Summary of the Los Angeles Angels 2009 season

The Los Angeles Angels had an excellent regular season in 2009 winning 97 games. With the tragic death of Nick Adenhart in April, the Angels seem to be playing better as the season progresses. The Angels have all the trappings that make a championship team, timely hitting, good starting and relief pitching, and a closer of the sort.

The Angels have been the Atlanta Braves of the 2000s, it’s safe to say. The Braves in the 1990s were consistently good with a World Series win to prove it in 1995, despite making the playoffs every year. The same goes for the Angels: a world series in 2002 despite being in the playoffs many times and having very good regular seasons. The Angels finally beat their longtime nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in the American League Division Series. The Red Sox had beaten the Angels 3 times in the last 5 years.

Tori Hunter, Bobby Abreu, Kendry Morales and Erik Aybar all had breakout seasons despite slow starts early in the season. Vladimir Guerrero’s power number has dwindled in recent seasons: In 2009, Guerrero hit 15 home runs and drove in 50 RBIs in 100 games played. Kendry Morales has had an MVP-type season with 34 home runs, 108 RBIs, a .306 average and a .569 slugging percentage.

The Angels’ starting pitching and bullpen were excellent with two players: Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders, both with 16 wins. Brian Fuentes leads the American League with 46 saves, yes, more than “Hammer of God” Mariano Rivera.

The Angels may not be the favorites to win the World Series, but that doesn’t matter: They have the talent to win another championship. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers might get more attention than the Angels on average — the Angels can beat any team at any time in 2009.