Jered Weaver Showing That MLB's Best Team Still Has an Ace

Sometimes the best card in your hand is the one you've been holding the whole game.

Just ask the Los Angeles Angels. The Halos dealt for closer Huston Street at the trade deadline, but didn't bring in any starters. Then they lost Garrett Richards, statistically the top arm in the rotation, to a knee injury August 20.

Suddenly, the club with the best record in baseball looked vulnerable. And ace-less.

Enter Jered Weaver. Although, technically, he didn't have to enter. He's been there all along.

Richards, with his out-of-nowhere brilliance, was garnering most of the attention. But Weaver—in his ninth big league campaign, all with the Angels—has quietly put together another stellar season. 

Entering play Monday, Weaver owns a 17-8 record with a 3.50 ERA and 1.203 WHIP. In his last start, a 5-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday, he struck out a season-high 12 in seven innings. With the effort, he eclipsed the 200-inning mark for the first time since 2011.

And he may have poured a little extra gas on his heater, per Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Register:

"

Unprompted, both Scioscia and [catcher Hank] Conger noted Weaver’s velocity uptick. It was noticeable. The 31-year-old right-hander had averaged 86.7 mph on his four-seam fastball through 30 starts in 2014; he averaged 89.8 on it Saturday, his highest in an outing since May 2012.

"

Here's how manager Mike Scioscia summed up his stud's performance, both against the 'Stros and in general, per The Associated Press (h/t USA Today):

"

Year after year, we've seen Weave come out and be the lead dog. Tonight his stuff was exceptional. I don't know if I've seen Weave throw like this for about five years. He had great life on his fastball. That was one of the best games he's pitched in a long time.

"

Weaver couldn't have chosen a better time to turn back the clock.

The Angels are on the verge of winning the American League West. After staying in a tight race with the Oakland A's for much of the season, Los Angeles has pulled away.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

They had a 10-game winning streak snapped with a 6-1 loss to Houston on Sunday, but the Angels still boast a 93-56 record entering Monday, 10 games ahead of Oakland. And their magic number stands at four.

Once they get to the postseason, however, they'll need pitching to make a deep run.

The loss of Richards—who led the staff with a 2.61 ERA when he went down—looms largest. But the Angels are also without southpaw Tyler Skaggs, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August.

And ostensible No. 3 starter C.J. Wilson has been a disappointment, posting an unsightly 4.61 ERA in 162 innings.

Surprising rookie Matt Shoemaker has filled at least part of the void, going 15-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.099 WHIP. 

But it all hinges on Weaver. He's the unequivocal anchor. The stopper. The man.

Still, the big right-hander remains humble—and hungry.

“I haven’t been the pitcher I’d like to be,” Weaver told Elliott Teaford of the Daily Breeze (h/t Los Angeles Daily News) after nailing down his 17th win. “My mindset has been to get back to where I know I can be, and we saw a little sign of it tonight. Hopefully, we can maintain it and do the work that needs to be done and take it, hopefully, to the next level.”

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The ultimate next step would be the second World Series championship in franchise history. It feels within reach for a team that has overcome adversity and kept on winning. 

"The offense is clicking and the pitching staff's been unbelievable," outfielder Mike Trout, another cog in the Halos' machine, told Joe Resnick of the Associated Press (h/t The Washington Times). "We give them a comfortable lead and they go out there and pitch."

Whatever hand the Halos are dealt this October, one thing's certain: They've got an ace in the hole.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.