Erick Aybar’s superb start contributes to Angels’ surprise success

I was recently given the opportunity to write an article for FanSided.com's "Halo Hangout" - a site dedicated to fans of the Los Angeles Angels. This was basically like a trial run to see if they like my writing style, which means that this article may or may not actually ever make it on their website, so I figured I'd post it here, as well, so somebody could take a look at it if they were interested. So here it is!

After wrapping up last weekend’s series with the Kansas City Royals, the Los Angeles Angels sit at 45 wins and 35 losses. That’s good for second place is the AL West and, if the season ended today, a spot as the top American League wild card. While Mike Trout is off to another all-star start, hot-hitting newcomers CJ Cron and Kole Calhoun have earned regular spots in the lineup and a resurgent Josh Hamilton has returned to form, one of the team’s most consistent contributors has been its long-time shortstop, Erick Aybar.

Aybar, who is in his ninth year with the club, is having an excellent season for the Halos, posting some impressive numbers that rank him as one of the best shortstops in the league.

Aybar has been impressive at the plate through June, scoring 40 runs and knocking in 41 RBI on 85 hits and boasting a batting average of .283. Among American League shortstops, he ranks second in hits and doubles (21 to date), fourth in runs and batting average, and leads his AL peers in runs batted in, triples (3) and slugging percentage (.430).

While Trout leads the team in nearly every major statistical category for hitters, Aybar is right on his heels, coming in second for hits, doubles and triples. Aybar has also been a model of durability for the Halos, having appeared in 78 of 80 games thus far.

Currently, Aybar is on track to best his 2013 statistics in most offensive categories. He has already scored nine more runs than he did in the first half of last season and has also recorded three more hits, eight more doubles, three more home runs and seven more RBI than he had at last year’s all-star break. With two more weeks until this season’s half-way point, Angels fans can expect those numbers to continue growing.

Batting has not been the only highlight of Aybar’s 2014 campaign; his fielding has been superb, as well. Aybar leads all shortstops in the league with only five errors at this point in the season, with an AL-leading fielding percentage of .983. He also ranks third in the majors with 109 put-outs and has turned 42 double plays.

As the Angels look to maintain their wild card lead and hopefully close the current five-and-a-half-game gap between the division-leading Oakland A’s, the superb play of their shortstop should remain a key factor to the team’s success going forward. Aybar and the Angels will wrap up the first half of the season with series against the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and injury-plagued Texas Rangers.