Former Angels' Southpaw Tagged As Having Superstar Potential In 2027

It’s been two seasons since left-handed starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval last wore a Los Angeles Angels uniform, but the fanbase hasn’t forgotten his name. After spending the last couple of years with the Boston Red Sox, Sandoval will hit free agency again this winter, but his choice this time could be make-or-break.

The southpaw signed a two-year, $18.25 million deal with Boston before the 2025 season despite the likelihood that he wouldn't pitch at all that first season due to injury. Still, Sandoval’s potential on the mound was worth the contract in the Red Sox’s eyes, even if he missed that first season.

Sandoval did indeed go on to miss the entirety of the 2025 campaign recovering from a torn UCL, only returning to the major league mound this past July. In just a few months of action with the Red Sox, Sandy posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and a 1-7 record across 70 ⅓ innings.

These numbers don’t exactly thrill you, but there’s a reason the former Halos pitcher has been included as one of the eight players who could return to stardom with a change of scenery in 2027. The article from Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller includes Sandy in a list of some of baseball’s biggest names – and that’s for a reason.

Sandoval’s numbers at face value aren’t great or even good, but he did show that he could return to the form he was in while with the Angels. Despite being held out of the game for 745 days, Sandoval’s velocity and control were reminiscent of his pre-injury numbers.

Not only did his velocity and command survive, but his 3.77 FIP also suggests he was much more valuable on the mound than his ERA or WHIP would have you think. That number was better than the likes of Gerrit Cole, Logan Gilbert, and Michael King. This means the former Halo has trouble converting balls hit in play into outs, but when only strikeouts, walks, home runs, and HBP are factored in, Sandoval is a sleeper of a pitcher.

With that said, Sandoval has the upside of being one of the most underrated signings of this offseason. His baseline numbers don’t entirely impress, but there is clearly much more to Sandoval’s game.

That leads to the question of where Sandy could land to give him the best opportunity to return to his peak performance. To that, I say, why not a homecoming?

The Orange County native played his best years of his career in Anaheim and became an integral part of the starting rotation from 2021 to 2023. His sub-3.00 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 2022 made him one of the most underrated left-handers in the game, but he would end up having just one and a half more seasons to build on it in a Halos uniform.

Sandy probably won't be getting multi-year deals thrown at him this winter, making a one-year return home all the more likely. For him, he’d get to return home and pitch on the mound he is more than comfortable on, and for the Angels, they’d be getting a key experienced arm in the starting rotation to bring balance to a youthful group.

If Sandoval still has superstar potential left in that arm, Angels fans would love to see it play out in the uniform he wore for six seasons. A new era is on the horizon for the Angels, and bringing Sandy back to be a part of that upward turn would be a special place to start.