contract didn't allow for us to bring in many others but we received a first round pick for some reason as well in the deal so hey why not ? Susino's FIP is almost a full point lower than his ERA while the morale of the whole team this past year hasn't allowed for him to really settle into pitching up to his expectation. Perhaps just like Murin a change of scenery could be what the doctor ordered. Stroman will be elaborating on his 2-0 Record from the spring as well as a remarkable ERA we are sure he can bring the club back in order to gaining a win or two more this year!

[astros]

You brought aboard a lot of veterans. How much will you play them if they don’t perform?


Erick, I have the upmost confidence in the veteran leaders on the 2031 Astros. Not only in their leadership within the clubhouse, but also with their performance on the field. The team as it sits will be given an appropriate amount of time to showcase their talent on the diamond. Whether it is a seasoned vet, a rookie, or any player in between, each player needs to perform to keep their place on the roster. Ultimately, it's a privilege to play ball, each and everyday at the PBA level and there are hundreds of players working hard day in and day out to get their shot at that privilege - so there is always someone who will be ready to take your place if you are unable to help the team win.


What role will Kris Bryant play this year?

Kris came into spring training this year competing for an everyday role in the lineup. I think Kris would agree with me that his spring training performance wasn't where he or the team wanted it to be. Because of this, Kris is going to start out the year as a well above average bat off of the bench. I have no doubt that as the season gets started, Kris will find his rhythm and push for an everyday role at first, left field, or DH.


Nick Anderson was sub-replacement for Albuquerque last year. Why did you bring him aboard?

Nick had a tough go at it last year. An elbow injury disrupted the season and he never found a stretch where he was able to settle into consistent performance. We had a conversation this off-season and saw eye-eye on a lot of things. Both of us agree that his transition to the bullpen was unnecessary, undeserved, and a waste of his talents. We brought Nick in with the expectation of him being a starter, looking to build on his 2029 performance where he started 29 AAA games to an ERA/FIP of 3.29/3.49. Nick will open up the season as part of the rotation and I have full faith in him turning out quality starts. Outside of this, Nick is a team leader and is someone I have complete faith in to help set an example of a winning culture.

[Commissioner Erick]

Astros 5 - Angels 1

WP: R. Cain (1-0)
LP: J. Susino (0-1)


The Houston Astros got their 2031 season off and running with a win over the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. The final score was 5-1. Houston pitcher Ryan Cain, in particular, had a fine performance.

Cain, the winner, is now 1-0 after putting the clamps on the Los Angeles offense. In 8.1 innings of work, he gave up no runs on 3 hits, while collecting 7 Ks.

Cain attributed the win to his team's "focus and intensity."


Questions for the GMs:


For Alvin Kauffman, another season, another day scoring only one run. Will there be any upgrades to your offense moving forward?

Hector Avila botched one of his four routine plays in the field, and struck out twice, though he also ripped a hard-hit single. He’s also young, just 23, and has just six PBA games under his belt with the Padres last year. What do you see as the upside for Avila?

On the one hand, Jeff Susino had only one bad inning and largely looked in control against Houston. On the other, he allowed three runs in 5.2 to an underwhelming Astros offense. What did you take away from his start?

For Stephen Strosko, Austin Meadows had three hits, Mookie Betts walked and scored, and Mike Trout homered. Is this what you envisioned from your offense?

Ryan Cain induced a lot of weak fly balls, dominating the Angels’ offense. Was that an outlier, or can we expect more to come from Cain?

Your defense wasn’t stressed at all. Cain did a great job and only one ball in play was neither routine, nor impossible, with Dansby Swanson failing to reel in a ball judged likely to field hit up the middle. Do you believe you’ll need fly ball arms like Cain to mask Swanson’s declining range?


TRIVIA: Who is the most recent Angels player to be the team’s primary Shortstop in a season and never have a negative WAR season with the club?

[astros]

Austin Meadows had three hits, Mookie Betts walked and scored, and Mike Trout homered. Is this what you envisioned from your offense?

I expected for the vets to go out there and do what needed to be done to set the tone for this season. They did just that. Meadows will be leading off for the team this year and expect him to continue to get on base at a high clip. As far as Betts and Trout go, if someone wants to bet against them be my guest. One glance at their trophy shelves would say that you are going to be losing a lot of money.


Ryan Cain induced a lot of weak fly balls, dominating the Angels’ offense. Was that an outlier, or can we expect more to come from Cain?

Love Ryan and the energy that he brought to the team during that first game. Was extremely excited to see him go back out in the 9th and have a shot at that complete game. No one will argue that Ryan has the stuff to be a front of the rotation pitcher. Up to this point in his career, Ryan has struggled with his control. His walk rate has been well above the league average. Walking 2 over 8.1 IP is a great start to his 2031 campaign. If he can continue to minimize walks like he did Wednesday, I would expect to see this sort of performance more often than not out of Ryan.


Your defense wasn’t stressed at all. Cain did a great job and only one ball in play was neither routine, nor impossible, with Dansby Swanson failing to reel in a ball judged likely to field hit up the middle. Do you believe you’ll need fly ball arms like Cain to mask Swanson’s declining range?

I'm not ready to say that Dansby's range is declining until I see it in action. Dansby plays a great SS and we have not targeted specific pitchers to cover up for defensive deficiencies. Looking at the clubs defense, the team is filled with above average defenders.

[Commissioner Erick]

Trivia 1: Jon correctly guessed Joc Pederson

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 2: Ben correctly guessed Andrelton Simmons