Ron Washington Reveals Game Plan For Angels Pitchers This Season
The Los Angeles Angels are expecting more competitiveness from their team this season, in part due to their new manager Ron Washington.
Washington managed the Texas Rangers to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, and was the Atlanta Braves' third base coach during their six consecutive National League East titles (2018-23), including their 2021 championship.
The Angels hired Washington to replace former manager Phil Nevin with an expectation of success. So far, it has been.
Washington's energy around the clubhouse has made a positive impression on players, creating a buzz around this team. One area the front office has wanted to improve all winter has been in the pitching department.
While they haven't added any big-time starters — yet — the front office has upgraded the Angels' bullpen. They believe a better pitching staff will allow this roster to thrive fully, with Washington running the show.
More than that, Washington is counting on the team's existing staff to take a collective leap forward with a simple, renewed approach on control.
“We want our pitchers to get to two strikes as fast as they can and for the kids in the game today, it’s about visuals. When you give them visual, even if they forget, they can always go back and look.”
While the idea seems simple on the surface, it can be tricky. Lefty Reid Detmers is already seeing improvement with this approach. He credited the Angels' coaches for communicating the attacking mindset.
“There’s definitely a big emphasis on it. First day of camp we had a meeting about throwing strikes. Not walking guys. And being around the zone. So every bullpen you are working on filling up the zone. And I think it’s translating for most for the most part. A lot of guys are pitching really well. Not a whole lot of walks.”
If the Angels can improve their pitching numbers, they may be able to be a surprise team this season. It's easier said than done, but every year we see teams make a jump that not many were expecting.
