Soriano takes the mound for the opener as a bizarre spring training unfolds, with no televised games leaving fans frustrated and in the dark.
It was photo day on Wednesday for the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, Arizona, where they have been warming up for the 2026 season over the past week or so. 73 players are representing the Halos in camp this spring with a brand new coaching staff, including first-time manager Kurt Suzuki.
As everybody, both returning and new faces, went through the various steps of photo day, fans got a look at how their favorite players looked while the vibes are high at the start of camp. The hope is that those good vibes stay for long, but things are already getting strange for the Angels.
It’s not uncommon to see the Angels in headlines for the wrong or just flat-out odd reasons, making recent news not all that surprising. Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com writer, reported on Wednesday morning that the Angels will not have their Cactus League games televised. While the Angels organization failed to make some sort of agreement to televise the games, they will be available on Angels Radio.
Many fans are frustrated by the news that they won’t be able to watch their favorite players and new faces compete this spring, calling out the higher-ups in the organization for failing to put them first.
One of the best parts of spring training as a fan is getting that first glimpse of the offseason acquisitions and seeing some of the club’s top prospects get a chance to prove themselves against MLB-level competition. Angels fans won’t even get that chance despite sticking through back-to-back seasons of at least 90 losses.
The first game for the Angels this spring will come on Saturday against their Southern California rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to Bollinger, Suzuki has made his pick for who will start that spring opener on Saturday – right-hander Jose Soriano. After posting a 4.26 ERA and 3.73 FIP last season, Soriano will be the first Halos pitcher on the mound in front of a sold-out crowd in Tempe Diablo Stadium.
On the field in Tempe on Wednesday, star outfielder made his return to center field, taken reps at his natural positon after being changed to a right fielder in 2025. Also, No. 5 Angels’ prospect, catcher Gabriel Davalillo took batting practice and took some reps at third base earlier on Wednesday. Pitching prospects Trey Gregory-Alford and Dylan Jordan also got some reps in at camp.
Though fans won’t be able to watch their favorite players and up-and-coming players, this spring will be telling for the Angels’ outlook in 2026 and beyond.