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Clips

(March 21, 2017)

March 21, 2017 Page 2 of 15

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs pleased after four-inning outing

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 4)

Angels' Tyler Skaggs gets back on track with minor league outing

Pitcher Cody Buckel, his career derailed by the yips, starting over with Angels

Angels hope to find a lottery ticket among their cast of former top prospects

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)

Skaggs 'strong' and 'happy' after Minors start

Why the AL West could be the game's most fun division

FROM NJ.COM (Page 13)

Could former Jackson Memorial star Matt Thaiss get MLB at-bats with Angels in 2017?

March 21, 2017 Page 3 of 15

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES .

Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs pleased after four-inning outing

By Pedro Moura

Because he missed a start earlier this month due to a weak shoulder and re-entered the rotation

Wednesday, Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs has no days left to waste this spring. If he wants to break

camp on the club’s roster, he has to build up his stamina and prove he can handle a starter’s workload.

And because the Angels had their second of two spring days off Monday, Skaggs’ start on regular rest

had to come in a minor league game.

So, Skaggs faced a group of overmatched Milwaukee Brewers Class-A hitters at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

With General Manager Billy Eppler, Manager Mike Scioscia and other club officials in attendance, Skaggs

struck out five, walked one, and yielded a triple. Scouts mostly clocked his fastball at 91 and 92 mph,

within his standard range, and up to 94 mph. He threw mostly fastballs and curveballs and eschewed his

changeup.

“I felt strong,” Skaggs said. “My mechanics were finally there where I liked it today.”

Skaggs was scheduled to pitch three innings, but he had said since last week that he planned to stretch

that into four. Sure enough, he finished his three quickly, and lobbied pitching coach Charlie Nagy for

the fourth.

“Of course I pushed for the fourth, and I’m happy they obliged,” he said. “It’s one of those games where

you want to get your work in now, because come Saturday, I’ll be ready to go.”

Asked if he felt he could throw five innings in his next planned start Saturday, Skaggs said he was not the

decision-maker. But on Monday, he said, he felt strong enough to do so.

Skaggs, 25, made 10 starts for the 2016 Angels in his return from 2014 Tommy John surgery. He missed

time in September because of a flexor strain in his elbow but reported to camp feeling great. He has

characterized the shoulder weakness as a momentary issue.

Lamb cleared to throw

Angels left-hander John Lamb was cleared to begin a throwing program Tuesday after a Monday visit

with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins at his Marina Del Rey office. Lamb flew to Los Angeles in the

morning, then returned to the Phoenix area in the afternoon.

In October, Lamb underwent surgery to repair a herniated lumbar disc in his back. He spent the first

month of spring training working out with the major leaguers, but the Angels optioned him to minor

league camp Sunday.

March 21, 2017 Page 4 of 15

In 24 starts over the last two seasons for Cincinnati, Lamb logged an awful 6.17 earned-run average. But

he struck out nearly a batter per inning, while walking fewer than half as many hitters.

As a Kansas City Royal in 2011, the Laguna Hills High graduate was a consensus top-20 prospect in all of

baseball. He soon required Tommy John surgery, and took two years to return to form thereafter. He

began to experience back issues shortly after the Reds acquired him in the Johnny Cueto blockbuster

trade, and had his first back surgery — the same surgery he’d later undergo — that winter.

The 26-year-old said he believes he can return to pitching in the majors in July, if he continues on his

current track.

Short hop

After Monday’s off day, the Angels return to action Tuesday with a road game against Cincinnati and

then split-squad games Wednesday — one at home in Tempe vs. Texas, and one in Peoria, Ariz., against

Seattle.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .

Angels' Tyler Skaggs gets back on track with minor league outing

By JEFF FLETCHER

TEMPE, Ariz. — Tyler Skaggs tossed four scoreless innings in a minor league game on Monday night,

inching back closer to where he would have been if he hadn’t missed a start with shoulder fatigue.

Skaggs struck out five and walked one, throwing 37 of 50 pitches for strikes. His fastball was 90 to 94

mph. Facing a team of Milwaukee Brewers Class-A players, Skaggs gave up a triple and an infield hit

that could just as well have been an error.

Skaggs had been scheduled for three innings and 45 pitches, but when he finished the third with 41

pitches, he campaigned for a fourth and got it.

“It was great,” Skaggs said. “I felt good. I felt strong. My mechanics were finally there. I’m really happy

about it.”

Skaggs said he was particularly pleased with his curve, which he threw more frequently than usual.

“It hasn't been coming out like I like, and today something finally clicked,” he said. “The curve was

there, so I decided to throw a good amount.”

Skaggs said he “assumes” he has enough time still to be ready to be in the Angels rotation for the first

week of the season. This time through the rotation, other Angels starters are throwing five innings and

March 21, 2017 Page 5 of 15

75 pitches, so he’s still a little behind. He felt fatigued during his first start, so the Angels had him skip

his next one, and then he threw only two innings when he returned to game action last week.

Pitcher Cody Buckel, his career derailed by the yips, starting over with Angels

By JEFF FLETCHER

TEMPE, Ariz. – Imagine, asks Cody Buckel, if you woke up one morning and forgot how to walk.

Something that had been simple was suddenly a complex series of movements requiring full

concentration. And imagine that every time you tried, you feared embarrassment. The shaking heads

of sympathetic onlookers.

Only then can you begin to understand the yips, which is the sports shorthand for a mysterious mental

block that prevents athletes from performing their sport’s simplest tasks.

Buckel, a former star right-hander at Royal High in Simi Valley, was a 20-year-old phenom, ticketed for

the Texas Rangers rotation.

Then he couldn’t throw a strike.

Now, after four years, two releases, one trip to Australia, numerous trips to psychologists and other

promises of cures from Eastern medicine, he is wearing an Angels uniform.

Buckel (pronounced BUE-kel) is 24, but he says he feels like he’s 40 because of what he’s been through.

He is in minor league camp, just trying to enjoy the game again and make something of all that talent.

“I couldn’t explain it to you unless you go through it,” Buckel said. “I’ve seen guys with the yips. I’ve

seen guys who couldn’t throw the ball and I just didn’t get it. I saw numerous guys go through it in my

first years in pro ball. You don’t understand it until it happens to you.”

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Steve Blass saw his career end in the 1970s when he suddenly couldn’t throw

a strike. Steve Blass Disease is now the term sometimes used to describe the yips for a pitcher. Catcher

Mackey Sasser became infamous for his inability to throw the ball back to the pitcher. Former rookie of

the year second baseman Steve Sax had well-chronicled issues simply making the short throw to first.

Keith Comstock, the Angels’ fifth-round pick in 1976, struggled with the yips early in his minor league

career. His description of the affliction is even more disturbing than Buckel’s: “It’s like being a pilot in a

plane going down, without the life at stake.”

Comstock got over the yips, he said, by spending eight months throwing at a brick wall. Although it

took him eight years to reach the majors, he pitched six years in the big leagues and went on to a

coaching career that eventually landed him a job as the Rangers’ minor league rehab coordinator.

Which is where he entered Buckel’s life.

March 21, 2017 Page 6 of 15

The Rangers picked Buckel in the second round of the 2010 draft. Through his first three seasons in the

minors, he posted a 2.48 ERA, with 10.5 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings.

“Cody could throw a baseball wherever he wanted,” Comstock said. “He could put it off a shoelace ...

He was on the fast track.”

In 2013, still a few months shy of his 21st birthday, Buckel was invited to major league camp.

“I tried to take it up to 120 percent,” he said. “I didn’t take what I did in 2012 and just do it again in

spring training. I tried to do too much.”

In Buckel’s first big league exhibition game, he recorded one out and he walked five. In his second

game, he got two outs, hit two and gave up four hits. He was then sent to minor league camp, but his

mind was still on what had gone wrong, how he’d spoiled the chance of a lifetime.

“I think that’s the beginning of the mental spiral of having the negative thoughts,” he said.

“Unfortunately for me, I think a lot.”

As the opening day starter at Double-A, Buckel walked five and got only eight outs. In his next start, he

recorded five outs, walked six and hit a batter. Then, five outs, five walks. Nine outs, six walks. No outs,

three walks, two hit batters.

The Rangers then sent him back to Arizona for extended spring training, looking for an answer.

“You are lying to yourself and thinking it’s physical or mechanical,” Buckel said. “Everyone is scared of

the word yips. They never want to say it. It really never is mechanical. You just don’t move differently

one day. It’s a mental block. Your mind doesn’t want to let you do it.”

This is when Comstock intervened, leaning back on his own experience. Comstock began by having

Buckel close his eyes and throw a ball into a net. Over and over. Then he moved him farther back. Still

throwing into a net. Still eyes closed. Comstock had Buckel open his eyes, but he continued moving him

farther and farther from the net.

“I could take Cody to 180 feet away and he could hit the catcher’s glove on a dime,” Comstock said. “I

brought him into 60 and he’d get all fouled up again.”

The problem, Comstock said, is what you see when you’re trying to throw the ball. Ideally, it’s only the

catcher’s mitt. But a pitcher with the yips sees the batter, sees the fans in the background, feels all of

the eyes on him. For a pitcher with the yips, Comstock said, one of the toughest times is throwing in

the bullpen, with vulnerable fans walking nearby.

“We’d play catch and instead of watching the guy, you are looking at other people walking by and you

get scared and think you are going to hit them,” Comstock said.

March 21, 2017 Page 7 of 15

The next step was to have Buckel stand on the mound and throw into a net, but with a catcher behind

the net. Then Comstock added a batter, still behind the net. Then he added people walking by, behind

the net. Then he would remove the net and start at the beginning again.

All the while, Buckel was still digging himself into a deep mental hole, some days just wanting to stay in

bed instead of going to the ballpark to face his problem.

“I shut people out,” he said. “I shut my girlfriend out, shut my parents out, shut my best friend out.”

Over the next three years, Buckel saw psychologists and hypnotists. He tried tapping therapy, an

Eastern medicine technique similar to acupuncture or acupressure.

At various points, he felt he had it beaten. He came back and pitched in 2014, demoted two levels to

low-A, but he walked 8.4 per nine innings. In 2015, he walked 6.9 per nine innings.

In between, he sought to escape his issues on the other side of the planet. Buckel went to pitch in the

Australian winter league following the 2014 season. It was a place where no one knew his story.

“I went down there and it was really relaxed,” he said. “There were no levels, no demotions, no

promotions, no worrying about anything but playing. Playing out there was like high school baseball

again. You are with one team and that’s it. You don’t have to worry about your job.”

Buckel had a 2.93 ERA in Australia, with just 3.7 walks per nine innings.

The struggles continued back in the minors though, his failures finally prompting the Rangers to release

him in April 2016. The Dodgers signed him and sent him to extended spring, but he was released in

June.

Buckel then quit baseball entirely. He didn’t watch games on TV, didn’t follow the sport at all. For

months, he immersed himself in his other passion, movies. Buckel is interested in someday pursuing an

acting career. Around the time of the World Series, though, he got the itch again.

On Nov. 1, he went to Seattle to work out with Driveline, a high tech factory of baseball players. At

Driveline, they use advanced training methods to milk extra velocity and bat speed out of players.

Driveline founder Kyle Boddy had worked with Buckel off and on for years, but he saw a different guy

this time.

“When I first met him, I thought he was a pretty immature kid,” Boddy said. “When you’re in your

second year of pro ball and you’re killing it, you start to think a certain way of yourself. ... This year he

really opened up his mind and it was unclear if he was going to have a job. ... He did a great job. His

work ethic was extremely high.”

Boddy said their metrics showed Buckel was throwing less than 50 percent strikes when he arrived and

more than 60 percent by the time he left. Buckel said it was a matter of a small change with his hand

and a large one in his head. The ability to throw, not think.

March 21, 2017 Page 8 of 15

“In the end, it’s whether you are willing to let it go,” he said. “Once you let it go, it’s a huge relief. ...

Now I can play catch without a thought, and it feels phenomenal.”

Driveline circulated video and other metrics – velocity, spin rate – around the majors. The Angels

signed him in January to a minor league deal based on the video. He still throws 94 mph, with a sharp

curve.

Just a couple weeks into camp, it’s too early to know if the demons are really gone.

“We’re encouraged by what we see so far,” said Matt Wise, one of the Angels minor league pitching

coordinators.

Now a reliever, Buckel has been working out in the Triple-A group, although that doesn’t mean he’ll

start at that level. He doesn’t even think about levels or promotions anymore, because that’s how all

this started.

“I’m just going to pitch well wherever I am,” he said. “If you pitch the best you can, the things outside

of your control will take care of themselves.”

Angels hope to find a lottery ticket among their cast of former top prospects

By JEFF FLETCHER

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Angels are trying to put together’s baseball best farm system … in 2011.

General Manager Billy Eppler, whose pipeline of young talent is undeniably thin at the moment, has in

the last nine months – by design or coincidence – assembled an interesting cadre of players who used

to be among baseball’s best prospects.

Since last August, the Angels have acquired four of the players listed among Baseball America’s top 50

prospects in 2011, and a fifth who got there a few years later. None of them have lived up to the hype

so far, in part because of injuries.

The Angels have picked up utilityman Dustin Ackley (No. 12 in 2011), left-hander John Lamb (18), left-

hander Manny Banuelos (41) and catcher Tony Sanchez (46). The Angels also have right-hander Alex

Meyer, who was ranked as high as No. 45 in 2014.

They are just the top layer of a group of former top prospects that even includes a former star prospect

taken down by the yips.

“It’s not a specific targeting of guys that owned the Baseball America top 100 or (prospect analyst)

Keith Law’s rankings,” Eppler said. “There’s not a formula to go acquire as many of those guys as

possible. You lean back on, what were our scouting reports on these guys? What performance or other

metrics are there that give us hope that they can put those ingredients together an turn them into

more consistent performance?”

March 21, 2017 Page 9 of 15

The Angels risked nothing in acquiring most of the players, two were minor league deals and two were

claimed on waivers. The only trade was for Meyer, who came along with Ricky Nolasco in a deal

for Hector Santiago and another Angels minor leaguer.

They are all essentially lottery tickets, and the Angels are hoping at least one of them will hit.

“A lot of cases it’s health with these guys,” Eppler said, “and we are trying to provide an opportunity to

get healthy and then give them innings or at-bats to see if it all clicks.”

Here’s a look at each of the five, how he got here and where he stands in the Angels system.

Meyer is the closest to impacting the major league team now, with still an outside shot at breaking

camp in the rotation. After he was drafted 23rd overall in 2011 by the Washington Nationals, Meyer

was traded to the Twins. His 6-foot-9 frame no doubt contributed to difficulty maintaining consistent

mechanics, and therefore trouble with his command. He’s also had shoulder issues.

The Angels got him in the Santiago trade on Aug. 1 last year. They have since given him some new

exercises to try to stay healthy, and tightened up his delivery. Meyer, 27, came to camp with a shot at

the starting rotation, and the Angels have said that they aren’t ready to consider moving him to the

bullpen, which is an indication they still have faith he can be a starter. He still throws 96 mph

consistently, which means he will continue to get chances.

Ackley was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 draft, which is better known as The Draft Almost Everyone

Passed On Mike Trout. The Seattle Mariners picked Ackley, while Trout went undrafted until No. 25. At

the time, Ackley was considered a can’t-miss hitter because of his command of the strike zone and

success at North Carolina, at the highest level of college baseball.

In Seattle, though, it never quite worked out for him. He moved from the infield to the outfield, as the

Mariners searched for a way to find a spot that fit. Ackley hit just .243 in parts of five seasons with the

Mariners before they traded him to the Yankees in 2015. He was still with New York in 2016 when he

hurt his shoulder, requiring surgery from which he’s still rehabbing.

The Angels signed him to a minor league deal just before spring training. He’s been hitting, but still

can’t throw well enough to play defense in a game. The Angels have no timetable on him. Ackley, 29,

has an opt-out in his contract, so he could elect to become a free agent rather than play in Triple-A

with the Angels.

Lamb was a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Royals out of Laguna Hills High in 2008. He rose up the

prospect lists and eventually was traded to the Cincinnati Reds as one of the key pieces of the Johnny

Cueto deal in 2014.

All along, though, Lamb said he didn’t handle his status the right way.

March 21, 2017 Page 10 of 15

“It was a distraction from what I was doing in thinking that I was something special,” he said. “I was

always told I was gifted, I was talented, I was blessed. I never doubted or questioned that. But the

more you focus on that instead of the process, you might get off track, and that’s me.”

Lamb, 26, suggested he might not have worked as hard as he should have because he assumed his

ascent to the major leagues was “inevitable.” He did get to the majors, starting 24 times in the past

two years with the Reds, but he posted a 6.75 ERA.

He also hurt his back, requiring two surgeries in 2016. After the second one, the Angels were still

willing to take a shot at him, claiming him on waivers. Lamb is still rehabbing slowly. He said his goal is

to pitch by the All-Star break.

Banuelos was the pride of the Yankees farm system six years ago, having been signed out of Mexico as

a teenager. In his first three years in the Yankees farm system, his highest ERA was 2.81.

Banuelos then had Tommy John surgery after the 2012 season. He came back and didn’t pitch as well

with the Yankees, who traded him to the Atlanta Braves on New Year’s Day 2015. Banuelos felt some

elbow discomfort at the start of that season and just tried to pitch through it. Eventually he had

surgery to remove bone spurs. Last season, he came back too early and continued to struggle, and he

was placed on waivers. The Angels then claimed him.

This spring Banuelos did not allow a run through his first 6-2/3 innings, before giving up two in his last

outing. Manager Mike Scioscia has said the Angels want to give Banuelos, who just turned 26, as much

chance as possible to succeed as a starter before they consider using him out of the bullpen.

Sanchez, a catcher out of Boston College, was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, going to the

Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2010 he hit .314 with an .870 OPS, moving himself into the top 50 on the Baseball

America list for the subsequent season.

He reached the big leagues in 2013, but never quite performed to expectations. Sanchez, 28, hit .259

with a .681 OPS in parts of three seasons with the Pirates, accumulating only 492 plate appearances. In

2016 he was released by the Pirates, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, then released by the Blue Jays

in July and signed by the San Francisco Giants. The Giants released him and the Angels then grabbed

him in the fall.

Although Sanchez didn’t have much of a shot to make the big league roster ahead of Martin

Maldonado or Carlos Perez, his spring training playing time indicated that he’s certainly No. 3 on the

depth chart, an injury away from the majors.

March 21, 2017 Page 11 of 15

FROM ANGELS.COM .

Skaggs 'strong' and 'happy' after Minors start

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Left-hander Tyler Skaggs struck out five over four scoreless innings in his Minor League

start against the Brewers on Monday night at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Skaggs walked one and allowed two hits -- a triple in the second and an infield single in the fourth that

could have been ruled an error. He threw 50 pitches, with his fastball hovering between 90-94 mph.

"I felt good," Skaggs said. "I felt strong. My mechanics were finally there, so I'm really happy about it."

Skaggs was particularly pleased with the effectiveness of his curveball, which he frequently deployed

against the Milwaukee farmhands.

"It's just something that I've been trying to work on," he said. "It hasn't been coming out like I liked it,

and today was the day where something finally clicked and the curveball was there, so I decided to

throw a good amount."

Skaggs was scheduled to go three innings and throw 45 pitches, but he successfully lobbied for a fourth

frame after he finished the third with his pitch count at 41.

"Of course I pushed for the fourth, and I'm happy they obliged," he said. "It was one of those games

where you want to get your work in now, because come Saturday, the next time I pitch, I'll be ready to

go."

Skaggs was scratched from his second Cactus League start because of weakness in his shoulder, and he

remains a little behind the other Angels starters, who are all throwing five innings and 75 pitches this

time through the rotation. Still, Skaggs believes he still has enough time to stretch out and be ready for

the first week of the regular season.

Asked if he thinks he can go five innings in his next scheduled start, against the D-backs on Saturday,

Skaggs said, "I'm not the boss, but I definitely felt strong enough today."

Skaggs will be entering his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. He missed nearly two years

while rehabbing, but he returned to the Angels' rotation in July and logged a 4.17 ERA over 49 2/3

innings in 2016.

March 21, 2017 Page 12 of 15

Why the AL West could be the game's most fun division

By Adrian Garro

Heading into the 2017 season, most pundits will likely either peg the Astros or Rangers as de facto

"favorites" to win the American League West.

But beyond those two Texas rivals, who will once again battle it out for the Silver Boot, there's a lot to

see throughout the rest of the division. In fact, considering the fun factor of all five organizations this

season, it is this author's opinion that there's reason to believe the AL West will be the most

entertaining of all in the upcoming year.

For reasons why, consult below, beginning with those two Lone Star State clubs ...

The Astros

You already know the Astros boast one of the league's most consistently amazing hitters in Jose Altuve,

coming off an AL batting title and an All-Star caliber Backstreet Boys karaoke session. His infield partner,

the impossibly skilled Carlos Correa, posted a 5.9 WAR in his age-21 season in '16, too.

The team's gritty and bearded staff ace, Dallas Keuchel, is also plenty tech-savvy, and whenever George

Springer isn't crushing stadium-clearing homers or showing up in highlight reels, he's roaming the

outfield in a T-Rex costume.

The Rangers

Texas added to an already dangerous offense by calling up an old friend, Mike Napoli.

Nap (re)joins the Rangers after four seasons away, a time during which he worked hard establishing

himself as the premier party expert in all of MLB. He will look to rage with fellow baseball mashers Joey

Gallo, Nomar Mazara (owner of the longest homer of the season in '16) and Jonathan Lucroy in the

lineup.

Wily veteran Adrian Beltre is anchored over at third base -- well, at least when he isn't battling

teammates attempting to douse him after a walk-off.

The Rangers also employ meme master and fashion guru Carlos Gomez -- a fearless outfielder who bat-

flips after just about anything.

Add that up and you have one pretty engaging team (that's sure to threaten for the division crown).

The Mariners

2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the Mariners' first season as an expansion team, and this year's club

could threaten some all-time great M's squads in terms of likability.

March 21, 2017 Page 13 of 15

Felix Hernandez will once again command the King's Corner for many starts at Safeco Field, and his

appearances are so important, they're basically their own holiday.

Beyond the Cano/Hernandez/Nelson Cruz trio that has come to personify the M's over the past few

seasons, some relatively new faces are in town to do what they can to add to the fun.

Enter Jarrod Dyson, who covers a lot of ground in the outfield.

And flashy young fireballer Edwin Diaz, who impressed in his rookie year in '16, notching 18 saves and

racking up 88 strikeouts in just under 52 innings on the strength of, well, absolutely ridiculous heat.

A full season of Diaz, coupled with more of all the above? Hope you're ready, M's fans.

The Angels

As long as aspiring meteorologist Mike Trout is out there making dreams come true the Angels will be

interesting.

But the '17 Angels have other top-flight defensive talent to go along with Trout and Gold Glove

winner Kole Calhoun's antics.

Shortstop Andrelton Simmons is gearing up for his second season in Anaheim, and he, too, is no slouch

when it comes to flashing skills. Here he is running full bore into the outfield pursuing a pop fly like a

wide receiver on a route.

In terms of new additions, veterans Ben Revere and Cameron Maybin were brought in for more depth --

which means more chances for crashing, sprawling catches.

That's before even bringing up Albert Pujols, who has a chance to reach both the 3,000-hit and 500-

homer milestones this season.

The A's

"The Coliseum is too big to hit a bunch of homers" is a trope you hear frequently regarding the Oakland

A's home ballpark, but Khris Davis (whose first name might as well be kHRis) showed up last season and

defied that thought with bomb after bomb. He hit 19 of his career-high 42 long balls there, and busted

out a should-be-patented walk-off grand slam helmet jump shot before being mobbed at home plate.

Ryon Healy, meanwhile, has definite "breakout" potential for the new season thanks to his ability to

hit really, really long homers.

Speaking of "breakout" potential, Jharel Cotton dazzled in his five late-season starts for Oakland after

being acquired from the Dodgers, displaying a changeup capable of making bats fly out of hitters' hands.

The A's also reunited with Rajai Davis, who left the team in 2010 and spent time with other teams like

the Indians. You may remember when he hit arguably one of the most memorable homers in World

Series history back in November.

March 21, 2017 Page 14 of 15

Add it all together and that's a recipe for a fun team up in Oakland, as part of a very promising AL West

that you will surely want to watch this season.

FROM NJ.COM .

Could former Jackson Memorial star Matt Thaiss get MLB at-bats with Angels in

2017?

By Joe Zedalis

TEMPE, Ariz. -- When it comes to former Jackson Memorial standout Matt Thaiss, indications are it isn’t

a matter of if he will be in the big leagues, it’s simply when?

Thaiss, taken with the 16th pick of the first round in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los

Angeles Angels of Anaheim after two All-American seasons at the University of Virginia, is the No. 2

prospect in the organization.

The Angels signed Thaiss to a $2.15 million signing bonus.

The 6-foot, 195-pounder was invited to the Angels major league camp at the Diablo Stadium Complex in

Tempe this spring. A slashing, gap-finding, line drive-hitting machine, Thaiss’ pretty swing has capture

the attention of both fans and the Anaheim brass.

A report on minorleagueball.com theorized Thaiss could get a cup of coffee with the big club as early as

this September.

“It is not outrageous to think that Thaiss will start 2017 in the California League with Inland Empire and

be in Double-A by June,” the report said. “There isn’t much left to wonder about his bat, so improved

play at first could see Thaiss get a big league look late in the season with the Angels expected to be out

of the picture by then. His constant contact and power should profile well at both first base and

designated hitter, so there could be plenty of at bats to go around with an aging Albert Pujols and a

merely decent CJ Cron manning first base.”

While he was a catcher at Jackson Memorial and Virginia, the Angels have him playing first base where

he is a major defensive project. While his bat had big-league ability, his throwing arm and blocking skills

did not. So, he moved from behind the plate and 90 feet up the first base line. He could also be a

designated hitter at the big-league level.

In the 58 games he played after the draft last summer, he made 11 errors in 523 chances. The report

said his range improved significantly as the season went on.

The statistics that were more important to the Angels were those at the plate. As one of the few power

hitters in the 2016 draft, Thaiss lived up to his offensive reputation.

March 21, 2017 Page 15 of 15

Assigned originally to the Orem (Utah) Owlz of the Pioneer League. He had a home run and two doubles

in his debut and tore up the league batting .338 in 15 games.

He was promoted to the Burlington (Iowa) Bees of the Midwest League where he torched Low-A ball

pitching.

At Burlington, he batted .276 with 12 doubles, three triples and four homers in 199 at-bats. He struck

out only 12.4 percent of the time and walked 9.7 percent of the time.

“He was chosen for his excellent skills with the lumber, first and foremost,” Halosheaven.com wrote.

“The stellar numbers came back down to Earth a bit (at Iowa), but were still enough to turn heads of

fans, writers and scouts alike.

“Pretty much everybody that watches this kid hit will tell you that he’s a big-league batter through and

through, with enough chops, discipline and power to be regularly penciled into a lineup in a couple

years. Coaches barely even talk to him about his hitting approach, because he doesn’t need it. He’s

already there."