Projecting LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation during MLB lockout

No. 2 starting pitcher in projected LA Angels Opening Day starting rotation: Noah Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard would be the No. 2 starter for the LA Angels even if the Halos acquire Montas. While Montas can pitch at a very high level, Syndergaard has a ceiling that allows for him to pitch at the HIGHEST level.

In Syndergaard's first four years in the league (2015-2018), he posted a 2.93 ERA and 132 ERA+. In that time, he also boasted a 2.66 FIP and 1.133 WHIP. Sriking out 9.9 batters per nine innings, he only walked two per nine frames.

And despite being a fireballer, he allowed just 0.7 home runs per nine innings. He was lights out, and was elite in the postseason too. He's the type of pitcher anyone can trust.

He was an All-Star in 2016, and led baseball with two complete games in 2018. There's concern that he's only pitched a couple of innings in these past couple of years, but Shohei Ohtani had pitched less than that in the past couple of years entering 2021, and he ended up churning out the greatest season in sports history. There's no denying Thor's talent, and he's going to have another full offseason to recover.