Without Shohei Ohtani, Angels face key questions

Going winless the first full weekend of Cactus League spring training is hardly a reason to sound the alarms.  

That said, this could be a long season for the Angels as they look to rebound from losing one of the MLB's biggest stars. The departure of Shohei Ohtani to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers was a big and yet not unexpected blow. 

Coming off of a 73-89 record a season ago, expectations for the Angels under new manager Ron Washington are unsurprisingly not high. Let's look at some key questions surrounding the team.

Will Mike Trout deliver? 

While potential Hall of Famer Mike Trout still wears Angels colors, his career has been dotted by injuries lately. 

In 2023, Trout played in only 82 games after playing in only 119, 36 and 53 games in the preceding three seasons, respectively. 

Finishing with 18 home runs, 44 RBI and a middling .263 batting average, he had a season to forget. The three-time AL MVP (2014, 2016, 2019) is only 32 home runs shy of 400 for his career.

Is Anthony Rendon's head in the game? 

Third baseman Anthony Rendon will also be counted on to deliver for the team to compete in the AL West. Rendon, who won a World Series ring as a key component of Washington's 2019 team, has been injury-plagued since landing in Southern California.

Rendon also made headlines earlier this month regarding his commitment to playing baseball, telling the media, "It's never been a top priority for me." He has not played in more than 60 games in a season since coming to the Angels in 2020.

Washington defended Rendon, telling the Orange County Register, "He was asked what was important and all he said was his family and faith. He’s here. He’s getting there to take this journey with us through this 162-game baseball season. He wasn’t saying he doesn’t care about baseball. He’s here. He’s fired up."

Who emerges as the ace? 

When it comes to the pitching staff, look for Patrick Sandoval (7-13 in 2023), Tyler Anderson (6-6) or Reid Detmers (4-10) to take the hill for the opener. Only the departed Ohtani had a winning record (10-5) in the rotation last season.

A solid pitching staff to keep the Angels in games, especially if Trout and Rendon struggle to stay healthy, is of utmost importance for the team to make noise in a competitive division.

How does the 2024 schedule shape up? 

Following trips to Baltimore and Miami, respectively, the Angels have their home opener on April 5 versus Boston.

While the playoffs are not out of the question, the other Los Angeles baseball team needs a lot to fall into place for it to merit the same number of positive headlines the Dodgers are likely to get.