Los Angeles Angels: The Halos can be dangerous in the postseason

The Los Angeles Angels are quietly putting together a run for the Postseason. Mike Trout and company can be scary dangerous if they make it to October.

The Los Angeles Angels have been living in the shadow of their LA counterpart, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their LA foes have been putting together one of the best seasons in MLB history. The Dodgers are seemingly a shoo-in for the World Series and could even challenge the best record in MLB history.

In a sports world that is already heavily East Coast biased, this has caused the Angels to get far less attention than they really do deserve. The limited coverage on LA has been directed to the Dodgers, with many not even realizing that the Angels are in the hunt for the playoffs.

Well, if you didn’t know, they are. The Angels sit just one game out of the AL Wild Card spot, trailing the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins. In fact, Los Angeles is one of six teams sitting three or fewer games outside the AL Wild Card. This seemingly is the making of a very tight playoff race in the Junior Circuit.

Despite heavy opposition, the Angels look more than ready to take that Wild Card spot. The Halos are 22-18 since the All-Star Break, good enough for fifth best in the AL, and are 16-10 in the month of August.

This surge is due to the return of key injured players. Mike Trout has come back from a thumb injury without missing a step. Pitchers Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney have also returned to the rotation. Although their numbers are not the best, they provide much-needed depth to a thin Angels rotation.

Garrett Richards, Huston Street, Andrew Bailey, Yunel Escobar and Alex Meyer could all be returning in time for the playoff surge. A beat up, battered, Angels team is in playoff contention; just imagine what they can do healthy.

That is what makes them so dangerous.

With the face of baseball leading the way, the Angels are capable of surprising many come October. Their lineup is much deeper now that Andrelton Simmons is having a career year, with guys like Kole Calhoun, Albert Pujols, Luis Valbuena and Yunel Escobar all bringing something different to the table.

Not to mention we have seen flashes of brilliance in their pitching staff. Although the inexperience may hurt them, we have seen what they can do. All they need to do is put together a three-week run of good pitching. With so many injuries, they are well rested, which will only help them come October.

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Let’s say they make the second wild card. If everything stands, they will face the New York Yankees, a team they went 4-2 against in the regular season. Los Angeles outscored them by six runs in three games in New York, they are more than capable to beat them.

Next would be the Houston Astros. This would be the biggest test for the Angels, but it is not a test they cannot overcome. They have defeated the Astros in three game series in Houston. Houston is battling their own myriad of injuries, giving the Angels an even better chance to defeat them.

Los Angeles is also 4-2 against the Red Sox this season. The only real team they may have problems against is the Cleveland Indians, a team that swept them during the season. However, they are set to host Cleveland September 19-21, that series playing a huge role in the Angels chances.

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Then, if they do square off against their cross town rival Dodgers, they are more than capable of pulling off a win. The Los Angeles Angels split a four game series with the Dodgers this year. The Dodgers pitching staff is scary, but so are the hot bats of the Los Angeles Angels.

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