In MLB, there is more than one way to score runs.
There are teams who walk a lot, others that use “small ball” strategies, and others with players with excellent contact skills.
The best teams in baseball, however, are the ones with enough power players to change the outcome of a game.
The home run has always been, and will still be, the easiest path to score multiple runs in an inning and a game.
This has become evident when analyzing the Los Angeles Angels’ recent slump.
The team, once seen as a bonafide contender in the AL West division, has lost 14 straight games.
They were once 27-17, but now, their record stands at a disappointing 27-31.
After the 12th straight loss, they fired manager Joe Maddon.
Unlike the Philadelphia Phillies, who started winning right after dismissing manager Joe Girardi, the Angels have dropped two straight contests under the guidance of interim manager Phil Nevin.
The Angels Suddenly Stopped Hitting Homers
Their sudden lack of power is astonishing and is actually one of the reasons they stopped winning.
“The Angels have hit 1 home run in their last 8-plus games. That’s 1 home run in 295 plate appearances. The Angels led the Majors in homers for a while this year, and still rank No. 7 overall. An inexplicable turn of events,” The Athletic’s Sam Blum tweeted.
The Angels have hit 1 home run in their last 8-plus games.
That's 1 home run in 295 plate appearances.
The Angels led the Majors in homers for a while this year, and still rank No. 7 overall.
An inexplicable turn of events.
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) June 9, 2022
When you have Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Jared Walsh, Anthony Rendon, Tyler Ward, Max Stassi, and good prospects like Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell, you are expected to hit a lot of home runs.
It happened at the start of the year, but the Angels’ power disappeared all of a sudden.
Those hitters are just too good to keep struggling for long.
Until they start hitting homers again, however, expect the Angels to keep losing ground in the playoff race.
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