2 main takeaways from the Angels' first spring training game

Spring training games are underway for the Los Angeles Angels, so naturally it's time to overreact to everything we see the players do over the next month. It was exhilarating to see the Angels play baseball again, especially when it was capped off with a walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners. Obviously, these early exhibition games are a far-cry from the regular season product fans will see...i.e. the game was somewhat of a disaster. Just watch Kyren Paris' walk-off for crying out loud.

The all-around defense on both sides, minus some nice blocks from O'Hoppe/Robinson and Tim Anderson's 4-3 double play, was terrible. It's to be expected, as the big league position players are shaking off rust and the ballclubs are rolling out minor league players in droves. Any minor takeaways from the game should be more on the pitching side, as they are farther along in their regular season preparation. So let's dive into a couple of impressions that were made during the Angels' 11-10 win over Seattle.

Jack Kochanowicz won't have the worst strikeout rate in the league this year

Kochanowicz pitched two innings, and was completely let down by his defense. At least the poor Angels defense allowed him to take things into his own hands.

Kochanowicz recorded 6 outs, and 3 were by way of the K. Any little progress that he can make in that regard can go a long way when the Angels' front office and coaches determine who will be their fifth starter come regular season.

It's no secret that Kochanowicz could not miss a barrel to save his life last season. Despite his league worst 9.4% K%, the 24-year-old was effective during his 65.1 innings pitched. It might not be in in vogue to rely heavily on ground balls, but that is Kochanowicz's bread and butter.

Garrett McDaniels is going to make the big league bullpen

The Angels selected McDaniels in the Rule 5 Draft for a reason. The left-hander is in contention for a major league bullpen spot, even with very little experience at the minor league level.

Even before he pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout against Seattle, McDaniels had a great shot at making the Angels' bullpen. The Angels are in no position to be losing assets, and that is exactly what will happen if they do not add McDaniels to the major league roster. If the Angels do not add McDaniels to the big league roster, then he would get offered back to the Dodgers. They would happily welcome him back to their team, given his great fastball-slider combination.

McDaniels is battling players like Sam Bachman, Hans Crouse, Víctor Mederos, Jack Dashwood, Chase Silseth, Connor Brogdon, and José Suarez in camp. Every outing of his will be dissected and evaluated heavily, so his first appearance should inspire a lot of confidence.

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