Reaping the benefits of their expansive home will be Freddy Garcia, John Halama, and Aaron Sele, each of whom can be expected to exceed 15 wins. In the pen, last year's import, Kazuhiro Sasaki is one of the top 5 closers in the game, and Jeff Nelson, fresh from New York will be a workhorse in long relief. 84-78 Sad as it may seem, the Angels may very well end up with a better record than last year, a handful of games above .500, and still finish last in their division. Darin Erstad may not match the astounding 240 hits he had last year, but he will hit well over .300. Add power-hitting threebagger Troy Glaus, perennial star Tim Salmon, and Garret Anderson, who quietly had 35 HR in 2000, and the Anaheim lineup looks pretty potent.
Question marks abound in their rotation, though.
Ramon Ortiz needs to live up to high expectations. Ismael Valdes needs to return to form after a couple disappointing seasons. Last year the Halos used an astonishing 16 starting pitchers, had the league's second worst ERA, and still managed to finish with a record above .500. Credit should go to a bullpen that lived up to its namesake. Inc. All Rights Reserved.