LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Open Season

What do you think? Can Mike Trout return to All Star status? Here is the Angels offseason in review. It got by us last week. Better late than never.

The experts at MLB.com made their predictions about the division winners and the eventual World Series winner. I guess they still have to play the games.

The Mariners just placed shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10 day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Lars Nootbar is on the 60 day IL because he is not recovering so well from operations shaving off part of his heels. Yu Darvish has been placed on the restricted list. He’s missing the 2026 season anyway.

Scott Kingery has likely made it onto the Cubs 40 man roster.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

Subscribe
Notify of
31 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
GonFishin
Trusted Member
1 minute ago

Good luck to the players. Good luck to the fan base.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
15 minutes ago

happy opening day fellas.

Unveiling my new shirt that I made.

Go Halos!

IMG_1614
Jim Atkins
Super Member
25 minutes ago

I’d be happy with just a decent season from MNT. Not asking for the moon. Saw something about this being his 15th season. All those years ago, my wife and I were watching on TV. She asked about Trouty- told her he was a newbie, should be good. She decided he was her guy from then on. She absolutely loved Trout and Vladdy. My guess is roughly 70 wins from this threadbare squad.

Angels2020Champs
Legend
35 minutes ago

Your 2026 opening day lineup

IMG_0639
Pineapple12
Legend
21 minutes ago

I could nitpick the order, but overall pretty decent (with a chance of 20 Ks).

Let’s rock !

Last edited 20 minutes ago by Pineapple12
grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
37 minutes ago

What happens first this season?

> Rada gets called up.
> Ben Joyce pitches. (In a game. An Angels game.)
> Trout 15 HR

Pineapple12
Legend
32 minutes ago

Easy. Joyce

cookmeister
Trusted Member
23 minutes ago

barring health…. Trout

JackFrost
Legend
38 minutes ago

It pains me to say it since I am and always have been a Mike Trout fan. But I don’t think Mike will play 120 games this year. Maybe not even 100. I know he did get to 130 last season, but in the two prior seasons he played only 29 games and 82 games respectively !

He is surely still good enough to have a solid to perhaps even really good season. The talent is there with the right focus and health. The second part of the equation, the health is where I have concerns.

Last edited 37 minutes ago by JackFrost
halofansince1978
Super Member
49 minutes ago

Hello All…checking in for Opening Day.

My prediction is 70 wins and 92 losses.

Unless Michael Nelson Trout gets crazy.

Hopium says he has an AL MVP season!

Unlikely but you gotta believe in miracles.

halotrout
Last edited 45 minutes ago by halofansince1978
grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
45 minutes ago

You’re my favorite “fansince” one.

halofansince1978
Super Member
43 minutes ago

Thanks!! I’m staying under the social media radar lately….too many trolls.

Last edited 42 minutes ago by halofansince1978
Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

If your team isn’t World Series championship contenders, damn well better be able to laugh. A lot.

I love this promotion:

“Athletics first baseman Kurtz is one of the game’s rising stars, with a unique nickname to boot. Kurtz’s “Big Amish” moniker refers to his 6-foot-5 stature and the large Amish population near his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Athletics’ bobblehead features Kurtz churning butter, a celebration he’s used in the past.”

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
2 hours ago

Of course a guy considered the best ever at one stage can have a big year. And of course he could have a bad one. History shows people can rebound. History also shows they can be on a consistent downward. It’s a new season. Let’s go Mike.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 hour ago

He has averaged 2.8 WAR for the last six seasons including his last Trout-like season (2022). He will turn 35 this year. I think 2-3 WAR is a reasonably fair high-water expectation if he stays healthy.

ryanfea
Super Member
1 hour ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

I’m gonna get high on hopium and say he has one last 6 WAR season holstered

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  ryanfea

I will consume mass quantities of hopium and support this.

MarineLayer
Legend
1 hour ago

Why not. We’ve got to hope there will be something good this year.

Pineapple12
Legend
3 hours ago

Let’s fucking go!!!

Screenshot_20260326-063214
Fansince1971
Legend
2 hours ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

Where are we going?! Is there something happening? Do I need to be afraid? Is there a fire? An earthquake? What is happening?!

steelgolf
Legend
1 hour ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Zefferjahn will be taking the mound in a tie game? So yes, be afraid!!!

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

Zefferjahn is defined as: the sound of the bat when the barrel makes contact with straight-as-nails belt high fastball.

Pineapple12
Legend
1 hour ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Today we embark on our annual 6 month journey to hell with our favorite Angels!

Last edited 1 hour ago by Pineapple12
Angels2020Champs
Legend
3 hours ago

Go Halos! Hard to believe it’s been nearly 40 years making the choice to follow the California/Anaheim/LAAofA/LAA over another local team, despite living much closer to the latter. What’s the age of reason again? What’s my age again?!? Dammit.

Anyway, I still enjoy some hockey from time to time and they do a great job with the Frozen Frenzy: 32 teams, 16 games, hockey morning to night. Have to wait until Saturday to get 15 mlb games in a day. Marketing! Or weather.

Looking forward to seeing some ball on the tube with familiar sites and sounds. There’s still a handful of $40 500 level Banana Ball at the big A seats left for Saturday too.

MarineLayer
Legend
1 hour ago

I’ve been doing it since 1961. As a service to the franchise, I won’t be spending any money on the team this year.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
18 minutes ago
Reply to  MarineLayer

Same

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 hours ago

For eight seasons Mike Trout was the best player in MLB period. Trout could run the bases and was awesome running down the line to first like a cheetah after prey, first to third like a runaway locomotive and who wanted to get in front but those with a death wish. Steal bases and coming into second like Superman landing at a crime scene except he was the one doing the stealing. Catching balls whose flight was long, but Trouty could bring them back into the park thrilling the crowd both home and away. Fly through the air with the leather leading to catch that sphere before it could land anywhere but in the glove. Does anyone smile more than Mike, nah, he was having too much fun out there in the green and on the diamond.

Sadly, history repeats its self way too often in sports, from the pee-wee leagues to the professional leagues as injuries take it’d toll robbing even the best of their God given talents. When you are young, 7 or 8 you start choosing your favorites in sports and picking out maybe even a favorite sport. In SoCal we had Baylor and West along with Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen with Koufax Tommy and Willie Davis and the exciting Maury Wills and Dean Chance but for one kid it was Mickey Mantle and he was a hero, there was none better until all most fifty years later arose the second coming of the Mick in Trouty and playing Centerfield too. Mantle and Trout are so a like it’s scary really. But sadly, injuries interrupted both their careers while still young, but the memories can’t be taken away.

Mike Trout is cursed with being injury prone and his skills have long since left, so to answer the question can Trouty have one last hurrah, one can hope for something great to take place for one of the best ever and bring smiles to all. Love ya Mikey and have a great 2026 season.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 hour ago

Well in 17 spring training games and 47 ABs against mediocre spring training pitching he hit .268 with zero HR and 3 RBI with an OPS around .750. That’s probably indicative of what you can expect and would translate to something like 2 WAR over the season if he stays healthy.

Last edited 1 hour ago by Fansince1971
Roy Hobbs
Super Member
16 minutes ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

You’re probably right but we can all hope that no matter what else happens this year, he has one more good year left.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

Yes, he plays on the team owned by satan on a field above a sacred burial site, however with $500m in contract $$$$ plus endorsements, and a beautiful family, I’m pretty sure Mike does not meet the criteria for being “cursed”.

Unlucky? Perhaps. Making a poor career decision re-upping with Arte and his Minions? Definitely. Cursed? Nope.

MarineLayer
Legend
1 hour ago

Beautifully put.

31
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x