Angels Lineup Ranks In Baseball's Top 10 Despite 12-20 Record Heading Into May
The Los Angeles Angels started off the year giving some hope to their fans, but as we head into May, all excitement has worn off after a poor end to April. Sitting at a 12-20 record and in last place in the American League West, it looks to be another year without a winning record for the Halos.
All that to say, the Angels have ranked in the top 10 in Bleacher Report ’s ‘starting nine’ despite their poor record.
It’s a bit of a surprise to see the Halos at No. 10 on the list despite their poor play on the field, but at the surface level, it kind of makes sense. With stars Mike Trout and Zach Neto leading the way and surrounded by real impactors such as Joe Adell and Jorge Soler , they certainly can win games by way of their lineup.
In a perfect world, the Angels' lineup would be clicking on a nightly basis. It is not a perfect world, however, especially for the Angels. It’s rare to see everybody in the lineup getting it going at the same time, resulting in one poor team's offensive game after another.
When their key offensive guys do sync up, good things happen. The Angels scored seven or more runs 10 times in April , including huge wins in which they outscored a potent New York Yankees lineup.
The Halos have the seventh-highest OPS in the league and have scored the 11th-most runs. Much like last year, they have been smashing balls to start the year, hitting 42 home runs in a little over a month of action, enough for fourth in baseball.
At the same time, they have struck out more than anybody else in baseball and scored two or fewer runs 12 times in April . On any given night, the Angels could be one of the most threatening offensive teams in baseball, or they could be one of the most harmless offensive teams.
Through it all, however, the lineup hasn't been the biggest problem with the 2026 Angels – that goes to the pitching staff. So, for Angels fans, it’s important to remember that the offense is in fact capable of winning a baseball game each night. At the very least, it’s as comforting of a thought they could have considering their outlook for the rest of the year.
