THE SOCCER REPORT
River-Boca on tap, Houston Dynamo playoff hopes end
Oct 1, 2019, 8:25 am
River Plate product Tomas Martinez has been a staple of Dynamo lineups in 2019. Credit: Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo are officially eliminated from playoff contention, sentencing their absence from the MLS Cup Playoffs in five of the past six seasons. The Dash are off this week but will be heading down to Monterrey, Mexico for a friendly with Liga MX side Tigres on Saturday night.
On the global scale, one of the most heated rivalries in the sport takes place on Tuesday night as Argentina's River Plate and Boca Juniors face off in the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The matchup is a rematch of the Libertadores finals from last year, a series that had to be finished in Spain because it was not deemed safe to conclude in Argentina.
Here is a review of the past week in soccer:
Major League Soccer
Last Wednesday, LAFC demolished the Houston Dynamo by a scoreline of 3-1 to clinch the best record in MLS and home field throughout the playoffs. The Supporters Shield is the two-year club's first major trophy. Four other Western Conference teams clinched a playoff spot, leaving only two to be decided for the final day of the regular season.
In the East, NYCFC clinched the top spot and a bye in the first round. New England defeated NYCFC on Sunday to secure the final playoff spot in the conference.
Every match will be played simultaneously on Sunday in MLS' "Decision Day." Aside from the final two playoff berths, seeding in the playoffs is also to be decided. Spots 2-4 in each conference host in the first round.
With two goals this week, Carlos Vela tied the single-season scoring record (31) set by Atlata's Josef Martinez in 2018. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not far behind in the Golden Boot race with 29 as the Galaxy come to Houston on Sunday.
East top seven: 1. y - NYCFC (61), 2. x - Atlanta (55), 3. x - Philadelphia (55), 4. x - D.C. United (49), 5. x - NY Red Bulls (48), 6. x - Toronto (47), 7. x - New England (45)
West top seven (and playoff hopefuls): 1. s - LAFC (69), 2. x - Minnesota (53), 3. x - Seattle (53), 4. x - LA Galaxy (51), 5. x - Real Salt Lake (50), 6. Portland (46), 7. Dallas (45), 8. San Jose (44), 9. Colorado (42)
Scoring leader: 31 - Carlos Vela (LAFC)
Assists leader: 20 - Maxi Morales (NYCFC)
National Women's Soccer League
The four teams in the NWSL playoffs have been decided with only the semifinal matchups to be decided as the league enters it's final two weeks. The Houston Dash will miss out on the postseason once more, a feat never accomplished in club history.
Standings: 1. s - North Carolina Courage (46), 2. x - Chicago Red Stars (44), 3. x - Portland Thorns (39), 4. x - Reign FC (37), 5. Utah Royals (31), 6. Washington Spirit (30), 7. Houston Dash (26), 8. Sky Blue FC (20), 9. Orlando Pride (15)
Scoring leader: 18 - Sam Kerr (Chicago)
Assists leader: 8 - Yuki Nagasato (Chicago)
English Premier League
Matchday 7 Results
- Sheffield Utd 0-1 Liverpool
- Crystal Palace 2-0 Norwich City
- Aston Villa 2-2 Burnley
- Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham
- Wolves 2-0 Watford
- Tottenham 2-1 Southampton
- Chelsea 1-0 Brighton
- Everton 1-3 Manchester City
- Leicester City 5-0 Newcastle
- Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
Top six: Liverpool (21), Man City (16), Leicester City (14), Arsenal (12), West Ham (12), Tottenham (11)
Scoring leader: 8 - Sergio Aguero (Man City)
Assists leader: 8 - Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Spanish La Liga
Matchday 6 Results
- Valladolid 1-1 Granada
- Real Betis 3-1 Levante
- FC Barcelona 2-1 Villareal
- RCD Mallorca 0-2 Atletico Madrid
- Leganes 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
- Valencia 3-3 Getafe
- Real Madrid 2-0 Osasuna
- Eibar 3-2 Sevilla
- Celta Vigo 1-1 Espanyol
- Real Sociedad 3-0 Alaves
Matchday 7 Results
- Villareal 5-1 Real Betis
- Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Valencia
- Getafe 0-2 FC Barcelona
- Granada 1-0 Leganes
- Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid
- Espanyol 0-2 Valladolid
- Eibar 2-0 Celta Vigo
- Alaves 2-0 RCD Mallorca
- Levante 1-1 Osasuna
- Sevilla 3-2 Real Sociedad
Top six: Real Madrid (15), Granada (14), Atletico Madrid (14), FC Barcelona (13), Real Sociedad (13), Sevilla (13)
Scoring leader: 6 - Gerard Moreno (Villareal)
Assists leader: 3 - Five players tied
German Bundesliga
Matchday 6 Results
- Union Berlin 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
- Hoffenheim 0-3 Monchengladbach
- Mainz 0-1 Wolfsburg
- Augsburg 0-3 Bayer Leverkusen
- Paderborn 2-3 Bayern Munich
- RB Leipzig 1-3 Schalke 04
- Dortmund 2-2 Werder Bremen
- Fortuna 1-2 Freiburg
- Cologne 0-4 Hertha Berlin
Top six: Bayern Munich (14), RB Leipzig (13), Freiburg (13), Schalke 04 (13), Monchengladbach (13), Bayer Leverkusen (13)
Scoring leader: 10 - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Italian Serie A
Matchday 5 Results
- Hellas Verona 0-0 Udinese
- Brescia 1-2 Juventus
- Roma 0-2 Atalanta
- SPAL 1-3 Lecce
- Napoli 0-1 Cagliari
- Genoa 0-0 Bologna
- Fiorentina 2-1 Sampdoria
- Parma 1-0 Sassuolo
- Inter Milan 1-0 Lazio
- Torino 2-1 AC Milan
Matchday 6 Results
- Juventus 2-0 SPAL
- Sampdoria 1-3 Inter Milan
- Sassuolo 1-4 Atalanta
- Napoli 2-1 Brescia
- Lazio 4-0 Genoa
- Udinese 1-0 Bolognia
- Lecce 0-1 Roma
- Cagliari 1-1 Hellas Verona
- AC Milan 1-3 Fiorentina
- Parma 3-2 Torino
Top six: Inter Milan (18), Juventus (16), Atalanta (13), Napoli (12), Roma (11), Lazio (10)
Scoring leader: 5 - Four players tied
French Ligue 1
Matchday 7 Results
- Dijon 0-0 Marseille
- Monaco 3-1 Nice
- Brest 2-2 Lyon
- St-Etienne 0-1 Metz
- Amiens 1-3 Bordeaux
- Nantes 1-0 Rennes
- Montpellier 1-0 Nimes
- Toulouse 0-2 Angers
- Lille 2-0 Strasbourg
- PSG 0-2 Stade Reims
Matchday 8 Results
- Lyon 0-1 Nantes
- Bordeaux 0-1 PSG
- Stade Reims 1-2 Dijon
- Metz 2-2 Toulouse
- Monaco 4-1 Brest
- Angers 1-1 Amiens
- Nice 1-1 Lille
- Strasbourg 1-0 Montpellier
- Nimes 0-1 St-Etienne
- Marseille 1-1 Rennes
Top six: PSG (18), Angers (16), Nantes (16), Lille (14), Marseille (13), Nice (13)
Scoring leader: 6 - Three players tied
Netherlands Eredivisie
Matchday 8 - Top Results
- Ajax 2-0 Groningen
- Waalwijk 1-2 Vitesse
- Zwolle 0-2 PSV
- AZ Alkmaar 2-0 Heracles
- Feyenoord 5-1 Twente
Top four: Ajax (20), PSV (20), AZ Alkmaar (19), Vitesse (17)
Scoring leader: 8 - Donyell Malen (PSV Eindhoven)
Assists leader: 8 - Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Matchday 7 - Top Results
- Benfica 1-0 Setubal
- Famalicao 3-1 Belenenses
- Vitoria 1-0 Pacos Ferreira
- Rio Ave 0-1 Porto
- Aves 0-1 Sporting CP
Top four: Famalicao(19), Benfica (18), Porto (18), Vitoria (12)
Scoring leader: 6 - Pizzi (Benfica) / Ze Luis (Porto)
Assists leader: 4 - Bruno Fernandes (Sporting)
Scottish Premiership
Matchday 7 - Top Results
- Hibernian 1-1 Celtic
- Rangers 5-0 Aberdeen
- St. Johnstone 0-1 Motherwell
Top four: Celtic (19), Rangers (18), Motherwell (13), Aberdeen (11)
Scoring leader: 6 - Jermain Defoe (Rangers) / Ryan Christie (Celtic)
Assists leader: 4 - James Forrest (Celtic)
Mexican Liga MX
Matchday 11 Results
- Queretaro 1-2 Necaxa
- Tigres 0-1 Puebla
- Leon 1-1 Atlas
- Guadalajara 2-4 Pachuca
- Santos 5-0 Veracruz
- Juarez 1-1 Club America
- Cruz Azul 1-1 Monterrey
- Tijuana 3-2 Monarcas
- Toluca 3-1 Atletico San Luis
Matchday 12 Results
- Puebla 2-1 Leon
- Atlas 2-0 Queretaro
- Pachuca 2-0 Cruz Azul
- Necaxa 0-0 Juarez
- Monterrey 0-2 Tigres
- Club America 4-1 Guadalajara
- Pumas 2-0 Santos
- Atletico San Luis 2-3 Tijuana
- Veracruz 1-1 Toluca
Top Eight: 1. Santos Laguna (23), 2. Necaxa (21), 3. Club America (21), 4. Leon (19), 5. Pachuca (18), 6. Queretaro (18), 7. Tigres (17), 8. Pumas (17)
Scoring leader: 8 - Julio Furch (Santos)
Assists leader: 8 - Miller Bolanos (Tijuana)
Liga MX clubs Tigres UANL and Santos will face off in a club friendly in Houston during the October FIFA International window. Tickets on sale at BBVAStadium.com
Liga MX Femenil
Matchday 13 Results
- Necaxa 0-1 Queretaro
- Juarez 1-2 UANL
- Atlas 2-2 Cruz Azul
- UNAM 1-1 Monarcas
- Veracruz 1-1 Guadalajara
- America 2-1 Pachuca
- Santos 0-0 Puebla
- Atletico San Luis 1-2 Leon
- Tijuana 2-1 Toluca
Top Eight: 1. Monterrey (30), 2. Pachuca (26), 3. Tigres (25), 4. Guadalajara (23), 5. Atlas (21), 6. America (21), 7. Tijuana (21), 8. Monarcas (18)
Scoring leader: 13 - Mónica Monsiváis (Monterrey)
Argentina Superliga
Matchday 8 Results
- Aldosivi 1-2 Union
- Patronato 1-1 Lanus
- Arsenal 3-0 Estudiantes
- Gimnasia 0-2 River Plate
- Boca 1-1 Newells
- Banfield 0-1 San Lorenzo
- Huracan 0-0 Atletico Tucuman
- Velez 0-1 Defensa y Justicia
- Rosario Central 1-1 Racing Club
- Independiente 3-2 Talleres Cordoba
- Cordoba 1-0 Godoy Cruz
- Colon 1-0 Argentinos Juniors
Top four: Boca (18), San Lorenzo (16), Talleres Cordoba (16), Arsenal Sarandi (15)
Scoring leader: 4 - Bruno Pitton (San Lorenzo) / Nicolas Dominguez (Velez)
Assists leader: 3 - Mathias Abero Villan (Patronato)
Argentina Female
The first matchday in Argentina's female football featured the first Boca vs. River matchup of the professional era.
Matchday 1 Results
- Villa 1-5 Rosario Central
- Gimnasia 2-0 Huracan
- Platense 1-5 Racing Club
- Estudiantes 3-1 Belgrano
- SAT 1-0 El Porvenir
- Boca Juniors 5-0 River Plate
- Lanus 1-3 San Lorenzo
- Urquiza 2-1 Independiente
Top four: SAT (3), Boca Juniors (3) Racing Club (3), Rosario Central (3)
TV listings (All Times CT):
Tuesday, October 1
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Real Madrid vs. Club Brugge (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
1:45 p.m. - [English Championship] Leeds vs. West Bromwich (ESPN+)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Tottenham vs. Bayern Munich (TNT, Galavision)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Juventus vs. Bayer Leverkusen (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Galatasaray vs. PSG (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Atletico Madrid (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Manchester City vs. Dinamo Zagreb (B/R Live)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] River Plate vs. Boca Juniors (beIN SPORTS)
Wednesday, October 2
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Slavia Prague vs. Borussia Dortmund (TNT, Galavision)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Genk vs. Napoli (UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (TNT, UniMas, TUDN)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Liverpool vs. Salzburg (Galavision, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] RB Leipzig vs. Lyon (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Valencia vs. Ajax (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Champions League] Lille vs. Chelsea (B/R Live)
7:30 p.m. - [Copa Libertadores] Gremio vs. Flamengo (beIN SPORTS)
Thursday, October 3
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] AZ Alkmaar vs. Manchester United (TUDN, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Feyenoord vs. Porto (Galavision, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Wolfsburg vs. Roma (B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Besiktas vs. Wolves (UniMas, B/R Live)
12:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Young Boys vs. Rangers (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Sevilla vs. APOEL (UniMas, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Sporting CP vs. LASK (Galavision, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Arsenal vs. Standard Liege (TUDN, B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Rosenborg vs. PSV Eindhoven (B/R Live)
2:00 p.m. - [UEFA Europa League] Celtic vs. Cluj (B/R Live)
Capsules of American League West teams, listed in order of finish last year:
___
Houston Astros
2024: 88-73, first place, lost to Detroit in Wild Card Series.
Manager: Joe Espada (second season).
Opening Day: March 27 vs. New York Mets.
He’s Here: 1B Christian Walker, 3B Isaac Paredes, INF Luis Guillorme, RHP Hayden Wesneski.
He’s Outta Here: 3B Alex Bregman, RF Kyle Tucker, RHP Ryan Pressly.
Top Hitters: DH Yordan Alvarez (.308, 35 HRs, 86 RBIs, .959 OPS), C Yainer Diaz (.299, 16, 84, 29 2Bs), LF Jose Altuve (.295, 20, 65, 31 2Bs, 94 runs), 1B Christian Walker (.251, 26, 84, .803 OPS with Arizona), SS Jeremy Pena (.266, 15, 70, 28 2Bs).
Projected Rotation: LH Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91 ERA), RH Hunter Brown (11-9, 3.49), RH Ronel Blanco (13-6, 2.80), RH Spencer Arrighetti (7-13, 4.53), RH Hayden Wesneski (3-6, 3.86).
Key Relievers: LH Josh Hader (8-8, 3.80 ERA, 34 saves), RH Bryan Abreu (3-3, 3.10, 1 save), RH Tayler Scott (7-3, 2.23), LH Bennett Sousa (0-0, 4.00 in 2023), RH Kaleb Ort (1-1, 2.55, 1 save).
Outlook: The Astros should contend for a fifth straight AL West title despite trading outfielder Tucker and losing longtime third baseman Bregman in free agency. They made a major upgrade at first base with the addition of Walker after failing to find consistency there last season after the release of José Abreu. It will be interesting to see how Paredes fares in replacing Bregman and how Altuve’s move to left field will go after the veteran superstar played second base exclusively for his first 14 seasons. Valdez returns to lead a rotation that will start the season with several young arms but that could get a boost in the summer with the expected returns of Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia after both players had Tommy John surgery last year. General manager Dana Brown is confident that this team can have a bounce-back year and make another deep playoff run after losing to Detroit in the Wild Card round last season.
___
Seattle Mariners
2024: 85-77, second place.
Manager: Dan Wilson (first full season).
Opening Day: March 27 vs. Athletics.
He’s Here: INF Donovan Solano, INF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Yimi García, 3B Josh Rojas, 3B Luis Urías, 1B Justin Turner.
Top Hitters: CF Julio Rodríguez (.273, 20 HRs, 68 RBIs, .734 OPS, all career lows), C Cal Raleigh (.220, career-high 34, career-high 100). SS J.P. Crawford (career-low .202, 9, 37 in 105 games), DH Mitch Garver (.172, 15, 51), 2B Jorge Polanco (.212, 16, 45).
Projected Rotation: RH Luis Castillo (11-12, 3.64 ERA, 175 Ks in 175 1/3 IP), RH Logan Gilbert (9-12, 3.23, 220 Ks in major league-high 208 2/3 IP, major league-best 0.887 WHIP), RH Bryce Miller (12-8, 2.94), RH Bryan Woo (9-3, 2.89 in 22 starts), RH Emerson Hancock (4-4, 4.75 in 12 starts).
Key Relievers: RH Andrés Muñoz (3-7, 2.12 ERA, 22/27 saves, 77 Ks in 59 1/3 IP), RH Trent Thornton (4-3, 3.61), RH Colin Snider (3-4, 1.94), RH Troy Taylor (0-0, 3.72), LH Taylor Saucedo (2-0, 3.49, 3 saves).
Outlook: Seattle has finished with winning records in four straight seasons for the first time but has made the playoffs just once in that span, in 2022, when it was swept by Houston in the Division Series. The Mariners went 21-13 last year after Wilson replaced Scott Servais as manager on Aug. 22. The manager swap is likely the biggest change heading into opening day from 2024. Seattle’s most notable offseason additions included signing Solano and acquiring Mastrobuoni from the Chicago Cubs. The Mariners hope for a rebound by Rodríguez, who had just four homers and 21 RBIs through June. The lack of offense was a team-wide problem: Seattle hit .224, 29th among the 30 teams, ahead only the 121-loss Chicago White Sox. Right-hander George Kirby (13-10, 3.35, 172 Ks, 19 walks, MLB-low 1.084 walks per 9 innings) is likely to open the season on the injured list because of right shoulder inflammation, leading to an opening for Hancock to join the rotation.
___
Texas Rangers
2024: 78-84, third place.
Manager: Bruce Bochy (third season).
Opening Day: March 27 vs. Boston.
Here’s Here: 1B Jake Burger, C Kyle Higashioka, RHP Chris Martin, LHP Hoby Milner, DH Joc Pederson, RHP Jacob Webb.
He’s Outta Here: C Carson Kelly, OF Travis Jankowski, LHP Andrew Heaney, RHP José Leclerc, 1B Nathaniel Lowe, RHP David Robertson, RHP Kirby Yates.
Top Hitters: SS Corey Seager (.278, 30 HRs, 74 RBIs, .864 OPS), RF Adolis García (.224, 25, 85, 177 Ks), 2B Marcus Semien (.237, 23, 74), 1B Jake Burger (.250, 29, 76 with Marlins), DH Joc Pederson (.275, 23, 64 with Diamondbacks), OF Wyatt Langford (.253, 16, 74, 19 SBs).
Projected Rotation: RH Nathan Eovaldi (12-8, 3.80 ERA, 166 Ks in 170 2/3 IP), RH Jon Gray (5-6, 4.47), LH Cody Bradford (6-3, 3.54), RH Jacob deGrom (0-0, 1.69 in three starts), RH Tyler Mahle (0-1, 4.97).
Key Relievers: RH Chris Martin (3-1, 3.45 ERA, 2 saves in 45 appearances with Boston), RH Luke Jackson (4-3, 5.09 in 52 games with Giants and Braves), RH Jacob Webb (2-5, 3.02 in 60 appearances for Orioles), LH Hoby Milner (5-1, 4.73 in 61 appearances for Brewers), LH Robert Garcia (3-6, 4.22 in 72 appearances for Nationals), RH Dane Dunning (5-7, 5.31 in 26 games, 15 starts).
Outlook: The starting rotation is in good shape with Eovaldi re-signed, and two-time Cy Young Award winner deGrom and Mahle both making late-season debuts last year after recovering from elbow surgery. There is no defined closer after Yates left in free agency and with Josh Sborz rehabbing from shoulder surgery, but Martin joins his hometown team for a prominent role at the back end of a restructured bullpen. Burger and Pederson add pop to an offense that last year hit 57 fewer homers and scored one run less per game than when winning the franchise's first World Series title with Bochy in 2023. These Rangers may not be far off from at least having a shot at repeating a unique pattern for Bochy, who won three World Series crowns with San Francisco from 2010-14. After each of those first two titles, the Giants missed the playoffs the following year before coming back to win another one. Texas still has Semien, Seager and Jung on the infield. García seeks a bounce-back season in the outfield, likely joined out there by young standouts Langford and Evan Carter.
___
Athletics
2024: 69-93, fourth place.
Manager: Mark Kotsay (fourth season).
Opening Day: March 27 at Seattle.
He’s Here: RHP Luis Severino, 3B Gio Urshela, LHP Jeffrey Springs, RH Jose Leclerc, INF Luis Urias, LHP Jacob Lopez.
He’s Outta Here: RHP Ross Stripling, 3B Abraham Toro, LHP Alex Wood, LHP Scott Alexander, RHP Austin Adams, OF Daz Cameron, 3B J.D. Davis, SS Nick Allen, 1B Ryan Noda.
Top Hitters: DH Brent Rooker (.293, 39 HRs, 112 RBI, .927 OPS), C Shea Langeliers (.224, 29, 80, .739 OPS), OF Lawrence Butler (.262, 22, 57, .807 OPS), OF JJ Bleday (.243, 20, 60, .762 OPS), 2B Zack Gelof (.211, 17, 49, 25 SBs).
Projected Rotation: RH Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91 ERA with the New York Mets), LH JP Sears (11-13, 4.38), LH Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 3.27 with Tampa Bay), RH Osvaldo Bido (5-3, 3.41), RH Joey Estes (7-9, 5.01) OR RH Mitch Spence (8-10, 4.58).
Key Relievers: RH Mason Miller (2-2, 2.49, 28/31 saves, 14.4 Ks/9 IP), RH Jose Leclerc (6-5, 4.32, 1 save with Texas), LH T.J. McFarland (2-4, 3.81), RH Tyler Ferguson (4-2, 3.68, 2 saves).
Outlook: The A’s begin a temporary stay in the Sacramento area this season. They will play at least the next three seasons at a Triple-A stadium as they wait for their new home to be built in Las Vegas. Their final season in Oakland was emotional and showed some signs of progress with a 19-win improvement. The A’s increased their spending this offseason as they needed a higher payroll in order to get a full share in revenue sharing. Severino, Butler and Rooker all got deals worth at least $60 million after the franchise had handed out one deal that rich ever before this season. They should be competitive but still likely lack the depth of talent to compete for the postseason.
___
Los Angeles Angels
2024: 63-99, fifth place.
Manager: Ron Washington (second season).
Opening day: March 27 at Chicago White Sox.
He’s Here: LHP Yusei Kikuchi, DH Jorge Soler, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Kyle Hendricks, C Travis d’Arnaud, 3B Yoán Moncada, INF Kevin Newman, SS Tim Anderson.
He’s Outta Here: 2B Brandon Drury, C Matt Thaiss, RHP Griffin Canning, LHP Patrick Sandoval, RHP Carson Fulmer, RHP Hunter Strickland, LHP Matt Moore.
Top Hitters: RF Mike Trout (.220, 10 HRs, 14 RBIs in 29 games), OF Taylor Ward (.246, 25, 75, .748 OPS), C Logan O’Hoppe (.244, 20, 56), SS Zach Neto (.249, 23 , 77, .761 OPS, 5.1 WAR), DH Jorge Soler (.241, 21, 64 with Giants and Braves).
Projected Rotation: LH Yusei Kikuchi (9-10, 4.05 ERA, 206 Ks with Blue Jays and Astros), LH Tyler Anderson (10-15, 3.81, 1.29 WHIP, 3.1 WAR), RH Jose Soriano (6-7, 3.42, 97 Ks in 113 innings), LH Reid Detmers (4-9, 6.70, spent three months at Triple-A Salt Lake), RH Kyle Hendricks (4-12, 5.92 for Cubs).
Key Relievers: RH Kenley Jansen (4-2, 3.29, 27/31 saves with Red Sox), RH Ben Joyce (2-0, 2.08, 33 Ks in 34 2/3 innings), RH Ryan Zeferjahn (0-0, 2.12, 18 Ks in 17 innings), RH Chase Silseth (0-1, 6.75 in two appearances).
Outlook: The Angels finished 2024 at rock bottom, losing a club-record 99 games and extending the majors’ longest streaks to nine consecutive losing seasons and 10 straight non-playoff seasons. The sole sign for optimism was solid play from youngsters O’Hoppe, Neto, Soriano, Joyce and Nolan Schanuel. They’re all back to keep building, although Neto will start on the injured list after right shoulder surgery. Trout is healthy again after four consecutive injury-plagued seasons, and the three-time AL MVP is moving from center to right field to preserve his health. Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell should be the primary center fielders. Anthony Rendon is already guaranteed to miss extended playing time for the fourth straight season after the $245 million third baseman announced he needs hip surgery. The rotation is headlined by newcomer Kikuchi, and longtime Dodgers closer Jansen could form a potent late-game combination with the fireballing Joyce.