The Los Angeles Angels are a team on the rise but have not seen postseason action since 2014. The team features two of baseball's brightest stars in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout to go along with a potent offense and promising bullpen. The starting rotation has some question marks, but could end up being good enough to help the Angels reach the playoffs. However, another position that doesn't have a clear answer is shortstop. But manager Joe Maddon attempted to clear up that uncertainy by recently announcing that David Fletcher is leading the shortstop competition.
The Angels have seen a revolving door at the position over the years that has included players such as Jose Iglesias and Andrelton Simmons. But nobody has become a mainstay at shortstop for the team. Other candidates to play short are Tyler Wade and Luis Rengifo. But Rengifo profiles better as a platoon/utility player while Wade will likely slot in at second base.
Fletcher has been in the big leagues since 2018 and established himself as a threat at the plate in 2019 after hitting .290 with a .350 OBP. He followed that up with a .319 average and a .376 OBP in 2020. But he was never much of a threat in terms of power or speed. Fletcher regressed in 2021 as he saw his average drop to .262 and his OBP fell below .300. Perhaps some positional stability at a premium spot with help David Fletcher find his stroke once again in 2022.
Joe Maddon seems to believe that he can be the option at shortstop for the Angels who are hoping to make a run at the playoffs this year. Fletcher, Shohei Ohtani, and Mike Trout will look to help Los Angeles break their postseason drought.
Follow Us
Subscribe