Why Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom Deserve Every-Day Roles for the Angels

Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom came to the Angels as former top prospects who had yet to perform well at the Major League level but both are playing well and deserve starting positions.

May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Oswald Peraza (2) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the New York Mets at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom came to the Angels as former top prospects who had yet to perform well at the Major League level. Thus far in 2026 they have lived up to their potential and played quite well. Their play merits them to be starting players.

However, manager Kurt Suzuki contines to play declining veterans Yoan Moncada and Josh Lowe who are black holes in the Angels lineup. Neither is good with the glove, either, which further illustrates their lack of value to the team.

Oswald Peraza should start at third base.

Oswald Peraza is outperforming Moncada on both sides of the ball. Offensively he is slashing .280/.343/.462 which is good for and OPS that is 25% better than the average MLB hitter. Most of his damage has come against lefties who is has crushed to the tune of .324/.359/.622 and 3 of his 4 home runs.

Even Peraza's .250/.333/.357 line against right handers is a huge improvement over the offense Moncada is providing; or lack thereof. Beyond that, this is a year where the Angels should be playing younger players as they try to build a competitive team for the future.

Vaughn Grissom should start at second base.

May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) slides into second base to beat a throw to Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) for a stolen base in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Second base was a job that was wide open when camp opened. Vaughn Grissom did not earn the job out of camp but has roared back after healing from a wrist injury. In a small sample size of 60 plate appearances the former Brave is producing at a .280/.356/.420 clip.

Like Peraza, Grissom has hit lefties harder than righties this season. But his line of .259/.355/.407 against righties is very solid. In his career he has fared better with the platoon advantage but he is only 25 years old and needs to play to prove whether or not he is part of the next Angels core.

Adam Frazier and Bryce Teodosio should platoon in left field.

I have nothing against Josh Lowe. He seems like a good guy. It is not his fault he was involved in a nonsensical trade that weakened the bullpen to acquire him. But his career trajectory is akin to the direction geese fly in the winter.

Lowe has an option remaining and should be in Salt Lake City already. His bWAR is -0.9 and his offensive line of .149/.198/.287 resembles a pitcher not a left fielder.

Adam Frazier is lapping Lowe with a .246/.328/.404 line that is 5% better than league average. Lowe is 65% worse than league average. The two are polar opposite hitters in that Frazier rarely strikes out while Lowe rarely makes contact.

Against right handed pitching, Frazier is posting a .255/.327/.447 line. If the Angels were to platoon him in left field he would add an immediate jolt to the lineup.

Frazier is a left handed bat like Lowe and is just as good defensively if not better. Teodosio is an amazing defender who is a poor hitter but not as poor as Lowe. Both halves of the platoon are an improvement.

When will Kurt Suzuki make the changes?

Nobody knows. Suzuki is a first time manager who is clearly finding his way. When the Angels hired an experienced coaching staff to support him the thought was Suzuki would seek counsel from others. Apparently Kurt is not looking at statistics or match up data when he makes his decisions.