3 players besides Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout who can help take Los Angeles Angels to 2022 playoffs
The Los Angeles Angels are in the midst of their most successful season in a decade. Propelled to a 22-12 record on the 2022 MLB season, the club has found themselves half of a game out of the American League West division lead. It's easy to attribute the success of the roster to the tandem of American League Most Valuable Players Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, the reigning 2021 American League Most Valuable Player is working on another stellar season on the mound and at the plate, and Trout, who missed most of last year due to a calf injury has returned to the form that allowed him to win three American League MVP awards. However, baseball is a team sport, and there are many players who deserve credit as the Angels compete for a 2022 playoff spot.
Here are three players that will help the Los Angeles Angels reach the postseason
#3 Noah Syndergaard
Part of the 2021 season's woes for the Los Angeles Angels was their lack of pitching. It's been something the club has struggled with for over a decade as the last reliable front of the rotation starter since John Lackey was Jared Weaver. Syndergaard joined the club from the New York Mets and has brought a high velocity and intensity to the Angels as he's pitched to a 2.47 earned run average. "Thor," as he's lovingly referred to, has brought a level of attitude and confidence the Angels staff hasn't seen in a while.
#2 Taylor Ward
Ward has been the unsung hero of the star-studded LA Angels roster. A first-round pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball rookie draft, the outfielder leads the Angels in slugging percentage with .709. He has also been getting on base in nearly half of his plate appearances.
Word for Ward.
Congrats to Taylor Ward for being named AL Player of the Week. đź‘Ź https://t.co/31cIRdSTaO
"Word for Ward...Congrats to Taylor Ward for being named AL Player of the Week." - @ Angels
The young outfielder seems to be putting it all together. He's three home runs away from establishing a career-high in home runs. He has been a force to provide protection for the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.
#1 Jared Walsh
The 28-year-old first baseman from Wisconsin has been on fire over his last nine games. He has notched 13 hits and 13 runs batted in his last nine games and is currently slugging at a rate of .574 for the month of May, which is a stark improvement over the 17 hits and 10 runs batted in he had in the entire month of April.
Jared Walsh rakes https://t.co/AdxRX9cgcJ
Walsh has found a great deal of success in the 2022 season batting out of the number five spot as his power has been able to provide ample protection to the trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon.