TEMPE, Ariz. — Jared Walsh had an All-Star season with one significant hole that he’s been trying to fill.
Walsh hit .170 with a .565 OPS against left-handed pitchers last season, a far different performance than his .333 and .994 numbers against righties.
The left-handed hitting first baseman said he spent part of his winter hitting against a pitching machine that was angled in such a way as to simulate the ball coming from a left-handed pitcher.
“Just getting comfortable seeing the ball, making sure both eyes are on the ball,” Walsh said. “Just a few slight mechanical things, because I was really successful against righties. I don’t think I’m that far off against lefties. Just clean up some things. Stay through the ball a little longer and I think the results would be much better really.”
Manager Joe Maddon said “a big part of the conversation” coming into camp was what to do about Walsh’s platoon splits. They have to decide how long of a leash to give the 28-year-old Walsh to try to improve against lefties.
Maddon suggested the Angels have right-handed hitting options that could be too good to ignore in the interest of giving Walsh time to adjust.
“If you look at the other guys that will be on this team that’ll hit right handed, who have hit lefties very well, it might be difficult to walk away from that regardless,” Maddon said.
That starts with Justin Upton, who has been learning to play first throughout camp. He played first in a B game on Friday, and on Monday he was at the position in the Angels big league exhibition game.
Upton, 34, is coming off a disappointing offensive season, but he had much better numbers against lefties. Although he hit .255, he had a .355 on-base percentage and an .838 OPS against lefties. He hit seven homers in just 89 at-bats.
Matt Duffy, 31, can also play first. A hitter with limited power, Duffy has shown a strong ability to get on base against lefties. He has a career .340 on-base percentage against lefties, including .363 last season. Duffy, however, may end up platooning with left-handed hitting Tyler Wade at second, which would eliminate him from playing first against lefties.
Taylor Ward, 28, has also gotten some work at first in camp, and he’s played the position for two innings in the regular season. Last season Ward hit .303 with a .395 on-base percentage and an .849 OPS against lefties. Ward could end up being one of the Angels everyday outfielders.
A HOT START?
On the day that the Angels used a lineup composed entirely of players expected to be on the Opening Day roster, Maddon held the team meeting he would normally have on the first day of the season.
Maddon said after the meeting on Monday he wants to build a sense of urgency with the players to start quickly, so he wants them to treat this week as if it’s the first week of the season
“There’s no ifs, ands or buts,” Maddon said. “We’ve got to be way better in our division. Getting off to a good start could make all the difference in the world. I don’t want us to wait. I don’t us to start the season in neutral.”
The Angels will play divisional opponents in 11 of their first 13 games, including seven against the division favorite Houston Astros.
Related Articles
A look at the ‘separated at birth’ Angels battery
Angels manage just four hits in loss to Giants
Angels could bounce David Fletcher around the infield this season, even within the same inning
Angels’ Jo Adell has opened eyes with improvement this spring
Jo Adell blasts third spring homer in Angels’ victory over White Sox
NOTES
Ty Buttrey said his results were mixed after facing hitters over the weekend. Buttrey said it’s going to take some time for him to be back to the level he needs to be to pitch in a game. Buttrey was placed on the restricted list when he retired last season, and then he decided to come back this spring. The Angels have to decide by mid-April whether they’ll put him back on the 40-man roster. He can still be optioned after he’s added to the roster. …
The Angels are expected to provide an update on AJ Ramos on Tuesday. Ramos, a non-roster reliever in camp, came out of Sunday’s game with an injury. …
The Angels announced their first round of cuts on Monday morning. Pitchers Davis Daniel, Jhonathan Diaz, Luis Ledo, Elvis Peguero and Daniel Ponce de Leon, infielders Brendon Davis, Jake Gatewood and Kean Wong, outfielder Dillon Thomas and catchers Zach Humphreys, Kyle Lovelace and Anthony Mulrine were sent to minor league camp.