Angels defy low expectations with a surprising early surge. Mike Trout reignites his career, while pitching shows promise, hinting at a resilient season.
The Los Angeles Angels jumped out of the gate firing on all cylinders, which was a pleasant surprise.
The Angels entered the 2026 MLB season with low expectations, especially with the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners all viewed as playoff contenders in the American League West.
But, the Angels won the first two games of the season against the Houston Astros, and they lost the following two games, but both by two runs each.
Starting pitcher Jose Soriano, who got the nod on Opening Day, has gotten off to a strong start this season.
Mike Trout, who entered the season in need of a bounce-back campaign, had a home run in each of the first two games.
After the first weekend ended, Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports had some new power rankings. While it's very early in the season, the Angels certainly have surprised with some early wins against good teams and good pitching.
Kavner had the Angels ranked at No. 28, and while that was their previous ranking, the early wins are still a good sign for the Angels.
"I can’t expect this to be a good year in Anaheim, but a Mike Trout resurgence? We can all get behind that. He’s 6-for-13 with two homers, seven walks and a stolen base in a sizzling start to the year," Kavner wrote.
Following these rankings, the Angels split games against the Chicago Cubs entering Wednesday's series finale, and the tough stretch continues as they head home to face the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series beginning on Friday.
But, as Kavner wrote, the strong start for Trout is a huge positive development for the Angels. Through six games, he is hitting .300 with two home runs, three RBI and five runs scored, and although it's early, he has shown plenty of hope in getting back to his All-Star form.
The two teams at the bottom of the power rankings are the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, respectively, and the Washington Nationals actually jumped the Angels to move to No. 27 after a strong start as well.
Entering the season, the Angels weren't viewed as a playoff team, and they still might not be, but going .500 through the first week of the season is not a bad start by any means, especially considering a lot of question marks on the roster for the ballclub.