It has only been 12 games, but the Angels have been one of the biggest surprises of the young season. Sitting at 8-4, the team is showing a resolve that was previously underestimated, both clawing back in tight games and bludgeoning opponents into submission en route to victory.
For a team that was supposed to be among the league’s bottom feeders, nearly everything has broken right so far. Even the schedule has worked out in the Halos’ favor. The team was given a gift to open the year, starting off against a White Sox team that was historically bad in 2024 and made no significant improvements leading into the 2025 season.
From there, the Angels took on a team in the St. Louis Cardinals, who might be their chief rival in dysfunction in recent years, giving the club a chance to build momentum. Cleveland and Tampa, stiffer challenges but still not among the league’s juggernauts, followed, and the Angels have now won each of the four series they’ve played thus far.
This weekend might be considered their first real challenge, going on the road against the Houston Astros who have had a strangle-hold on the AL West for the better part of the last decade. These aren’t the Astros of yesteryear, however, with several of the franchise stalwarts moving on to greener pastures.
The Angels get a gift in how the schedule played out heading to Houston
While Houston may not be the near-unstoppable juggernaut it once was, the team is still a very formidable opponent. The still feature dynamic hitters like Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve, and still possess some high-end pitching talent.
With that said, the Astros’ rotation is not as star-studded as it once was, and there’s a clear drop-off in quality from the top to the remaining three arms. Houston ace Framber Valdez is one of the best lefty starters in all of baseball, coming off three straight top-10 AL Cy Young finishes. Meanwhile, Hunter Brown, a 26-year-old flamethrower, is one of the best up-and-coming starters in the game.
Neither will pitch in the series against the Angels, and instead, the Halos, whose bats couldn’t be hotter, will feast against the underbelly of Houston’s rotation. Spencer Arrighetti landing on the IL further weakened Houston’s depth.
The Angels will take on Ronel Blanco on Friday night’s matchup. Blanco is sporting a 9.45 ERA so far this year, and while his 2.80 ERA from last year looks impressive, his 4.15 FIP is perhaps more indicative of his true talent.
On Saturday, the Halos will square off against 26-year-old rookie Ryan Gusto, who has bounced between the bullpen and the rotation throughout his young career. Finally, the series closes with Hayden Wesneski toeing the rubber for the Astros. Wesneski was the last piece of the Kyle Tucker trade and had previously failed to crack the Cubs’ rotation over the past few seasons prior to landing in Houston.
All three are not the type of starters who strike fear in the heart of the opposition, and with the way the Angels have been swinging the bat, they seem poised to have some big days against the less-than-stellar arms that Houston will be trotting out.
A fifth-straight series win would go a long way towards buoying the confidence of this budding young team, especially against their biggest challenge yet and a hated division rival. The Angels are marching towards their goal of being competitive in 2025, and the way the schedule has shaken out will give them an added boost in the early going.
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