I am doing a series where I offer up three fantasy baseball thoughts for every MLB team. I’ll take a look at under-the-radar stats, playing time projections, projected roles, and off-season news to try and highlight the nuggets that might help you in your 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. We’ll do this thing in alphabetical order, and next up are three thoughts for the 2025 Los Angeles Angels.
3 Fantasy Baseball Thoughts for the 2025 Los Angeles Angels
Jo Adell Has 20/20 Potential
Last season, Jo Adell hit 20 home runs while stealing 15 bases in 130 games. So, is that really such a bold thought? I know, it’s not exactly going out on a ledge, and maybe we switch to 25/20 or 25/25 if we’re looking to make an impact. The reason I highlight 20/20 though, is because it appears that Adell isn’t really getting credit for that.
Through early drafts, Adell has an ADP of 301 and that is too late for an explosive outfielder who is primed to go at least 20/20. At this point, even if it’s by default, Adell is in line for regular playing time in a thin Angels’ outfield. No one will question Adell’s talent, tools, and potential, but he’s yet to truly put it together at the major league level. Last year he hit .207 for the second straight season but it did come with a .244 BABIP. At the very least, Adell’s xBA of .231 looks a little better.
While a 27.9% strikeout rate isn’t ideal, it certainly could be worse and Adell can compete at that level. Last year Adell had career highs in barrel rate (11.7%) and hard hit rate (44.5%). The gap between his .402 SLG and .431 xSLG also represents some upside.
Once we get to the point in the draft where Adell is taken, there’s no reason not to take a chance on the power/speed combo.
Mike Trout Isn’t 60 Picks Better Than Taylor Ward
I’ll admit that there is a lot of risk aversion here as Mike Trout has not proven that he can stay healthy. The future Hall of Famer is also another year older and hit just .220 in 126 plate appearances last season.
At this point, Taylor Ward is likely who he’s going to be as a player, but there’s nothing wrong with that when filling out your outfield. However, there are two things that caught my attention regarding Ward. Last year he posted career bests with a 13% barrel rate and 17.4 degree average launch angle.
Those metrics led to a 25 home run, 75 RBI season for Ward. The outfielder also scored 73 runs and stole six bases while hitting .246. All Ward needed were a few balls to drop to line up to his .256 xBA and things would likely feel different. The gap between his .426 SLG and .476 xSLG alludes to more production that could be on its way. At this point, there aren’t many true constants in the Angels lineup, but Ward is one.
Don’t Sleep on Reid Detmers
Luck wasn’t on the side of Reid Detmers. However, Detmers also failed to do himself any favors. The walks, at 3.92 per nine innings are a real problem and need to be addressed. When you also allow 1.85 home runs through nine innings, it’s clear that opponents are taking advantage of things.
On the good side of things, Detmers struck out over 11 batters per nine innings so he can work out of trouble. Well, if he keeps the ball in the park that is.
Luck wasn’t in Detmers’ favor as he had to deal with a .357 BABIP and a 62.9% strand rate. It’s not surprising that his ERA was 6.70 on the season, but the former first-round pick is better than that. Both his 4.14 xERA and 3.86 xFIP reflect that. There is no harm in targeting a live, young arm such as Detmers late in drafts of deeper leagues. Admittedly he struggled last year, but he also wasn’t as bad as his ERA suggests. He just needs to keep the ball in the park.
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