The 2022 MLB season is not even a month old yet, but enough time has passed for us to draw some conclusions.
Now, these conclusions aren’t necessarily true, because the sample size is not significant enough for them to have validity, but they give us an idea about how certain things and situations are happening.
For example, we see the Los Angeles Angels in first place of the AL West division, and the Los Angeles Dodgers trailing the San Francisco Giants in the NL West division.
Now, the Dodgers trailed the Giants virtually all season long last year, and couldn’t get a hold of the division lead, a crown that belonged to San Francisco despite what happened next in the playoffs.
The Angels’ Current Level Is Definitely Encouraging
But seeing the Angels atop the standings in the AL West is surprising and refreshing, to say the least.
In fact, it’s the first time in a while that the Angels are leading their division and the Dodgers are not.
“It’s early, yes. But, not counting the first day of the season, this is the first time the Angels have been in first place and the Dodgers have not since May 14, 2018,” Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweeted.
It’s early, yes. But, not counting the first day of the season, this is the first time the Angels have been in first place and the Dodgers have not since May 14, 2018.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) April 28, 2022
It may be temporary, and Dodgers fans are probably not making a big deal out of it, especially since their team, at 12-6, still has a better record than the 13-7 Angels by one game.
But it’s a noteworthy development because it means that the Angels are finally competitive, or at least look like a solid team from top to bottom.
They have their trio of stars healthy – Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon – they have an improved rotation, and a solid bullpen with some savvy offseason additions.
They probably won’t be better than the Dodgers when all is said and done, but if they make the playoffs, fans will be thankful and ecstatic.
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