WAITING IN THE WINGS
Could Walsh be the Angels’ answer eventually to replace Pujols?
The Angels have been searching for a suitable replacement for aging Albert Pujols since they traded C.J. Cron more than two years ago.
Perhaps their solution is the underrated player who lurked in the background before enjoying a major league breakthrough.
Jared Walsh, batting .389 with five homers in September, has been staking his claim as the Angels’ first baseman of the future.
“Everybody wants to be a good major leaguer,” Walsh said at the onset of a torrid 10-game stretch, “not a good triple-A player. … I have by no means figured everything out, but I do think I’m moving in the right direction.”
The last two weeks have shown Walsh is compatible with the Angels as more than just the backup to an eventual Hall of Famer. He could supplant Pujols, whose contract extends through 2021, if his bat produces steadily during a full season.
Walsh proved himself a reliable offensive threat for two consecutive seasons before this year. He hit 29 home runs, 34 doubles and one triple across three minor league levels in 2018. He followed up that revelatory campaign with 36 homers and 30 doubles at triple A in 2019.
But his first sojourn in the major leagues last season was underwhelming. He batted .203 with seven extra-base hits in his first 31 games.
Still, Walsh showed flashes of potential. When he managed to conquer his violent swing and get his barrel to the ball, he made hard enough contact to average an exit velocity of 91 mph.
The raw power was apparent to manager Joe Maddon on his first encounter with Walsh in spring training.
“His hands are those special kind of hands,” Maddon said.
Walsh needed to figure out how to wield his hands properly. He went through a number of mechanical changes in the batter’s box.
Last season, he kept his bat moving behind his head while a pitcher set up to throw then dropped his hands nearly to his waist as he crouched over the plate to swing. Coupled with a high leg kick, Walsh looked as if he was winding a crank.
During his first stint with the team this season, Walsh was still wiggling his bat over his shoulder but had replaced the leg kick with a toe tap. He went hitless and showed minimal power in 10 atbats before his demotion.
Walsh simplified his setup. He is back to his leg kick, but he keeps his bat in front of his left shoulder. He only waggles it slightly in the moments before taking a hack.
He’s now scorching pitches he puts in play, averaging an exit velocity of 90.5 mph since he was recalled late last month.
Walsh has 14 hits in 40 plate appearances in September. Among hitters with at least 28 plate appearances this month, his 1.317 onbase-plus-slugging percentage is second only to Mike Trout.
Two years ago, the Angels wondered whether the best way to get Walsh to the major leagues was to have him moonlight as a left-handed reliever. He appeared in five games for the Angels last season and 21 games in the minor leagues from 2018 to 2019.
Walsh expects to play two ways again next season, but the longevity of his major league career might not depend on his versatility after all.
“I know when somebody like this bursts onto the scene, there’s some kind of concern as to whether this is temporary or not,” Maddon said after Walsh’s fourth consecutive multihit game Sunday. “But the way he starts the bat and the way he swings the bat, I like it a lot.”