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BALTIMORE — In the third game of the season, the Angels finally showed what their pitchers can do. After allowing 24 runs in the first two games, the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-1, on Sunday to salvage the final game of the season-opening series. Left-hander Reid Detmers worked five strong innings and then right-hander José Soriano delivered three electric innings, cracking 100 mph with 12 of his 34 pitches. Closer Carlos Estévez worked the ninth for his first save of the year. They combined to allow three singles. Detmers gave up one run, striking out seven. He dominated outside of a shaky second inning, when the Orioles scored a run on two walks, a hit batter and an infield hit. Otherwise, the Orioles didn’t get a runner to second base against Detmers. Detmers struck out Cedric Mullins on a curve that was so sharp Mullins actually ducked before the ball caught the inside corner of the zone. His new slider was also working. Detmers said in spring training that he changed his slider to have slightly less velocity, which he figured would make it tougher for hitters. Detmers was also able to use his fastball effectively. The Orioles whiffed on 12 of their 22 swings against his fastball. Manager Ron Washington pulled Detmers after 88 pitches in five innings, setting up an opportunity to use Soriano. The Angels tried Soriano as a starter this spring. He pitched well enough to continue as a starter, but the Angels didn’t have a spot for him in the big league rotation, so they will instead use him as a multi-inning reliever. Soriano breezed through the sixth inning on 10 pitches, but in the seventh he gave up a hit and then a walk, with ball four coming on a pitch timer violation. As the top of the Orioles order came to the plate, Washington visited Soriano for a pep talk. Soriano got out of the inning with a ground ball and a fly ball. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Ron Washington expects Angels to learn to win, just like the Orioles have Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ nightmare start continues with 13-4 loss in Baltimore Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Anthony Rendon ‘loves’ the opportunity to hit leadoff Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ starters looking forward to traditional 5-man rotation Los Angeles Angels | Angels blown out by Orioles on Opening Day Soriano worked around his own error — when he mishandled the flip from first baseman Nolan Schanuel — and a walk in the eighth inning. Estévez then handled the final three outs, locking up the victory. The Angels pitched well enough to win with the four runs they scored in the first two innings. Taylor Ward blasted a two-run homer in the first, his second homer in as many games. In the second, the Angels parlayed three singles and a throwing error by catcher Brian McCann into two runs. More to come on this story. View the full article

BALTIMORE — As Ron Washington watched the Baltimore Orioles beat up the Angels over the first two games of this season-opening series, he flashed back to what he’d seen from the Orioles earlier in their rebuilding. “I watched them when they were coming, when they were young and getting their tails beat regularly,” the Angels manager said. “Now they learned how to play. They learned how to win ballgames. I watched them when they weren’t winning ballgames. They’ve come a long ways.” Washington was then asked if his team, which is also fairly young, might be able to follow the Orioles trajectory. “We don’t think that — we will be,” Washington said forcefully. “But we have to stay in the process. We’ve got to work. We’ve got to learn. We’ve got to apply. That’s what the game of baseball is about, working, learning and applying. And we’re going to do that.” Of course, the Orioles of a few years ago were very different from the current Angels in one significant way. The Orioles had built one of the best farm systems in the majors, thanks in part to the draft. Catcher Adley Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez was the No. 11 pick. Shortstop Jackson Holliday, who is expected to be a boost to the team when he comes up this season, was the No. 1 pick. The Orioles also had enough prospects to trade for right-hander Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young winner who dominated the Angels on Opening Day. The Angels, meanwhile, have a lightly regarded farm system. They insist that it’s better than people think, because many of the players already making an impact in the majors passed through the minors too quickly to be considered a part of the “farm system.” “We’ve got a lot of youth that’s out there,” Washington said. “And every time they go out there it’s a learning experience. They just have to learn how to be able to deal with the ups and downs and let their assets grow. And all assets will continue to grow. We’re not going to stop working. We’re not going to stop talking baseball. We’re not going to stop getting after baseball. And then somewhere along the line, we’re going to find who we are and what we can do, and then we’ll get consistent.” HOMECOMING Shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel — two of those young players making an impact — this week will be playing major league games in South Florida for the first time. Neto grew up in Miami and Schanuel about 90 minutes away. Both players said on Sunday that they will have large groups of friends and family in the stands at loanDepot Park, the home of the Marlins. “We might have our own cheering section,” Schanuel said. Neto said he was not a Marlins fan, and he didn’t go to the ballpark much. He said he did hit a walk-off homer there during a high school All-Star Game. Schanuel said he was a Marlins fan. In fact, he said he was there — as a 1-year-old — when the Marlins won the World Series in 2003. As he grew up, he said he enjoyed going to the ballpark, especially because it was often mostly empty. “Even though the atmosphere was kind of different, it was good from a kid point of view,” Schanuel said. “You could buy tickets wherever and move down and watch the game from any seats you want. You get to interact with players before and after the game. It was awesome. A pretty cool experience.” Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ nightmare start continues with 13-4 loss in Baltimore Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Anthony Rendon ‘loves’ the opportunity to hit leadoff Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ starters looking forward to traditional 5-man rotation Los Angeles Angels | Angels blown out by Orioles on Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | Angels eye José Soriano as their ‘winning piece’ in hybrid role NOTES Mickey Moniak was a late scratch from the Angels lineup because of an illness. Jo Adell instead started in right field. … Adell made a leaping catch at the warning track in right field in the eighth inning of Saturday’s blowout loss. He then drilled a line drive 113 mph up the middle. The ball rolled to the wall and Adell had a triple. Washington said both moments were signs of Adell’s development. “He’s growing,” Washington said. “He’s a different player than he was in the past. Now he’s got to learn how to play and learn how to be ready when he’s not playing. That’s part of baseball. And he’s making real good adjustments.” … Anthony Rendon got the start at DH on Sunday. Washington said his plan is to give Rendon and Mike Trout about one DH start a week. He said he has no predetermined plan for how often he’ll give each a full day off. UP NEXT Angels (RHP Chase Silseth, 5-4, 4.89 ERA in 2023) at Marlins (RHP Max Meyer, injured in 2023) at loanDepot Park, 3:40 p.m. PT Monday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM. View the full article

BALTIMORE — You can update “it’s only one game” to “it’s only two games.” The Angels were blown out by the Baltimore Orioles 13-4 on Saturday, after losing by eight runs in the opener two days earlier. The Orioles are arguably the best team in the American League, while the Angels are expected to finish fourth in the American League West, so merely losing two games should not raise any eyebrows. However, the way they played in the two games is certainly disturbing for the Angels and their fans. The Angels’ -17 run differential in their first two games was the worst in franchise history, and tied for the seventh worst in major-league history. It was the first time the Angels allowed at least 10 runs in their first two games of the season. While the Angels were down by four runs by the second inning in the opener, this time the game didn’t get away from them until they allowed nine runs in a nightmarish sixth inning. Starter Griffin Canning gave up two runs in the first, but then steadied himself and allowed just one more through the next four. He’d retired seven of eight hitters as he took the mound in the sixth at 81 pitches. The Angels were down 3-1. Canning was about to face Ryan Mountcastle, who had already doubled twice against him. This time, Canning walked him. He then gave up a single to Ryan O’Hearn, sending Mountcastle to third. That was all for Canning. The Angels then opened the gate to their revamped bullpen, but there was no relief in sight. Right-hander Luis Garcia gave up hits to the first three batters he faced. He then got a ground ball that should have been a routine double play, but shortstop Zach Neto bobbled it and the Angels didn’t get an out. Next came right-hander Guillo Zuñiga. He was on the mound as the Orioles scored five more runs, including three on an Anthony Santander homer. While the pitching was the biggest issue in these games, the Angels also haven’t hit until showing some signs of life after the games were out of reach. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Anthony Rendon ‘loves’ the opportunity to hit leadoff Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ starters looking forward to traditional 5-man rotation Los Angeles Angels | Angels blown out by Orioles on Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | Angels eye José Soriano as their ‘winning piece’ in hybrid role Los Angeles Angels | Angels manager Ron Washington eager to begin second chance Their only run in the first eight innings Saturday was a Taylor Ward homer. In the ninth, when they were down by 12 runs, they managed three runs on five hits. Jo Adell tripled, smoking a line drive at 113 mph. Ward, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’Hoppe drove in the runs. Miguel Sanó also showed some positive signs with two balls hit over 107 mph, including one double down the left-field line. More to come on this story. View the full article

BALTIMORE — Anthony Rendon has come to grips with manager Ron Washington giving him new role as the Angels’ leadoff hitter. “I love it,” the Angels third baseman said before the second game of the season, on Saturday. “I’m up for anything. I trust Wash. I trust this whole staff and anything that puts us in the best position to win. I’m all for it. I think we all are on the same page, all of our guys up and down the order.” Rendon, 33, had not hit leadoff in a big-league game since 2015. For most of his career, he’s been a middle-of-the-order run producer. With the current Angels lineup, though, Washington is using Rendon at the top because of his ability to see a lot of pitches and get on base. Rendon said he’s not going to change anything about his normal approach. “For me, it’s still just trying to control the zone,” he said. “You’re technically the leadoff hitter just once a game unless the order comes up like that again. But the situation will always dictate how you’re going to approach it.” Rendon said he isn’t sure how long Washington will keep him in the leadoff spot. “We’re only a few games in, so we’ll ride it out,” he said. “This game is all about adjustments … If it works out, it works out. If not, then we can change it up again.” Of course, the larger question with Rendon is how much he will be in the lineup at all. He’s missed most of the past three seasons with injuries. He said at the moment he’s still feeling “good.” Although the Angels are expected to give him regular days off to keep him healthy, Rendon said he’s not sure of the specifics. The Angels had an off day Friday and have another Thursday. “I think we’ll just play it by ear and see how the body’s feeling,” Rendon said. TRY AGAIN Washington used the exact same lineup Saturday as he did in the blowout loss in the opener Thursday, meaning veterans Aaron Hicks and Miguel Sanó were playing while young players Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell were on the bench. Washington said it’s too early for anyone to be concerned that Moniak and Adell won’t get opportunities. “Second day of the season,” Washington said. “I put the first lineup out there because I thought it was my best lineup, and I still think it’s my best lineup. Second game of the season. As we move forward, we’ll start to maneuver the lineup.” STEPHENSON UPDATE Right-hander Robert Stephenson, who is on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation, threw a bullpen session on the off day Friday. He threw about 20 pitches. “I’m really happy with how it went,” Stephenson said. “It felt great. I’m really encouraged by yesterday.” Stephenson will throw another bullpen session Monday in Miami. Because Stephenson was hurt before he could pitch in a single spring training game, he will still need to go to the minors to get some work before he can be activated. Stephenson said he hoped to be back “by the end of the month.” NOTES The Angels held a full-squad workout on the off day Friday. It’s almost unheard of for a major-league team to have that kind of workout on an off day. Washington said it was not a reaction to how poorly the Angels played in losing their opener Thursday. “It was planned whether we would have come out on the best end of that game the other day, or we lost it like we did,” Washington said. “I got a young group and we’ve got to keep them moving and keep them going and keep them engaged.” … Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ starters looking forward to traditional 5-man rotation Los Angeles Angels | Angels blown out by Orioles on Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | Angels eye José Soriano as their ‘winning piece’ in hybrid role Los Angeles Angels | Angels manager Ron Washington eager to begin second chance Los Angeles Angels | Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale The Angels signed left-hander Amir Garrett to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Triple-A. Garrett, 31, has pitched parts of seven years in the majors, including a 3.33 ERA with the Kansas City Royals last season. He was released by the San Francisco Giants at the end of spring training. General manager Perry Minasian said they felt Garrett’s résumé warranted giving him a shot. “The stuff is still there,” Minasian said. “The command is spotty. We’ll give him a chance to go to Salt Lake and see what he does.” … Right-hander Kelvin Caceres was placed on the minor league 60-day injured list with a lat injury, Minasian said. It’s noteworthy because it gives the Angels the option to move him to the major league 60-day injured list the next time they need to open a spot on the 40-man roster. UP NEXT Angels (LHP Reid Detmers, 4-10, 4.48 ERA in 2023) at Orioles (RHP Tyler Wells, 7-6, 3.64 2023) at Oriole Park, 10:35 a.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM. View the full article

By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Contributor Cactus League has finished. Freeway Series has finished. Up next is the Major League season followed by the start of the Minor League season. Looking back on this spring, we put an emphasis on a handful of Angels prospects and how different perspectives came about this spring from the trained eye. We asked three different people from three differing fields about their opinions on specific players in Angels camp over Spring Training. In a repeat article from the year prior, we asked experts in the field -- who consist of an Angels Front Office Executive, a former player who spent regular time at Angels camp, and a prospect analyst -- for their opinions on a specific group of Angels prospects and young core players. *EDITOR'S NOTE*: Our sources were granted anonymity to express their opinions freely and/or they are not permitted by their primary employer to speak publicly on the matters discussed. Each will be noted via their working positions (i.e., "Executive", "Former Player", "Analyst"). The interviews took place on three separate days between the dates of March 25-27, which may alter some of the timelines included in the comments regarding players being on the Opening Day roster, or otherwise. LOGAN O’HOPPE AND ZACH NETO: Former Player: Neto, I'll tell you what even watching the game last night, that ball was 110 off his bat and that was the hardest ball he's hit, period. He looked unreal in Spring Training. He's gained a lot of confidence. I think (Ron Washington) and (Ryan Goins) have made him a better fielder already. I think he was pretty decent on the backhand -- forehand, it seemed like his footwork was not right, but his footwork looks good defensively now. I really think he's going to hit. Adjustments will be made depending on how he progresses in his career. That high leg kick and all that, we'll see how all that goes. I know he makes the adjustment with two strikes but I'm more-and-more impressed. I was high on him last year and I'm more so this year. I step back, and he was hurt a few times and I know the team's record when he played was significantly better than when he didn't. Sometimes that's one of those made-up stuff, when one guy plays and when he doesn't, but he's really impressed me a lot right now. I think he's got a chance to be pretty darn good. O'Hoppe, just his leadership skills alone being in camp and watching him -- the way he walks around the field and the dugout and clubhouse. The sound off his bat -- I joked around with him last winter about the sound off his bat was almost like a Mike Piazza sound off the bat when he's consistent with it. He's special and he's working with Jerry Narron and I think you could make an argument that his defensive skills were okay last year -- granted he missed a lot of games so it's hard to put a finger on some things -- but he had stuff to work on and he's worked a lot. Jerry Narron is going to be huge for the whole catching system. O'Hoppe, he reminds me of Mike Sweeney because he used to be a catcher, but he wasn't much of a catcher and moved to first right away. It's a similar body and I think he can end up being a hitter somewhat like Sweeney although it's more difficult to hit as consistently that way when you're a catcher because you get beat up but defensively he's made some huge strides. Just the constant work he's put in with Jerry Narron has helped him out a lot. Analyst: I think it was an approach thing from the beginning of spring and they had a better approach at the plate. Also, anytime you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you know they're going to be a little better defensively, too. On both sides, I think you saw a lot of big differences. More attacking the ball, rather than sitting back -- with Neto in particular. You saw it reflect in the statistical performance this spring. And with O'Hoppe, the dude is a leader. Leader behind the dish, leader in the clubhouse, and you expect him to be that way throughout the year. Executive: I think with Logan, we ask -- everyone does -- but we ask a lot of our catching group and I think progress on both sides of the ball is difficult at that position. All you have to do and know the entire staff and a large chunk of our bullpen is brand new so learning the staff was a big part of Spring Training for him. But obviously we saw what he was capable of offensively. I still feel strongly that he is going to be a really, really good player. It takes time to be what ultimately what we think he's going to be in all the areas as a player, but you see progress and growth in all areas. Around the facility too he's started to take a leadership role in his own way. We have leaders on the team but he's showing that he's capable of doing that too. With Zach -- robbed of at bats last year but I thought the quality of the at bat was really good prior to his injury. Really showed what he is capable of offensively and did so in camp again this year. The ability to hit with power to all fields, not being afraid to hit with two strikes and still drive the ball. I don't know where he hits in the order. I think he hit last the last couple of games here versus the Dodgers but if that's our nine-hole hitter I'm really excited about our lineup. First full season for those guys but getting their feet wet last year I think will only serve them well and I'm excited for what they both can do on both sides of the ball. JO ADELL: Former Player: His swing is definitely a little quicker through the ball. Defensively he's way better than he's ever been. I'm so up-and-down with him. I want to go full bore with him because I like him a lot and we have a pretty good relationship but there's still some chase in there on pitches way out of the zone. I think there's a little more patience and a little bit better idea of the strike zone and if he can ever hone that in at all, he's got a chance. He's still only 24 and just being around Johnny Washington he says the same things too and I see it -- it's there but you just have to be able to tap it. Sometimes you never get that. Some people that you think should be a star just never become that. I think he's going to be given every opportunity and I think with the current staff they have, especially with (Ron Washington), it ain't gonna be no babying anymore. It's either he does it or he doesn't do it. I think that's what he needs instead of always hearing, 'We know you have talent.' Even that bugs him when people say, 'You have a lot of talent, when are you going to do this or that?' I think he'll surprise some people and get a lot more at bats than anticipated because they don't really have a designated hitter, so he'll rotate in there and I think the more at bats he gets the better he's gonna be. Analyst: I think we've all said it every single year; it feels like it's just a different approach every spring. It's good to not see him attacking off-speed away quite as much, but at the same time still attacking the fastball. Defensively, again, when you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you expect things to be a little bit different and I think the mindset in the outfield is just a little bit different too. That's the biggest thing. Executive: He's kind of tinkered with his swing a few times the last few years. You saw a little bit of that this spring, but again, he always seems to put together a really good spring and I think at times showed us the same flashes. Arizona is a really tough place to play the outfield and I think the most improvement -- I think we talked about this last year -- I thought defensively he really took a step forward. What he can do off the bench, if that is going to be his role at least at the outset, is play defense and change the game with one swing. Still feel he can do that. We brought in Jake Marisnick and Jake did absolutely everything you asked him to do and showed he's still capable of being a good Major League outfielder and swung the bat well in Spring Training. I think he made a strong push to be on the team, but we feel the strides that Jo has made, and Mickey (Moniak) last year and what Aaron (Hicks) showed in camp make a pretty good group. I think Jo (being out of options) brings a different dynamic from a power standpoint that earned him a spot. NOLAN SCHANUEL: Former Player: Again, another guy with footwork at first base -- and granted he was in college about two-and-a-half seconds ago last year -- the footwork is way better. I always look defensively first because I think the hit will always come with these guys, but he's improved significantly. I still think first base defensively is a way underrated asset. If you’re good at first base your entire infield is good. If you’re adequate, it's pretty good. If it's not good at all it reflects on all your infielders, so he's got a lot better there. I still compare him a lot to Garret Anderson in all the people asking, 'Why does a guy that big and strong not hit for power?' I think it's there. He's not a 35-home run guy but I think he's a 15-20 home run guy. You can't teach an eye like he has at the plate. His patience. His ability to spray the baseball all over the field. If he was playing any other position other than first base people would be in love with him but because he's a first baseman you expect power which is unfortunate. I think power will be there enough and I think he's -- he works his butt off too man, I'll tell you. I don't see that often with young kids because usually everything is given to you, but he works his butt off, and I think he's going to develop enough power that everything else is going to play pretty good for him. Analyst: I'm intrigued. My report will remain the same with Nolan. The biggest question is: is he going to hit for power? The biggest change there is attacking the ball. The biggest thing there is attacking the ball with more authority at the plate and swinging like he means it instead of swinging like he's behind in the count 0-2 consistently. If he can take that approach into the season it wouldn't surprise me if he had 20-25 home runs and 20-30 doubles this year. I'm excited to see what he brings to the plate, and he could strike out a little bit more which might end up being a good thing, in the sense of translating to more hard-hit balls. Executive: Especially here lately his approach at the plate is top notch. Put on some good weight in the off-season with the idea of adding some strength. The thing for me is people talk about the power and exit velocity -- you watch him take batting practice and he shows you. He can hit them pull side with the majority of our group in a big-league BP setting. It's in there. Obviously, what little he had last year getting to the big-league level -- a lot of times you're just trying to survive when you get up there and I expect him to take the next step. He's such a smart hitter. Same case with Zach and Logan, take the next step, both as a young player and continuing to grow at the Major League level and the confidence I think too stood out. It's a good group of players and they exude that. They exude confidence and that's part of the reason we were attracted to all those guys -- their makeup and what they were all about. Really young but advanced for his age and we're excited about the potential on all those guys. JOSE SORIANO: Former Player: Oh yeah, unreal arm. Unreal arm. I kid you not, I asked (Ron Washington) about the same thing because I've been in love with him since they said he'd start. We joke around every day because his shoulders are gigantic, and he has an incredible build and he's got starter stuff because he's got four pitches he can throw and his curveball the other day was as good as anybody I've ever seen. (Ron Washington) said it was the best game anybody threw period in the Cactus League or Grapefruit League. You worry about his health but even when I was talking to Barry Enright, I think he has a better chance at staying healthy as a starter than he does as a bullpen arm. As intriguing as he is in the bullpen, because he can pitch and he can start -- workout, bullpen session, workout, do his light stuff in between, and then start and I think he has a better chance of staying healthy. He's as good of an arm as I've seen in a while. Everyone is going to ask, 'Can he stay healthy? Can he throw enough strikes?' I think he realizes his stuff is that good now and he doesn't have to go out and throw as hard as he can like he does out of the bullpen, and he can utilize all his pitches. He's got a pretty darn good idea. I think he's got some serious, serious, serious upside. Analyst: I'm intrigued to see what he does starting pitching wise. Watching him from his early development, there was always a chance he could start. It came down to having a third pitch and if he can command whatever third pitch is for a strike, then why not give him a chance to start? Especially if he can remain 94-96 into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning. Without a doubt he should be able to start. Now, do you want to take out arguably your best reliever to give him a chance to start? I think the Angels are in a spot to do it, but that is a tough decision to make. Executive: From a pure stuff standpoint I don't know how many guys are better in the league than him. I think he showed that. We stretched him out and its pure power stuff. He throws a splinker -- that kind of split-sinker type pitch that Jhoan Duran has kind of made popular and I think some other guys are throwing it now -- but it is an absolutely devastating offer that just adds to his pretty prodigious repertoire. We talk about sitting upper 90's with four-seam and two-seam fastball, power hammer curveball with a slider in the low 90's alongside of it. He's got all the weapons. I think he showed the ability to execute those weapons with consistency, certainly at times, and more often than not. Obviously hasn't started since the lower levels (of development) so you're not quite sure what it's going to look like as a starter. We had discussed it and felt the upside was certainly worth giving it another look. It's a different delivery and pitch mix from when he was starting in the lower levels, and he has a chance in whatever role we ask him to do -- I think he's going to be an impactful arm for us. CHASE SILSETH: Former Player: A lot more confident. Big thing is they're not going to try and take away his bulldog mentality, but you have to hone it in just a little bit. Not just try to throw too much and burn yourself out. Stuff is there. He's got a rangy fastball that can be 92-97. Obviously, his split is dang good but his slider for me is a difference maker. I don't think he throws his cutter as much and I don't know if he needs to. The occasional curve but it's hard to teach somebody to have that kind of aggressive nature and those guys are hard to come by. Something about him and even talking to the Braves hitters and Kevin Seitzer last year, he thought he was one of the toughest/nastiest dudes they faced all last year and the Braves for me are still the best team in all of baseball and they didn't want any part of him. He's that guy. He's got some upside himself and I think he can settle in easy in a number two or three spot in this rotation. Analyst: The sky is the limit. The pure stuff -- that slider and splitter combination -- reminds me of a younger Shohei Ohtani purely from a stuff standpoint. Chase has a different body and fastball obviously, but with his off-speed, he could have a similar production season to what Shohei has done in the past as long as the mentality stays where it is and he's able to throw strikes. He had a very good Spring Training. I'm excited to see this rotation in general. The mentality from the staff was very different from in the past, which was interesting, and I hope they carry that into the regular season. Executive: Another good young arm. With him, kind of simplifying some things pitch mix wise. Going into camp he showed confidence in what he was doing and really was able to consistently execute his pitches and his game plan. He really worked hard on his curveball. Kind of differentiating that pitch from the other two-plane breaking ball he has. Both are really effective for him. He's a powerful guy. He demonstrated the ability to sustain the velocity he shows early in games into the later parts of his outings. The splitter is a wipeout pitch and I think that was more consistent like all of his offerings. I think he's on track for a really good year. He's really wired the right way like all the players we have. It's just an important component for how we want to build our team. NELSON RADA: Former Player: By the way, for the Angels not to have anybody in the top 100 is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen too. Rada, if he wasn't 18, I'd almost say he's almost ready. I think you won't push him that early just because he's 18 and basically 17 doing what he did last year but an eye like his and great idea of the strike zone and unbelievable range in the outfield. They put him in right field one of the days I was there after playing center and he made an unreal play like it was nothing. He's not the fastest guy in the world but he appears to be the fastest guy in the world. Great baserunner. I think he'll develop power and he has that it factor where I think he knows he's damn good and he's going to be unbelievably good. It wouldn't surprise me at the very least to see him in the big leagues by 20 (years old) if he keeps developing at this level. I hate to put something on him that quickly like that but he's one of those guys that I think has a chance of being special. There's a lot of people that say he needs 1,000 or 2,000 at bats, whatever number people decide they want to put on him, but when you're good for me you're a big leaguer and he's a big leaguer. You look at that body and you're thinking if he's six-foot-three or six-foot-four doing what he's doing, he's like a top five prospect. I think that kid is -- even just the way he walks around the complex. When you walk 70 some times as a 17-year-old, that's insane to have an idea like that. When you're a kid, you think you're only moving up when you hit the ball out of the ballpark or I'm not getting hits when I'm walking. Even in camp, he wasn't overwhelmed ever. The home run he hit was a bomb too. Again, he's barely 18 and not even 19 until August, so you still wait on him but he's going to be ridiculous. Analyst: He is a really good player. The fact that he is 18 years old and doing what he did this spring is outstanding. For me, the best thing he does is not necessarily what he does at the plate but his leadership in center field. This goes back to what he did in the regular season in 2023 at Inland Empire. He was taking charge of the scary triangle balls and little Texas Leaguers that a lot of people -- you know, 'you go, I go, ball, ball, ball' type of thing. He's taking control of those flyballs like he's a veteran that has played out there his entire career, and now he's doing it with veteran ballplayers and not A-ball kids. He's a good player at the plate too, but I think he's even more special defensively. Executive: 18 years old in big league camp. Was there for a while and had really good at bats. Showed instincts on the bases. It's a really quick first step and he gets to top speed quickly. Instinctually in the outfield too -- same thing, good jumps. It's impressive how advanced he is for his age in all areas really. Just excited about his future. He was one of the two youngest players in full season baseball last year -- he and Ethan Salas with the San Diego Padres. He really impressed our coaching staff and myself. CADEN DANA: Former Player: I got to work with him on one of his bullpen sessions and even in the middle of it I stopped him and go, "Give me a 2-1 slider,” and I didn't even have to tell him what that meant and he threw a perfect 2-1 slider right on the outside corner of the strike zone. Like, damn. Then I let him throw some more and say, “I need a 1-2 punchout breaking ball with a man on third,” and he was like whoof, and I was like, oh, shit. The size, the intangibles of he knows what he's doing. That's the thing. He's only 20-years-old himself but he knows what he's doing on the mound, and he usually doesn't overthrow ever. He's always mechanically pretty sound for being as big and strong as he is. There's some serious, serious, serious upside with him too. That's another guy that I wouldn't be shocked, especially depending on how the season goes, if he wasn't in the big leagues this year. It wouldn't shock me. We know he's starting in Double-A, and we know how that goes (laughs). You're in Double-A, it's like a straight line to the big leagues here for the Angels so we'll see. Analyst: Caden Dana has a chance to be really, really good. I think we saw it in the Spring Breakout game. I think we saw it all spring. When you start getting questions about when a 20-year-old who hasn't pitched above A-ball will crack a Major League rotation, you know it's a good arm. Biggest thing is going to be the command. If he can command the ball down in the zone and get guys out that way, I think he has a very promising career ahead of him. I'm excited to see what he does in Rocket City, and we might end up seeing him at the Major League level this year with how the Angels promote players. Executive: If you got a chance to see him the physical development is impressive. He really worked on his body. He looks great. Ball is coming out really easily while sitting in the mid 90's. Two breaking pitches. Showed a plus changeup in big league camp in games. Again, the presence he has on the mound. He has a chance to be the total package. He had a really good showing in the Spring Breakout game, starting that. Really excited for what he brings to the table and again, big league camp he put himself well. We're really happy with where he's at. VICTOR MEDEROS: Former Player: He's another guy that I talk a lot with. I don't understand why some people don't think he has upside. He's a little bit bigger version of Silseth. Very, very tough competitor. Outstanding stuff. Nasty fastball and he's got an edge to him that -- we were joking around because he read the book on Mariano Rivera about basically simplifying things and I told him the same thing but I told him, “Every guy I faced I absolutely hated their guts,” and he goes, “I'm glad to hear that because I hate every single human being that wears a different color uniform than I do,” and I said, “That's what you gotta do everyday.” His stuff is electric. That's the thing that's crazy is the Angels have so many young starters on the Major League staff and these kids are knocking at the door very quickly. He could be a two or three maybe at worst right away with them. I think when he came up last year he was out of control, throwing too hard and very aggressive, but I think Barry (Enright) and (Steve Karsay) -- the whole philosophy of attacking the strike zone is better than swing-and-miss. When you're an ultra-competitor like Silseth and Mederos and the team philosophy is swing-and-miss, that means you're throwing as hard as you can like you're at a carnival trying to knock over milk bottles instead of throwing strikes. So that's helped him out a lot. Same thing with Silseth, but Mederos -- legit dude. Legit dude. Analyst: Oh, this is the wildcard for me. This is where Chase Silseth was, I'd say last year. Do you think he has higher upside as a starter or as a reliever and do you think he can keep his command and control consistent late into games? And also stay out of his head as well. If you think he can keep his command consistently late into games, then he has a chance to be a good starter. But, if you think the command might not stick around for five, six, seven innings -- then you put him in the bullpen and I think he has the bulldog mentality to be one of those guys who comes in late in games with Ben Joyce and Sam Bachman, maybe, and build a backend bullpen internally quickly into the future. Executive: Victor was in big league camp for a while. His fastball is starting to have a little more cut to it, and he still throws in the mid 90's with two breaking balls and will show a changeup. He's going to continue to develop as a starter and I thought he left a positive impression in camp in that role. He's just another guy from the mental side of things checks all the boxes. He's really competitive and smart. We're excited about his future whatever role that is. He's on the (40-man roster) and has gotten his feet wet in the Majors. He's going to start, and we'll see where it goes from there. BEN JOYCE: Former Player: I'm actually shocked he's not up to start the year. I know there's some stuff where... I'm still in shock when he's throwing 102 and 103 and guys are making good contact with it because it's downstairs. I know that during my career when your fastballs are down, doesn't matter how hard you throw, you'll make contact with it. Now generally, it's on the ground for the most part. It's hard to believe but I don't think he trusts his stuff which doesn't make any sense when you throw that hard and your breaking ball is pretty solid too. I think he gets caught in between that slower slider-cutter combo where one's harder and one's softer. I think he's getting there though. They did some drills with him though to kind of clear his mind to not allow distractions to get in there as far as when stuff happens during the game and a guy is stealing or whatever. I love his arm. I love his body and he's got a great work ethic. I still want him in the big leagues right now, but I think he could easily be a dominant bullpen arm if he stays healthy. With him, I don't know how healthy he's going to stay just because of the full max he throws but that's why I don't waste those bullets. I'd have him up in the big leagues as soon as he's able to throw consistent strikes, because he could even walk guys and get away with it because the stuff is that good, but I still think he needs to at some point elevate his fastball. If he ever gets that feel, you know, away from the fastball at the knees, if he throws that fastball letter high and above the belt he'll get a lot more strikeouts. It's almost like Dustin May of the Dodgers. He doesn't strike anybody out either because his fastball is down, even as hard as it is. Ben Joyce has got to figure out a way that when he releases that four-seamer that he can ride it and keep it up in the zone on occasion. If he does that he'll dominate. Analyst: Peak ceiling. The only reason I think he didn't make the Opening Day roster is, well one, he needs to command it a little better; and two, there's so many relievers you have to give an opportunity to. I do think he needs to command it better and command that secondary a lot better than what we've seen. Executive: Stuff wise (laughs). It's an incredible arm. Early in camp we saw the control and command kind of rear its head a little bit. Some of those issues. But I thought he had a really good last handful of outings and when he's around the strike zone it's just such a good arm and he can be unhittable. The slider -- he's basically gone to one breaking ball -- it has a chance to be an out pitch for him. It was really consistent in a couple of outings and bailed him out when he was in some jams. I think then in subsequent outings he had confidence in (the slider) and allowed the fastball to play as good as it can be. Honestly, I didn't feel like his misses were that big even when he was missing. So, I did see some growth there and again, the expectation for that kind of arm is that he helps us sooner rather than later. So much potential and it's in there. You can see it. COLE FONTENELLE Former Player: Like him. He's Corey Koskie like. Good body too, man. Switch-hitter with great hands. Good idea of the strike zone. Footwork is getting better because he's a big body. Obviously, he's not a middle infielder and he's a third baseman anyhow but he's not far off either. He's not far at all actually. I don't think he's far at all from being here because I think he can hit. I think he's going to get better with more work fielding wise, at least get his footwork down, but I'm a big fan of his. Almost has a body -- not a Scott Rolen, as big as he is -- but he's a pretty good-sized kid. Good shoulders. Came from TCU so you know he faced good competition so he's going to be a really good player. Big fan of his plus he's a great kid and he listens and wants to learn. That's one of those tools we always talk about with people being toolsy. That's a tool that I think is underrated is a guy that works and listens and learns, and I think he has all those intangibles. Analyst: He reminds me of guys who probably played a little before your time, a throwback type. I don't know what he is at the Major League level, but I think that he's opened a lot of eyes, especially being a seventh-round pick last year. But I think he maybe has an opportunity to be a nice fifth infielder. Somebody that can come off the bench and play some solid defense at third base and be a decent bat too. We'll see how he develops in the minors this year. Executive: Seventh rounder last year and one of the last send outs in camp. That probably speaks to how he is viewed internally. Again, just watching batting practice, him getting with our big-league team, he fits right in. Left-handed or right-handed, the ball comes off well. It's a simple and clean swing. He gives you a good at bat and consistently solid at bats through camp. Another guy who instinctually stands out. The more you watch him the more you really appreciate him. Whether it's on the bases and reading pitching situations to steal bases, curveball reads, judging outfielders and taking the extra base. He was really good on bases and might have been better defensively. Just so steady. Good first step, reads the hops well, knows where to go with the ball. Just smart and skilled player and the physical ability is pretty good too. Got a lot of run and I think if you watched the games, you probably got to see why we like him a lot. WALBERT URENA: Former Player: He's another guy I got to work with too. He might be the best of all the arms. It's raw. It's not as refined as guys like Dana, but it's crazy good. Even better than Mederos too, I think. Like I said, it's raw so there's still some work to be done. I think he's a little bit further away than those guys but once he figures it out and once he arrives, he's a dominant arm. That's like I was saying with all these kids I got to see and how good they are. I'm always going to be a fairly positive human being but the guys I've seen over the last prior 15 years or so, I'm like, 'God almighty, how are we going to get people out? We're going to have to sign guys from other organizations' It's very similar to early in my career because we were a factory that started when we were all drafted with (arm-after-arm) and they just destroyed people for years. I think this new group of young arms are great and I think Urena has the chance to be the best of them all. Although I hear way more about Barrett Kent, I didn't get a chance to see him unfortunately. I was kind of bummed. I was trying to find a way to go and see him, but I didn't, but everyone I talked to said he's the best of the crop which must say a lot for him to be better than or as good as Urena and these guys. Analyst: I'm a big velocity guy so you have to like the big arm. Walbert Urena -- he's kind of in that same category for me as a Victor Mederos. If you believe the command is going to be there (deep into starts), then absolutely continue to push him as a starter, but if it isn't there he still has two or arguably three good out pitches he can get guys out with late in games. You saw it this spring. But it comes down to the command and the command late into games if you believe in it. Executive: Pure power arm. Electric. The changeup can be a weapon. The breaking ball will flash at times. He had two innings in the Spring Breakout game and was really good in one of those innings and I think showed the potential of what he is capable of. Basically, mid-season last year he added a sinker and it kind of changed his year. I think with a couple of our guys you could look at that and if you split it up into two parts and know where the change has happened, I think you'll see why we're really high on some of those guys that were just different pitchers from that time forward. Walber is one of them just from a strike-throwing standpoint. The stuff has a chance to be really good. What role it is -- I don't know. I think the step forward he took last year -- obviously really high on a teenager that throws 100 with feel for a changeup and breaking ball at times too -- I just feel even better about him. Seeing him in big league camp and showing the moment wasn't too big for him and then the Spring Breakout game and what we saw in the second half of last year. It's a lot of momentum for him. I don't know -- if people don't know his name, I feel like they're going to find out about him really quickly. KYREN PARIS AND JORDYN ADAMS Former Player: I'm shocked at how much improvement they made from 2022 to 2023. I was thinking, 'These are first rounders?' But Jordyn is really close now. He's got sneaky power. Paris, same thing. I think the work they're making all the kids do, especially with Paris in the infield there is going to make him better. I think sometimes you can skate on talent but now I can see why they were drafted as high as they were. At the very least these guys are pieces that you move to get that final piece to get you to the postseason, or you ride these kids and let them develop and see if they can be as good as I think they can be. Are they superstars? No, but I think they're really good Major League players though. Analyst: I'll start with Kyren. The report remains kind of the same. He needs to get the bat on the ball more because when he makes contact, he hits the ball hard. He's a good defender. He can play up-the-middle for you, he can probably play some third base, and probably sneak him into the outfield. I think he's played there before in the minors. I like Kyren a lot, but I don't know if he's going to have an opportunity to do his thing because of how the Angels look this year in the infield. Jordyn, same thing. The Angels have outfield depth. On some teams he might be a fourth or fifth outfielder, but he may not get the opportunity to play, which gives him time to grow and develop. Both are good players that I'd like to see get an opportunity like they did last year. Executive: We talked about Jordyn last year. Kind of continuing and we pushed him to Triple-A and there was momentum there after spending part of the season in Double-A and how he came into camp. The maturity and he showed he was ready for that next step, and I still think we see a lot of positive from him. His swing I thought looked cleaner this year. More fluid and felt like consistently more on time than it has been. All the physical gifts, when you watch him leg out a triple and he's there in an instant, you know, the potential is still there. He'll be in that mix of guys we're going to call up if we have a need. Kyren got a chance to play some shortstop and second base. I thought, just piggybacking to the second half of last year was really good once the stickyball went away. Still a really good and young player, just 22 years old. The ability he has to drive the ball to the opposite field and know what he's swinging at is pretty neat for his age. Another really high character kid and we think highly of him internally. Other teams certainly inquired about his availability and all that. He's going to play a lot of shortstop in the minor leagues this year, whether that's Double-A or Triple-A, we'll see. In the end the upside is pretty high for a power hitting shortstop who can get on base, and if that's ultimately what he is that's a pretty desirable player. I think those two guys -- obviously, there's growth to be made -- but still feel the same about their abilities and the people they are. STANDOUT YOUNG PLAYER OR PROSPECT(S) FROM CAMP: Former Player: Juan Flores. He's only 18 himself, the catcher. He caught Soriano in a B-game at 10 o'clock against the Diamondbacks on one of their back fields, which is always hard to play those games. That's why Soriano throwing 97-98 was insane, but the way he caught the ball, and he blocks effortlessly -- two strike sliders in the dirt like it was nothing. His hands are great. Immediately after that I went up to Jerry Narron and Ron Washington and a couple of other guys because I heard the comparison with Pudge Rodriguez and stuff like that, and we don't ever want to do that to anybody because that's not fair, but I said, 'I played against that son-of-a-bitch for many years. This kid is pretty dang close, as far as early stages Pudge.' So, I think he's really, really good. That's a name everyone should keep an eye on, big time. I also liked this Cam Minacci kid. I was shocked at the way he threw. He threw the ball well. Another guy, Jack Kochanowicz. He's another kid with a really firm arm. I knew from some of the people from the Front Office to keep an eye on Dana, Urena, Kent, but to have my own unfiltered eyes those guys jumped out at me too. Analyst: I mean, the two big names are going to be Caden Dana and Nelson Rada. Dana looks like he's going to be a very good pitcher down the road for the Angels. Possibly a mid-rotation arm. And, again, Rada -- the leadership in the outfield plus the bat is coming along nicely. I think those two have a chance to be a part of the Angels organization for a long time. Juan Flores as well. He's in the realm of being a very good catcher for the Angels long term. If the bat plays, I don't see why he couldn't be an everyday guy, but at the very least you have one of the best defensive receivers in the minors. I'm not afraid to say that he's one of the best, especially for his age and I think he's only going to get better. It depends on if the bat comes around. You don't compare any players to Hall of Fame players, but the Pudge Rodriguez comparisons defensively at least have some merit with how good Flores is at this age. Executive: Can I say Soriano? You typically expect guys going from a relief role to a starting role to see their stuff tick back, or maybe they can't maintain through an outing, or maybe when you extend one's repertoire, they don't have feel for a pitch because it's something they're starting to throw more. I mean, it's five pitches and he has a feel for all of them and you can argue they're all plus-plus. Those guys just don't grow on trees. They're really tough to find. I thought just seeing him stretched out and seeing what he looks like was really exciting. When you're sitting in the scout's section and it seemed like every time he pitched the first inning, guys were like, 'Who is this guy?' I think guys know him now. He missed a couple of years with Tommy John and came in the bullpen and didn't pitch the full year, or didn't break camp with the team last year, but people are really finding out about him and how good of an arm it really is. The buzz was so loud on him it's tough to pick someone else. Juan Flores too. We were certainly excited about the potential there. Big league camp as a teenager. You can probably read between the lines there. I don't know where he's going to go from an assignment standpoint but what he showed -- another guy, he takes batting practice with a lot of the guys from big league camp and really impressive for a kid that age. And his defensive prowess. We saw him throw a guy out in a Spring Training game and the "wow factor" is certainly applicable. BP setting and you see it in a game. The kind of tools he possesses behind the plate. Not a lot of guys look like that at that age. Excited there. I know a lot of people are high on him. View the full article

BALTIMORE — As Patrick Sandoval was analyzing what went wrong during his forgettable Opening Day start on Thursday, he took some solace in the fact that it’s just one game in a long season. And this season, he won’t have to wait quite as long to try again. The Angels now have a traditional five-man rotation. That’s standard procedure in major league baseball, but something the Angels haven’t done in years. Because of the unique circumstances of having Shohei Ohtani, the Angels used a six-man rotation almost exclusively in recent years. While the Angels loved having a pitcher of Ohtani’s caliber, they also dealt with logistical problems because they would not use him on a normal four days of rest. Ohtani, they reasoned, needed at least five days because of the demands of hitting. So everyone else in the rotation was shuffled to accommodate him. “There never really was a consistent flow to what days off you were going to get,” Sandoval said. Now, it’s no longer an issue. “I’m excited for it,” said right-hander Griffin Canning. “Just kind of staying in our routine a little bit more than we’ve done in the past is going to help.” Added Sandoval: “I think it’s going to help us, getting us out there more often and not having extra days to kind of sit and have to fill the gaps with what you think is going to work, and then maybe doesn’t work. Getting a consistent rotation is going to help us.” In 2021 and 2022, the Angels used a true six-man rotation, with the pitchers normally working every sixth game. If there was an off day, that meant pitchers would all get another extra day. Last season, in an effort to get as many starts out of Ohtani as possible, the Angels put him on a strict six-day rotation, regardless of off days. Sometimes Ohtani would pitch twice in between another pitcher’s starts, leaving that pitcher to have seven or eight days of rest. “If you go seven or eight days without getting on a mound, it feels like it’s a long time for those little nuances of the game that you’re hyper aware of when you’re out there more frequently,” said veteran left-hander Tyler Anderson, whose signed with the Angels prior to the 2023 season. Over the last three seasons, the Angels had 279 games in which their starter was working on at least six days of rest. The Padres ranked second in the majors in that span, with 143 games. The Angels had just 18 games in the last three seasons in which a starter pitched with the traditional four days of rest, and many of those were openers or pitchers working after relief appearances. The Angels loosened the restrictions somewhat in the final two months of the 2023 season, when Ohtani wasn’t in the rotation. That included one of the best starts of Reid Detmers’ young career. Detmers pitched 7⅓ scoreless innings on Aug. 16 against the Texas Rangers. He was on just four days of rest from a game in which he gave up seven runs. Former manager Phil Nevin explained part of his reasoning for using Detmers on four days of rest was to minimize the time he had to stew over his bad game. Anderson said that’s exactly the benefit of pitching more often. “You don’t have any extra days to think about it, if things go well or bad,” Anderson said. “Before you know it, you’re pitching again, which is great.” The Angels might not really see a difference until they get into at least May. The schedule includes five off days through May 2, which means that most of the April starts will still be on five days of rest. They will go through the rotation a couple of times on four days of rest during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, from April 12-24. Angels general manager Perry Minasian also said they could drop an occasional sixth starter in for a spot start if they feel the pitchers could benefit from a fifth day of rest. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels blown out by Orioles on Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | Angels eye José Soriano as their ‘winning piece’ in hybrid role Los Angeles Angels | Angels manager Ron Washington eager to begin second chance Los Angeles Angels | Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó makes Angels’ Opening Day roster “One extra day of rest, those are good,” Anderson said. “Anything more than that feels like a lot. We won’t have those often, which is great.” Anderson and Sandoval are the only real veterans in the group. Canning, Detmers and right-hander Chase Silseth have all started fewer than 65 games in their careers. For them, more frequent starts simply means speeding up their major league learning curve. “The more you pitch,” Anderson said, “the better you get at pitching. I’m excited to see what these guys can do.” UP NEXT Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 7-8, 4.32 ERA in 2023) at Orioles (RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 7-4, 4.35 in 2023), Saturday, 1:05 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM View the full article

BALTIMORE — After years of underachieving and then months in which they didn’t do enough to satisfy their fans that they were moving in the right direction, the Angels began the 2024 season by sending a message that things were going to be different. Then, the bottom of the first inning started. After Mike Trout’s homer put the Angels on the board in the top of the first, Patrick Sandoval failed to hold the lead for even three outs, sending the Angels on their way to an 11-3 Opening Day loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. Sandoval was charged with five runs while recording just five outs. That was not what he Angels needed on a day they had to tangle with former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in his debut with an Orioles team that won 101 games without him last year. Sandoval walked two of the first three hitters of the game, with a bloop single in between, loading the bases with no outs. Sandoval was an out away from escaping the inning with only one run on the board, but Jordan Westburg hit a flare just over leaping second baseman Brandon Drury, pushing in a second run. In the second, third baseman Anthony Rendon mishandled a routine grounder to start the inning. Jorge Mateo then rolled a grounder just inside the third base line, for a double. An out later, Sandoval gave up singles to Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle, driving in two more runs. An Anthony Santander sacrifice fly drove in the fifth run. The Orioles then added an infield hit when a ball ticked off Rendon’s glove. Sandoval was then pulled, having endured a painfully familiar storyline, filled with walks, bloop hits and poor defense behind him all. Two of the runs were unearned. Five of the six hits he allowed had exit velocities of slower than 90 mph. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels eye José Soriano as their ‘winning piece’ in hybrid role Los Angeles Angels | Angels manager Ron Washington eager to begin second chance Los Angeles Angels | Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó makes Angels’ Opening Day roster Los Angeles Angels | A look at the 175-year history of baseball uniforms José Suarez followed him to the mound and soaked up 3⅔ innings, allowing two more runs. The Orioles added four more against right-hander José Cisnero, three on a Cedric Mullins homer in the seventh. Even if the Angels had pitched better or played better defense, they still might have lost because the hitters did nothing with Burnes. Trout belted a 402-foot homer on a Burnes slider, setting an Angels record with his fourth Opening Day homer. The Angels did not have another baserunner against Burnes, striking out 11 times in his six innings. More to come on this story. View the full article

BALTIMORE — José Soriano presented the Angels with an intriguing dilemma. The 25-year-old right-hander who throws 101 mph was effective as a reliever last season, and he was effective this spring when the Angels gave him a chance as a starter. They didn’t want to displace any of their current five starters though. The solution? Soriano is starting the season pitching out of the bullpen in something of a hybrid role. “When we bring him in, he’s going to go three or four innings,” manager Ron Washington said before the Angels’ opener on Thursday. “If our starter gets us into the sixth inning and we bring him in, he can take us from the sixth to the ninth. That’s what our plan is gonna be. Whenever we use him it’s going to be length, to keep him stretched out.” Washington made it clear that Soriano would not be pitching when they are hopelessly out of a game, which is how many long relievers are used. “He’s going to be our winning piece,” Washington said. “You can be within a run or two runs. If we’re down by four, we’re not doing it then.” The Angels are starting the season with Patrick Sandoval, Griffin Canning, Reid Detmers, Chase Silseth and Tyler Anderson in the rotation. Obviously at some point the Angels will need a sixth starter when one of the others is hurt or ineffective, and Soriano currently seems to be No. 6. The question is whether the Angels will be able to keep him stretched out enough to be a rotation option while working out of the big-league bullpen, as opposed to pitching on a starter schedule in the minors. “We’ll find out (if it works),” general manager Perry Minasian said. “Our intent is to keep him stretched out. How we use him, when we use him, what type of game we use him, that’s to be seen.” Minasian said there was also a consideration given to the number of innings he has pitched. Soriano pitched just 13 innings in 2022, his first year back from a second Tommy John surgery, followed by 65 1/3 innings last season. Using him as a traditional starter all season could have led to too much of a jump. This plan allows the Angels to move him gradually into a starting role, if that’s what happens. FINAL ROSTER DECISIONS The Angels officially added Miguel Sanó to the roster, bringing him back to the big leagues after he missed all of 2023. Sanó said he lost 58 pounds in the past year. Sanó was in the Opening Day lineup at DH on Thursday, batting seventh. “He had a very good spring,” Minasian said. “I think he improved as the spring went along. Obviously, what he did with his body and the commitment he’s made to be as good as he can possibly be. And you know, I think he’s really really excited for this opportunity and brings an element of power to the lineup and it’s a really good at-bat. Every at bat he’s had, for the most part, it’s a grind type at-bat. “He’s a great person. He’s fit in really well with our group. So he’s earned the right to be on the team. That was one of the more fun conversations to have. As many tough ones you have, you really cherish the fun ones.” The Angels created a spot on the 40-man roster for Sanó by moving right-hander Sam Bachman to the 60-day injured list. Bachman, who had shoulder surgery last fall, has not had a setback, Minasian said. Because the Angels want to use him this year as a starter, they were already going to have to limit his innings, so they decided to start him late. Bachman will be able to pitch in the minors in about a month as part of a rehab assignment and he’ll be eligible to pitch in the majors at the end of May. Right-hander Hunter Strickland, who had 15 strikeouts and no walks in spring training, was one of the final cuts, with right-hander Guillo Zuñiga taking the final bullpen spot. Strickland did not have a contractual out, so he will report to Triple-A. Outfielder Jake Marisnick, who did have the right to request his release, decided to stay. He’ll also begin the season at Triple-A. NOTES Right-hander Robert Stephenson (shoulder inflammation) is in Baltimore. He played catch Thursday. Minasian said he has no timetable for Stephenson to be activated, but “it shouldn’t be long.” … Anderson pitched Tuesday in Arizona while Silseth started in the Freeway Series at Angel Stadium. Anderson is scheduled to start Tuesday in Miami, the fifth game of the season. … Washington settled on Anthony Rendon as his leadoff man for the opener, after using Aaron Hicks, Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak in the leadoff spot at various times in the spring. “I just wanted someone up there to make a pitcher work and someone up there with some experience that can come back to the dugout and let the other players know what he’d just seen,” Washington said. “We have a lot of youth that’s been up there leading off, I just wanted to try to change the outlook of the way things go and I’m very happy with Rendon up there.” … Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels manager Ron Washington eager to begin second chance Los Angeles Angels | Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó makes Angels’ Opening Day roster Los Angeles Angels | A look at the 175-year history of baseball uniforms Los Angeles Angels | 2024 MLB Predictions: SCNG staffers call their shots First baseman Nolan Schanuel had been Washington’s choice as the No. 2 hitter, but he missed a week at the end of spring training with a stiff back and then Washington came to like Hicks in that spot. “The way I constructed the lineup when he out, I liked it,” Washington said. UP NEXT Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 7-8, 4.32 ERA in 2023) at Orioles (RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 7-4, 4.35 in 2023) at Oriole Park, 1:05 p.m. PT Saturday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM. View the full article

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer First and foremost, since we are opening the season in Baltimore, if you are reading this article, please take a moment to think upon all those who died on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Thank you. Tuesday, before the Angels-Dodgers last game of Spring Training, Angels GM Perry Minasian met with season ticketholders for his annual “Chalk-Talk”. The event was moderated by Trent Rush, who did a great job, and asked most of the questions, although some fan questions were allowed. Perry spoke for about 45 minutes to the crowd and addressed the offseason and Spring Training. My cousin Ken and I attended and sat behind my good friend John and his friend Steve. Throughout and after the event, food was served, so, the 4 of us spent some time after the talk discussing what we had heard and any observations that we had. When listening to a GM speak, one has to learn to read a bit between the lines to allow the narrative to unfold. It’s like trying to translate what a really skilled politician is saying: There is a definite art to it, which is part of what makes a GM’s job challenging and a reporter’s job even more challenging. Here are my 5 Take-Aways from the 2024 Chalk Talk. Take-Away #1: The Baseball People are Back In Charge For Angels fans who remember the Bill Stoneman years, you will be happy to know that Perry is following the same basic plan—except he identified it as the “Braves plan”. Really, it is the smartest and best use of team funds long-term. It isn’t “Money-Ball”. It’s about drafting well, developing waves of talent to provide depth, bringing in key parts that you may need, and finding success together. That’s what the best run organizations do, and that means the baseball people are back in charge. If this is the plan, and the baseball people are back in charge, then that is good news for Angels fans, as long as we stick with it for 3-5 years. Don’t read this wrong: sticking with it does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years. I will repeat: sticking with it [the plan] does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years. Instead, if we stick with the plan for 3-5 years, we will find tremendous success from it, just as the Angels did from 2002-2014 and the Braves and other teams have done since. Drafting and scouting well, and significantly improving our international presence, especially in Latin America, is a lot more effective and affordable way to develop a winning team than constantly chasing Free Agents. The same production from a 2nd or 3rd year player costs a fraction of what the same production from a Free Agent would cost. This was great news in my opinion, as previously, some of my main concerns about the organization have been about the lack of presence internationally, the lack of player scouting, and the lack of player development. We have needed to boost all of that to get back to where we were 20 years ago. Unfortunately, this immediately led to Take-Way #2. Take-Away #2: 2024 Is a Transitional Year As many fans have realized, 2024 is a year for overhauling the team on the fly. But, that does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. Let me repeat: That does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. And it is NOT a bad thing. But, I cannot deny that it is a transitional year. Instead, what that means is that 2024 is a year to take stock of what we have in the organization, develop our future nucleus, and to see what holes we need to fill and how we can fill them. With the baseball people back in charge, they need to know answers about players and need to do a deep organizational analysis in order to transition into a championship team. Think of the “Big Board” in the War Room. Every organization has one, with the depth chart and the future timetable of development at each position. Players like Rada and Dana are quickly pushing their way up the timetables to join the current wave in the Majors. All spring long we heard about Cole Fontenelle, a 3B, and how he impressed. Look at Perry’s and Washington’s actions, giving him at bats late in Spring Training, long after other players at higher levels in the Minors had been reassigned. That showed us that the Angels were really assessing him to see if he could be and when he could be in our future, and how best to develop him. If he can make it in the next 2 years, we will have essentially flipped the entire roster, except for 2nd base, where at worst, we have Rengifo. This spring, Perry’s and Washington’s actions spoke so loudly, that we fans didn’t need to hear what they were saying (adapting one of Perry’s favorite quotes that he mentioned). At some point, the Angels had to do this, and this year is the year. While many fans wanted to sign Bellinger or Snell, signing either would have taken play time and development from our future. We won’t know how our young core really can do until we see it. Rada and Dana are doing things at 18 and 20 that almost no high school senior or juco player could do. Both could be ready by 2025. Would anyone really want to stunt our future’s development, while losing draft picks, all so that we could “win the offseason” and hurt our future? If Rada, Dana, Fontenelle, and others produce like many expect them to, we will get Bellinger’s and Snell’s production at a fraction of their cost. Those cost savings could allow us to get that final Free Agent who can take us deep into the postseason. As Jeff Fletcher has pointed out many times on AngelsWin.com, the best run teams only sign key free agents when they are one or two pieces away. This year, we aren’t that close, but we will still be competitive as we assess what we have. But we won’t know what is possible unless we let the kids play and take inventory. We have to transition. That leads to Take-Away #3. Take-Away #3: Ron Washington Should Be the Right Manager For Us This is yet another good thing for Angels fans. I do believe that Ron Washington may be the right manager in the right place for the right organization in need. Over the years, one of my other main concerns about the Angels, especially with all of the managerial and front office changes, has been the lack of a team identity. What is Angels baseball? Who is our clubhouse leader? Who is on field leader? In the past, all those questions were easy to answer, lately, they have not. If I were on the interviewing panel for the manager or GM, I would ask each candidate those questions along with many more. Under Scioscia, Angels baseball had a brand and style. From the time a player was drafted until the time he made it in the Major Leagues, the expectations for what the team wanted and developed were clear. As fans, we could identify it. And then, it changed. And it got lost. And forgotten. At the same time, so did winning. Some of that can be pegged to changes in the game, especially in analytics and training/coaching. More can be blamed on the several GMs that we hired and their different styles. And finally, yes, some of that, and ultimately all of that, is on the owner. But, that’s the past, and I’m looking forward to the future, both now and long-term. So far, it appears that Washington has earned the players’ respect, through his efforts on the field to how he teaches. I know I would respect a manager at his age hitting ground balls to me early in the morning. But what really separates him as the right coach for THIS team, a young team, is that he allows the players to make mistakes, then teaches him how to do it correctly the next time, and then holds them accountable for doing so. That is true teaching and providing real support. For a young team, that is how we can mold the players into champions. Most people do better when supported in such a way as Washington has been doing so far. We saw it throughout Spring Training: Players were allowed to run the bases more freely, even if thrown out, to see if that would be an option for them during the season. Aggressive baserunning and stealing bases has been rediscovered, but it also led to some teachable moments. It will be interesting to see how he continues now that the season is starting and how he holds players accountable for playing his style of baseball. That leads to Take-Away #4. Take-Away #4: Player Development Will Be Emphasized in 2024 If the baseball people are back in charge, then playing time will change. Players will be allowed to make mistakes, but they need to learn from them. Younger players will not have to worry about carrying a team, like McPherson, or rushed to the Majors, like Adell. And when they get there, they won’t feel the pressure to hit for the moon every time, or strike out every batter, without considering it a failure. While failure won’t be encouraged, it will be used as a teachable event and won’t always be punished. I do believe Washington has a brand and style of what Angels baseball should be and will be. That brand and style will be uniform throughout our entire organization, which is why he had all the Minor League coaches out in Spring Training. Washington’s style will be different than Scioscia’s. As fans, it will take us time to truly identify Washington’ brand of Angels Baseball (mostly because the majority of this team was put together by others, he will have to implement his identity with the players he has). But, the younger players will learn it quickly. Head out to one of our Minor League affiliates, like Inland Empire, and you will see much more of it. Next year and the year after, the team should be better at it. With our developing core of Adell, Moniak, Neto, O’Hoppe, and Schanuel, Washington’s emphasis on the fundamentals will help go a long way to molding our future. If they learn the fundamentals, and can execute them throughout an entire season, then they can do it on the next level in the Majors—the postseason. Over the course of the year, the younger players should earn more of the playing time over the veterans. We should see better fundamental defense and a stronger offense. As the defense improves and plays more fundamental baseball, we should see the pitching improve and trust the defense to make outs. We will win more games. Think about how the 2014 Royals developed and went on a run. Or the Braves. Or the Angels in the early 2000s. Perry talked about teaching the players to win each pitch, each count, and each at bat. For example, pitching efficiently, and using the defense, rather than pitching deep counts by going for strikeouts, using the whole team to get outs and trusting the defense to make the plays. Doing that allows the starters to go deeper into games and helps prevent overuse of the bullpen. Over the past few years, we had gotten away from that, and as fans, saw the results. In the past, when we had waves of talent in development, when we had an injury, we had a player in line that we could tap into who was better than replacement level. We didn’t suffer tremendous drops in production with an injury between 2004-2014, typically, because we had those waves of talent. Because the baseball people were back in charge, we developed more internal depth. That allowed us to spend money more efficiently on Free Agents to fill in the holes that we needed with plenty of depth rather than trying to fill holes around what we had and leaving a lot of depth needed. This is why we are seeing Bachman, Soriano, and Wantz getting stretched out into starters. We know that they can get Major League outs for an inning or two. We believe that they have the stuff to do so for more innings in games, so having them as starters ready to come up makes them far more valuable to us. No rotation will make it entirely through a season unscathed these days. That leads me to my final Take-Away. Take-Away #5: Angels Baseball in 2024 Will Be Better and More Exciting Fundamental baseball is fun baseball. Runs should score more often, and not always on solo homeruns. Great defense is always worth the price of admission. Solid pitching that keeps games close means we will be watching into the latter innings, and partially explains the emphasis on building up the bullpen. As Perry talked about, and many of us noted last year, we were great in the first half of the games when we scored a lot of runs, and lost most a lot in the second half when we were shut down and gave up a lot of runs. . Look, like most, I was disappointed in this offseason. Not because of who we did or didn’t sign, but because of the mixed messages that we got as fans from the team. Early on, we were told that Perry could spend to build a contender (within reason). This was the same message as told to fans for the past several years. And it looked like were going to do more as he built up the bullpen. It seemed like the team could replace Ohtani’s production with Free Agents. And then we were told that the plan all along was to cut the budget this year. That didn’t make sense if we were planning to spend on Ohtani, who alone would cost more. And, if we were going to spend on Ohtani, then why wouldn’t we spend on other available free agents to replace the loss of pitching and hitting? As a fan. I will admit: Losing Ohtani hurt. But, even I would never agree to the contract that Ohtani signed. That could be a franchising killing contract for all but a very few owners. The risk was too great. I wish him well with the Dodgers (even against the Angels as long as we win the game) but there is absolutely NO WAY that Arte should have matched that deal. Personally, I think that the national media is a bit biased against the Angels for a variety of reasons (whether for lack of knowledge about the organization or for other reasons). This team has been underrated, mostly because of losing Ohtani, and people forgetting how injured we’ve been over the past few years. This team can be and should be over 500 if the team stays healthy. And we have more depth than we’ve had in the past, at most positions, so we should be better than advertised. I’m not being optimistic, I’m being realistic. I’m excited and hopeful, and very interested to see how this year plays out. If done correctly, we’re not that far off from Washington leading us on extended postseason runs. In the past, we had to have everything go right in order to have a shot at the postseason. And, we did so without much depth in a challenging division. We haven’t had the entire tear down teams to beat up like teams in other divisions had, and we’ve had to contend with many championship teams. That’s why it’s so important for us to get back to developing waves of talent, as we did in the mid-2000s, so that we can win more games than expected. Our future infield and outfield is mostly set outside of 2nd and 3rd base—with Fontenelle being one possible answer at 3B (let’s hope he does well this year). As for our pitching, we have one of youngest rotations (subtracting Anderson removes several years off the average of our starters). In terms of depth, I will admit, we are a bit weak on the middle infield and 3rd base. But, for other parts of the team, we have a potential surplus of outfielders and are developing pitching depth, especially for starters. Joyce and others will soon be in the bullpen, so we have parts to trade, and make better long-term decisions as we see how the kids develop. While our organization has been ranked as one of the worst overall in baseball, that hasn’t stopped us in the past from making some very shrewd trades, such as for O’Hoppe and Moniak. And, at the deadline, I believe that we will be active. But, the emphasis will be more on long-term acquisitions, rather than short term panic moves. Believe it or not, Arte does want to win. Unlike in the past, though, when we’ve been in win-now modes, the baseball people are back in charge and will make better decisions for long-term moves. I expect a lot of games this season that are much closer in score this year and fewer shutouts than we’ve seen over the past few years. That should lead to fewer multi-game losing streaks. And that is a lot more fun for a whole season! Think about the Angels-Dodgers game we saw after the Chalk Talk. Objectively, as a baseball fan, which would you rather see your team do: Have good pitching, play fundamental baseball, score 4 runs without in a variety of ways, or see your team have good pitching, play sloppy defense, score 3 runs on solo shots, and lose the game? I know which kind of game I’d rather see my team play. And I will see you at the ballpark or posting on AngelsWin.com this season. Play Ball! View the full article

A half field sits beside the parking lot at the Angels’ spring training complex in Tempe, Ariz. In the previous three years when the Angels had their camp based in this part of the complex, the field was mostly vacant. Not this year. “I pull up to the clubhouse and he’s out there hitting fungoes at 6:45 in the morning,” center fielder Mike Trout said. “There hasn’t been a day that I’ve pulled up that he’s not out there.” Trout was referring to Ron Washington, the Angels’ new manager and something of a workaholic. Although Washington is 71, he has not taken to this job with any less verve than when he was a manager 10 years ago or a coach 20 years ago. “He’s got lots of energy,” outfielder Taylor Ward said. “And with all the young guys we have, he’s getting us all wound up.” You wouldn’t expect Washington to have any less energy, because he’s been riding the adrenaline of a second chance that he desperately wanted. “There’s nothing like leading,” Washington said. “There’s nothing like leading a major league baseball club. I’ve got that rush. But I don’t feel no stress.” When the Angels open the 2024 season in Baltimore on Thursday, Washington will be filling out his first lineup card as a big league manager since 2014. He led the Texas Rangers through eight seasons, enjoying the peaks of back-to-back American League pennants. The valleys included a positive test for cocaine and his eventual resignation, which included Washington’s admission that he’d been unfaithful to his wife. No other reason was given. He was hired the next year by the Oakland A’s to be their third base coach. Washington had two other interviews for managerial jobs, with the Atlanta Braves in 2016 and the San Diego Padres in 2019. Although the Braves hired Brian Snitker instead, they thought enough of Washington to make him the third base coach. He’d held that job ever since, and had a three-year deal still ahead of him when the Angels called. “I never thought (managing) might not come again, but you do have that little man on the right shoulder and a little man on the left shoulder going against each other,” Washington said. “I came to the reality with the fact and this is the way I dealt with it. I said, if it doesn’t happen, I’m in a good place. It wasn’t all or nothing. But I certainly wanted to do it again.” Since the Angels gave Washington that chance, he has vowed that he will not change from what worked when he was with the Rangers a decade ago. “I am who I am,” Washington said. “I’ve always went about my baseball business the same, whether I was leading as the head leader or a coach.” The players say the mood from Washington filters into the clubhouse, although they are quick to point out that the confidence never wavered under previous managers. “I don’t think the vibe of our clubhouse has changed,” left-hander Patrick Sandoval said. “We want to win. We’ve always wanted to win. It hasn’t worked out, but the will to win has never gone down at all. The optimism hasn’t gone down at all. I think we share the same enthusiasm as (Washington) has.” His enthusiasm nonetheless is palpable. “It creates an atmosphere of energy,” catcher Matt Thaiss said. “It’s just spring training games, but everyone has energy. Everyone is getting after it. It’s just a culture.” Beyond the mood, Washington brings five decades of experience in the big leagues. Sandwiched around his time with the Rangers, he was on the staff of the A’s when they were perennial winners in the Moneyball era, and the Braves won the 2021 World Series with him on staff. “I think he just brings a track record of winning baseball,” outfielder Mikey Moniak said. “He’s been a part of a lot of winning teams, playing and coaching. Obviously, as a manager he has gotten to the World Series twice and was one strike away (from winning the World Series in 2011). “He knows what it takes to reach the goals we want to reach. We’re just kind of trying to take in everything and be sponges. Learn from him as much as possible and be able to apply it once we step across those lines.” The way the Angels play between the lines will have Washington’s fingerprints. Aggressive baserunning has been evident throughout spring training. Washington has pushed players to work on their bunting and situational hitting skills, including two suicide squeezes in the final week in Arizona. Washington is expecting the defense, particularly the infield defense, to be improved. He and infield coach Ryan Goins drilled the infielders on fundamentals just about every morning – those 6:45 a.m. fungoes that Trout saw. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó makes Angels’ Opening Day roster Los Angeles Angels | A look at the 175-year history of baseball uniforms Los Angeles Angels | 2024 MLB Predictions: SCNG staffers call their shots Los Angeles Angels | Logan O’Hoppe’s homer sparks Angels to exhibition rout of Dodgers The belief in improved defense is one of the reasons that the Angels are stressing to their pitchers not to worry about allowing the ball to be put in play. They have emphasized pounding the strike zone all spring. It’s all a part of Washington’s plan to turn around a team that won just 73 games last year by doing all the little things that will add up to big things. Washington said he’s grateful for the opportunity to do it again as a manager. “It means a ton, because I get a chance to transform again,” Washington said. “That’s the best part, coming into a situation where you get to help guys believe, and I love that.” UP NEXT Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval, 7-13, 4.11 ERA in 2023) at Orioles (RHP 10-8, 3.39), Camden Yards, Thursday, 12:05 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer Part One: The Cycle of Ages - Angels Baseball version After the dead-cat bounce of the post-Golden Era (2014-15), the Angels dipped below .500 in 2016 and have stayed there since, with a .465 Win% from 2016-23, which equates with a 75-87 record. In other words, for the last eight seasons, the Angels have been, on average, a 75-win team. Without going back into it again in too much depth, the Angels are long overdue for a rebuild, or at least, a shift in the organizational approach of the last decade plus. One could argue that they should have rebuilt way back in 2010-11 but Arte wouldn't accept that the Golden Age was over. What commenced was a serious of blunders that proved disastrous to the franchise for the last 15 years. They had another window in 2015-2016 and didn't take it, for a variety of reasons: they had a promising core of young starters, all of whom went under the knife. Next, they had the Trout Window, and then the Ohtani Window. So we have, ala the Greek/Indian ages, four distinct periods of 21st Century Angels Baseball: 2002-09: Golden Age - no comment needed. If you're a Millenial or older, you remember. If you're a Zennial, no, it isn't fake news - the Angels really were one of the half dozen best franchises in baseball for the first decade of the new millenium. 2010-15: Silver Age - At the time it was frustrating, but they won 85+ games in four out of six seasons, and we saw the arrival of the Promised One. Oh, and We Got Pujols; we'll extend Greinke; Hamilton is just so talented, isn't he? 2016-20: Bronze Age - Things started looking grim, but we got a smart GM in Eppler. Right? 2020-23: Iron (or Dark) Age - This era, despite the gloriousness of Ohtani, was embodied by Trout's injuries and Rendon's suckitude. It was probably the most dismal three-year span since, I don't know, the early 90s. If you want a Darkest Hour of the Dark Age, it is probably either the losing streak in 2022 or the trade deadline last year and what followed. Or possibly Ohtani signing with the Dodgers. But it's over, right? Now the ancients had a few different versions of the cycle of ages. One is that the Dark Age eventually led to a new Golden Age. Yeah, right. Another is that the cycles goes back in reverse, and a new "ascending" Bronze Age follows the Dark Age, and then up to Silver and eventually Golden. Seems more plausible - or at least possible. A third is, well, Ragnarok: the Dark Age ends in cataclysm and the world ends. Let's hope that the trade deadline, team collapse, and departure of Ohtani is that Ragnarok and that we'll get to start seeing the ascent again. I mean, how much worse can it get? Anyhow, the various factors mentioned above kept the Angels brass from doing what long needed doing: taking stock and pushing the reset button. Of course there wasn't much to take stock of, but at least they could have held off on spending more money on mediocre free agents in a lame attempt to kinda compete each year. So now Ohtani's gone and the Angels had one of their quietest offseasons in the last couple decades: No big splashes, no long contracts at all, just a handful of gap-fills and somewhat random free agent signings. It was a bit confusing at first, because Minasian's early offseason emphasis on building a stronger bullpen implied that he was going to go big on free agency. But nothing significant manifested -- no new starting position players or pitchers, just a handful of bench and bullpen guys. Barring a last minute Snellsplash, it looks like the Angels are truly--and finally--taking a beat, taking stock, and maybe eventually replenishing the farm a bit (barring contention come trade deadline). And I say, hallelujah! It is long overdue. Consider the above as being a summation of my offseason thoughts, with the disclaimer that I've only paid passing attention the last few months and haven't really followed the Cactus League. On to part two... Part Two: 2024 - the Year of Stock-Taking Here's the new part, or at least new to me. "Taking stock" implies seeing how good the young guys are. But I think that is somewhat secondary to the Minasian Plan. We know that in 2025 and beyond, the under-25s of Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto and Schanuel will be around - there isn't really a likely scenario in which they don't form the nucleus of whatever this iteration of the Angels morphs into. But what Minasian will really be looking at, aside from whether (and to what degree) Trout and Rendon can salvage their careers, is how the not-so-young guys will do. Meaning, the 25-30 group that includes Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, and Moniak. Really, it is all of the above and more - but I wanted to highlight that middle group, because those are the guys who are "on the clock" in one form or fashion. Sandoval and Canning have shown promise but struggled at various points in their career; Ward is coming off a major injury and it remains to be who the real Taylor Ward is; Rengifo is deciding whether he's going to be a quality regular or a bench guy; and Adell and Moniak are fighting for a starting gig, and at least for Adell, whether or not he's an Angel long-term. So in summary, we have several groups that bear watching: The young pups (under 25): Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, also Joyce, Bachman, and Soriano (who is 25, but belongs with this group). The mid guys (age 25-30): Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, Moniak, and Suarez. The old guys (over 30s): Trout and Rendon. The mercs (possible trade fodder): Anderson, Drury, most of the bullpen, especially Estevez, Moore, and Stephenson. The last group, the "mercs," are solid players but are ultimately expendable, and the type of guys you dangle in July if you're out of the playoff hunt. Meaning, they only "stock-taking" is whether any of them have value - either for an unlikely postseason hunt in the second half or, more likely, as trade fodder. The young guys are here to stay and are the nucleus for the next half decade plus, along with Old Man Trout. The middle guys are the ones whose place on the Angels are most in question - thus my relating the term "taking stock" most especially to them. Minasian will be looking at who is worth keeping and who joins the trade fodder, in the likelihood that the Angels are sellers in July. Not sure what to say about the Decrepit Duo that hasn't already been said. The hope is obviously that both have a renaissance of some kind - that Trout returns at least to 2022 form but with better health, and Rendon is at least a solid on-base hitter. I'm guessing that of the two, he team's hopes is 95% on Trout, and anything Rendon produces is viewed as a pleasant surprise. All of the above are under the eye of "taking stock" but, I think, the mid guys most especially. So even if the Angels struggle and don't ever really contend, it should be interesting to see how this year pans out. View the full article

ANAHEIM — With the final game of spring training on the line, Dodgers prospect Jared Karros took the mound against the Angels with a keen observer watching from the television booth upstairs. Former Dodgers star Eric Karros was doing color commentary for SportsNet LA when his son and former 16th-round draft pick in 2022 stepped on the mound in a major league stadium. Never mind that it was an exhibition game, there were plenty of midseason nerves. “So Howie Long, I work with him at FOX and we cross over in September with football and baseball,” Eric Karros said. “He had two kids play at the highest level (in the NFL). “I remember talking to him about watching your kid and he said, ‘It’s like when you played and get ready for a game and have all this adrenaline and then you can go release it out on the field. Watching your kid, you get all this adrenaline and you just have to sit and you can’t let it loose. It eats you up inside.’ And that’s exactly what it is.” The younger Karros walked Matt Thaiss to open the inning before finding his stride. He got Zach Neto to fly out to left field, retired Jack Lopez on another fly ball to left and ended the seventh inning when Jo Adell was called out on strikes. As the son walked off the mound as the picture of calm, dad stood up in the booth and applauded his approval. Back out to pitch again in the eighth inning, Jared Karros gave up a hit but struck out the side by retiring three projected Angels regulars in Mickey Moniak, Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel. Again the older Karros rose to his feet, letting out shouts of approval while thrusting his fist into the air. As for that rule of never cheering in the press box? “I told them they can take my press credential away,” Eric Karros said with a laugh. Jared Karros pitched in 19 games (16 starts) at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga last season with a 3.95 ERA but has not yet learned of his minor league assignment for this season. “To watch this, and especially to see him succeed and have the type of outing he did, it’s something I’m always going to remember,” said Karros, who holds the Los Angeles Dodgers record of 270 home runs. “The gamut of emotion probably went from puking to crying to screaming. All over the map.” While Jared Karros kept it close for the Dodgers, the Angels still won the game, 4-3, in the ninth against Dodgers left-hander John Rooney, when Zach Neto tripled with two outs and Lopez ended the game with a bloop RBI single to left. It was the Angels who leaned into their offense first, getting a two-run double from Brandon Drury in the first inning and a towering home run from Miguel Sanó to left field in the second inning for a 3-0 lead. All three runs came off Dodgers starter James Paxton. Sano had been told he made the Opening Day roster by Manager Ron Washington after Monday’s game at Dodger Stadium. Related Articles Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodgers rally but end up tying Angels in Tyler Glasnow’s debut Los Angeles Dodgers | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions The Dodgers used their power to get back into the game with Freddie Freeman and Will Smith hitting back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to pull within a run. The Dodgers tied it in the sixth on a home run to center field from Gavin Lux. Paxton gave up three runs on four hits over five innings of his final spring start, with two walks and two strikeouts. He is expected to start the fifth game of the Dodgers’ season-opening homestand on Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Angels starter Chase Silseth gave up two runs on two hits over five innings with no walks, while showing his potential with 10 strikeouts. “I put a lot into today,” Silseth said. “It felt like the real thing today, which is good. I was ready. I’m ready now (to) hit the ground running.” View the full article

ANAHEIM — Miguel Sanó couldn’t wait to share the news, so the veteran third baseman took to Instagram on Tuesday to let his followers know he had made the Angels’ roster. In a photo, the former All-Star points to the sky. “For the first thing, I want to say thank you to God and to the Angels for the opportunity,” Sanó said before the Angels’ final spring training game against the Dodgers. “It’s great to have the moment and opportunity that has been given to me.” Sanó, a free agent, was among the last group of players vying for a roster spot. When the Angels optioned Livan Soto and sent down Willie Calhoun, Caleb Hamilton and Cole Fontenelle, it opened the door for him. “I’m going to take care of my job. I’m going to work hard every day to prove what I got every day on the field,” said Sanó, who reported to camp 58 pounds lighter and eager to show he could still swing the bat. Although Sanó batted just .186 and had a .695 OPS throughout the spring, his power and improved physical condition, along with a strong work ethic, impressed Manager Ron Washington. He informed Sano of his decision shortly after Monday’s game at Dodger Stadium. “He swung the bat well and did everything we asked him to do,” Washington said. “He worked his butt off and is very deserving of being on our roster and that’s why he’s here.” Sanó showed how he can still contribute by crushing a solo home run in the second inning on Tuesday night to give the Angels a three-run lead. He also reached base on an error. Sanó said the past few days have been nerve-wracking but always believed he could still contribute to a major league team after a near two-year hiatus. “I plan to work double, triple – all hard work every day that I come to the field,” Sano said. Sanó, 30, hit at least 25 home runs in four big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, including 30 in 2021. In 2022, he hit .083 and was released. Sanó could play third and first and he can also be used as a DH. STRONG START Right-hander Chase Silseth struck out 10 but gave up back-to-back home runs through five innings of work, his longest outing of spring training. In an earlier spring training game against the Dodgers, Silseth gave up three hits in 2⅓ scoreless innings, striking out two. He got his lone spring training victory in his first outing, throwing two innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Feb. 29. READY FOR HIS ANGELS DEBUT On the cusp of the regular season, Washington sat in the dugout and declared he was ready to begin his 53rd year in baseball, his 42nd in the majors and first as the Angels manager. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | A look at the 175-year history of baseball uniforms Los Angeles Angels | 2024 MLB Predictions: SCNG staffers call their shots Los Angeles Angels | Logan O’Hoppe’s homer sparks Angels to exhibition rout of Dodgers Los Angeles Angels | Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani says he never bet on sports, interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money, told lies Los Angeles Angels | Season Preview: 2024 Angels believe they will surprise the baseball world “This means everything because I’m a leader and I got an opportunity to lead again,” said Washington, who guided the Texas Rangers from 2007-14 in his only other managerial job. “I’m ready to go. I’m prepared.” So is his team, he said. The Angels open the season Thursday afternoon at the Baltimore Orioles. “They better be. We just had six weeks of spring training, so they certainly are where I want them to be,” Washington said. Washington wants to shut down outside noise, the talk of finishing fourth this season after missing the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. He wants to prove that this year’s squad possesses the talent to advance to the postseason. “They are ready to play baseball and the identity will make itself known,” he said. View the full article

Baseball uniforms have been around 175 years and have undergone some changes. The new version has not been a hit with fans and players, but the league is working its way out of a jam. The uniforms might be new but they’ve been a long time in the making. Major League Baseball says it’s been six years since the league began working on these uniform changes, gathering input from clubs and players as they looked to optimize the outfits for the best performance possible. MLB and Nike teamed up in 2019 on a 10-year deal, with the apparel company taking over for Majestic Athletic, which had been making jerseys for the league since 1982. Pampers or Huggies? But the pants are the issue. Many players complained that when they wear white tops and white pants, the tucked-in jersey can look like a diaper because the pants are relatively see-through. Getty ImagesA cropped photo of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes in spring training shows the sheer material of the new uniforms some players are unhappy with. The plus side MLB officials say these uniforms improve mobility by providing 25% more stretch and also will dry 28% faster. Nike says they incorporate more recycled material than past uniforms, lowering emissions from manufacturing. What’s next? One potential solution is that players could wear last year’s pants until the problems are solved. No decision has been made by the league. Subtle differences Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch, a blog dedicated to uniform design, described the 2024 changes: “Stretchier fabric, changing home jerseys from white to a subtle off-white, narrowing the placket (the vertical strip on the front of the shirt upon which the buttons sit), altering the belt loops, moving the MLB logo down on the back of the jersey and reducing the size of the last-name lettering.” Smaller lettering has fans complaining and players perplexed the most. What they cost There are several price ranges for the new jerseys. The cost of what’s closest to what the players wear would buy you some very good seats to Opening Day. Nike Vapor Premier Elite Jersey | Authentic jersey, as worn by players on the field. | $355 Nike Vapor Premier Limited Jersey | Inspired by the on-field jersey, it has an embroidered Nike Swoosh, heat-applied twill logos, a woven, heat-applied label, heat-applied sublimated twill player name and number. | $175 Nike Vapor Premier Game Jersey | Replica player jersey with silicone printed heat-transfer front logo, Nike Swoosh and silhouetted batter, screen-printed back player name and number, heat-applied labels. | For purchase soon. Notable events in baseball uniforms Sources: Baseball Hall of Fame, Powers Sports Memorabilia, “Today” show, MLBcollectors.com, MLB.com, Uni-watch.com, The Associated Press, Nike View the full article