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3 surprising trouble spots for the Angels that have already emerged

The Halos need to improve on these areas.
ByAndrew Meyers|
Mike Trout's struggles are just the tip of the iceberg for the slumping Angels.
Mike Trout's struggles are just the tip of the iceberg for the slumping Angels. | Steph Chambers/GettyImages
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Yusei Kikuchi is walking too many batters

On the pitching side, Yusei Kikuchi's walk numbers are a worrying trend. Kikuchi was tabbed as the ace of the staff, but he's been inconsistent on the mound despite three quality starts. Coming off his worst start as an Angel on April 26, concern is growing for the veteran left-hander.

Kikuchi lasted only two innings in his start against the Minnesota Twins, allowing nine hits and four runs. He walked four batters for the second consecutive start. He's walked 18 across his last five outings after issuing no free passes on Opening Day.

Kikuchi had high walk rates early in his MLB career, but he kept the ball in the zone more often in 2023 and 2024. He reduced his walks per nine innings from 5.19 in 2022 to 2.58 in 2023 and lowered it again last year to 2.25. However, through six starts this year, Kikuchi's walks per nine is 5.17, accompanied by a career-worst 1.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Those statistics are not indicative of an ace.

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