3 Angels overreactions from Opening Day weekend
![Apr 2, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) celebrates](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4651,h_2616,x_0,y_190/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/107/01gx3z895vkf636d18fz.jpg)
The Los Angeles Angels wrapped up a successful Opening weekend taking two out of three in Oakland. This series was frustrating because the first game was one the Angels really should have had, but it was also good because they played extremely well in the final two games and did what they should've done - won the series.
There were more good things that happened than bad in this weekend series. Every team will have its set of overreactions based on how well or how poorly they played. The sky was falling on Opening Day for this Angels team and is now blue as ever after the final two games. Let's look into some of these overreactions to the first series of the year.
LA Angels overreaction #1: Logan O'Hoppe will be the American League Rookie of the Year
The first series of the season couldn't have gone much better for Logan O'Hoppe. A week ago it was uncertain as to whether he'd even make the team or not. Max Stassi was placed on the Injured List to begin the season which cleared things up, but before, it was between O'Hoppe and Matt Thaiss for the other catcher spot.
O'Hoppe started all three games this series which was a bit surprising but the times of the games as well as the off-day helped initiate that. It's safe to say he took full advantage of those three starts.
In the first game he drove in the only run the Angels would score. In the second game, he'd drive in the first Angels run with an RBI double and would drive in another run with a sacrifice fly as well. In the third game, he'd hit a three-run homer for his first MLB home run to give the Angels a 3-0 lead and he'd get another hit later in the game as well.
Overall O'Hoppe had four hits in ten at-bats including a home run and six RBI in Oakland. He drove in the first Angels runs in all three games. He did more than Angels fans could've ever hoped for. He did this while Angels pitchers allowed three runs all series. Oakland doesn't have a good offense, but O'Hoppe looks quite good behind the plate as well.
Assuming he plays the full year with the Angels, he should be right in the thick of the AL Rookie of the Year race. While he should be in it, he'll have to go up against guys like Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Volpe, Masataka Yoshida, and others as well. It'll be tough, but it's certainly possible.
LA Angels overreaction #2: The Angels have the best starting rotation in all of baseball
Angels starting pitchers absolutely dominated in the three-game series in Oakland. Shohei Ohtani started it all off by delivering six shutout innings with ten strikeouts on Opening Day. Patrick Sandoval followed that up by allowing just one run in five innings of work. Tyler Anderson capped the weekend with six shutout innings of his own.
Overall, Angels starting pitchers allowed just one run in 17 innings of work. That's a 0.53 rotation ERA It's hard to be much better than that.
As encouraging as it was to see these starting pitchers dominate, it's important to keep in mind they were facing what might be the worst lineup in baseball. This lineup had players like Ramon Laureano, Aledmys Diaz, and Seth Brown as the most feared bats. Are those guys scrubs? No, but compare it to a team like the Angels who have Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon or even a team like the Mariners who they're about to face, who have Julio Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Ty France. It doesn't even compare.
The top four of this Angels rotation can be among the league's best, especially if Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers pitch to their potential, but there're more than just four starters in a rotation.
Jose Suarez finished the season very strongly but did so against mostly inferior competition and without giving the Angels much length. He'd struggle mightily against hitters he faced for a third time. Can he be more effective against better opponents and against hitters for a third time? Can Tucker Davidson or Griffin Canning pitch adequately enough as the sixth starter to give this Angels offense a chance to win games they start?
I love the front of this rotation but the back-end does make me bring their ranking down a tick. Their rotation as a whole is still quite good, but I hesitate to call them the best.
LA Angels overreaction #3: The Angels are the clear second-best team in the AL West
Everybody knows the AL West is Houston's division until proven otherwise. The Astros are the defending champions and have won two World Series titles since 2017. They make the ALCS every year and have just been the best team in baseball for more than a half-decade now.
Even with Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. on the sidelines and Justin Verlander in New York, they're still loaded.
Now that that's out of the way, second place should be the goal. Passing Houston would be extraordinary, but it's almost impossible to predict. Second place is very possible.
The Mariners have gotten off to a rough start this season, losing three of four at home against the Guardians. While that's great news for an Angels team that will be competing with them, the Mariners have won 90 games in each of the last two seasons and even won a round in the postseason last season. They've only gotten better after adding Teoscar Hernandez and Kolten Wong in the offseason while also getting Luis Castillo in their rotation for a full season.
The Angels, Mariners, and Rangers (who just swept the Phillies) should all be battling for that second spot for most of the year. You can make an argument for just about any of these teams to be second in the west, I don't think there's a clear favorite.
Next. 2 AL West teams the Angels should fear, 1 team that is a fraud. dark