ANAHEIM, Calif. — The MLB season has officially kicked off as the Dodgers defeated the Padres in the Seoul Series opener 5-2.
Except, after the Seoul Series, the Dodgers will return to the states and play the Angels in their final spring training games.
The Angels have cooled off from an impressive start to Cactus League play, their record currently sitting at 11-12. As the Halos continue to ramp things up ahead of the regular season, new manager Ron Washington has named LHP Patrick Sandoval as the Opening Day starter.
However, Sandoval has struggled mightily this spring. In 11.1 innings, he’s allowed 16 hits and 9 earned runs to the tune of a 7.15 ERA. Sandoval is coming off of a down 2023 season in which he posted a 4.11 ERA, but isn’t far removed from a stellar 2022 in which he threw 148.2 innings for a 2.91 ERA. The southpaw will look towards this upcoming series with the Dodgers as an opportunity to fine tune his mechanics and return to form.
Sticking with the rotation, RHP Victor Mederos has made a case to become the fifth starter. Although he’s only thrown three innings at the MLB level, he’s caught many by surprise as through 8.2 innings this spring, he’s tallied 12 strikeouts while only surrendering three earned runs.
If skipper Ron Washington decides to go with the more experienced arm, then the Angels will turn to LHP Jose Suarez to fill out the rotation, but these last few games of Spring Training might be the difference between Mederos making the big leagues and starting in Triple-A.
The Angels also have a decision to make when it comes to veterans OF Jake Marisnick and LHP Drew Pomeranz. By Friday, 1 p.m. central, the Angels have to either add them to their active roster or give both the option to opt out of their contracts and sign with new teams.
Marisnick has arguably been one of the Angels’ best hitters this spring, as he’s slugged three home runs and posted a .990 OPS. Marisnick has long been valued for his strong defense, but this strong offensive showing might prove he’s more than just a fourth outfielder.
Pomeranz has struggled in his brief time with the Angels, having allowed 5 earned runs in 6.2 innings. The former starter was on a downward spiral before a midseason trade to the Giants in 2019 saw him move to the bullpen. He followed that up with two solid seasons out of the Brewers bullpen but also dealt with a series of injuries. He hasn’t thrown a major league inning since 2021, but the Angels still believe in his ability to be a high-leverage reliever for a unit that has been bottom-ten in baseball.
Newly-signed RHP Robert Stephenson has also been dealing with shoulder discomfort and may not be ready for Opening Day. Should he miss time, it paves the way for some of the arms the Angels signed in the offseason to minor league deals, including RHP Luis Garcia and RHP Carson Fulmer. Garcia, who most recently pitched for the Padres in 2023, can bring it upwards of 100 MPH, but has dealt with inconsistency and injuries throughout his career. Fulmer was a former first-round pick in 2015 and many thought he would be an MLB-ready arm out of Vanderbilt. However, he never found his footing with the White Sox and has bounced around MLB on minor league deals. Albeit a small sample size, Fulmer has thrown three innings of scoreless baseball and a strong finish to spring training might thrust him into a bullpen role with the Angels.
There aren’t many expectations for the Angels heading into the 2024 season, but that might prove to be a better situation for many of the players on this roster. The younger guys on the roster won’t be pressured to immediately perform as compared to last season, when the Angels were desperately making a push for the postseason in Ohtani’s last season in Anaheim. In the worst case scenario, some of the veteran talent might pan out and the Angels can deal them away to replenish their weak farm system, but if this roster is firing on all cylinders, they may surprise the baseball world.