The Tall Tale of the Angels and the Dodgers

While the Dodgers and Cubs began their season early, the rest of the league will officially begin. And what a memorable two-game series it was, as 25 million local Japanese households tuned in for the first game alone. The entire Dodger team got to experience what it is like to be a ballplayer in Japan for a few days. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

Mookie Betts, the Dodger outfielder, was hindered by an unknown illness, but after losing about 18 pounds, he regained some weight back, and, according to him, he feels normal. He managed to play a spring training game in which he went 0-3, with no strikeouts. Mookie Betts is an integral part of the Dodgers, so having him healthy is crucial to the team’s success.

When Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound, the Dodgers' starting pitching staff, comprised of three Japanese superstars who are all aces on their own, will be extremely difficult to beat. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers actually have five aces at the helm. That’s easily the best starting lineup in the entire league.

The quality of the bullpen is equally impressive. Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, and and Luis Garcia would be great relievers on any team. Let’s not forget Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, and Brusdar Graterol, who will start the season on the IL. 

This Dodger team seems poised to win another World Series on paper. That’s the wonderful thing about baseball. Anything can happen, and underdogs win, but this starting and bullpen lineup makes them favorites to win it all again.

Los Angeles Angels

Yusei Kikuchi, the former MLB all-star, starts a new chapter of his career, pitching his first regular-season game for the Los Angeles Angels on March 27th. By default, he becomes the ace in a lineup that, in particular, is lacking compared to the other Los Angeles team, the Dodgers. The situation is not the coach’s fault by any means. The situation stems from a series of large-scale acquisitions that initially appeared promising but ultimately failed to meet expectations. The acquisitions placed the team in a financial crunch that didn’t allow them to sign any more young talent. Yusei Kikuchi is great, but he is the sole ace of a lackluster team that needs help. The team requires an abundance of assistance. 

Travis D’Arnaud, the Filipino-American and a former Atlanta Brave, also begins a new chapter in his career by becoming part of the Los Angeles Angels. He’s thrilled to be back in LA. Born in Long Beach, California, a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles, which is where he wanted to be. 

Travis is a solid player who knows how to win. He may not be the best hitter out there, but he is a world series champion and took the Mets to the world series in 2015 when they won the National League pennant. He has a lot to offer the Angels, not just in a winning capacity but also to help Logan O’Hoppe grow as a player.

In conclusion, the Dodgers are poised to win another World Series while the Angels still seem to be in the rebuilding stage. The Angels need more pitching, starting, and bullpen arms and, most importantly, consistent hitting, which means they need Mike Trout to stay healthy, along with more consistent hitting from the rest of the team. Even so, it would be very difficult to imagine the Los Angeles Angels winning more than 80 games. And that’s a generous estimation. But let's not be too overly pessimistic. Great things happen with tremendous effort.

The regular season has officially begun. Hep, hep, hurray!