The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. Originally written for the 2021 election, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Torii Hunter could go get it. Fluid and graceful while patrolling center field, he was renowned for his leaping, acrobatic catches and his willingness to sacrifice his body. He made a strong enough impression upon those who watched him that he won nine Gold Gloves during his 19-year career, more than all but three center fielders, namely Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Andruw Jones. Hunter earned the nickname “Spider-Man” for his ability to climb outfield walls to steal home runs — something he did more than just about anybody else during his career — though one attempt to do so at Fenway Park left him with a broken ankle, and another a concussion.

“I’ll do anything to get that little white ball. I’ll put my life on the line,” Hunter told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Chen in 2005, sounding very much like the football player he was during his high school days in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Hunter rose from difficult circumstances in Pine Bluff, including a father who was addicted to crack cocaine and friends who fell into the dead-end life of drugs, guns, and gangs. His athleticism helped him escape, though when he entered professional baseball as a first-round pick of the Twins in 1993, his talent was more raw than most. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2023 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Francisco Rodríguez was the October Surprise. As the Angels went on their 2002 postseason run, they introduced a secret weapon out of their bullpen, a 20-year-old Venezuelan righty with an unholy fastball-slider combination and the poise of a grizzled veteran despite him having all of 5.2 major league innings under his belt. Often throwing multiple innings and quickly graduating into a setup role in front of closer Troy Percival, Rodríguez set a number of records, including one for the most strikeouts by a reliever in a single postseason (28) while helping the Angels to their first (and to date only) championship in franchise history.

Though he endured some growing pains at the major league level, by 2004 Rodríguez was an All-Star, and from ’05-08 he led the American League in saves three times, setting a still-standing single-season record with 62 in the last of those campaigns. His mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider befuddled hitters, while his demonstrative antics — “a melange of pirouettes, fist pumps and primordial screams,” as one writer put it — sometimes got under their skin.

Rodríguez cashed in via free agency, signing a three-year, $37 million deal with the Mets, but he was rarely the same pitcher he’d been in Anaheim. He made three more All-Star teams, but was arrested twice, once for assaulting his girlfriend’s father (and tearing ligaments in his thumb in the process) and once for domestic abuse. He pled guilty to the former and attended anger management classes, while the charges for the latter were dropped when the woman left to return to Venezuela. Both incidents likely would have interrupted his career to an even greater degree had they occurred after Major League Baseball and the Players Association adopted its domestic violence policy in 2015. Read the rest of this entry »

Free-agent reliever Carlos Estévez has signed a two-year contract worth $13.5 million with the Angels, continuing a busy offseason in Anaheim that has already seen Tyler Anderson, Gio Urshela, and Hunter Renfroe join the roster.

#Angels sign Carlos Estevez to a 2-year deal for $13.5-million.

Don’t know yet if they plan for him to close, but Bud Black just said he has closer stuff and a closer mentality.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) December 5, 2022

Estévez, who turns 30 next month, has spent his entire professional career with the Rockies, playing his first six seasons in the hitter’s paradise of Coors Field. His 4.59 ERA and 4.21 FIP in 302 career innings appear a bit inflated, but they’re actually a touch better than league average (94 ERA- and FIP-). His 2022 campaign, while normal-looking on the surface, was statistically odd in many ways. Despite earning fewer strikes than ever, he set a career best in terms of overall run prevention with a 3.47 ERA, making him the second-most effective reliever on Colorado’s staff.

Wait — a .247 BABIP allowed while pitching in Coors, a stadium whose .323 BABIP ranked highest among all parks? And an above-average 10.1% HR/FB rate in the sixth-most homer-friendly park in baseball? And that was despite it being easier to make contact against Estévez than at any other point during his career? Read the rest of this entry »

The 40-man roster deadline led to the usual squall of transaction activity, with teams turning over portions of their rosters in an effort to make room for the incoming crop of young rookies. Often, teams with an overflow of viable big leaguers will try to get back what they can for some of those players via trade, but because we’re talking about guys straddling the line between major league viability and Triple-A, those trades tend not to be big enough to warrant an entire post.

Here we’ve endeavored to cover and analyze the moves made by each team, division by division. Readers can view this as the start of list season, as the players covered in this miniseries tend to be prospects who will get big league time in the next year. We’ll spend more time discussing players who we think need scouting updates or who we haven’t written about in the past. If you want additional detail on some of the more famous names you find below, pop over to The Board for a more thorough report.

The Future Value grades littered throughout these posts may be different than those on the 2022 in-season prospect lists on The Board to reflect our updated opinions and may be subject to change during the offseason. New to our thinking on this subject and wondering what the FVs mean? Here’s a quick rundown. Note that because we’re talking about close-to-the-majors prospects across this entire exercise, the time and risk component is less present here and these FVs are what we think the players are right now. Read the rest of this entry »

Hunter Renfroe was probably getting tired of Milwaukee anyway. After spending the first four years of his career in San Diego, he will join his fifth team in five years as the Brewers sent the 30-year-old outfielder to the Angels in exchange for pitchers Janson Junk, Elvis Peguero, and Adam Seminaris.

Starting with the Los Angeles side of the deal: the Angels know what they’re getting in Renfroe. He’s a bat-first corner outfielder who relies on power to make up for what he lacks in on-base ability. After a poor showing in 2020, he bounced back with a 113 wRC+ in ’21 and posted a nearly identical season in ’22, good for a 124 wRC+ in the tougher offensive environment. He hit 60 home runs between the two seasons and posted a .315 on base percentage in both. He’s projected to make $11.2 million in arbitration this year, then move on to yet another team in 2024 as a free agent.

Renfroe owns a career wRC+ of 136 against lefties versus 97 against righties and has often been viewed as a platoon candidate. He improved his wRC+ to 120 against righties in 2022, however, after putting up 101 wRC+ in 2021. And while his defense isn’t to OAA’s liking, DRS and UZR both tend to rate him right around average, and his excellent arm helps to make up for what he lacks in range. He’ll slot into the outfield next to Mike Trout and Taylor Ward. Steamer projects the trio for 10.3 WAR — a big improvement after Los Angeles got just 0.3 WAR from its left fielders last year, good for 27th in the league. Even though Steamer expects Renfroe to take a step back next year, his projection of 2.0 WAR would patch a significant hole. Read the rest of this entry »

While the top of the celebrated free agent shortstop market has yet to roll into motion, the end of last week saw a flurry of action a little lower on the positional power rankings. The Yankees agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, locking up his final season of team control. And as Friday afternoon progressed, four other teams linked up for an exchange of shortstops. A shortswap, if you will.

Gio Urshela went from the Twins to the Angels for 19-year-old pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo, Kyle Farmer went from the Reds to the Twins for minor league pitcher Casey Legumina, and Kevin Newman went from the Pirates to the Reds for reliever Dauri Moreta.
Read the rest of this entry »

Can I let you in on a secret? I was already halfway through writing about Tyler Anderson when the news of him signing with the Angels broke because Anderson fascinates me. That article is more or less still in here. I also talk about how he fits into the Angels’ plans and how the contract comes into play at the end. It’s two reads for the price of one: one neat trick Anderson added in recent years, plus where he’ll pitch next season.

…

Tyler Anderson wanted it all. Normally, you have to pick a lane as a pitcher. You can be an over-the-top fastball type, throwing four-seamers that are equally tough on opposing batters no matter their handedness. Or you might opt to be a sidearmer; that gives you a huge advantage against same-handed hitters, but allows opposite-handed hitters to see the ball cleanly and gain a huge edge. Generally speaking, relievers are more likely to throw sidearm. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but it makes sense. Starters have to navigate so many different hitters that they’re bound to face opposite-handed ones more often.

Anderson has always been a starter, and he always sported an over-the-top release point. If you picture a clock face, his four-seamer spins in the direction of 11:00; mostly straight up and down with a tiny bit of leftward tilt, as befitting a lefty with a high release point. As I said above, that means small platoon splits, and that was indeed the case. Anderson allowed the exact same wOBA to lefties and righties in his first five seasons in the majors. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball Operations Pitching Analyst

Description:
The Los Angeles Angels are seeking an Analyst with a focus on pitching to join our Baseball Operations department. This position will support the Baseball Operations group’s efforts to analyze and provide pitching data, statistics and other pitching-related information. The ideal candidate combines a strong background of technical skills with an understanding of baseball research concepts and modern pitching technologies, information and strategies.

Responsibilities:

• Develop tools and visualizations for disseminating statistical concepts.
• Conduct research projects and player analysis for the Baseball Operations group.
• Help build database and reporting infrastructure to support advance scouting and coaching staff needs.
• Opportunities for other ad-hoc contributions to the pitching development process.

Qualifications:

• Strong foundation in the application of statistical concepts to baseball data and the translation of data into actionable baseball recommendations.
• Understanding of modern pitching philosophies, technologies and applications.
• Advanced level capabilities in R or Python.
• Proficiency in or clear ability to learn SQL.
• Preferred: Demonstrable experience analyzing and/or implementing pitch design.
• Preferred: Demonstrable independent baseball research.
• Preferred: Demonstrable experience creating effective data visualizations.
• Preferred: Some web development experience.
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends and holidays

Physical Demands:

• Ability to frequently sit for extended periods of time
• Ability to occasionally work in inclement weather (when in stadium)
• Ability to traverse from office to stadium frequently
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Please note that any job offer is contingent upon your providing verification that you have been fully vaccinated (at least 14 days have passed since receiving final dose of vaccine) against COVID-19. Job offers will be withdrawn (regardless of whether you have already signed) if this condition is not satisfied. Unless and until this step has been completed, you should not resign your current employment, otherwise alter your employment status, or alter any personal circumstances in reliance on a conditional offer. Angels Baseball is committed to providing equal opportunity, and does not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. If there is a medical or religious reason you believe you cannot comply with this requirement, please discuss with Human Resources if/when you are offered a position.

The Angels believe that diversity contributes to a more enriched collective perspective and a better decision-making process. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Baseball Administration and Operations Assitant

Description:
The Los Angeles Angels are seeking a Baseball Administration and Operations Assistant to support the departments in their day to day tasks. The ideal candidate will have outstanding organization skills with a strong attention to detail along with an understanding of baseball data, technologies and information.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with Budget reviews throughout year and in yearly budget preparation process
• Assist with visa, expense report and vendor processes
• Coordinate various Internal and MLB lists, surveys and reporting
• Assist with on-boarding new baseball operations employee processes
• Assist with advance scouting including depth charts, daily and period reviews
• Support baseball operations, scouting and player development on ad hoc projects as needed

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Ability to communicate clearly and solve practical problems.
• Self-starter who is able to work individually and also be a team player
• Demonstrate attention to detail in all work, including writing, editing and presentation.
• Understanding of baseball data, research and technologies
• Proficiency in or clear ability to learn SQL and some coding (R or Python).
• Preferred: Demonstrable independent baseball research.
• Preferred: Demonstrable experience creating effective data visualizations.
• Preferred: Spanish language fluency
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends and holidays

Physical Demands:

• Ability to frequently sit for extended periods of time
• Ability to occasionally work in inclement weather (when in stadium)
• Ability to traverse from office to stadium frequently
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Please note that any job offer is contingent upon your providing verification that you have been fully vaccinated (at least 14 days have passed since receiving final dose of vaccine) against COVID-19. Job offers will be withdrawn (regardless of whether you have already signed) if this condition is not satisfied. Unless and until this step has been completed, you should not resign your current employment, otherwise alter your employment status, or alter any personal circumstances in reliance on a conditional offer. Angels Baseball is committed to providing equal opportunity, and does not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. If there is a medical or religious reason you believe you cannot comply with this requirement, please discuss with Human Resources if/when you are offered a position.

The Angels believe that diversity contributes to a more enriched collective perspective and a better decision-making process. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Los Angeles Angels.

Baseball Systems Developer

Description:
The Los Angeles Angels are seeking a Developer to join the Baseball Operations’ Baseball Systems Development team. This position will focus on the development and maintenance of the Angels’ internal baseball information system and all of the data flows that support it.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop and maintain the front end of the Angels’ internal baseball information system
• Develop and maintain ETL processes for loading data from multiple sources using a variety of formats (APIs, JSON, XML, CSVs, etc.)
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve data quality issues
• Collaborate with the IT department to address needs related to Baseball Systems department
• Remain up-to-date with respect to industry best practices and new technologies and how they relate to the club’s needs
• Work on ad-hoc baseball related projects as needed

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field of study strongly preferred.
• Programming experience with C#, JavaScript, Python, or other programming languages
• Experience with modern database technologies and SQL
• Preferred: Cloud experience
• Preferred: Experience building and supporting ETL processes

Physical Demands:

• Ability to frequently sit for extended periods of time 
• Ability to occasionally work in inclement weather (when in stadium)
• Ability to traverse from office to stadium frequently
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Please note that any job offer is contingent upon your providing verification that you have been fully vaccinated (at least 14 days have passed since receiving final dose of vaccine) against COVID-19. Job offers will be withdrawn (regardless of whether you have already signed) if this condition is not satisfied. Unless and until this step has been completed, you should not resign your current employment, otherwise alter your employment status, or alter any personal circumstances in reliance on a conditional offer. Angels Baseball is committed to providing equal opportunity, and does not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic protected by law. If there is a medical or religious reason you believe you cannot comply with this requirement, please discuss with Human Resources if/when you are offered a position.

The Angels believe that diversity contributes to a more enriched collective perspective and a better decision-making process. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Los Angeles Angels.

Who was the Nationals’ best player in 2022? Before you try to answer, I should acknowledge that this is not a fair question to ask. For starters, it’s a trick question. More importantly, you haven’t been watching the Nationals. You’ve been doing the best you can to avoid even thinking about the Nationals. That’s called self-care, and I commend you for it. Even the Nationals’ general manager called it “a daily grind to come here and lose baseball games.” He also called trading Juan Soto a “courageous move by ownership,” so maybe don’t listen to him.

Regardless, go ahead and give it a shot! Keibert Ruiz would be a reasonable guess. The promising young catcher posted 1.7 WAR this season. You could also be forgiven for going with Joey Meneses, who put up 1.5 WAR in just 228 plate appearances since his promotion in August. Read the rest of this entry »