Observations

After four games of the 2011 MLB season, the LA Angels of Anaheim have proven that they are pretty much the same team they were last year, even losing an identical 3 straight games after winning their season opener. Last year's opening series may have been a little less distressing because the Twins had been a playoff-caliber team the year before and wound up repeating their regular-season success. However, this year's opening series embarrassment came at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals, whose last postseason was in 1985 when they were the best team in baseball.
Many will argue that it's too early in the season to make any real predictions about how 2011 will play out. I tend to agree, but it certainly is distressing that all three of the Halos' regular season losses so far have been walk-off victories for the host Royals. Couple that with the fact that the Angels bullpen has blown a lead in each of those three losing affairs. There is always the possibility that the bullpen will get better as the season progresses, but if they continue this abysmal play for the remainder of the season, quality starts courtesy Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Kelvim Escobar.
With all the darkness bubbling around the Big A to start the season, though, there are plenty of things to be excited about with regards to this team. First, Howie Kendrick has suddenly become the offensive juggernaut he was so heavily hyped to be when he first entered the majors a few years ago. Jered Weaver continues to be the hands-down ace of the squad, taking the momentum from his successful 2010 season (in which he led Major League Baseball in strikeouts) into a great performance on Opening Day of this year. Bobby Abreu, as oft-maligned as he is among Angels fans, had an amazing performance in the Angels' loss on Sunday, notching 5 hits in 5 plate appearances. Meanwhile, the speed and skill of Peter Bourjos both in offense and defense has left many an Angels fan in awe. Vernon Wells continues to be the Angels' biggest head-scratcher move from the offseason, performing poorly in left field and amassing little offseason production thus far.
The two main problems from last season pretty much remain - the Angels have little clutch hitting and an abysmal bullpen. Many Angels fans (myself included) find themselves wondering what General Manager Tony Reagins was thinking over the offseason, doing very little to address both issues. Perhaps he was simply outbid or out-GM'ed by other members of his baseball fraternity, but the fact of the matter remains that after 4 outings of baseball, the product that he has put on the field leaves much to be desired. 158 games remain for the 2011 Angels. There is plenty of time to right the ship, but the fact remains that meaningful baseball has already begun, and the Angels have quickly fallen behind the hated Texas Rangers in the race for the American League West division crown.