The Team: Los Angeles Angels
The Year: 2029
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W/L Record: 118-44
Run Differential: 987 RS vs. 621 RA +366 Runs
Awards: AL Batting Title: Antonio Candelalia, AL ERA Leader: Demont Williams and Javy Pena (Tie at 2.78), AL Win Leader: Demont Williams (21), AL Cy Young: Demont Williams, AL Rookie of the Year: LF Antonio Candelalia, AL Glove Glove: Peter Potter SS
All Stars: 2B Max Franco, LF Antonio Candelalia, LF Marcus Cases, SP Javy Pena, C Todd Becker, SS Peter Potter, RP Brett Topciy, SP Demont Williams
League Leading Stat Categories: .56 Away Wins, .302 Team Batting Average, .363 Team OBP, .820 Team OPS, 987 Runs Scored
Lineup/Bench Rotation/Bullpen
CF Peter Carson Tobey Horton
2B Max Franco Demont Williams
LF Antonio Candelalia Javy Pena
1B Tim Vandyke Joe Arnold
C Todd Becker Jay Mantle
3B Marco Reyes CL Ryan Kesterson
DH Marcus Cases SU Brett Topciy
RF Ray Newcomb SR Jim Hartnett
SS Peter Potter SR Scott Craig
MR Matthew Weaver
LR Gustavo Telon
1B Josh Bradley
C Gavyn Secter
IF Mario Delossanto
OF Ben Brooks
OF Steve Thompson
The Key Players: It seems only right to start this blog with the man the team page was titled after: Peter Carson. (Johnny Carson reference for those of you too young for it) Peter Carson holds a number of major records in the league. Three of the top ten performances in runs scored (including the second most ever in 2029) belong to him. He is the all-time leader in hits with 3,466. (400 more than the next closest) He's the all-time leader in runs scored and the only player to ever exceed 2,000 runs scored. He's fifth all-time in stolen bases with 661. And he's got a deserving spot on the FCM Hitter Mt. Rushmore. He has been an impact player ever since he debuted at 23 years old in 2028. The speedy switch hitting CFer was never quite an elite defensive player, but as a leadoff hitter there is little question he is the best the league has ever seen. In addition to the amazing stats above, the Hall of Famer also hit 568 doubles, drove in 1278 runs, drew over 1100 walks, and was a career .841 OPS player. His emergence had a lot to do with the Angels dynasty that flourished in the late 2020s and into the 2030s.
In his second season of pro ball, Carson put up an absolutely insane season. He hit .338 with 8 home runs, 79 stolen bases (caught only 3 times!), 83 RBI, the historic 153 runs scored, 35 doubles, 3 triples, and slashed .338/396/433 for an .826 OPS. During the season he also put up a 34 game hitting streak to start the season. He was the catalyst for the team from start to finish and his performance at the top of the lineup set the tone for a lineup that otherwise didn't put up eye-popping numbers. His ability to manufacture runs was pivotal to the success this team experienced.
The rest of the lineup featured a lot of versatile hitters who had good seasons, but perhaps the next most impressive performance came from rookie Antonio Candelalia. The Candy Man fell short of being a Hall of Fame player, but he broke into the league with a bang. Candelalia, a switch hitter who played left field, broke in with a batting title earned by hitting .354 on the year. He also scored 94 runs, hit 40 doubles, 20 home runs, drove in 80, K'd only 63 times in 514 PAs, and slashed .354/.405/556 for a .961 OPS. His performance was enough to earn him an All-star nod and the Rookie of the Year award for the season.
The middle of the Angel order was lead by HOFer Tim Vandyke and RFer Ray Newcomb. Vandyke would go on to hit just short of 500 home runs (497) and have a career OPS of .906 to go with 4 MVP Awards. In 2029 he hit .267 with 25 home runs, 90 runs scored, 110 RBI, 33 doubles, and an .830 OPS. It wasn't his best season as an Angel, but it was enough to help them to the World Series. Especially helpful was his 1.115 OPS Divisional Round against the rival Blue Jays, who they defeated in 5 games. Newcomb wasn't around for the playoffs due to injury, but during the season he was the team's best power hitter. He hit 30 doubles, 35 home runs, drove in 113 runs, and had an .894 OPS in about 450 at-bats. His loss in late August was thought to be a major blow for the team but they managed to fight through it and still hoist the World Series trophy.
Two switch hitting infielders were also very important to the team: 2B Max Franco and 3B Marco Reyes. Neither player became a Hall of Famer, but both were solid fielders who did their part to help the pitching staff be among the best in the league. Franco hit .322 with 4 home runs, 7 stolen bases, 102 runs scored, 92 RBI, and a .392 OBP. Reyes was the second leading power hitter on the team with a .295 batting average, 33 home runs, 10 stolen bases, 93 runs scored, and 83 RBI.
Rounding out the lineup were young catcher Todd Becker and shortstop Peter Potter. Potter would go on to be a bit of a journeyman, but also post fringe HOF numbers. The switch hitter was best known for elite defense at a premium position. In 2029 he hit .298 with 10 home runs, 12 stolen bases, 90 runs scored, 95 RBI, and a .348 OBP. Becker hit .310 with 11 home runs, 76 runs, 90 RBI, and a .343 OBP. As you can see from this lineup, the strength of it was largely the fact that there were no weak spots. Every regular drove in at least 75 runs, scored at least 75 runs, and all but one hit better than .295. Other than Peter Carson there weren't any superstar performances, but just a super balanced lineup that provided a ton of offense for the team.
Being helped out by that excellent offensive group was a very talented pitching staff that boasted three future hall of famers. Leading the way was FCM's second and third winningest pitchers in history: Demont D-Train Williams and Tobey Horton. Other than Donovan Pace, no other pitchers have ever record more wins than these two aces. Williams recorded 327 wins in his career while Horton sported 309. In 2029 these two lead the way for the team, but Williams moreso than Horton. Williams threw 210 innings for the team and had a 2.78 ERA with 111 strikeouts, a 21-4 record, 5 complete games, and a .237 OBP against. He also holds a legacy as one of the toughest playoff pitchers of all-time. Reality has him as only a 21-15 pitcher in 48 starts with a 3.36 ERA but he also holds two World Series MVP awards, 3 gold gloves, 11 All-star appearances, and 2 Cy Young Awards. He was instrumental in the team winning the WS in 2029, making two starts and posting a 2.70 ERA in 13 innings.
Horton went 15-10 in 2029 and posted a 3.45 ERA in 211 innings with 110 Ks, a .260 OBP against, and three shutouts. Horton's career was one that posted some awesome numbers (like his win total), but he was never able to secure a Cy Young despite 10 all-star appearances, 6 gold gloves, and a variety of other impressive statistics. He was the ultimate control and movement guy that wasn't overly impressive or dominant but with the right defenses behind him made a career out of forcing weak contact. 2029 was a good example of what he brought to the table - not as good as many of his contemporaries but really good at keeping his team in games.
The rest of the rotation featured former number 1 overall Jay Mantle, grinder Joe Arnold, and young lefty Javy Pena. Pena was a breakout second year performer, going 204 innings with 141 Ks, an 18-4 record, and a crazy 8 home runs allowed all year. Arnold was a grizzled veteran of 250 starts before 2029 and was the veteran of the staff by a considerable margin. He had a similar talent profile to Tobey Horton, a control and movement expert who kept his teams in games, and that's pretty much what he did in 2029. Arnold pitched 191 innings with a 3.82 ERA, a 17-5 record, and 125 strikeouts.
Lastly was rookie Jay Mantle. Mantle came with huge hype after being the first pick in the 2024 draft. This was the same draft that LAA used to pick catcher Todd Becker, outfielder Antonio Candelalia, pitcher Javy Pena, and their infielders Marco Reyes and Max Franco. 2024 might as well have been called The LA Draft as the Dodgers and Angels dominated the choices and came away with huge talent crops to help build their teams. Mantle, for all his promise, never became the player he was hoped to be. His career flamed out with none of the results that were hoped for and 2029 proved to be the first signs of trouble: he pitched 186 innings but only struck out 98 batters with a 3.86 ERA to go with a 15-7 record.
The bullpen featured the third of our three HOFers: Ryan Kesterson. Kesterson ranks 8th all time in FCM for saves and 2029 was an excellent example of what he brought to the table. Kesterson had a 2.49 ERA and pitched 72 innings for the team with 74 strikeouts, a 5-3 record, a .201 OBP against, and 41 saves in 45 chances. He was exactly the kind of lock down closer an elite team needs at the back end of their bullpen. He wasn't quite as dominant in the playoffs (8 ER in 8 innings) but he did well enough to not cost the team in their post-season run.
The rest of the bullpen was not nearly as impressive and was the clear weak link for the team. Brett Topciy pitched 76 innings as the setup man with a 4.24 ERA and a 5-5 record, Jim Hartnett pitched 83 innings with a 3.46 ERA and a 3-4 record. Scott Craig and Matthew Weaver had the middle innings with a 3.73 ERA in 50 innings with a 2-1 record and a 4.79 ERA in 62 innings with a 4-1 record respectively. Long reliever Gustavo Telon pitched 80 innings, struck out 60, went 5-3, and had a 3.95 ERA.
Interview with the Owner: None Available
What Sets Them Apart: 5 Hall of Fame players, a team built almost entirely in two drafts, and one of the best top-to-bottom lineups in history: this team earned it's place. As a rival of the Angels for most of their run, I always knew getting past them in the playoffs would be a chore. Demont Williams was notoriously tough in big games and was a huge weapon for this team for over 20 years. They had a lot of switch hitters and versatile players that made matching up with them very difficult and they also played good defense and emphasized weak contact. It was the pinnacle of one of the league's most dominant runs. This team boasts an incredible amount of depth in their rotation and lineup which made them one of the most complete builds in FCM history.
Coming Next: 4th Best Team in FCM History: Who needs Leo, Mikey, and Donnie?
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