The Los Angeles Angels are trying to snap their playoff drought, having last made a postseason appearance in 2014. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani will lead the charge, but they need others to step up around them. As talented as Trout and Ohtani both are, they can't carry the Halos to the playoffs on their own. Without further ado, here are five Angels players who need bounce back seasons in 2023.

*Stats via Baseball Reference.

Jose Suarez, SP

Jose Suarez's 2022 campaign wasn't bad by any means. In fact, the left-hander has impressed for the Angels in each of the past two seasons. In 2021, he finished the year with a 3.75 ERA through 23 games (14 starts). Suarez made the most starts of his career in 2022, recording a 3.96 ERA for the Halos.

So why is Suarez on the list if his numbers have been passable in recent seasons?

The Angels desperately need pitching depth. Yes, Shohei Ohtani is a superstar and the signing of Tyler Anderson should pan out. Pitchers such as Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers feature fairly high ceilings as well. But if Suarez can take the next step forward and become a low-mid 3's ERA type of pitcher, the Angels' rotation will benefit. He single-handedly has a chance to deepen the pitching staff with a strong 2023 effort.

This season will ultimately determine what the Angels have in Suarez. At 25-years old, we likely haven't seen his best performance yet. This may quality as more of a true “breakout” and than “bounce back.” Nevertheless, the Angels need improvement from Suarez.

Bullpen

There are a number of different Angels' relief pitchers that could have been on this list. Instead, we opted to include the entire bullpen. The Halos' ‘pen had potential heading into 2022, but the results could have been better. They will need pitchers such as Ryan Tepera, Aaron Loup, and others to bounce back.

A number of their relievers dealt with injuries. And pitchers such as Tepera and Loup posted decent results, but they are capable of performing at a higher level. If the Angels want to make the postseason, they will require a steady bullpen effort.

David Fletcher, INF

David Fletcher is a versatile infielder with impressive bat-to-ball skills. He rarely strikes out and is an old-school type of player. With all of that being said, Fletcher needs to hit either near .300 or above .300 to be a reliable player.

Many people around the MLB world overlook batting average in today's game. But Fletcher doesn't offer much production other than batting average. He provides a decent amount of speed, stealing 15 bases in 2021, but Fletcher stole just one base in 2022. After hitting no lower than .275 through his first three big league campaigns, Fletcher has hit just .262 and .255 over the past two years.

For players with power, those batting averages would suffice. But Fletcher has tallied a total of four home runs over the past two seasons.

The shift restrictions won't necessarily help Fletcher either, as he's always been successful at hitting the ball all over the field. David Fletcher needs to rebound in 2023 to help the Angels' lineup.

Jared Walsh, 1B/OF

An All-Star in 2021, Jared Walsh took a step back in 2022. Walsh, who was limited to 118 games due to injury, slashed just .215/.269/.374 with a .642 OPS and 15 home runs. In 2021, Walsh posted an .850 OPS with 29 homers.

The Angels still have confidence in Walsh. They believe his lack of production was a result of the injuries he battled. Walsh is one of the best hitters in this lineup alongside Trout and Ohtani. He can benefit the roster in pivotal fashion with a bounce back campaign.

Anthony Rendon, 3B

Finally, the most obvious bounce back candidate is Anthony Rendon.

Anthony Rendon led the Washington Nationals to a World Series victory in 2019. He also made the NL All-Star team and finished as an MVP finalist that year. The Angels swooped in and signed him in free agency ahead of the 2020 campaign.

However, Rendon has failed to play in more than 60 games in any of his three years in Anaheim. Injuries have derailed his tenure with the Angels up to this point.

Rendon enjoyed a steady 2020 season in limited action due to the shortened season. But his numbers fell off in 2021 and 2022, but that can likely be chalked up to injuries.

Rendon has the potential to be a superstar player and provide Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani with necessary protection. If he manages to stay healthy, Anthony Rendon will be in line for a rebound campaign.

But his ability to stay on the field remains a major question mark heading into the season.