March 28, 2017 Page 1 of 19

Clips

(March 28, 2017)

March 28, 2017 Page 2 of 19

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

 Angels' opening-day roster isn't set quite yet

 Angels Jesse Chavez shines as Angels top Diamondbacks

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 5)

Martin Maldonado wows Angels with 'cannon' arm

 Jesse Chavez sharp in Angels' victory over Diamondbacks

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

 Free agents could be valuable at Deadline

 Relievers Guerra, Valdez among Angels cuts

 Pujols backs Chavez's strong start

 Angels cautious with Simmons' stiff back

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST (Page 13)

 Angels’ convinced a coach’s son to drop $1,500 on ‘Clash of Clans’

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (Page 13)

 The New Testament: An oral history of Mike Trout's greatest moments to date

FROM ESPN.COM (Page 17)

 Predicting Angels’ 2017 record

March 28, 2017 Page 3 of 19

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES .

Angels' opening-day roster isn't set quite yet

By Pedro Moura

Less than one week from , the Angels roster remains an incomplete puzzle, much like the order of their starting rotation.

Manager Mike Scioscia may have offered a hint about the rotation Monday when he said right-hander Ricky Nolasco would start in a minor league game Tuesday rather than pitch in the Angels’ game against Oakland. The Angels open the regular season against the Athletics; it stands to reason they’d like to avoid exposing him to a division rival a week ahead. So, pencil Nolasco in for one of the first four starts of the season.

As for the roster, the Angels are not yet saying.

“I’m very pragmatic with decisions,” General said earlier in the spring. “I like to wait until the 11th hour all the time.”

Similarly, Scioscia often resorts to a familiar quip: “Do I have to tell you now?”

He will have to say soon. Noon on Sunday is the deadline to submit a 25-man roster to Major League .

That roster changes, of course. In 2016, the Angels added four players in April and 10 in May. By year’s end, 53 players appeared for the team, and at least one more dressed in uniform without getting into a game.

The Angels on Monday did reveal six players who will not make their opening roster: catcher Tony Sanchez, infielder Rey Navarro, Jr. and Shane Robinson, and right-handers Jose Valdez and . However, all six will remain in major league camp and travel with the team to the Freeway Series.

Another player, utility man Dustin Ackley, said he met with staffers and concluded his best path was staying in Arizona to bat regularly in minor league games while the team plays the Freeway Series. Ackley will then break camp with triple-A Salt Lake and head there in advance of its April 6 opener. He has not played in the field while recovering from surgery for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. He can opt out of his contract to pursue another major league opportunity, but he has to first play a position to prove his health.

Those seven decisions solidify the Angels’ lot of position players. Catcher Carlos Perez, , and infielders Jefry Marte and Cliff Pennington will formulate the opening-day bench.

Six right-handers appear still in the running for three bullpen spots: Bud Norris, , Blake Parker, Mike Morin, Kirby Yates and Austin Adams. March 28, 2017 Page 4 of 19

And there are a myriad conditions to consider. Norris and Petit can handle multiple in a game. Petit’s minor league contract has an opt-out clause. The latter three men are already on the 40-man roster. The first three are not, and would require the removal of a player who is. Among the six, only Morin can be kept in the organization without exposing him to waivers if he does not make the roster.

But, in left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-hander Nick Tropeano, the Angels possess two on their roster who will go on the 60-day disabled list when the season begins, and thus no longer take up a 40-man spot. So, every combination of the pitchers is possible.

Norris, Parker and Yates said they have not been told of the team’s plans. Norris has made seven consecutive opening-day rosters, so the uncertainty is new.

For Parker and Yates, who teams have long treated as fungible, it’s quite common. A year ago, with the , Yates packed his bags for the flight to New York for the season but learned his future only upon boarding a bus to the airport. Upon landing, he’d stay in town, not bus over to the team’s triple-A affiliate in Scranton, Pa. He made the team.

Short hops

Several Angels will leave for Anaheim after appearing in Tuesday’s Cactus League game, then work out Wednesday evening at Angel Stadium. … With his fellow pitchers surrounding him in the bullpen beyond the outfield wall at , Heaney threw off a mound Monday for the first time since his elbow ligament surgery in July. … Andrelton Simmons was the only Angels regular to not start Monday. Scioscia said Simmons had been bothered by lower-back tightness this week. The manager expects Simmons to return to the lineup by Thursday.

Angels pitcher Jesse Chavez shines as Angels top Diamondbacks

By Pedro Moura

The Angels defeated Arizona, 4-2, on Monday at Salt River Fields. They’re 17-13 in the Cactus League with two games to play.

AT THE PLATE: The Angels scored a on three singles in the second against Arizona right- hander Shelby Miller. … After back-to-back walks of Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout in the fifth inning, Albert Pujols banged a two-run .

ON THE MOUND: Right-hander Jesse Chavez threw just 73 pitches over six shutout innings. He struck out three, walked none, and allowed three hits. The PITCHf/x system installed at the stadium logged one of Chavez’s second-inning fastballs at 95.7 mph. He said he’d been paying attention to his velocity in his recent minor league starts and was pleased to see an uptick Monday. He expects to next start Saturday at Dodger Stadium, in the final exhibition game of the year. … In relief, right-handers and Andrew Bailey threw scoreless innings, while right-hander Kirby Yates yielded two runs to scrap the shutout. March 28, 2017 Page 5 of 19

EXTRA BASES: Running from first base, Pujols successfully took third on a second-inning . But, running from second base on a fifth-inning single, he experienced significant trouble slowing his lumbering body around third. Third-base coach Ron Roenicke had a stop sign up early, but Pujols appeared intent on running through it. He then tried to suddenly stop and nearly fell over. He managed to get back to third base safely and later scored on a groundout. … Trout, C.J. Cron, and Danny Espinosa each stole a base.

UP NEXT: Angels vs. , 1 p.m. Tuesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. TV: FSW; Radio: 830.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .

Catcher Martin Maldonado wows Angels with 'cannon' arm

By JEFF FLETCHER

TEMPE, Ariz. – Much as Ron Roenicke would have liked to see what could have happened, he instead took the cautious route when he handed the ball to Martin Maldonado on the mound.

Roenicke, then the manager of the , turned to his backup catcher to maneuver the final three outs of a lopsided loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in April 2014. And he gave him specific instructions.

Just throw strikes. Forget the radar gun.

“He’s got the best arm in baseball for a catcher and I thought he was going to go to the mound and try to throw 100 and I didn’t want him to get hurt,” said Roenicke, now the Angels’ third base coach. “It would have been fun to see what he could have put up on the radar gun, but you’re always concerned about a guy getting hurt.”

Maldonado merely threw 82 mph fastballs in working a scoreless inning, saving his bullets for throws from behind the plate. That was fine with Roenicke, who is such a fan of Maldonado that last October he suggested to General Manager Billy Eppler that he try to get him.

Eppler did swing a deal for Maldonado in December. In his first camp with the Angels, Maldonado has been impressing his new teammates with the arm that Roenicke saw for years in Milwaukee.

“It’s unbelievable,” Matt Shoemaker said. “It’s a noticeable difference than most. It’s an absolute cannon.”

Added : “It speaks for itself. It’s a cannon.”

Mike Scioscia: “A cannon.”

Their lack of creativity aside, the point is unmistakable. March 28, 2017 Page 6 of 19

“His arm ranks with any of the best throwing I’ve seen,” said Scioscia, a former catcher who pays special attention to the players behind the plate. “His arm strength is tremendous.”

Fellow catcher Carlos Perez said “it’s a special arm.”

Ask Maldonado about his arm and a smile crosses his face before the question is even out. Clearly, it is a source of pride for him, and no wonder Roenicke felt the need to order him not to overdo it in his cameo on the mound.

The guy loves to throw.

“Of course,” he said. “It’s like asking a hitter if he likes hitting homers. Or if you ask a pitcher if he likes to throw 100. I like throwing the baseball.”

According to figures tracked by MLB.com’s StatCast, Maldonado’s throws to second on steal attempts last season averaged 84.6 mph, which ranked third among catchers with at least 10 throws. The Yankees’ Gary Sanchez was first, at 86.4 mph, and backup Drew Butera was second at 84.7. The major league average was 79.3.

As for the results of those throws, Maldonado threw out 35 percent of runners trying to steal last season. The major league average is 24 percent.

He also picked off five runners, tied for the major league lead, even though he caught only 39 percent of the Brewers innings.

This spring, Maldonado had nailed 7 of 17 (29 percent) heading through Monday’s Cactus League game.

Although you’d like to hear there is some story behind Maldonado’s exceptional arm — long toss as a 5- year-old in Puerto Rico? — he said it’s simple genetics.

“It’s natural,” he said. “I got that from my dad. My dad had a good arm. I didn’t do anything different than any other kid.”

Maldonado was drafted, coincidentally, by the Angels in the 27th round in 2004, but he didn’t get very far in the Angels system. They released him in January 2007, at age 21, and the Brewers signed him.

Maldonado got to the big leagues with Milwaukee briefly in 2011, then he came up in 2012 for good. Although he played regularly initially because of an injury to All-Star , after that he spent most of his time on the bench watching Lucroy.

Roenicke, who managed the Brewers from 2011 to 2015, said he was always a fan of Maldonado’s catching tools, beyond his flashy arm.

“A really smart guy, really good baseball instincts, which is what I was impressed with right away,” Roenicke said. “He does a great job blocking balls. He really handles the pitching staff well. He can work with different personalities and knows what he needs to do to get them to perform well.” March 28, 2017 Page 7 of 19

Maldonado said one of his primary jobs during his first spring with the Angels has been learning his new pitchers, on and off the field.

“We talk a lot,” he said. “We talk in (batting practice), talk in the clubhouse. I am trying to know their personalities. What they like and don’t like. I know who I can get on, who I have to take it easy on.”

So far the Angels pitchers have raved about the way Maldonado has worked with them, everything from the attitude he brings to the target he gives to the pitches he calls.

“Dude, he’s money,” Richards said. “He picks up on stuff really quick. A few bullpens in he already knew what were my strengths and weaknesses. It’s going to be a lot of fun having him behind the plate.”

Added : “He takes a lot of pride and passion into the game. It fires me up.”

While there is no question about Maldonado’s skill behind the plate, his performance at the plate is another issue.

Maldonado is a career .217 hitter with a .299 on-base percentage. The Angels, though, have a couple reasons for being hopeful that he can do better. He is coming off a season in which he raised his on-base percentage to .332, which is more than adequate for a bottom-of-the-order catcher. Also, he a career-high eight homers in 253 plate appearances last season.

Plus, they are hoping that if he gets more regular playing time than in Milwaukee, he might hit better.

“When you’re only playing once a week, it’s very difficult to hit,” Roenicke said. “Offensively, it’s hard to tell what he is, but when he did get some at-bats for about two months, he swung the bat well.”

That was in 2012, in that initial call-up after Lucroy broke his hand. Maldonado played in 50 games over two months, hitting .277 with five homers in 169 plate appearances.

Although Maldonado is 4 for 42 this spring, he is undeterred.

“I feel good,” Maldonado said. “I’m seeing the ball good. I am having good at-bats, swinging at strikes. Everything is a plus.”

Maldonado will need to hit at a passable level to hold off Perez, another good defensive catcher with an inconsistent offensive history. Still, the Angels believe defense is the more important job for the catcher, and in that respect, has been a success.

“Martin has been awesome,” pitching coach Charlie Nagy said. “He’s been as advertised. He’s one of the best catchers, defense and arm and all that stuff. He’s easy to talk to. He understands our pitchers. I’m enjoying him. He’s going to be fun.”

NOTES March 28, 2017 Page 8 of 19

Andrelton Simmons has missed two straight games with back tightness. Scioscia said Simmons told him he could have played if it were the regular season, but the Angels will re-evaluate him and could give him as many as two more days off. ...

Ricky Nolasco will start in a minor league game on Tuesday, with Bud Norris making the start and likely pitching only two innings. The Angels are facing the Oakland A’s on Tuesday, the same team they see for the first four games of the regular season. ...

Several of the Angels veteran players — certainly Mike Trout and Albert Pujols among them — will be leaving Arizona after Tuesday’s game to work out at Angel Stadium on Wednesday, instead of playing the final Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Matt Shoemaker will start that game, keeping him in line to start opening day, although the Angels have not announced their season-opening rotation yet. ...

The Angels informed outfielders Shane Robinson and Eric Young, catcher Tony Sanchez, infielder Rey Navarro and pitchers Jose Valdez and Deolis Guerra that they will start the season in the minors. All six will remain with the big league team through the Freeway Series, though. The moves essentially set the opening day roster of 13 position players, with no surprises. Jefry Marte will make the team in place of injured Luis Valbuena.

Jesse Chavez sharp in Angels' victory over Diamondbacks

By JEFF FLETCHER

THE GAME: The Angels began the final week of spring training with a 4-2 victory over the on Monday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Jesse Chavez, whose last two starts were in the minors, needed just 73 pitches to toss six scoreless innings against a Diamondbacks lineup that included most of their regulars. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Chavez even had a little extra velocity, hitting 96 mph. “The last extended one of the spring is the one you want to put everything together,” Chavez said. Manager Mike Scioscia said Chavez “carved up guys on both sides of the plate. He had really good fastball command. He mixed in his cutter. He did everything you want a command pitcher to do.” ... Right-hander Cam Bedrosian pitched a scoreless inning. He has not allowed a run in seven innings this spring. ... Right-hander Andrew Bailey also added a scoreless inning. ... The Diamondbacks scored both their runs in the ninth against right-hander Kirby Yates, who has now allowed 10 earned runs in his last five innings.

HITTING REPORT: Albert Pujols singled and had a two-run double. Pujols was also tested on the bases. He ran first to third on a single to left, showing no issues. He later ran hard around third on a single into left, only to slam on the brakes and slide back into third. ... Right fielder Kole Calhoun reached base three times, with a walk, a hit and hit-by-pitch. ... Center fielder Mike Trout hit into a rare double play. He also stole his fourth base of the spring, without getting thrown out. March 28, 2017 Page 9 of 19

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Bud Norris) vs. A’s (RHP Raul Alcantara), Tuesday, 1 p.m. PT, Tempe Diablo Stadium, Fox Sports West, KLAA (830 AM)

FROM ANGELS.COM .

Free agents could be valuable at Deadline

Competition in AL West fierce as Opening Day approaches

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

TEMPE, Ariz. -- It's hard to predict where the Angels might be when the non-waiver Trade Deadline rolls around on July 31.

They have the pieces to be surprise contenders if everything breaks right, but they're also vulnerable to injuries in their rotation and will face tough competition from the reloaded Astros, Mariners and Rangers in the West.

Last year, the Angels' thin pitching depth was exposed when they lost left-hander Andrew Heaney and ace right-hander Garrett Richards -- their top two starters -- to elbow ligament tears within the first two months of the season. The Angels didn't have enough depth to absorb those two big hits, and by May 12, they found themselves eight games below .500.

Richards avoided Tommy John surgery by receiving an injection of stem cells in his elbow and is now healthy, and the Angels tried to deepen their pitching staff by adding Yusmeiro Petit, Bud Norris, John Lamb, Vicente Campos and Brooks Pounders over the offseason. While the Halos will also have prospects Alex Meyer and Nate Smith at Triple-A Salt Lake, they'll still be in trouble if they lose any of their top starters -- Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Ricky Nolasco -- for an extended period of time.

If the Angels are still in the hunt at the Trade Deadline, they'll be hard pressed to fill any significant holes via trade because their farm system is not very fertile and does not feature any players who cracked MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list. If they're out of the race, the Angels will likely look to replenish their system by becoming sellers, as they did last year when they dealt left-hander and relievers Joe Smith and Fernando Salas.

The Angels brought in several players over the winter who are slated to hit free agency at the end of the season, including Danny Espinosa, left fielder Cameron Maybin, outfielder Ben Revere, and right-handers Jesse Chavez and Andrew Bailey. is entering the final year of his contract. Righties Huston Street and Nolasco, who both have options for 2018, are also potential free agents.

If any of their soon-to-be free agents have value on the trade market, the Angels could be active leading up to the Trade Deadline. A lot can happen between now and the end of July, though. March 28, 2017 Page 10 of 19

Relievers Guerra, Valdez among Angels cuts

Four more reassigned to Minor League camp

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels moved to finalizing their Opening Day roster on Monday after reassigning six players to Minor League camp, including right-handed relievers Deolis Guerra and Jose Valdez.

Guerra and Valdez both had stints in the Angels' bullpen in 2016, but they were outrighted off the club's 40-man roster over the offseason and had arrived at Spring Training hoping to reclaim their relief jobs. Guerra, 27, logged a 10.80 ERA over five Cactus League appearances and spent part of camp pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. The 27-year-old Valdez recorded a 5.23 ERA over 10 1/3 innings this spring.

Outfielders Eric Young Jr. and Shane Robinson, infielder Rey Navarro and catcher Tony Sanchez were also among Monday's cuts, though the six reassigned players will all travel with the club to California for the Freeway Series against the Dodgers this weekend. The Angels now have 34 active players in Major League camp, though they will have to trim that number to 25 before they play their season opener against the A's on April 3 in Oakland.

Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels' coaching staff had a meeting following Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Royals to discuss possible roster configurations.

"I think we narrowed a lot of things down significantly," Scioscia said.

Though the Angels appear pretty much set on which position players will make the squad, some questions remain about the assemblage of the pitching staff, specifically the bullpen. Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bailey, JC Ramirez, Bud Norris, Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Alvarez all seem likely to make the team as relievers, leaving one open spot that could be filled by Blake Parker, Mike Morin, Kirby Yates or Austin Adams.

Parker, who was claimed off waivers from the Brewers in December, has made a strong push after posting a 0.96 ERA with 15 over 9 1/3 Cactus League innings. The 31-year-old is in camp on a Minor League deal and would have to be added to the 40-man roster if he makes the team.

Pujols backs Chavez's strong start

By Owen Perkins and Maria Guardado / MLB.com | March 27th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Angels broke open a one-run game with a three-run rally in the fifth that sparked their 4-2 win over the D-backs, but it was a commanding performance from Angels starter Jesse Chavez that ruled the day. March 28, 2017 Page 11 of 19

Chavez was masterful, getting through six full innings on just 73 pitches (43 strikes). He blanked the D- backs on three hits, walking none and striking out three, providing extra justification for being named the Angels' fifth starter.

"I've seen him throw like that against us a lot," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "He carved guys up on both sides of the plate and really had good fastball command. Mixed in his cutters, did everything you want a command pitcher to do. And he was sneaky, too, had good velocity."

The Angels took an early lead in the second when Albert Pujols led off with a single to left. C.J. Cron moved him over with a base hit and Danny Espinosa's RBI single to right put the Angels up 1-0.

D-backs starter Shelby Miller had a solid outing but could have been more efficient with his pitches. He came out of the fifth after facing two batters with 94 pitches logged, 56 for strikes. He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four before turning the inning over to left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who is competing for a spot in the D-backs bullpen.

"I was trying to overpower the hitter and not really focusing on hitting my spots," Miller said. "I probably wasted at least 10 pitches on heaters that I missed up that I was trying to go down and away with, or that they didn't swing at. It wasn't efficient at all. Other than that I felt good. Offspeed stuff was good, I just have to work on getting that fastball location."

De La Rosa faced the heart of the Angels order -- Mike Trout, Pujols, and Cameron Maybin -- and allowed two runs on a walk and two hits, including a ground-rule double to left from Pujols. De La Rosa came back in the sixth to retire the only left-handed hitter he faced, Nolan Fontana.

"We know the batters he was thrown in against," D-backs manager said. "We want to test these guys, we want to challenge these guys, and we want them to rise to the challenge of facing some of the best hitters on the opposition. It's a good way for us to measure and mark and see where they're at. He didn't back down. He was unable to be consistent with has fastball, and I think that's why the first inning was a little bit of a challenge for him."

Right-hander is among three other relievers competing with De La Rosa for two spots in the D-backs bullpen. Pitching for just the second time in over three weeks since leaving to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Bracho pitched a one-two-three eighth, with two strikeouts.

"What he did today was pretty impressive," Lovullo said. "Fastball command, down in the zone, quality changeup, and really blew threw his hitters and blew threw his inning's worth of work. That was a really encouraging outing for us to watch, and I'm sure it was really exciting for him to get that under his belt, knowing what he walked through over the last two weeks."

Arizona could muster little offense through the first seven innings, with Miller connecting for the lone extra-base hit, a double to center in the bottom of the third.

Angels Up Next: Right-hander Bud Norris will make his seventh appearance of the spring on Tuesday when the Angels host the A's at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Norris, who is in good position to make the March 28, 2017 Page 12 of 19

Halos' bullpen, is only expected to throw a couple of innings. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. PT. The game can be seen on MLB.TV.

D-backs Up Next: gets his final tune-up before making his Opening Day start when the D- backs visit the Mariners for a 1:10 p.m. PT tilt on Tuesday. The right-hander has made two previous Cactus League starts and has allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five over 6 2/3 innings. The game can be seen on MLB.TV.

Angels cautious with Simmons' stiff back

Chavez appears to have firm grasp on rotation job after scoreless start

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Shortstop Andrelton Simmons missed his second straight spring game on Monday due to lower back stiffness, though the Angels do not believe the ailment is serious.

"He's OK," manager Mike Scioscia said following the Halos' 4-2 win over the D-backs at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. "He had a little lower back stiffness, so as a precaution we sat him down yesterday and took it easy today. He says if it's a regular season game he could have played, but we wanted to make sure that he's over it."

Scioscia said Simmons will be evaluated on Tuesday and should be back in the lineup within a couple of days. Simmons returned to camp last week following a three-week hiatus to represent the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. The 27-year-old infielder is 3-for-16 (.188) with two RBIs and three runs scored in six Cactus League games.

Chavez shines vs. D-backs Right-hander Jesse Chavez likely locked down his spot in the Angels' rotation by firing six shutout innings in his fourth Cactus League start on Monday.

Chavez, whose last two outings were in the Minors, held the D-backs to just three hits while striking out three and walking none in the 73-pitch outing.

"The last extended one of the spring is the one you want to put everything together," said Chavez, who signed a one-year, $5.75 million deal with the Angels over the winter. "We were able to execute both sides of the plate. Early on I was struggling a little with my cutter -- it was a little slider-y I'd say -- but once we got a feel, we were able to get back on track with my two-seamer."

The 33-year-old veteran said the Angels have not officially told him whether he'll be in their starting rotation, but he expects that conversation to take place in the coming days.

Worth noting • Ricky Nolasco will make a Minor League road start against the Cubs on Tuesday, with Bud Norris pitching concurrently in the Angels' Cactus League game against the A's at Tempe Diablo Stadium. March 28, 2017 Page 13 of 19

• Cam Bedrosian extended his scoreless streak to seven innings this spring by tossing a clean seventh against the D-backs on Monday. Bullpen hopeful Kirby Yates, meanwhile, gave up two runs on three hits in the ninth. Yates' spring ERA has ballooned to 8.71 over his last five outings, jeopardizing his chances of making the club's relief corps.

• Vicente Campos, who has not pitched since March 5 due to a nerve issue in his right forearm, is slated to resume throwing off the mound this week.

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST . Angels’ Mike Trout convinced a coach’s son to drop $1,500 on ‘Clash of Clans’

As Angels center fielder Mike Trout prepares to begin the sixth full season of his major league career, Sports Illustrated’s Ben Reiter talked to a bunch of the two-time American League MVP’s coaches, teammates and opponents to get a better appreciation of one of baseball’s biggest stars.

There are a lot of interesting nuggets within Reiter’s “oral history of Mike Trout’s greatest moments to date,” including a teammate who claims parking a car is “the only thing that Trout’s not the best at,” but the funniest story comes from former Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher, who is entering his second season as pitching coach of the Diamondbacks.

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

The New Testament: An oral history of Mike Trout's greatest moments to date

By Ben Reiter

Half a decade into the Mike Trout era, this much is clear: He can do most anything he puts his mind to. At 25, the Angels' centerfielder has won two American League MVP awards, in 2014 and '16, and could easily own five. (He has three second-place finishes.) Last fall, FanGraphs writer August Fagerstrom determined that Trout just completed the ninth-best five-year stretch, by Wins Above Replacement (WAR), of any position player in history. Of course, the eight above him were credited for their peak years, while Trout theoretically has yet to reach his physical prime.

One thing in which Trout is not interested is discussing his own burgeoning legacy. He's notoriously laconic on the subject. Luckily, those who know him are not. Cooperstown is still perhaps 20 years away, but why wait to appreciate his greatness? SI asked coaches, teammates and other insiders for their perspectives on a legend whose best days are not locked in history but are still in front of him—and of us.

The Millville Meteor March 28, 2017 Page 14 of 19

Roy Hallenbeck, Millville (N.J.) Senior High Baseball Coach: He was a Little League legend, but when he got to us, he was small. The only tool that jumped out was speed. His first year, we had an opening in the infield and decided to give him a look. His heart was going so fast. We run simple four-corner fungo drills, and he's throwing the ball against the backstop. I said to the coaches, "This kid may not be emotionally ready for this." We were going to send him to the freshman group in a day or two if he didn't turn it around. Yeah, Mike Trout was two days from not making the team his freshman year.

Greg Morhardt, Angels Scout, '07–14: In high school Mike pulled most balls, because he could. You don't have to use the opposite field in high school if you're physically dominating and guys aren't throwing hard. Once during a showcase I said, "Hey, Mike, could you hit one down to the rightfield corner?" First one, didn't hit it great. Second one, stroked it right down the line on a rope, 10 feet fair. "O.K., that's good. Just go back to where you were." You wanted to know Mike could do it—but you don't want anybody else to know.

Kenny Williams, Millville Assistant Coach: Mike had verbally committed to East Carolina the summer before his senior year. One night Billy Godwin, the coach there, was here when we were playing our local rival. There are 30 scouts in the stands. Mike hits a moonshot, and everyone thinks it's going out. The centerfielder runs back, then realizes it's going to drop in front of him. Mike's flying. He was 3.8, 3.9 seconds home to first from the right side, which is ridiculous. He crosses the plate standing up before the ball gets back to the infield. Thirty scouts' stopwatches drop. Thirty cellphones pop up. Godwin comes walking along the backstop, kicking the ground, and says, "He's the best bleeping high school player I've ever seen. There's no way he's coming to East Carolina."

Becoming An Angel

Morhardt: We had two straight first-round picks that year, and at 24 we take a righthanded high school outfielder: , out of Texas. I'm stunned. I text someone in our room: "What's going on? Mayday, mayday!" Four minutes go by. I get a text: We're taking Trout at 25.

Scott Servais, Rangers Director Of Player Development, 2006–11: I remember in our draft room the question was, "Why would the Angels take two high school outfielders back-to-back?" Other clubs will say they were on him, but they always say that after the fact.

Brian Cashman, Yankees General Manager: This is real: He was No. 2 on our draft board. was No. 1. We were picking toward the back, No. 29, but we didn't think anybody was on him. He came off the board before us, and that's that.

Jeff Mathis, Diamondbacks Catcher; Angels Catcher, 2005–11: I was at Angel Stadium right after they drafted him. They brought him in to see the stadium and take BP. He didn't have a bat, so I gave him mine. He steps into the cage, and he starts hitting these deep bombs to right center, one after the other. My bat never sounded like that. He was 17 years old. March 28, 2017 Page 15 of 19

An Earth-Shaking Debut

Dino Ebel, Angels Bench Coach: His rookie year [in 2012], we're sitting on the plane together. I said, "You know that guy Jeter over there with the Yankees? That's you."

Jon Daniels, Rangers President Of Baseball Operations: The thing that always stood out is he has a body just entirely made for baseball. He's built like nobody else. There were questions about his arm and his defense early on, and as great as he was on Day One, he's made himself a better player.

Albert Pujols, Angels : The thing that impresses me most, for a big guy like he is, is how well he runs. When he goes around the bases, it's like a freaking linebacker running.

Ebel: I coached third [when Trout broke in], and when he was coming around, it was like a train. I made sure I got out of his way. I'm 165 pounds; he's gonna knock my block off. His steps make a different sound. Just heavy, hard, like something powerful's coming at you.

Rick Smith, Angels Trainer: He probably goes anywhere from 235 to 240 pounds. His speed, quickness, explosiveness—from zero to 60—are just amazing to me. And his spatial awareness: when to get to the fence, when to time the jump to catch a ball that's three feet over the fence. Where does it come from? It comes from God.

New Superpowers

Jeff Fletcher, Angels Beat Writer: Early in 2014 he was striking out a lot. Once in Toronto, in May, he struck out four times. I was in the clubhouse, waiting to tactfully ask him why he stunk so much, basically. Which is not the sort of thing he's used to hearing. He just looked at me and was like, "C'mon, Fletch, I know you want to ask me about strikeouts. Just get over here. Let's do it." He won MVP that year, by the way.

Ebel: In [June] 2014 he hit a game-tying grand slam off Chris Sale in the eighth. I asked him, "What were you thinking when you walked up to the plate?" He said, "I hit the on deck." In the on-deck circle he was visualizing what he was going to do. Then he did it.

C.J. Cron, Angels First Baseman: The play that sticks out is when he robbed the Mariners' Jesus Montero, at home in September 2015. I've seen people rob homers before, but the way he climbed the wall, hung up there and just snagged it, it was something I've never seen before.

Kole Calhoun, Angels Rightfielder: Half his body was literally over the fence. He made it look easy. I said to him, "Greatest catch I've ever seen." He just kinda shook it off and kept playing.

Garrett Richards, Angels : It's crazy: He's pretty decent at everything he does. He figures things out really quick. Video games. Cribbage. When Torii Hunter was here, we played a lot of dominoes, and he got good. He'll shoot in the mid-70s in golf, no problem, and we'll really only play during spring training, and sometimes on off days during the season. March 28, 2017 Page 16 of 19

Gary Disarcina, Angels Coach, 2013–16: Once [Angels coach] Paul Sorrento and I were beating him and [Angels pitcher] on the last hole, and Mike was about 180 yards off the fairway in the woods. Paul had shot 15 feet from the pin. We're whooping it up. Trout hit a five-iron off the tree trunks, landed 25–30 feet from the pole. Me and Paul were dancing. Paul misses his putt. Mikey drained a 25-footer to win. Ran around celebrating like a little kid.

Calhoun: One time I had a teammate, C.J. Wilson, take a picture of Trout parking. His parking job was crooked—didn't care, tried to get to the clubhouse quick. C.J. goes, "Here's the only thing that Trout's not the best at."

Mike Butcher, Angels Pitching Coach, 2007–15: Mike loves video games, and he used to play my son in an online game called Clash of Clans. Mike was winning, and my son asked him why he had so many weapons and tools. Mike said, "You've got to spend some money if you want to play with the big boys. Use your dad's account." The next day I get a receipt that shows $1,500 in charges. Fifteen hundred dollars! I thought somebody hacked my account. I go to my son, "What is this all about?" And he says, "Mike Trout said I needed these." I see Mike later that day, and he's just laughing. He's really this great big kid who's always having fun. He hasn't changed a bit.

Calhoun: Besides his unbelievable ability, he's the luckiest human I've ever met. We have this charity raffle that all the MLB guys participate in for a scholarship foundation. A few years ago the grand prize was a Rolex. It's probably thousands of tickets sold leaguewide. Guess whose ticket wins? A Rolex. He's lucky, man.

The Legend Continues

Kris Bryant, Cubs Third Baseman, 2016 NL MVP: If you had no clue about baseball and were just talking to him, you'd be like, This guy is a cool guy. Just a normal human being who happens to be able to do amazing things on the field.

Tim Mead, Angels V.P. Of Communications: There was a family in New Jersey that had a fire in their house at Christmastime in 2015. Lost their tree, presents, everything. Mike heard about it. On his own he picked up gifts for them—they were strangers—and dropped by the house. He low-keyed all of it. If the family had not said anything to anybody about it, it would have gone unnoticed. Tha t's Mike.

Richards: This is going to be our eighth year living together during the season, going back to A ball. Being able to watch him this whole time, I feel like he doesn't get enough credit, because he's on the West Coast. They don't see what he does on a nightly basis.

Cron: He signs autographs for kids every day, probably hundreds of them. Always. Before the game, after the game, wherever the kids are gathered. You just don't see superstars doing that.

Richards: He doesn't like the spotlight off the field. He likes to sit in a deer stand. He likes to hang out with friends. I got married this off-season, and he's engaged. The four of us all live together. The March 28, 2017 Page 17 of 19

girls are best friends. Mike's impatient when it comes to cooking. He wants stuff to be done fast. Barbecuing, he turns everything up to high heat and watches it until it's done. You can't do that.

Daniels: He's the best in the game—that any of us have ever seen, really. I look forward to when he's a free agent and signs with an East Coast team.

Jim Leyland, MLB Manager, 1986–2013: I'm not a guy who likes to compare one player to another. I'm not going to compare Mike to anybody else. But I will say this: People will try to compare other players to Mike Trout for a long time.

FROM ESPN.COM

Predicting Angels’ 2017 record

By Joe Peta / Special to ESPN.com

Reason for optimism: Thanks to the removal of below-below-replacement performers in the rotation, there's going to be a big improvement in runs allowed.

Reason for pessimism: If Mike Trout plays at the level of merely a 7.0 WAR superstar, there's probably little chance the Angels can play .500 ball.

In 2015, the Angels weren't nearly as good as their final record, as the foundation for their 85 wins that year was built on the unlikely feat of finishing 18 games over .500 in one-run contests. That's almost never a persistent trait ( fans, consult your preview) and, sure enough, the Angels went 17-20 last year in such close affairs en route to winning just 74 games -- their worst season in the Mike Scioscia era, which began in 2000.

Sabermetric principles tell us a team made up entirely of replacement players would win about 50 games in a season, so 74 wins is a pretty disappointing result for a team which annually gets about 10 WAR from one player -- Mike Trout. However, dig deep into the Angels' results last year and you find that, while they were unlucky from a Pythagorean perspective (their ending run differential of -10 suggested an 80-win team), their actual runs scored and allowed were the beneficiaries of the largest amount of cluster luck I've recorded in five years.

In summary, if the Angels got exactly the same offensive production this year as last, I'd expect them to score 32 fewer runs and if their pitchers allowed the exact same results, I'd expect 51 more runs allowed. Put it all together, plus-83 runs in cluster luck, less the unfortunate Pythagorean results, and I see a 71-win team before considering 2017 changes.

Fortunately, those changes materially improve the Angels this year. The Angels got 68 starts last year from pitchers who finished the season with an ERA of 4.97 or worse. Collectively those arms had a 5.82 ERA -- and every single one of them has been purged from the roster. (Two of them are in competition March 28, 2017 Page 18 of 19

to start Opening Day for the , believe it or not.) With a healthy Garrett Richards anchoring the rotation, there should be a huge reduction in runs allowed in 2017.

Both the bullpen and defense were a bit above average last year, so there's no reason to expect run suppression improvement in those categories. In fact, the bullpen's collective skill set suggests an ERA about one-third of a run higher, but some turnover among those arms might be enough to thwart any negative regression.

While an improved rotation will certainly help improve the team from its 71-win talent of 2016, if Los Angeles has any hopes of winning its first playoff game in the Trout era, it's going to need to score more runs. That's something Trout can't possibly help with, and it's downright scary to think how much more of a hole the Angels would be in if he simply performs at a 7.0 WAR level for a season. Rather than ask Trout to pull even more weight, the Angels attempted to take the same approach with the lineup that they took with the rotation, but the low-hanging fruit on this tree wasn't nearly as rotten.

Still, the Angels are hoping that new faces at catcher, second base and left field do the trick. I'm with them in left field where Los Angeles got something similar to traditional shortstop offensive production from the nine different players that took at-bats last season in a corner outfield spot that's expected to generate a lot more offense than that. Cameron Maybin is still under 30, despite being a tantalizing prospect who made his MLB debut a decade ago, and will be tasked with the improved production.

I have no doubt the Angels will allow fewer runs this year, and my model sees a mild degree of runs scored improvement as well. However, I suspect I'm starting at a lower base than others, so while I see a skill improvement that could approach a 100-run improvement in run differential, that only converts to an actual improvement of six wins. That gets me to 80 wins, which was within a half-game of the Vegas opening market. There's been little movement since, so this is a pass for me.

Los Angeles Angels' Record, 2012-Present

YEAR WIN TOTAL RECORD O/U DIV. FINISH ODDS

2012 92.5 89-73 Under 3rd 7-1

2013 91.5 78-84 Under 3rd 8-1

2014 86.5 98-64 Over 1st 20-1

2015 87.5 85-77 Under 3rd 12-1

2016 81.5 74-88 Under 4th 30-1

2017 79 ------60-1 March 28, 2017 Page 19 of 19

2017 projection: 80-82 (fourth, AL West)

Bet recommendation: Pass