When dropping down one slot in the batting order turns into a headline for ESPN, you know you’re a big deal.
At this point, the expectations can’t really get much higher for Los Angeles Angels’ right fielder Josh Hamilton, who has been feeling the heat recently for his .221 batting average and 23 strikeouts so far this season. There is more than just the $25 million going into his pocket at the end of each season that should be pushing him to contribute offensively.
After leaving the Rangers to play for their division rival, Hamilton has been subjected to constant scrutiny and so far his play has not responded well. That needs to change though, if the Angels want to be a contender for the playoffs this season, because he will be the factor that helps the team to surpass the A’s and Rangers. With Mike Trout and Albert Pujols looking to continue their solid starts, it will be Hamilton’s plate appearances that, if improved, will make the Angel’s lineup the most feared in the AL West.
The Angels have an opportunity this season that is relatively new to them. They both have experienced and young talent in their lineup, despite being plagued with signing aging and underperforming has-beens during past seasons in an attempt to bring some star-power to Anaheim. But this year, with the blooming of Trout last season and the continued efforts from Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos, the Angels possess a lineup that could do some real damage for years to come. This year the team has promising youth and real power on the offensive half, but now must worry about their men on the mound.
The team’s ace Jered Weaver is currently on the DL and the rest of the pitching staff is struggling to keep their ERAs under 4.00. In ten of their eleven losses so far this season, the team’s pitching has allowed five or more runs. Although the blame for these losses can easily be placed on the pitchers, the responsibility falls upon the batters. Knowing that it will take a near miracle to keep their opposition under four runs in most of their outings, the hitters must bear the burden of racking up runs.
This is where Josh Hamilton comes in. The pitching won’t make any sweeping improvements over the next few weeks (although that would be preferable), so Hamilton needs to feel the pressure not just from his critics, but from what he sees up there on the mound.
It’s not that his lack of offensive production has caused the Angels to have a losing record after the first month of play, because there are a lot more things going wrong than just his bat, but almost half of the teams losses have been by only one or two runs. The clean-up hitter needs to be a game-changer, getting hits in key situations with runners in scoring position, and Hamilton has been absent from that role so far.
Manager Mike Scioscia was right in dropping Hamilton down to the fifth slot for that brief period of time with the hope of sparking some kind of determination in him to get going. The Rangers and A’s have proven that they are not pushovers anymore and if something doesn’t shape up for the Angels, they will very well see themselves entering the summer stuck behind two tough ball clubs.
The most obvious answer to the problem is driving in runs from the four spot and if Hamilton can fill that role, the Angels will be very difficult to beat. The bats that surround Hamilton when he hits clean-up are as good as any in the whole league and that just leaves him to carry his weight. A Hamilton who drives in runs creates a one through five in the lineup that will win ball games on its own, despite the woes of the pitching staff.
The former MVP has the opportunity to make his club a playoff and possible World Series contender, but without him the odds are highly stacked against them. Scioscia can move Hamilton up and down all he wants but regardless of where he ends up, he’s going to need to hit.
The beginning of summer play is a vital point in the season where teams can no longer use the excuse that they’re still figuring things out. Hamilton needs to turn things in the right direction in the coming weeks if the Angels want to seriously contend for the AL West title. If not, it’s going to be a long, hot summer of sneering Texans and the all too familiar August panic for the Angels.
