MLB teamThe MLB team Angels organization made a choice years ago: Focus on pitching and defense. It also vowed to avoid the temptation to raid its farm system to support its offense with a big bat.

Now it has a chance to lay out the big ol' "Told you so."

With John Lackey (triceps) out at least a month and Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) recently shut down, the MLB team Angels will have a chance to showcase all of the pitching it horded in lieu of a big bat. It will also have opportunities for the farm talent that once made it the No. 1 in Baseball America's prospect rankings.
Losing one front-line veteran arm was enough, but make it two and then add No. 1 starter Erik Bedard to a live underdog in MLB team Seattle. There you have a formula for a changing of the guard in the AL West.
Even this winter, they couldn't pull the trigger to add Miguel Cabrera or Miguel Tejada when everything added up for them to finally get a protector for lonely slugger Vladimir Guerrero. Instead, they deal their starting shortstop for former 18-game winner Jon Garland and sign a yet another Gold Glove caliber center fielder in Torii Hunter, one winter after spending $50 million on Gary Matthews.
But the MLB team Angels, who we drop from No. 7 to No. 9 in our preseason Power Rankings, not only feel they have the pitching, they expect to have the bats to get the job done over the upstart Mariners and rebuilding MLB team Rangers and A's in the AL West.
With Lackey and Escobar out -- Escobar perhaps for the year -- the MLB team Angels turn to lefty Joe Saunders and Dustin Moseley or top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart, a 21-year-old. None of these arms has pitched a full 180-inning season in a rotation as a pro.
While Jered Weaver is entering his third season and should be ready to assume the role of staff ace, those young back-end arms will still be asked to perform like the top veteran arms the MLB team Angels are accustomed to throwing out there.
"If (Howie) Kendrick and (Casey) Kotchman emerge the way their progression says they can, this lineup is going to get real deep in a hurry, and that's important," MLB team Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the Sports Xchange. "We're going to score enough to win.
The MLB team Angels added Hunter behind Vlad, but they still aren't quite ready to outslug teams.
Now, clearly Scioscia wasn't referring to the MLB team Mariners, who are built on pitching and defense like they are. He was talking about the monster lineups of the Red Sox, Tigers, Indians and Yankees.

In order to worry about matching up against those MLB teams, he first will have to outdo the Mariners in their own division and at their own game.

Preseason Power Rankings:

Power Rankings
Current Team Previous
1. MLB team Mets · Trends 1
The age and injury risk have to be an even bigger concern, but they have the best 1-4 starting rotation in baseball. John Maine, 10-4 with a 2.71 ERA in the first half last year, has 20-win stuff to complement Johan Santana.
2. MLB team Red Sox · Trends 2
Josh Beckett's late start isn't a concern, but perhaps a blessing. Less of a workload now can keep him fresher later. It is fairly certain the Red Sox will need him more down the stretch than out of the gate.
3. MLB team Tigers · Trends 3
Locking up Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis long term were good moves. We were very tempted to move them to No. 1, but the bullpen and organizational pitching depth remain a concern and keeps them from the top spot.
4. MLB team Indians · Trends 5
Here is a team that has no shortage of organizational pitching depth. We don't like their offense as much as others, but it usually comes down to pitching anyway. They have a former 18-game winner as their No. 5 starter, Cliff Lee. If he can revert to that form, look out.
5. MLB team Phillies · Trends 4
We downgrade them a notch going into opening day because of pitching concerns. Brett Myers and Cole Hamels are outstanding, but the other 10 or so arms on the staff are below average and some well below it -- especially with closer Brad Lidge opening on the DL.
6. MLB team Yankees · Trends 6
Joba Chamberlain's set-up role suits him and the team perfectly. They are better with him there. The recommendation here is don't tinker with moving him in and out of it. Keep him a reliever the entire year.
7. MLB team Cubs · Trends 8
If Kerry Wood can sustain his mid-to-high-90s stuff as a full-time closer, this is one serious contender. If they ever add Brian Roberts to set the table, the rest of the NL Central will be playing for second.
8. MLB team Diamondbacks · Trends 9
They need more thump in the middle of the order, but any team that can send out Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Randy Johnson every three of five games will be tough to contend with.
9. MLB team Angels · Trends 7
We are going to find out just how good their young pitching is with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar opening on the DL. Jered Weaver should take a giant step forward as a staff ace, but we cannot yet trust the promising but unproven arms of Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Dustin Moseley (or Nick Adenhart).
10. MLB team Rockies · Trends 10
We know their lineup will be great for the whole year, but we just cannot pick them to win until we see what Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales can do in their first full seasons.