(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Cody Allen will serve as the Angels’ closer for the ninth inning. Allen was vocal during his free agency that he wanted to pitch for a team this season that will give him the opportunity to close games. Allen has a good track record of pitching in the ninth inning and closing games, as he has 147 saves over his last five seasons as the Cleveland Indians’ closer. Allen experienced a drop off in his efficiency in the second half of the season. He is pretty reliant on his fastball, but it’s his secondary pitches that make hitters uncomfortable. Allen is the only pitcher in the bullpen who has postseason experience, as he pitched in the 2016 World Series.
(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Middleton started his 2018 campaign quite well, posting a 2.04 ERA and 6 saves through 16 innings. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by having Tommy John surgery to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament. He will miss the start of the 2019 season, but when he’s healthy enough to return he will be a big factor in the Angels’ bullpen. Middleton has a fastball that ranges 96-99 mph. When Middleton returns from injury, he will serve as the team’s set-up man to Cody Allen. With the addition of Cody Allen, Middleton will have a veteran arm to lean on in order to help grow into a more established pitcher. This will be Middleton’s third season in the Major Leagues, and at age 24, he has more room to grow as a top-notch reliever.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
Bedrosian has been an arm the Angels have depended on for the last four seasons. Last year, he posted a 5-4 record with a 3.80 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Bedrosian’s home-road splits definitely favor him pitching at home. He has a 2.43 ERA at home versus his 5.67 ERA on the road. Surprisingly, his numbers are drastically better against left-handed hitters, posting a 1.88 ERA, whereas against right-handed hitters he has a 4.95 ERA.
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Anderson was called up to the Major League roster halfway through the season. He had immediate success from the get-go, but started struggling down the home stretch as the season went on. Anderson has an impressive fastball and slider combination that keeps hitters off-balance. His fastball lights up the radar gun with a consistent speed in the high 90’s. In Anderson’s first Major League season, he had a 3-3 record with a 4.07 ERA and struck out 67 batters over 55 1/3 innings.
(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Ramirez pitches with a lot of deception, dropping down to a side-arm delivery. Right-handed hitters have a difficult time picking up the ball out of his hand, as he hides it well. He doesn’t bring anything that will overpower batters, but he has good enough stuff to throw off their balance when trying to time up his pitches. Ramirez ate up a lot of innings for the Angels last season, as he was called on to pitch 83 1/3 innings. His workload was the most innings he’s pitched throughout his four-year career, as he only pitched 8 1/3 innings in the previous 2017 season for the Angels. He had a 7-5 record with a 4.54 ERA and 95 strikeouts in the 2018 season.
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
The Angels claimed Robles off waivers last season after he was waived by the New York Mets. As a member of the Angels, Robles brought a quality arm, posting a 2.97 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings. Robles scuffled with the Mets last year, but the change of scenery with the Angels gave him a jumpstart. Robles doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, but he is very efficient at spotting up his pitches. He brings an arm that can come in and go right after batters, filling up the strike zone with pitches. His ERA with the Angels was the both lowest of his career and the first time being under 3.00.
(Top Photo: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports)
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