The Angels could start the regular season hot, but how much will it matter?

With opening day less than a week away, the Angels eagerly await the opportunity to wash away the stink of the franchise-worst 63-99 2024 campaign. The team is improved from last year's model, featuring a more powerful lineup, a more stable rotation, and perhaps most importantly improved depth.

The work of erasing the stain of being the owners of the sport's longest active playoff drought from the once-proud franchise will begin in earnest on March 27th, and the scheduling gods have smiled on the team.

The Angels open the season against the lowly White Sox, one of the very few teams that was demonstrably worse than they were last season with a 41-121 record. After three games in Chicago, the team will continue their Midwest trek down to St. Louis to take on a Cardinals team that rivals the Angels in dysfunction.

Facing off against two projected bottom-feeders should give the Angels some momentum. The Angels' sole goals this season are to become competitive, see growth from their exciting young core, and find answers about some of their tantalizing young players who have to this point failed to live up to expectations.

The Angels will greatly benefit from early-season momentum, but maintaining that through the grind of a 162-game season will be challenging

After six cupcake games, the Angels will face their first real challenge at home against Cleveland, the reigning AL Central champs. The Guardians will be a tremendous step up in competition for the Halos, though fortunately, the matchup will take place at home providing somewhat of an edge.

The next few weeks will be tough, with the likes of Tampa Bay, Houston, Texas, and San Francisco -- all teams with eyes on contending -- on the slate. If the Angels get off to a hot start against their weaker opponents to start the season, perhaps they can carry some momentum through the upcoming gauntlet.

If that can spark a hot streak that propels the team above expectations as April comes to a close, it will be important and fun to watch, however, unlike other sports where momentum can play a critical role, in the marathon MLB season it always eventually dissipates. When that inevitably happens, how this young team responds will be key.

The important thing to keep an eye on in the early going, more than just the win-loss record, is how certain Angels X-factors are performing. Mike Trout staying healthy and looking like an MVP candidate will be crucial. Yusei Kikuchi picking up where he left off in Houston and becoming a true ace will be vital.

However, nothing will be more important than how the young core of Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and others perform as they look to prove they can be the centerpieces of the Angels' next contending run.

That return to contention likely won't happen until 2026, so it's important to remain patient, but if enough things break right for the Angels and some development happens quicker than expected, the early season success could bode well for a pleasantly surprising season in 2025.

Don't bank on that just yet, but keep it in the back of your mind as you enjoy watching what could be the core of the next great Angels' team.

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