Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels is most exciting series of April
By Kyle Cardoza
Which offense has been better?
Houston ranked first in the MLB in runs scored last season. It ranked second in home runs, just three bombs behind the New York Yankees. The Houston Astros sported a ridiculous .479 slugging percentage, the highest of any team in a given season since the Red Sox in 2003.
Power was the critical cog in A.J. Hinch’s offensive machine. The power-filled lineup included 11 players with double-digit home runs.
When leadoff man George Springer clocked a home run on Opening Day, he indicated that the Lone Star squad will continue its dominance at the dish. Yet it hasn’t been as intimidating as a whole up to this point.
The Houston Astros rank 12th, and they haven’t demonstrated as much power. As a whole, their triple-slash line is .250/.334/.388. That adds up to a .722 OPS, good for 15th in the league.
Furthermore, strikeouts are an issue. Hinch’s squad ranks sixth in the league in whiffs. That is significantly different from last year’s trend, when the club struck out less than every other team.
While Houston’s hitting hasn’t been as sharp as it was last season, Los Angeles has completely punished about every opposing pitcher it faced. The Los Angeles Angels currently boast the most runs scored, by nearly 20 runs.
Of course, Mike Trout continues to make the sport look easy, posting a .377 on-base percentage with a team-leading six home runs and 13 RBIs. But his teammates offer plenty of backup, including Simmons and Upton.Â
Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, who collected five extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in just 30 at-bats. His offensive WAR is 0.5. He may not see time against the Astros, which eliminates one of the many storylines attached to this series.
Los Angeles lineup hasn’t been this effective since 2014 when the Los Angeles Angels led the league in runs. And that was when Mike Trout racked up a career-high strikeout rate despite winning MVP.
That team was productive offensively, but this year’s corps might be even better from top to bottom. It can challenge the Houston Astros toe-to-toe at the dish, which it already has.