Five Things We Learned on Opening Day About The LA Angels

Learned thing # 5: Nothing

That’s right, we learned nothing. It’s one game, and just because it’s the first one doesn’t make it the magical harbinger of all things. Mike Trout is not going to go 0-6 every game. Justin Upton is not going to 0-5 and drop fly balls all the live long day. Did we learn anything about Shohei Ohtani in his first game? His first two balls in play, a single and grounder, came off his bat at 95 and 102 MPH. He also couldn’t square up at all — ground ball single and three groundouts to go along with a strikeout — so all we learned was what we already knew, that he’s got a quick bat.

If there’s anything that we did learn for sure today, it’s that the Angels are still a work in progress.Expectations do not change realities, they only change the way we accept them. Right now, expectations for this Angels squad are high, but it’s a group that still has to figure out who can and can’t work in the bullpen and in the rotation, and there’s the ever-present Ohtani question to have to deal with.

Next: How will the Angels bench fare?

However, patience is hard, and it’s especially hard when the games count. The Angels couldn’t iron out their kinks in Spring Training, and now they’re going to have to do it when it matters. The one thing we know for sure after Opening Day? The Angels are 0-1.