Jered Weaver and the Angels Pitching Staff Leading Halos' Resurgence

Almost everything has gone wrong for the L.A. "Don't Call Us Anaheim" Angels so far in 2012.  

Even after banging out nine runs against the Twins to support Jered Weaver's no-hit masterpiece last night, the Halos still rank 19th in runs scored, 18th in batting average and 24th in on-base percentage at a dreadful .299.

Albert Pujols' extended power slump has become the most scrutinized on-field debacle since Roseanne Barr screeched the national anthem to thunderous boos.

The Angels are still too old despite the release of Bobby Abreu, and the bullpen has many question marks. 

And yet, last night we were reminded that the Angels' strength as a team begins and ends on the mound.

Exhibit A: Jered Weaver.  

Let's review the Angels' rotation so far in 2012. 

C.J. Wilson

It's hard not to respect C.J. Wilson. A career reliever, he saw a need in the Rangers' rotation in 2010 and parlayed two productive stints as a starter into a big free-agent contract with the Angels—his old team's primary competitor in the AL West.

This was a move similar to Jayson Werth's departure from the Phillies to the Nationals in December 2010. Pundits collectively thought, "What is he thinking?" 

Wilson (like Werth, and Albert Pujols, for that matter) gave up a chance at multiple World Series appearances and decided to get paid. No shocker there.  

But the new challenge hasn't phased the native Californian.  

Only 3-2, Wilson has allowed just 22 hits in 33.1 innings along with 30 strikeouts. His WHIP is a tidy 1.02 and it's clear he's going to give the Angels a chance to win every time he takes the mound.

Jerome Williams

After a successful rookie season in 2003 with the Giants, it was all downhill for Jerome Williams. From the Giants, to the Cubs, to the Nationals and finally to the minors for three years dealing with shoulder and other injuries.  

On May 1, against the Twins, Williams may have announced he's back for good as he threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout.  

As with most of the staff, Williams has been hurt by little run support and has just two wins on the year. But all his peripheral stats bode well for the future, including a 1.11 WHIP and just one home run given up in 25.1 innings.

Dan Haren

Dan Haren continues to remind Cardinals fans of their team's worst trade in recent memory. And that's good news for the Angels.  

While Haren has been a little more hittable than usual in the early going (evidenced by a 1.24 WHIP and 3.34 ERA) his control is as effective as ever, as he sports 30 strikeouts against five free passes. His first two starts of the season were easily his worst.

However, Haren is already rounding into form, as he went eight innings and allowed just four hits against Cleveland to earn his first win on April 28.  

With six 14+ win seasons under his belt, Haren is as consistent as a metronome and in the pitching-friendly confines of Angels Stadium, he should have no trouble matching or surpassing that total in 2012.

Ervin Santana

In many ways, since 2005, Ervin Santana has been the face of the Angels' rotation and a big reason why they have earned four division titles since his rookie season. He is a three-time 16-game winner and last year was, statistically, one of his best ever.  

One of his 11 wins was even a no-hitter (so it seems the Angels are corning the market on no-nos).

It's no surprise, then, that his 0-5 start is the pitching staff's main contribution to the Angels' last place position in the AL West. But like other parts of the team, Santana's prospects are looking up, as he went seven solid innings, giving up just two runs in a 4-0 loss to the Indians in his most recent start.

He has already given up 10 home runs on the year, but Santana has always given up a fair share of bombs, averaging 25 homers allowed per year over the last five years.

But it says here that Santana has shown he's already begun to right his ship and will still earn a double-digit number of wins in 2012.

Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver has always had ace-type stuff, but he really harnessed his potential last year as he went 18-8 with a microscopic WHIP of 1.01 and a K:BB ratio of nearly 4:1.  

With a small apology to Edwin Jackson, this, my friends, was a no-hitter.  

Just one walk on the night against nine strikeouts; this was arguably more impressive than Philip Humber's perfect game on April 21.  

The Twins had trouble centering anything against Jered as he weaved his masterpiece. In the last half of the game, the Twinkies hit so many weak pop-ups and lazy flies, the grounds crew could have given Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells a couple folding-chairs to rest on.  

The Rangers' lead is already down to seven games and with an offense that is starting to finally wake up, the Angels just might be in the thick of playoff contention when this already-exciting season is said and done.