Off-Topic Forum

Just took a peek at the Angels website and noticed the only thing Shohei isn’t leading the team in is saves. He currently leads the Angels in literally everything else, batting and pitching. Extraordinary.

What's amazing is with all the talent accumulated, they've appeared in just one playoff series since 2010 (in which they were swept).

Yeah that was 2014 but still pretty crazy. However, if things keep going the way they are now all season for the Halos, they could finally be on track for a playoff berth, their first in almost 10 years.

The talent they keep acquiring keep underperforming/falling apart/reverting to norm when they get to Anaheim. Look at C.J. Wilson, Josh Hamilton, an older Pujols, Rendon, etc. And then with so much invested their farm system takes a hit. Outside of Trout who have they really developed. Marsh, gone, Walsh, nope, Adell, nope and so on and that is just recent examples. Wreckless spending/underinvestment. ShoTime will enjoy his new team when he gets there and I don't think it'll be the Yanks.

Well said, Shohei’s new team will attract so many fans overseas. The Angels are a popular team in Japan simply because Ohtani is playing for them. 

That really is incredible. But you forgot one other major category that Shohei doesn't lead the Angels in....holds :-)

I know we all loved the Pujols redemption tour last year, and yes he's an all time great. But I'm gonna be the turd in the punch bowl and point out the incredible damage that he did to the Angels franchise. I know it's been said before, but he "played" for them for 10 years, collecting a tidy $340 million in salary. Waddling up the plate and hitting into one back breaking double play after another. And for their lavish investment, that guy delivered the Angels 12.9 war during those 10 years.

Of course the Angels have other problems with incompetence and bad luck that have kept them out of the playoffs for 10 years, but when you have a boat anchor wrapped your neck like that for 10 years, it don't help. Thanks Albert.

But I really hope the Angels make a good postseason run this year. I don't really care about that franchise one way or the other, but I can't help but root for the very best players in any sport. They have Trout, the best player in MLB for the last 10 years, and Ohtani, the probable best player in MLB for the next 10 years, and all they've done is piss away their greatness. I'd love to see those guys get a real shot at postseason glory. And if this year fizzles out yet again, I hope they will get the heck out of LA.

Albert Pujols is one of my favorite players of all time and one of the all-time greats, but you'd have to live under a rock to think that it wasn't a bad signing. 

As for the Angels bad luck, I could write a novel about it. Whether it's not even making the playoffs in the 2020 throw away year, or young prospects passing away too soon (Lyman Bostock, Nick Adenhart, Luis Valbuena, Tyler Skaggs). I could seriously go on and on. You make a valid point that it certainly doesn't help having Pujols grounding into Double Plays for about 7 years. It also doesn't help that the Angels is where decent starters go to die. 

Pujols led the NL in GIDP twice with STL before the signing, including his last before jumping West; he's the all-time leader in that category.

It seems the Angels franchise is cursed, having won the division just three times in their first 43 years of existence. Look at the talent they've acquired throughout their history, and how much easier it is nowadays to make the playoffs, and it leaves one scratching their head.

San Diego is no better, but at least the franchise has won two pennants. Something about Southern Cali teams...

Cal Ripken passed Hank Aaron for the career lead in GIDP in 2000.  I didn't realize someone passed him, but Albert Pujols took the lead in 2017 and really extended it, 426 to 350.  Miguel Cabrera is the active leader, and he just passed Ripken last yer, but at 359 is a long way from catching Pujols.