Who's Hot, Who's Not #18 (8/4-10)
August 13, 2025 - Written by Kian Behravan & Brayden Zielke
Photo Credit: @Angels - X
Another week has passed, which means it’s time for Who’s Hot, Who’s Not! Each week Brayden and I dive deep into the stats and metrics to determine which players have been doing well and who’s been struggling. We then determine how these players can keep doing well or get back on track. Let’s dive in.
The Angels struggled last week, going 2-4 while allowing five runs or more in four of the six games. However, the lineup also produced five or more runs in four of the six games, with just two of those ending in a win. Currently, they still sit in fourth place, seemingly out of the Wild Card Race. This week, they have a three-game set versus the Dodgers, then go to Sutter Health Park to face off against the Athletics for three more games after a Thursday off-day. Let’s see how our pitchers did last week.
Pitchers: Kian
As a whole, the Angel’s pitching staff didn’t do well at all. Despite striking out an average of ten hitters per game, they let up nine homers, contributing to a 5.37 ERA on the week. Command seems to have gotten slightly better, however, as walks are down to below four per game. With the lineup scoring close to five runs per game, the pitchers didn’t do their job in keeping the lead or perhaps giving the team a chance to get one.
Hot! Carson Fulmer
Carson Fulmer showed what it was like to be a long reliever. On August 5, he tossed the last three frames, striking out five while only allowing two baserunners in the 3-7 loss against the Rays. However, that’s not the game I’m impressed about. On August 10 when Jack Kochanowicz, per usual, couldn't go more than three innings (9 H, 6 ER), Fulmer stepped in and grinded through five innings of relief, allowing two runs on one hit (home run). His command was shaky, as he walked four and threw just under 60% strikes (49/85). That aside, he stepped up and pitched an amazing game when he was needed, giving the other arms the rest they needed.
Fulmer was able to effectively use his fastballs to strike hitters out, while also mixing in his changeup as well. His curveball was hit hard however, with all three put in play being hit over 90 MPH including a Riley Greene home run hit 107.3 MPH. Overall, Carson Fulmer got outs, and that’s all you can ask for in a pitcher.
Not… Jose Soriano
As much as I wanted to put Kochanowicz in here, I decided to show some other Halos some love. On August 5, Jose Soriano tossed just four innings, giving up seven hits, seven runs, and striking out four. His sinker was left in the zone too many times and was hit well, even though not all got through. If the ball wasn’t hit right at fielders sometimes, this game would be a much different story.
It’s been a season of inconsistency for Jose Soriano. This has led him to accumulate an ERA hovering around four for the season. Hopefully he can get back on track for his remaining games.
Overall, it wasn’t a great week for the Angels. They play the Dodgers and A’s this week, both teams that they’ve pitched well against. Guys like Soriano need to turn things around, while Kenley Jansen keeps dealing and Carson Fulmer can continue to step up.
Hitters: Brayden
The Angels went 2-4 this week, while the lineup averaged 4.83 runs per game. While it wasn’t enough to offset the 5.33 runs per game our opponents scored, it is still somewhat impressive for a team that only won 1/3 of its games. This week, the Angels hit .235 with 11 home runs and a .751 OPS. They struck out 64 times and walked only 16 times. Overall, it wasn’t a great week for the Halos. Time to rebound and push for a winning record.
Hot! Luis Rengifo, Bryce Teodosio
Despite only playing in 4 games this week, Rengifo was definitely our best and most consistent hitter. Rengifo hit .438 (7-16) with 2 home runs, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. He got at least 1 hit in every game and was a huge contributor this week, despite the Angels only winning 1 game he played in.
Teodosio was brought in to be an elite defender in CF. Adell has been pretty bad at CF this year and needed a change of scenery, which ended up with him being moved back to RF, where he played 119 games last season. Teodosio was brought in with the expectation of being an amazing fielder without much offensive impact. While he has been great in CF, he has also been solid at the plate. This week, Teodosio hit .385 (5-13) with 2 runs scored and 3 stolen bases. He did strike out 5 times but was also hit by a pitch. I like what I’ve seen from Teodosio and I hope he can continue to hit well through the rest of this season.
Not… Zach Neto
If you’ve been watching the Angels recently, you probably noticed that Zach Neto has been all over the place. He’s been swinging at pretty much everything and that reflects in his stats for the week. Neto hit .167 (4-24) with 1 home run, 2 RBIs, and 1 run scored. While there were players with worse stats in those categories, Neto’s 10 strikeouts pushed him over the edge. He somehow walked 3 times, but it wasn’t enough to save him this week.
It was another odd week for the Angels. There are two good series coming up, so expect some comparative games as fans. See you next week on Who’s Hot, Who’s Not!
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