Road Trippin to Kansas City & Chicago

Written By Jacob Firmage

Angels Articles

April 24, 2026 - Written by Jacob Firmage

The Angels were not given an easy start. Six of eight teams made the playoffs last year and the other two would have been preseason favorites. Twenty-six games in twenty-eight days against that gauntlet shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Angels did not leave that run above five hundred. Nor did they wow us in any particular way save for a few individuals. But they showed something they hadn’t shown in years. An ability to fight back. In years past the biggest issue has been playing down to talent of the opposing roster. So, in that regard, we should not be surprised that the Angels held their own. But the way they did so was impressive. After a blown lead to the Yankees in game one they bounced back. Only to fall in game three in the same way to bounce back again. A hard-fought series against the Padres in which they held a plus four run differentials led to a one win, two loss series. They matched that win total in a three-game set against Toronto, even allowing twelve runs but scoring eleven. The Angels exited this extended stretch of brutality just two games under five hundred, but with a plus ten run differential and an expected record of 14-12. That expected record would lead the AL West when least expected for a team with very little expectation. I came into the year thinking 76-78 wins. Let’s roll with 77 in the middle for fun and say that is a .475 winning percentage. Good for 12.35 wins or round down to 12-14… Their current record.

Let’s jump into their six-game road trip. It is a winnable run. Coming off a series saving win the Angels line up with Kikuchi getting the first of two starts on this trip meaning the rest of the rotation will follow along with him bookending the series as well. The Royals and White Sox are a combined 18-32 good for a .360 winning percentage. These two teams combine for worse than any team the Angels have played thus far with far less expectations entering the season than anyone would expect. The rotation is the high point currently. It has carried the load while an inconsistent yet explosive offense has slowly churned out big games, and the bullpen has proved costly, especially in the series in New York. But how do the Angels exit this stretch of six games, and can they return home at or above .500.

The easy guess on paper is yes; the Angels could and should return home above the .500 mark. The Angels twelve games against their upcoming opponents last year aren’t much assistance as they finished the year 6-6 in those matchups. These are two of the three worst teams in regards to run differential, so that ought to count for something. Along with the fact the offense has seemed to perform better on the road than at home. We need to find four wins in the next six to be at a .500 record. Let’s do a quick run on potential matchups as things currently stand.

Matchups vs Kansas City Royals:

Matchups vs Chicago White Sox:

We for fun can quickly find one game we feel good about in the Soriano vs Davis Martin. This isn’t a knock-on Martin who is off to a great start, but more a tip of the cap to Soriano. Martin in his innings has an exceptional 86% LOB rate and a career low walk rate. We lean Angels there. None of Noah Cameron’s peripheral numbers give much lean that way. Instead, I go Kikuchi with his new (old) arm slot as he is poised to start evening out his numbers to get the Angels two of the four wins needed. Looking for the third win, I trust the Angels mini-José Soriano, Walbert “The Wild Thing” Urena, along with his new glasses as if he were Major League’s Rickey Vaughn, against Ragans who while he’s had elite peripherals in the past, has been walking far too many for a patient lineup. A close matchup that could go either way but let’s lean Halos here. Our first loss I aim at is against Seth Lugo. Dating back to 2021, Lugo has been amongst the more consistent mid-rotation arms and this year he has not allowed a homerun, he has lowered his walks and been pitching to a 2.31 FIP. Detmers has been a quality arm as well, but I lean towards the Royals here. The Angels so far are 3-1.

Jack Kochanowicz has seemingly made an adjustment during spring that was real. He has pitched better since his first start of 2026 and should give the Angels a good shot against the White Sox. Kay in his return to the US has not been nearly what he was in the NPB last year. He is still a lefty, with an uptick in velocity and I haven’t fully shaken the 2025 Jack K and for that reason nearly alone, I give the edge to Chicago. We are 3-2. I find our fourth win in Yusei. Opening and closing the road trip with quality outings. The biggest bat in Chicago is Murakami who I think, no hope, Kikuchi neutralizes. Hudson has struck out a ton of opposing hitters which the Angels are more than prone to doing, but also has walked a ton... Something the Angels are amongst the leagues best at doing. Pencil him for a short day following what could be a worked bullpen and give the Angels a 4-2 road trip.

It isn’t a six-game sweep. It isn’t the Angels returning a fun 18-14 running getting a lead in the AL West potentially. But it is The Angels opening May and a new homestand at .500 with the Mets rolling in ahead of the White Sox again. The Mets may correct course. But maybe they don’t without Lindor. The White Sox may be showing to be better than last year but not great. Sneak out another 4-2 record over that homestand and now we are 20-18. This team doesn’t have to do it all at once. They afforded themselves a chance to just be slightly better than .500 with the way they handled a brutal schedule to start the year. Don’t hang a playoff banner yet, but be excited Angels fans. Health permitting this team should be relatively competitive no matter who they play. That isn’t a Halo Honk speaking. That is something they have shown us through the first month, plus, of the season. Let’s have ourselves a road trip and talk soon.

Disclaimer : (1) Links of players are property of MLB, MiLB, and Baseball Reference. (2) InsideHalos is a fan-made site not affiliated with Angels Baseball.

Jacob Firmage

Southern California Native. Angels Junky. Always up to talk baseball.

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