Angels Among 'Biggest Surprises' of 2025 Season, Says National Outlet

Apr 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) celebrates with second baseman Kyren Paris (19) after the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels are looking to make a few changes after 2024 ended in their worst winning percentage in franchise history, and so far, they seem to be on the right track.

Last season, the Angels were the 10th-youngest team in baseball, but after a few key veteran signings this offseason, they are now the seventh-oldest. Whether the increase in experience and leadership is contributing to the hot start or not, the Halos have no plans of slowing down.

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Newsweek Sport's Noah Camras made a list of some of the biggest surprises in baseball so far, and the Angels are unsurprisingly at the top of the list.

"The Los Angeles Angels entered the 2025 season as nothing more than an afterthought," said Camras. "The Halos have the longest postseason drought in the league, and their biggest offseason addition was left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi."

Many counted out the Angels after simply seeing last season's 99-loss mark and lack of big fish free agents, but the Halos managed to make many below-the-radar moves that are proving valuable.

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In a deal that was made mere hours after the final pitch was thrown in the 2024 World Series, the veteran acquisition of Jorge Soler is already paying off. The designated hitter is batting .298/.373/.561 with an OPS of .935 so far.

There was also the move to shift Mike Trout to a position he hadn't played since a brief appearance in 2012 as the 11-time All-Star moved to right field in an effort to lessen wear and tear. So far, Trout has started all 16 games and is tied for second in the league with six dingers.

It is impossible to talk about the Angels hot start without the absolute turnaround of Kyren Paris. After 36 career games in the majors since 2023, Paris was batting a dreary .110, but everything changed this offseason.

After a productive spring training, Paris not only made the Angels, but followed it up by batting .366/.458/.805 with an OPS of 1.263 to start the year.

The season is already so special with the constant expectations being passed, but the regular season is just a test for an Angels team looking to break baseball's longest October drought.

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For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.