Texas Rangers Eye on the Enemy: Previewing the LA Angels series

Texas Rangers Los Angeles Angels — May 23, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Tony Kemp (5) reaches third on a triple ahead of Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) during the third inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Angels defense (or lack thereof).

To put it rather bluntly, the Angels defense has been really bad this season.

They lead the league in errors with 39, they rank dead last in fielding percentage at .977, and their defensive runs above average (-14.4) ranks only ahead of the Detroit Tigers. Needless to say, defense has not been one of the Angels’ specialities this season.

With Trout on the injured list and Rendon still recovering from his own health woes, it’s not too hard to see why the Angels have struggled to consistently make plays on the defensive side of the ball this season. Those are two players that LAA was expecting to “carry” the rest of the team from a defensive standpoint, with the understanding being that an elite defensive CF and an elite defense 3B can sometimes mask other issues.

Throw in the fact that LA lost 4x Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons this past offseason during free agency, and their defensive woes make even more sense. That was another player who had really uplifted guys around him due to his elite range at SS.

For the Texas Rangers, taking advantage of this weakness happens simply by putting a ton of balls into play. A slow grounder to the left side could genuinely result in a single this week.

The Angels defense (or lack thereof).

Schedule