The Los Angeles Angels Spring Training Teaser
The Los Angeles Angels kicked off their 2025 Spring Training schedule last Saturday with an 11-10 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Tempe Diablo Stadium. A couple of wins and losses later, they now have a 3-2 record as they face the Chicago Cubs this afternoon. If Angels fans are to believe the outside noise, this might be the high point of their 2025 campaign.
Most forecasts of the Angels’ 2025 season range from bad to embarrassing. The Arte Moreno era continues to disappoint Angels fans after another questionable off-season. The team currently has the tenth-highest payroll in baseball, according to Spotrac, just over $190 million. Yet, BetMGM season lines have their win total as the fourth worst in the game, at a paltry 72 wins. The cherry on top is that the homeless Athletics, with a payroll of $55 million, have an over/under of 72.5 wins. Nothing says it’s baseball season to Angels fans like a growing sense of season-long embarrassment.
In an upcoming season preview we’ll talk about players who left (goodbye, Patrick Sandoval...what could have been), players that arrived (hello, Kyle Hendricks and his 87.7 mph average fastball ((lowest in MLB in 2024))), and players that Angels fans can’t wait to get rid of (it rhymes with shmAnthony shmRendon).
As for Spring Training camp, the Angels have 26 non-roster invitees, according to MLB.com. Top prospects Christian Moore, Nelson Rada, and George Klassen are the big names for Angels fans to remember.
Moore, the Angels’ 2024 first-round pick, is the No. 68 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. Last season, he posted a .347/.400/.584 slash line over two minor league stops before an injury cost him two weeks. He returned for one last game, going 3-4 with 4 RBI to finish his season on a high note. Rada struggled in Double-A in 2024, but he played the season as an 18-year-old. The Angels still view him as their center fielder and lead-off hitter of the future. Klassen came over with LHP Sam Aldegheri in the July trade that sent Carlos Estevez to the Philadelphia Phillies. While Aldegheri made three starts for the Angels, it’s Klassen and his 70-grade fastball that have the team excited.
Other notable prospects in Tempe include RHP Ryan Johnson, SS Denzer Guzman, C Dario Laverde, and RHP Chris Cortez. Matthew Lugo, acquired for reliever Luis Garcia in a trade with the Red Sox last season, was added to the 40-man roster in November. He’ll likely begin the season in Triple-A after battling injuries last year. Lugo has played all over the outfield and third base, so he could find himself in Anaheim soon if he has a good start to the season.
The Angels’ pitching is anchored by newcomer Yusei Kikuchi, who parlayed an impressive ten-game cameo in Houston into a three-year, $63 million deal with the Halos. The Kikuchi signing gives the Angels three league-average or better starters, along with Tyler Anderson and Jose Soriano. Kyle Hendricks was a disaster last season but he is likely to slot in as the fourth starter.
The bullpen has a prominent new face as well. Angels fans have yet to see new closer Kenley Jansen, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal in February with the club. The active leader in career saves and fourth all-time with 447, Jansen is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Jansen ended his 2024 season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation in his pitching arm, so it’s possible that issue could still be lingering as we enter the 2025 season. Jansen’s 2024 with Boston was a mixed bag as he had his lowest FIP since his magical 2017 season but also the lowest K/9 of his career. The Angels are hoping he can solidify the back end of their bullpen with flamethrower Ben Joyce, who had an impressive rookie season. Joyce also hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game yet.
The Los Angeles Angels have a lot of question marks as Spring Training play gets underway in Arizona. With a lot of new faces--
Oh, I almost forgot this little tidbit. In an attempt to keep superstar Mike Trout healthy for a full season, the team has moved him to right field. When was Mike Trout last healthy for a full season, you ask?
Last time Mike Trout played 100 games: 2022 (119 games; Top-10 in MVP voting)
Last time Mike Trout played 120 games: 2019 (134 games; won his third MVP award)
Last time Mike Trout played 140 games: 2018 (140 games; fourth second-place MVP finish)
Last time Mike Trout played 150 games: 2016 (159 games; won his second MVP award)
Everyone seems on board with the move, at least publicly, as Trout cites health as the reason for the position switch. Since the start of the 2021 season, Trout has played in only 266 of a possible 648 games, a mere 41% of the team’s total games played. If the Angels want to have any shot of climbing out of the AL West cellar or shocking the world with an AL West championship, it starts with Mike Trout staying healthy all season long.