This season, the Angels’ bullpen has been among the worst in all of baseball. They’ve been inconsistent, lost leads, and had a steady stream of unsatisfactory names. Top prospects like Caden Dana, who has been repeatedly pulled from his development to do so, and seasoned players like Michael Derrell-Hicks are among these names. Overall, this season has been more difficult than anticipated in finding trustworthy relievers.
However, as the coach of this erratic clubhouse, Hunter Strickland has been one of the few dependable choices for Ron Washington. After being cut loose by the Texas Rangers a month ago, he was signed by the Angels and has since made seven appearances with the Halos. Furthermore, Strickland has undoubtedly been outstanding while primarily playing low-leverage situations for the Angels.
Strickland hasn’t given up a run in those seven games. In 7.2 innings pitched, he has only given up two hits and four walks. Although he has only recorded two strikeouts thus far as a Halo, his career strikeout totals suggest that a spike in that area may be in the horizon.
Furthermore, Strickland’s strategy has proven effective in Anaheim so far, even if he keeps getting outs by using soft contact and having faith in his defense—a brave move considering the Angels’ continuously subpar fielding.
In addition to including a sinker and change-up, Strickland is employing a slider-fastball combination for the Angels. 95.6% of his batted balls have resulted in a groundball or flyball because he can keep hitters guessing. Strickland has become one of the Angels’ go-to arms in the middle innings, which is obviously a ludicrous pace that will eventually regress to the mean.
Halo supporters naturally start wondering whether the front management can trade him to a contender in a month or so, even though he has been a fantastic addition to the Angels ballclub. The possibility of bringing in a few prospects for someone who joined the major league team less than a month ago is alluring, especially because Luis Garcia’s haul is becoming better every day.
Strickland’s position might change at any time due to the Angels’ bullpen’s ongoing volatility. Strickland has the potential to become one of the Halos’ better bullpen options and a trade target for opposing clubs if he can demonstrate his abilities in some greater leverage appearances and strike out a few more hitters.
