The Los Angeles Angels are supposed to be a good team this year. They are expected to reach the postseason and be a competitive ball club. But following their embarrassing 10-0 loss at the hands of the Phillies, who were playing in their first post-Joe Girardi contest, the Angels losing streak was extended to nine consecutive games. The Halos are now just one game above .500 and sit 7.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. And MLB may have a major issue if the Angels don't turn things around in 2022.
Are Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani MLB's Biggest Problem?
Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are arguably the two best players in baseball. The duo was listed at number 1 and 2 on MLB's top 100 player list entering the season. They are two of the most well-known and popular players in a sport desperately searching for marketability as well.
But marketing stars on losing teams is not an easy thing to do. MLB doesn't need the Angels most notable storyline to revolve around a losing streak. Instead, MLB wants to see the general public discussing the greatness of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
MLB has made a strict effort to better market stars. The NBA and NFL have done a tremendous job of highlighting their players' skill sets as well as their personalities.
For example, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, and Joe Burrow are all more than just athletes. They are legitimate celebrities. People who could care less about sports recognize them. They are in commercials, promos, and even movies.
LeBron James literally became a billionaire earlier this week.
The one thing that stands out about those four players is that all of them are winners. Joe Burrow became a bonafide star in the NFL this past season. But imagine if he played on a non-playoff team? Burrow certainly would not have received the same amount of national media attention had the Bengals failed to make the postseason.
And we all know that Brady, LeBron, and Curry have plenty of rings.
So getting back to MLB, the league needs to market winning players. But they also need to market Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout given their immense popularity and talent. So you can bet that MLB is rooting for the Angels in 2022.
It will be a major problem for the league if the Halos fail to make the postseason for an 8th consecutive season.
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