Kansas City Even though the Angels fell short on Monday, they kept demonstrating that they had the necessary components for a possible comeback in 2025.
In the Angels’ 5-3 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, Zach Neto homered, Jo Adell drove in two runs, and Victor Mederos struck out three in his season debut. Los Angeles (53–72) fell to 19 games below.500 for the first time this season, but that doesn’t tell the whole picture.
The Angels have had several challenges this season, including the obvious one of missing Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Luis Rengifo, and Patrick Sandoval for extended periods of time. However, there has also been one benefit: opportunity.
One major reason the Angels have been able to speed up the pace after a disappointing first two months is the emergence of young players like Mederos, who can contribute to the team’s victory even if it doesn’t happen that night. Following their June 2 loss to 21-38, the Halos have playing roughly.500 baseball (32-34).
The Royals led 3-0 after Mederos, who made his Major League Baseball debut the previous season, entered the game and threw shutout innings in the fifth and sixth innings. Over his three seasons in the Minor Leagues, the 23-year-old righty has started all 47 games as a starter. However, he came off the bench and went after Kansas City’s core lineup.
“Honestly, just going out there and being aggressive and letting [them] hit it,” Mederos told the crowd. “I spoke with [pitching coach] Barry [Enright], and one thing he told me was to just go after them and let them put the ball in play.” Just go out there, execute, and hit the glove; that was my mindset today.”
Carson Fulmer, who gave up three runs in four innings, said, “He picked me up.” That is our job here: to pick each other up. That he came up and performed what he did is rather remarkable. I hope he gets more opportunities and continues to promote his work.
It wasn’t until Mederos faced AL MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr., MLB’s second-half RBI leader Vinnie Pasquantino, and Royals captain Salvador Perez that he encountered problems. Perez doubled down the left-field line on a ball up and out of the zone, plating Witt and Pasquantino, capping Mederos’ 2024 debut.
“I saw him throwing the ball very well, moving his fastball around, dropping some good breaking balls off in there and had some good velocity,” said Ron Washington, the team’s manger. “So I assumed he could get through the seventh inning.
“I thought he made a terrific pitch to Perez. [Perez] has been doing that for a long time. He got up on the ball.”
It was one of many occasions against Kansas City that could be described as growing pains for a young squad. Niko Kavadas, the Angels’ cleanup hitter, has played in just three games. Nolan Schanuel, the Halos’ No. 3 hitter on Monday, has appeared in only 145 career games in two years. Jack Kochanowicz, who began Sunday against Atlanta, has four career starts.
Part of the young core is already present. Neto blasted his 18th home run of the season in the eighth inning, Logan O’Hoppe had two hits, and Adell drove in two runs; all three players are under the age of 25.
And they don’t have to look far to see how quickly things can turn around. The Royals lost 106 games last season and are currently in the postseason battle. Washington does not want to compare his team to the ones in the other dugout — the Angels understand that their young players must make comparable progress — but it demonstrates the process.
“The young kids we have out there, they’re performing very well,” Washington stated before the game. “But if that’s who they are, they’ll have to prove it to us again and again. And I believe people in Kansas City understand what I’m talking about because the same group over there was getting [pummeled], and they’ve worked it out. “We are going through the same process.”
For the time being, the Angels’ only option is to continue the process. However, there is already widespread belief that it is working.
“I’m glad to be a part of this, [what] this team [and] what this organization is trying to do,” Fulmer told reporters. “Despite growing pains, we have a unique bond where we support and play for one another.” That goes a long way, especially when we’re trying to prepare ourselves to win. We have faith in one another.
