The only consistent this season has been the poor defense from their catchers, infielders (to a certain extent), and outfield. The Angels are having trouble getting anything to click right now; it seems like when their offense is doing well, their pitching has been poor, and when their pitching is dominating, their offense sputters.
In the win-loss column, the Angels are suffering greatly as a result of their recent defensive blunders. Their defense in the series against Baltimore really started to anger supporters, and that dissatisfaction became compounded in their second game against San Diego. The Angels’ dismal current record is mostly attributed to the bullpen and offensive slump in late April, but the defense has also been utterly unacceptable.
MLB standings ordered by defensive metrics: Look away, Angels fans
In general, the Angels have the fourth-worst defensive runs saved and the third-worst defensive fWAR in the league, only surpassed by the Braves and Nationals. Although not ideal, the team’s outs above average and range below average are not as bad as their defensive fWAR and DRS.
Now, let’s zero down on the positional groupings.
Catchers
Logan O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud are obviously struggling behind the plate. When unpredictable pitchers are constantly spiking balls, it might be challenging to keep balls in front, but the catchers aren’t helping themselves either.
Only four runners have been caught stealing, while the two catchers have let 26 thefts. Catchers for the Orioles and Angels have the sixth-worst CS% in the league at 13.3%, and they rank last in the league with four CS.
| Player | Blocks Above Avg | CS Above Avg | DRS | Defensive fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O’Hoppe | 2nd percentile | 40th percentile | 75th of 75 | 74th of 75 |
| d’Arnaud | 22nd percetile | 16th percentile | 27th of 75 | 54th of 75 |
Infielders
In general, the infield has been rather competent. However, they have one big flaw: throwing the baseball. The Angels’ infielders have made 10 throwing mistakes on the season, which are tied with the Padres for the second most in the league (Red Sox infielders have 11 throwing errors).
Neto is still regaining his arm strength after having surgery on his throwing shoulder during the winter. Tim Anderson and Kevin Newman, two glove-first infielders with the Angels, have both performed well above average defensively, but their incapacity to cause damage at the plate has rendered them almost unusable. Out of 75 qualifying first basemen, Nolan Schanuel has the seventh-worst defensive fWAR. Although Luis Rengifo’s defensive fWAR at the hot corner is tied with Junior Caminero as the single poorest of 83 qualified third basemen, Ron Washington has previously stated that third base is his greatest position.
Outfielders
The outfielders for the Angels rank third in defensive fWAR and fourth in DRS. The outfielders share the same league rank on their six errors, and their.979 fielding percentage is tied with the Royals and Orioles for the fourth-worst mark in the league.
Given that 130 outfielders have played at least 90 innings in the field, Jo Adell’s defensive development in the outfield has presumably come to a standstill. Adell’s OAA is ranked 105th, while his DRS is ranked 121st. Three of the team’s four lowest defensive fWAR ratings are possessed by Mike Trout, Adell, and Jorge Soler.
