The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have an extra Angel on their shoulder.

Is this the year? What's different? Two big changes in the lineup and one in the rotation make a difference as I review the Playoff chances of the Angels.

Kendry Morales has had a Most Valuable Player type year at first base. The Angels finally decided to give Morales a chance to play every day. He not only has responded with outstanding offense, he has responded with game-changing offense. They now have a 30+ home run hitting corner infielder, something that has been missing.

The other regular player change? Bobby Abreu. Could there be a better setting for a guy who can run than the Los Angeles Angels? Run he has. Abreu has done exactly what the team needed. He has hit in the clutch and run the bases with professional flair. Abreu has been close to a .300 hitter all year and he's a 30's stolen base guy. He has cooled of late, and that's a concern. But he knows how to show up when the money bags land on the table.

Scott Kazmir has added a quality arm to the pitching staff. Kazmir has had very good success against the Yankees and the Red Sox. He's a quality starter on a quality team. He is used to the American League East teams and he can bring wisdom and experience to his teammates as well as sparking the rotation against those teams himself. Kazmir could become very important in the greater scheme of things. As now constructed by Manager Mike Scioscia, Kazmir starts game 3 for the Halos at Fenway Park where he has been successful.

The Angels will start a vastly improved Howie Kendrick at second base, a scrappy Erick Aybar at short and the ever-running Chone Figgins at third. Ah Figgins. He gets not respect. The Rodney Dangerfield of the American League. He hits, he runs and he scores runs. Oh, and he bunts. Year in and year out we hear that Figgins is available. Just because he's out there, doesn't mean he'll ever get traded. He's a valuable guy on a very balanced and competitive team. Ask Brandon Wood.

Morales, Kendrick, Aybar and Figgins are very, very formidable. And the super-sub Maicer Izturis give the team depth up the middle.

If the infield is strong, the outfield is really where it's at with the Angels. Mix and match. Take your pick. You get to choose a starting 3 from among Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews, Juan Rivera, Bobby Abreu and Vlad Guerrero. Of course one of them could be the Designated Hitter on any given day. What do you want that day Mike Scioscia? Righty-lefty match -ups? Power? Speed? Defense? You ask, they mix and match. The outfield flexibility is impressive. Not quite as impressive as the overall flexibility of the Red Sox, but still, very impressive. Torii Hunter is an amazing player. He is not only a terrific defender, but he can hit for average, hit for power and run. How to pitch to Vlad? Just don?t think about it. Throw the ball. He'll swing. And he'll hit it, provided his knees and back are healthy. The issue with Guerrero will come down to his health and his ability to drive off his legs at the plate. And don't ignore Juan Rivera. The Angels made a decision to stick with him, pay him during his free agency and play him during the season. Those decisions paid off.

A healthy Mike Napoli will get the majority of the time catching. He can hit, he can receive and he's had a good season. He has the ability to get hot and hit the long ball when he's in that streak. Or, he can get frigid and hit .200 for a week.

The pitching will be deep in the rotation and weaker in the pen.

The addition of Scott Kazmir means a great deal to the Angels. Will he be enough to finally turn the tide and allow the Angels to escape the 1st round Division Series? Will he be enough to help get the Angels to the World Series? Not only does he bring critical information about the opposition in the East as I noted above, Kazmir fills a hole in the rotation. Anytime a pitcher that can work in the top 3 of the rotation can be added, the odds of winning a short series improve. To me, Kazmir is a top to mid of the rotation starter. That said, the Angels do have some rotation slotting issues. With Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana all available to pitch behind ace John Lackey, the Skipper has some decisions to make. That's why I like the Angels in a short series. They will have the luxury of pitching one of those front-line starters out of the pen. They can evaluate the Red Sox and decide how they want to match up. It now looks like Weaver pitches game two in Anaheim. Kazmir game three in Boston.

John Lackey has to set the pace for the Angels. He has to beat the Red Sox. He has to control the game and go deep in an effort to save the bullpen. All year I have not seen the Lackey we once knew. His velocity is below what it had been. He had a bad shoulder and soreness to overcome. Frankly, when I saw him pitch in Phoenix during the season, I thought he looked hurt. Apparently not so. Even with those prior health issues, he's a double- digit winner. Lackey battles each and every start. Lackey wants to take the Angels to the World Series. He's a horse on the mound. It should be a great matchup between Lester and Lackey in game one. The winner of game one does not necessarily mean the winner of the Series. It helps, but it isn't a death knell for the loser of that first game.

The order of the rotation won't be as important as the quality of the starts and the number of innings the starters work. If they throw quality starts, the pen can rest. The rotation is mightier than the pen. If he starts, Saunders has to keep runners off the bases by throwing strikes and minimizing the base on balls. He could very well get the ball if there is a game four.

Then there's Jered Weaver. Which Jered Weaver you ask? The 15 game winner with an earned run average less than 4 or the Weaver that at times lapses into command and control problems. This season he was outstanding. He has matured as a pitcher. That said, Weaver puzzles me. He struggles against lefties, but he wins. He's a power pitcher, but he's streaky. Weaver will take on the formidable Josh Beckett in California. Another great game.

The bullpen? Slippery slope there. One of those starters works down in the pen. Yes, that'll help. The pen? Darren Oliver is a proven lefty. Getting up there in terms of baseball arms, but steady. Kevin Jepsen, Matt Palmer and Jose Arredondo are serviceable right- handed pitchers. But they are all + 4 earned-run-average guys. Brian Fuentes is a scary guy at the end of a game. He pitches on the edge. A walk here, a hit there. A 1.44 whip for a closer is pretty high. He is in that range.

The key? Get those starters deep in games. They have to give Scioscia 7 good innings and a chance to get to Fuentes.

I like the Angels because they run. I like the Angels because they hit. I like the Angels because they hit with power. And I like their defense up the middle. I like their starting pitching. I don't like their bullpen all that much.

As if previous losses in the Playoffs to the Red Sox aren't enough motivation, the Angels have an extra Angel in their minds and hearts as they enter the Division Series with Boston. They lost a teammate at the beginning of the season. Nick Adenhart lost his life in a tragic automobile accident. The team was and still is devastated. The team was lost and in mourning for several weeks. The last thing on many of the player's minds was playing baseball. Now the Angels have an opportunity to go out and do their very best in memory of Nick Adenhart. Having that extra Angel on their shoulders may just get the weight of Playoff losses off their backs.

I like the Angels to defeat the Red Sox in the Division Series. It's their time.

That's my opinion. I'd be interested in yours. Please feel free to comment below. Look for the remaining Playoff capsules in the coming days.