ANAHEIM -- The last time general manager Perry Minasian spoke with the media in early May, the Angels were going through it.
They were struggling in all facets of the game, especially offensively, but Minasian remained confident it was just a bad stretch. Since then, the Angels have flipped the switch, as they’ve won 12 of their last 17, including eight in a row after a 7-4 win in Friday’s series opener against the Marlins. The offense has carried the load, averaging six runs per game over that stretch after averaging two-and-a-half runs per game over their previous 21 contests.
"I felt like they were really productive young players before this week,” Minasian said. “We’re playing better. It's a game of execution, and the more experience these guys get, especially close and late, the more chances they have to do some positive things. We're seeing some production. But it’s the entire team, not just the young guys. Seeing some of the veterans step up and do what they're doing. When you combine that with what some of our young guys are doing and the kind of starts we've been getting for the most part, it's been fun to watch.”
Minasian pointed to veterans such as Taylor Ward and Yoan Moncada for helping ignite the offense, but the most promising thing about this season has been the development of shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. All three have improved on their numbers from last year and are a big reason why the Angels have played better of late.
"Three very talented players, three players that, from a DNA standpoint, that's what you want,” Minasian said. “Guys that wake up thinking about baseball, guys that go to bed thinking about it. They're baseball players, and they want to win. So seeing them step up in those moments, those winning moments, and doing things to help us win, is something that, for me, is not surprising.”
Minasian also credited the coaching staff for helping the Angels get out of their rut. He backed them earlier in the month and said nothing has changed on that front. Veterans like Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud and Ward have all credited the hitting coaches for their recent turnarounds.
"We started off well, hit a little lull,” Minasian said. “We're playing well now. I mean, it’s baseball. But this is a group that works really hard. There's a lot of experience on the staff, good rapport with the players. There's an absolute respect from the players to the coaches, and vice versa. That’s really important. The work that they've put in, and it started last year, has started to pay dividends.”
Minasian believes the starting pitching has been mostly fine, and the Angels are the only club in the Majors that has used just five starters all year. He admitted the bullpen has been a little bit more in flux but said the backend led by closer Kenley Jansen has been solid.
The Angels will continue to monitor the waiver wire to improve the roster and could also look to the Minor Leagues. Christian Moore, ranked as their No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday and the second baseman has started off on a tear, going 8-for-13 through his first three games, including going 4-for-5 with a homer on Thursday.
"Christian obviously got off to a slow start in Double-A, [but] played a lot better of late, made some adjustments at the plate, did a lot of things off the field that we wanted him to do,” Minasian said. “As far as work goes, he's been outstanding from that point of view. So taking a look at it and talking to our staff, we felt like it was the right time to move him, and he's gotten off to a good start in Triple-A.”