LA Angels: 3 key takeaways from the Opening Series

The Angels Opening Day record is 0-7 since 2014. That was until the Angels put together an impressive team win in Thursday’s opener against the White Sox led by the Angels 3-4-5 hitters who reached base safely a combined seven times. The Halos followed that performance up, winning three of the first four games of their Opening Series.

The same 2014 season is also the last year in which the Halos reached the postseason, marking a six-year playoff drought in which the Halos have been watching October baseball instead of playing October baseball.

The team came into the 2021 season needing a “feel good” start to the season, as new General Manager Perry Minasian and his “win now” attitude has Angels and baseball fans hopeful that the team has their best shot at a playoff birth in quite some time.

Angels Opening Series: Exciting things are happening in Anaheim.

The Halos welcome in an undefeated Houston Astros (4-0) squad on Monday, on the heels of their 3-1 start to the season with a whole handful of positives up and down the roster.

Here are three key takeaways from the Opening Series that should give Angels fans a lot of promise with 158 games remaining this season.

Angels Opening Series: Shohei Ohtani is finally healthy, and he is nasty.

In 2018, Shohei Ohtani busted onto the MLB scene throwing 100+ MPH fastballs off the mound, and hitting 450-plus feet moonshots at the plate. MLB and Angels fans, alike, couldn’t get enough of the two-way phenom and his unworldly skill set.

Ohtani went on to win Rookie of the Year in the American League, hitting 22 bombs and while starting ten games on the mound striking out 11 batters per nine innings, to the tune of a 3.31 ERA. Ohtani was forced off of the mound in late September after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, making him a one-way player in 2019 and only throwing 1.2 innings in 2020.

Now having overcome Tommy John surgery, a power-sucking knee surgery, and a pandemic-shortened 2020, Shohei is healthy. And he is nasty.

The two-way Japanese star had his power and arm on full display against the White Sox, hitting two tape-measure home runs while pumping 100+ MPH with a devastating splitter on the mound. Maybe, most notably, Ohtani hit in the middle of the order on the day he pitched for the first time in his MLB career, after Angels manager Joe Maddon has taken all restrictions off of Ohtani, allowing him to be a “baseball player without a lot of limitations”.

In case you missed it, here’s a snapshot of the Shohei’s insane talent that was on display:

Unfortunately, his start on Sunday came to an end after an awkward, ugly play at the plate caused by a bad missed strike from the home plate umpire that should have rung up Jose Abreu, followed by a bad throw from catcher Max Stassi trying to knab Yoan Moncada at first base after a swinging strikeout passed ball.

The Angels clubhouse has come out and said that Shohei is “fine” and just has some general soreness. All together now Angels fans – phew! Here’s the ugliness that caused us all to hold our breaths:

With Ohtani healthy, he finally able to put his two-way talents on full display. More importantly, the Angels have an elite arm and an elite bat in their repertoire.

Angels Opening Series: Jared Walsh is ready to supplant Albert Pujols full-time.

A 39th round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, few people outside of Jared Walsh‘s close family and friends expected him to be an everyday MLB player.

Going that deep in the draft, front offices are hoping for a late-bloomer that might be able to contribute as a multi-role utility guy, or a long reliever providing some versatility to their bullpen. Walsh, however, consistently hit across every minor league level, forcing the front office’s hand to keep moving him up through the farm system. Walsh earned a call-up in 2019, although he’d go on to scuffle hitting .203 with one home run in 34 games. The Angels stuck with him – giving him another call up on August 28, 2020, despite him having a career .180/.247/.292 slash line with one home run in 97 MLB plate appearances.

In September, Walsh slashed .337/.368/.744 with nine bombs, giving him Rookie of Month honors, and a giving the Angels a glimmer of hope into what could be their first base future.

Given the small sample size of success, many wondered if Walsh could stick as an everyday first baseman. A lousy spring in which Walsh hit .205 with only one extra base hit in 52 plate appearances left Maddon and the Angels with more questions than answers as to who Jared Walsh ultimately is.

Well, two starts at first base later during the Opening Series, and Walsh has four hits in eight ABs, including a triple and two home runs, one of which sent the Angels home with a series win on Sunday Night Baseball:

With Albert Pujols continually on the decline and in the last year of his far too lengthy ten-year, $240M contract signed in 2012, the Angels should have confidence giving Walsh the nod at first base permanently moving forward.