Angels Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Mike Trout, Reid Detmers, Logan O'Hoppe, Griffin Canning, Luis Rengifo, Patrick Sandoval and More
Discussing the top fantasy players from the Los Angeles Angels as the 2024 season approaches.
The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles relating to 2024 fantasy baseball draft prep and will continue to do so through the start of the MLB season.
Recently, we’ve been looking at things on a team-by-team basis. We’ve covered several teams already, and those articles can be found at the links below:
American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros (hitters and pitchers), Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays (hitters and pitchers), Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers
National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers), Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks (hitters and pitchers), San Diego Padres
Now, we’ll take a look at the Los Angeles Angels.
Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!
Top Fantasy Hitters
The first Angels’ hitter off draft boards, according to FantasySP Average Draft Position data, is Mike Trout, ranking 69th with a mark of 73.12.
Trout played in just 82 games in 2023, finishing with a .263 average and .367 on-base percentage. He collected 81 total hits, drove in 44 runs, stole just two bases and scored 54 runs. Trout homered 18 times among his 33 extra-base hits.
Durability is a huge issue for Trout, who hasn’t played over 120 games in a season since before COVID. His overall numbers are all pretty strong still, but if he’s not out there half the season, that’s a huge concern. I personally wouldn’t spend a draft pick on Trout around his current ADP, instead hoping he falls closer to pick 100 before heavily considering him. If you do want to gamble on Trout, make sure your other outfielders are extremely durable and productive.
Logan O'Hoppe and Luis Rengifo are the next two LAA hitters off draft boards. O'Hoppe ranks 226th with a mark of 192.55, while Rengifo ranks 228th with a mark of 193.71.
O'Hoppe dealt with injuries in 2023, which limited him to 51 games. He had a .236 average and .296 OBP, collecting 43 hits along the way. O'Hoppe homered 14 times among his 20 extra-base hits, drove in 29 runs and scored 23 times.
The youngster’s 162-game averages are really good, but not having seen it for a full season yet, he’s a pretty big gamble as a starting catcher. I like him as a backup option, who you could plug in as a near everyday starter at the utility spot if he stays healthy and delivers some big hitting numbers.
Rengifo appeared in 126 games in 2023, posting a .264 average for a second straight season. His OBP rose to .339 and he also had 104 total hits, 51 RBIs, six stolen bases and 55 runs scored. Rengifo homered 15 times among his 35 extra-base hits.
Rengifo played several positions last season, so check his eligibility in your league. That position versatility makes him a better fantasy asset than he might originally appear. If you took an early gamble on a player at one of Rengifo’s eligible positions, Rengifo is a good draft target to protect those kinds of players. He’ll be a near everyday fantasy starter if he just matches what he’s done the past two seasons.
Taylor Ward is the next hitter up, ranking 264th with a mark of 217.82.
He only played in 97 games in 2023, tallying a .253 average, .335 on-base percentage, 90 total hits, 47 RBIs, four steals and 60 runs scored. Ward homered 14 times among his 32 extra-base hits.
Ward is another sneaky good pick later in drafts, but only if he can be on the field more often. This late in drafts though, the risk of picking Ward is pretty low, so I like the idea of adding him over a few of his oft-injured teammates.
Brandon Drury is the next Los Angeles hitter on the ADP list, ranking 279th with a mark of 228. He’s projected to be the team’s designated hitter and should have position eligibility at least at first and second base.
Across 125 games last season, Drury had a .262 average and .306 on-base percentage. Drury drove in 83 runs and scored 61 times, while also collecting 127 total hits. He homered 26 times among his 59 extra-base hits.
I’m a bit surprised to see Drury’s ADP around the mark it currently is. His numbers last year were solid, and he actually played in a good amount of games. Sure, he’s 31 years old now, but I think he’s got at least one more solid season in him. I would definitely put Drury near the top of my priority list at this point of the draft, and would be fine taking him a couple rounds before his current ADP.
Zach Neto is the team's last hitter on the ADP list, ranking 334th with a mark of 267.6.
The shortstop played in 84 games last season, finishing with a .225 average and .308 OBP. Neto had 65 total hits, 34 RBIs, five stolen bases and 38 runs scored.
Averaged out over a full season, Neto has pretty solid numbers. You’d love to see his average go up a little bit, but he’s also just 23 years old, so it’s definitely too early to write Neto off. He’s a backup SS option, with the chance to start at an infield/utility spot if he finds more success this season.
Mickey Moniak and Nolan Schanuel are both projected to be part of platoons, with Jo Adell and Aaron Hicks forming the other half of things. Moniak, Schanuel and Adell are all still pretty young, so I’d keep closer eyes on them.
Anthony Rendon has been about as injury prone as they come, but could be a possible starter when he’s out there. Ehire Adrianza is a projected bat off the bench, while Matt Thaiss is the top backup catcher.
Other hitters will step up over the course of the season, especially if injuries plague the team again, so be sure to keep checking back to FantasySP to figure out the best options out there.
Top Fantasy Pitchers
Reid Detmers is the team’s first pitcher off draft boards, ranking 164th with a mark of 152.21.
Detmers made 28 starts last season, finishing 4-10 with a 4.48 earned run average and 168 strikeouts over 148 2/3 innings.
He was quite a bit better in 2022, so there’s bounceback potential with Detmers for sure. I like the value he presents at his current ADP, and think he’ll greatly outperform it.
Robert Stephenson is the team’s projected setup man to start the season, but ranks 218th with a mark of 186.68. Carlos Estevez, the projected closer, is ranked 272nd with a mark of 222.55.
Last season, Estevez was 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA and 31 saves across 62 1/3 innings. Stephenson had a 3-4 record and 3.10 ERA across 52 1/3 innings pitched.
Both are solid fantasy relievers, but Estevez needs to be going much earlier in drafts, while Stephenson goes much later. Flipping their ADPs would help start to fix things.
Griffin Canning is next up, ranking 285th with a mark of 232.1.
Canning made 24 appearances (22 starts) in 2023, going 7-8 with a 4.32 ERA and 139 strikeouts over 127 innings.
Those are pretty decent numbers, and make Canning a solid depth fantasy SP. His current ADP makes him a pretty low-risk pick and a guy to take a chance on if you feel pretty good about the rest of your rotation.
Patrick Sandoval is next up, ranking 307th with a mark of 242.67.
Sandoval went 7-13 across his 28 starts, but had a respectable 4.11 ERA and 128 strikeouts over 144 2/3 innings.
He’s another low-risk option later in fantasy drafts, much like Canning is. Sandoval could be utilized in favorable matchups or started all season if he takes a step forward.
Chase Silseth is the last LAA pitcher on the ADP list, ranking 362nd with a mark of 309.75.
Across 16 appearances (eight starts) last season, Silseth went 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA, striking out 56 batters over 52 1/3 innings.
He might not be built up enough to pitch a full season, but he’s also a pretty intriguing young arm (23 years old). He’s another very low-risk option late in fantasy drafts - instead of hoping to stream him, you could use a late pick on him and stash him on your bench.
Tyler Anderson is the only projected starter to not appear on the ADP list. He went 6-6 with a 5.43 ERA across 141 innings last season, only striking out 119 batters. Anderson could be a streaming option against weaker-hitting teams.
Nobody else really stands out right now, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t step up at some point. The FantasySP team will keep track of those players and let you know who to pick up as the season rolls along, so stick with us!
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