Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Hitters: 2015 Team Preview

Oct 3, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols during game two of the 2014 ALDS playoff baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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I really do not talk that much about Mike Trout on here because it is patently obvious he is the top pick.  Unless you are the real Giancarlo Stanton reading this article, then draft Trout.  In 2014, Trout had the worst season of his career and posted a 115/36/111/16/.287 line.  He is 23 years old and the best player in the game.  In my opinion, Tanner’s projections are his floor.  Even if Trout plays at a lower level than 2014, then he will still be a top 5 player.

I expected better than a projection of 25 homers and 88 RBI’s for Albert Pujols, but time is a cruel mistress.  I would love to see one more vintage Pujols season from the second greatest hitter I have ever seen live on TV, but his decade of dominance is gone.  However, I think we could see Albert Pujols go 30/100 once again, which would make the Angels’ slugger a top 40 pick in your draft.

If Josh Hamilton can manage 550 at-bats, then he could certainly produce that sort of line seen above.  Anyone who can hit 20 homers is almost always worth a roster in reasonably deep leagues.  I personally think we see a little improvement from 2014 Josh Hamilton according to my article.

Chris Iannetta has always been a favorite of mine for his ability to walk at an elite rate.  If you play in an OBP or OPS league, then Iannetta is an option if you need a waiver wire catcher that will not crush your rate stat.

C.J. Cron is an intriguing player because he has pretty decent power and produced a 113 wRC+ in roughly half a season with the Angels.  If he can get at-bats, then he is probably worth a spot on your team’s fantasy bench, but 22 HR is very optimistic unless he gets regular playing time.

Tanner Bell of Smart Fantasy Baseball has created all of the projections seen in this post.  You can read about how he develops his projections here.  His projections are invaluable to this site.  You can also visit his site at www.smartfantasybaseball.com.