Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 10 Bold Predictions for the Second Half

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have found the winning form as of late, and they have been able to do with outstanding pitching and scoring runs from a variety of players. They currently sit atop the AL West with division rival Texas with a record of 46-41. 

The second half of the season is going to be a fist fight every day, but as I wrote a few days earlier, the Angels will have to focus on winning their division games if they want to be AL West champs and making some noise in the playoffs.  

Here are 10 bold predictions for the second half of the season.

Mark Trumbo Hits 30 Home Runs

Mark Trumbo has been a pleasant surprise for the Angles as the 25 year-old came in to replace the injured Kendry Morales, but Trumbo has more than just replaced Morales as he leads all major league rookies with 13 bombs on the year with a very nice average of .255. 

Trumbo has shown his pop all season long and the Angels are going to need him to continue to produce with the long ball if they want to take the AL West. Trumbo has shown that he can hit the ball anywhere in or out of the field, but he is going to have to step up to get to 30 on the year. He only has 4 home runs at home this season, expect that number to move up.

A bold prediction, yes. Attainable, yes. 

Torii Hunter Gets 100 RBIs

Torii Hunter has most recently come off a hand injury, but is now back in the lineup and trying to help the Angels win the division. Hunter has only reached over 100 RBI's in a season twice in his 15 year career in the bigs. Both of those two seasons came with Minnesota.

The last two seasons for Hunter has seen an even 90 RBI's both times. He currently sits at 40 RBI's with an average of .237. Hunter will finish with a much higher average when the season is through and as you see his average move up so will his RBI total. 

Hunter will have to turn it on quickly once the All-Star break is over in order to hit that milestone, but it is a very attainable goal.

Jered Weaver and Dan Haren Reach 20 Wins Each

I think everyone is expecting Jered Weaver to eclipse the 20 wins and possibly 25. However, an even more bold prediction would be that Dan Haren joins him in that 20 win club.

Dan Haren has been hot as of late, most recently going head to head with Justin Verlander and winning 1-0 over the Detroit Tigers. 

Haren has won his last three decisions, two of which he won by a score of 1-0. Weaver has won his last four decisions, and it could have been six had it not been for the bullpen. I think both these pitchers will get to the 20 win marker.

Tyler Chatwood Will Get 15 Wins

Now this may be a tall order, but I have faith in the 21-year-old. Tyler Chatwood is currently 5-5 with a 3.83 ERA (the league average is 3.84). He has won two of his last three games and his confidence is continuing to soar as the season progresses. 

Chatwood will have to have a strong game today in order to keep that momentum moving forward to the 2nd half of the season.

Howie Kendrick Finishes with a Batting Average of .325 or Better

The Angels All-Star has had quite a year, to date he is hitting .307 with 8 bombs on the year. Kendrick has been teetering between .301 and .308 for the last couple weeks, but Howie always has a stinger 2nd half off a season than he does the first.

If he is doing this well in July, imagine how well he will play when games are on the line in August and September. Kendrick had his highest average back in 2007 when he hit .322, but this year and the next few will be Kendrick's prime. 

Jered Weaver Finishes with an ERA Below 1.50

Jered Weaver has been dealing this season giving up three runs in his last four starts. Weaver has been able to muster 10 wins on the season. Weaver has a tall task ahead of him if he wants to keep his ERA under 2, but I think Weaver is a seasoned veteran that knows what it takes to keep hitters at bay. 

Weaver should be comfortable as the hitting picks up in the second half of the season, which will allow him to pick and choose his spots on the mitt. 

Jordan Walden Reaches 50 Saves

The 23-year-old has stated that his fast ball could reach up to 104-105 MPH, though we have never seen that in an actual game, Walden's average fastball rounds in somewhere around 98 MPH. Walden has been in the bullpen for the Angels and worked his way to closer.

He has 19 saves on the year with 39 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. Though it may be a bit of a reach for the right hander to get to 50 saves seeings how he only sits at 19, but a bold prediction nonetheless. If the Angels can go on a 15 game win streak then his chances go up.

Vernon Wells Finishes over with a Batting Average Above .250

I predict this, not out of sarcasm to Vernon Wells, but in reality it is going to be tough for him to rebound in the 2nd half of the session after a pretty terrible first half. Wells is hitting .215 with 12 bombs on the year, but he has not been the type of player that the Angels thought they were getting when they picked him up in the offseason piling up 50 strikeouts.

Wells will have to have a complete turnaround season after the All-Star break in order to get over the .250 range.  

Peter Bourjos Will Steal 30 Bases

Peter Bourjos has been a wonderful, ideal Mike Scioscia type player for the Angels. When he is on, he can be a lead off hitter type, but mostly he is in the back of the order and has done a nice job. He leads the teams in triples with 6, showcasing his speed. However, is stolen bases number is rather low, especially for a fast player like himself in a small ball type of team.

Bourjos sits at 11 stolen bases, but I think as the season goes on that the Angels, as a team, numbers will go up, including Bourjos. Maybe not the flashiest prediction, but a very important part of the Angels offense. 

Angels Win the AL West

The Angels win the AL West and make their way back into the postseason. The Angels are in first place as of now, but it is going to be a long road for them to hold onto that lead. The Texas Rangers are right there with them at the top.

The Angels' hitting will improve and, led by the arms of Jered Weaver and Dan Haren, the Angels will hold onto the AL West. And if they can get hot late, they can make some serious noise in October.

Mike Scioscia knows how to lead a team late in the season; but it starts right now. The Angels just won a big game against Verlander and the Tigers, showing they can stand toe-to-toe with the best pitchers in the game and win.

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