2 glaring mistakes the Angels made setting Opening Day roster

Not providing Nolan Schanuel with a right-handed caddy at first base

The Angels are a right-handed heavy team. First baseman Nolan Schanuel is the only true lefty on the squad, with infielders Luis Rengifo and Yoan Moncada helping to provide balance due to their switch-hitting ability.

Like most left-handed hitters, Schanuel struggles against southpaws. In his young career his line against righties is a respectable, if not overly powerful, .261/.356/.366. Against lefties, that drops to .238/.341/.333.

During spring training, the Angels had a player who fit this bill on the roster. Veteran slugger J.D. Davis signed a minor-league deal back in late January, and while his spring got off to a slow start, he rebounded and finished with respectable numbers.

Davis finished the spring with a .255/.327/.404 line and has the ability to play first, third, and can fill in either outfield corner in a pinch. While his 2024 season left a lot to be desired, finishing with an 83 wRC+, he had been coming off a five-year stretch where he posted wRC+ numbers ranging from 103 all the way up to 137.

Davis is known for combining a lot of strikeouts with a lot of power, for that reason, he's a flawed player, but to fill a role as a right-handed power hitter that could give Schanuel a break against a tough lefty starter, plus fill in elsewhere on the diamond if need be, he seemed like a valuable piece to keep.

Instead, the Angels overloaded on shortstops, and insistent on carrying Tim Anderson instead of a more useful veteran, even though Anderson has done nothing to prove that the past two seasons were a fluke.

These decisions might not be the most egregious compared to other teams across the league; however, these depth roles can matter, and winning games in April and May is just as important as winning them down the stretch.

By insisting on maxing out of shortstops and giving Tim Anderson yet another shot at a comeback, the Angels have put two of their important young players, Paris and Schanuel, in less-than-ideal positions, which is yet another curious development for a team that is focused on building a core to eventually contend in the future.

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