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Mar 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Mike Trout (27) runs to first base on a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

What We've Learned from the Angels vs. Astros Series

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Jeff Joiner | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 7:37 PM ET

Four games is a microscopic piece of a 162 game season but in the Angels case the four games in Houston do give us a good look at the team. Heading into 2026 there were questions regarding many elements of the team and some of those questions seem to already have answers.

If told the Angels would manage a 2-2 split in Houston prior to the series I think most Angels fans would take it. The manner in which the team won two games is nice. The two games they lost were due to long standing problems with the team that seem to have no end in sight.

The Angels are being more patient at the plate than last year.

This statement is as much an indictment of 2025 as it is a compliment to the team early in 2026. After finishing last season as the team that saw the fewest pitches per at bat in all of MLB, the Angels are making opponents throw an average to above average number of pitches thus far this season.

Racking up pitch counts and getting to middle relievers is a big reason the Angels won the first two games.

28 walks through 4 games is a really nice mark for the Angels. If they can keep collecting an average of 7 free passes per game, they will lead the league in on base percentage. Expect that number to drop, but the approaches at the plate have improved.

Strikeouts are still a big issue.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

MLB teams averaged a little over 8 strikeouts per game in 2025. The Angels led all of baseball with 1627 K's, or just over 10 per game. 2 extra strikeouts per game means the Angels essentially gave away 324 more outs than the average team and it showed in their .298 on base percentage and 90 loss season.

So far the team has struck out 46 times in 4 games. That is slightly ahead of 2025 pace and a clear sign the high scoring offense could head into a serious funk soon.

The defense is atrocious...at least at two key spots.

While it is easy to point to Angels pitching as the culprit, the defense bears a large part of the blame when it comes to run prevention. Last season the Angels had the third worst defense in baseball according to the Fielding Bible.

So far Logan O'Hoppe has been a disaster behind the plate and Yoan Moncada's miscues have led to big innings. Josh Lowe is rating horribly in left field, as well.

It is early but whether you judge the defense by errors and fielidng percentage or Defensive Runs Saved, the Angels are already near the bottom of the league.

Kurt Suzuki's accumen is in serous doubt.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Suzuki is a guy the players clearly enjoy being around but his decision making has been questionable at best in several key areas. On Opening Day he did not have a lefty ready to face Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez and his lineup construction is less than ideal.

Bryce Teodosio is far and away the best defensive outfielder on the roster. Yet when Suzuki makes defensive substitutions he puts Teodosio in right field and moves Jo Adell to left, where he is well below average. The smart play is to put Teodosio in center and move Trout to left, but Suzuki does not make the smart play.

Baseball is a lot like a series of blackjack hands. Each move you make or do not make has an incremental impact on your odds to win or lose. Throwing a right hander against Alvarez decreases your odds. Same with fielding a suboptimal batting order and defensive alignment.

Take those incremental losses and add them up over 162 games and it can be quite costly.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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