STARTING ROTATION
While the Angels believe they have a strong core of young starters who could eventually fill this rotation with homegrown talent, they’ve been assembling a group with enough veterans so the young pitchers have to force their way into the big leagues. Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million deal and the Angels put him at the top, with the Opening Day nod. They still have left-hander Tyler Anderson, an All-Star in 2024, and they brought in former Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who is looking for a rebound after a disappointing season. The only homegrown pitcher who was guaranteed a spot in the rotation was right-hander José Soriano, who earned the role with a 3.42 ERA in 20 starts in his first time starting in the majors. After that, the Angels had one spot left, and by the end of camp they had narrowed it down to right-hander Jack Kochanowicz and left-hander Reid Detmers.
BULLPEN
Kenley Jansen signed as a free agent on the eve of the first workout of the spring, bringing 447 career saves and 15 years of experience to the back of the bullpen. As Jansen moves closer to 500 in his bid for the Hall of Fame, the Angels are hoping that he’ll also help mold right-hander Ben Joyce into their closer of the future. Joyce can throw 105 mph, and he developed a nasty sinker last season. He’s still only pitched 44⅔ innings in the majors, so they’re content to have him gain some experience as a setup man. Left-hander Brock Burke, who revived his career with a mechanical change last season with the Angels, also figures to get high-leverage opportunities. Left-hander José Quijada is starting his first full season after returning from Tommy John surgery, so there’s some question about how good he can be. He didn’t have a great spring. Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn was impressive last season after the Angels acquired him in the Luis Garcia trade, and he had a good spring.
INFIELD
Shortstop Zach Neto – who is the best player of their young core – had shoulder surgery in November, so he’ll miss the start of the season. In the meantime, veteran utilityman Kevin Newman is likely to get the bulk of the starts at the position. Third baseman Yoán Moncada was also a question mark in the final week because of a bruised thumb. If Moncada is not ready for the opener, Luis Rengifo is expected to get the nod at third. Rengifo would otherwise play second. If the opening is at second, it will probably be Tim Anderson, a two-time batting champ who is trying to revive his career after signing a minor-league deal. Amid the uncertainty at the other infield positions, first baseman Nolan Schanuel made it through spring training without an issue. Schanuel was the everyday first baseman as a 22-year-old last year, and the Angels believe he’s poised to take another step forward this season.
OUTFIELD
Three-time American League MVP Mike Trout has missed most of three of the last four seasons with injuries. In order to try to keep Trout on the field, they are moving him to right field. They believe having less ground to cover will ease his workload. Mostly, they just need Trout to be able to stay in the lineup and hit for at least 130 games or so. With Trout moved to right, the Angels had a spring training competition between Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak to see who would take over in center, and that remained in question as camp came to an end. Both players will be on the team, so the issue is likely to linger into the season. Left fielder Taylor Ward is a fixture. Although he’s been on a rollercoaster of performance for the last couple of seasons, by the end he seems to always end up being a slightly above average offensive player, and a solid defender. Newcomer Jorge Soler could see spot duty in the outfield, but the veteran, 33, is penciled in as the primary DH and could have plenty of run-producing opportunities batting cleanup.
CATCHER
Logan O’Hoppe looked like an All-Star-caliber catcher at times last year, but his offense declined late in the season. It might have been the strain of catching so many games – 121 starts, third-most in the majors – or perhaps it was just the normal ups and downs of a 24-year-old. More important than his offense is the way he handles the pitching staff, and that continues to be a work in progress for O’Hoppe.
BENCH
The backup catcher will be veteran Travis d’Arnaud, who signed a two-year deal with the Angels early in the offseason. The Angels expect d’Arnaud to be productive when he plays, and also to be a positive influence on O’Hoppe and the young pitchers. Whoever isn’t in center field each day – Adell or Moniak – will also be on the bench. As camp came to an end, the Angels were still trying to decide if J.D. Davis or Ryan Noda would win the final bench spot. When Neto comes back, the Angels will have Newman on the bench.
MANAGER
Ron Washington is back for his second season. Washington is, at his core, a teacher, and the Angels needed plenty of teaching last season. Now it’s up to the Angels’ young players to take those lessons to heart and perform better. If that happens, it’s likely the Angels will pick up Washington’s option and bring him back for 2026.