Ohtani Throws a Bullpen Session; Is There Value on Angels at +4000 to Win The AL?
- Shohei Ohtani threw off a mound on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery
- The Los Angeles Angels have won four straight and 10 of 15 and are within striking distance of a Wild Card spot
- But the Angels are just 19-25 against teams with a winning record and have no plans to use Ohtani as a pitcher in 2019
The Los Angeles Angels have won four straight and 10 of their last 15 games to pull themselves into contention for a Wild Card spot in the American League. They got some more good news when it was announced that Shohei Ohtani had a bullpen session, even though he’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Are the Angels a good bet as they rise or should bettors stay away?
Odds To Win 2019 American League Pennant
| Team | 2019 American League Odds Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +200 |
| Houston Astros | +250 |
| Minnesota Twins | +400 |
| Boston Red Sox | +800 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +800 |
| Cleveland Indians | +1400 |
| Texas Rangers | +2500 |
| Oakland Athletics | +3300 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +4000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +8000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +30000 |
*Odds taken 06/28/19.
Ohtani Throws Off Mount For First Time
Ohtani was seen throwing off a mound on Wednesday, which was the first time he’s done that since undergoing elbow surgery. The reason that’s important is if he was able to return to the mound this season, he’d give the Angels pitching staff a boost. They need it as they are 22nd in team ERA (4.86) and 16th in WHIP (1.34).
Ohtani was 4-2 on the mound last season with a reasonable 3.31 ERA. Even if he was only able to come back and help in the bullpen, that would be welcomed.
However, the reality is he’s not expected to be back on the mound until 2020. It’s unrealistic to think they’d even risk it – especially since the team isn’t close to World Series contention. When it comes to assessing the Angels’ chances in 2019, disregard Ohtani as potential pitching help. That’s a pipedream.
Angels Have Played Well Recently
The Angels are playing some of their best ball of the season right now. As mentioned, they’ve won 10 of 15 and are now above .500 at 42-40. They had been below .500 almost the entire season prior to that.
As a result, the Angels are now just 3.5 games out of a Wild Card playoff spot as they look to track down the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.
Can The Angels Keep This Up?
The concern here is that the Angels have mostly been a .500 team all season long. Even if you dive into some of the numbers and look at the teams they’ve played recently, their little “hot streak” isn’t all that impressive. Yes, they do have a pair of wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers but they also swept the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds recently.
On the season, the Angels are just a paltry 19-25 when facing a team with a winning record. That has to be a concern as they’re in a strong division and with three other teams above .500. They’re going to have a tough schedule the rest of the way.
On top of that, to close the gap and get into one of the Wild Card spots, they’re going to have to leapfrog several teams. If it was just one or two, there would have a better shot, but needing to leapfrog four teams (all with better run differentials) is too tall an order.
Don’t Bet The Angels
Yes, the Angels have played well recently and their odds to win the World Series and American League Pennant have improved, but don’t go overboard. This is a very average team that would love to just make the playoffs.
Winning the Pennant or World Series is out of the question.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
