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Wilson to be honored as Angels' top pitcher

ANAHEIM -- C.J. Wilson will be presented with the Nick Adenhart Award on Saturday, which is voted on by the players and is presented annually to the Angels' best pitcher, but the team's public-relations department had yet to inform him about it when he arrived to the ballpark Friday.

Really, they didn't need to -- it has been obvious for quite a while.

On a team that has been hindered by starting pitching problems, Wilson has been the one constant, taking every turn through the rotation, setting a career high with 17 wins, posting a 3.36 ERA and leading the Angels' beleaguered staff in basically every category: starts (31), innings (198) and strikeouts (173).

Wilson, who still has two starts left, is the first Angels lefty with at least 17 wins and 170 strikeouts since Mark Langston and Chuck Finley in 1991.

Last year, he pitched like an All-Star in the first half (2.43 ERA) and struggled mightily in the second half (5.54 ERA), ultimately having offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his left elbow.

This year, he has been consistent pretty much all year, with a 13-1 record and a 2.91 ERA since mid-June.

"The currency that we have is consistency," Wilson said. "If you're throwing your innings, taking the ball, making your starts, that's worth something. That's really all I can do. Hopefully that continues to happen for the rest of my time in an Angel uniform. I just want to win, and I want to be a consistent piece to the rotation. Hopefully we can have more people step up and be more consistent, as well."

Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez.
Read More: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, C.J. Wilson