The Los Angeles Angels appear on the verge of finally being able to have Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon together and healthy.
That trio, in addition to catcher Max Stassi, first baseman Jared Walsh, infielder David Fletcher, outfielder Justin Upton, and prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh will likely mean the Angels offense will be quite competitive.
But let’s focus on Ohtani and Trout this time.
Angels manager Joe Maddon has been batting Ohtani and Trout first and second, respectively, in spring training.
That’s actually a good idea, since both are on-base machines who could create numerous run-scoring opportunities for Rendon, Walsh, Upton, and others.
Additionally, logic indicates that the hitters receive more plate appearances when they are penciled at the top of the order, and these will accumulate over the season.
It makes sense to play your best hitters first, so they can have more plate appearances.
Ohtani And Trout Are Well-Positioned For A Historic Season
In any case, Ohtani and Trout could be on the verge of making history if they replicate the performance level they showed last year and, in the specific case of Trout, over the course of his career.
“Seeing Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout batting at the top of the order had me wondering… Best team OPS from first two spots in the order: 1999 Yankees, .926. 1903 Reds, .910. 1929 Phillies, .901. 1996 Orioles, .898. Shohei Ohtani’s 2021 OPS: .965. Mike Trout’s career OPS: 1.002,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Seeing Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout batting at the top of the order had me wondering…
Best team OPS from first two spots in the order:
1999 Yankees, .926
1903 Reds, .910
1929 Phillies, .901
1996 Orioles, .898Shohei Ohtani's 2021 OPS: .965
Mike Trout's career OPS: 1.002 pic.twitter.com/RNnEHri9MK— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 29, 2022
Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter were usually the first two hitters in that excellent 1999 Yankees lineup.
Ohtani and Trout, if they remain healthy, will likely post a better OPS than the Yankees duo.
Ohtani may have hit “just” .257, but his elite on-base skills and power resulted in a .372 OBP and .592 slugging, respectively.
Trout is still in his prime and there is no reason to think he will be a worse hitter in 2022.
The Angels’ offense could be pretty good and fun to watch this year.
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