Halos Today

Looking at the Early Good Signs from Cactus League Play.

Taking a look at the brighter side of life over the weekend.
Jeff Joiner|
Feb 22, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) singles in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) singles in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Angels

If a team plays Cactus League games but there are no broadcasts to prove it, did they really play? The answer for the 2026 Angels is yes. Some people in the home market were able to watch Saturday's game on the Dodgers broadcast, but for many Angels fans it was follow a game cast, hop on X, and look for highlights.

Some good things happened for the Angels over the first weekend of Cactus League play. Not many of them were on the pitching side, but some were. Let's take a look at what we missed over the weekend.

Mike Trout being Mike Trout

Just the sight of baseball being played on a warm Spring day brings joy even if the score on Saturday did not.

Mike Trout's compact swing is still a thing of beauty. Trout also played center field and looked fine doing it. He's healthy and hoping for a turn back the clock season.

Trout has made no secret about his desire to play center field again and the Angels don't have a better option. At least not yet, but Nelson Rada might change that by the end of the year. For now, Angels fans can enjoy the franchise's greatest player getting hits and patrolling his old spot.

Alek Manoah is trending upwards.

Alek Manoah is a very interesting lottery ticket. After dealing with injuries for a couple of years he is also healthy and vying for a big league job. His velocity has ticked up a bit and he had a solid outing on Sunday.

The Angels are without a clear fifth starter so there is a wide open path to Anaheim for Manoah. In 2022 the guy was a beast. Manoah is a lottery ticket, but one with great promise.

Walbert Urena's sinker is legit.

I've brought up Walbert Urena here in the past. He's mastered a killer sinker and could be an interesting addition to the Angels pitching staff in the near future. The organization is trying to keep him as a starter but he might be ready for a long relief role soon.

There's no video from Sunday but a few in the link above and a more detailed breakdown of Urena as a prospect.

It wasn't all good, though.

Angels pitching as a whole looked underwhelming. Granted, most pitching stats don't matter at this time but it is disheartening to see. So far the team has surrendered 24 runs in 2 games.

Sam Bachman is looking more and more like a wasted early first round pick. He walked three and was unable to complete an inning.

Jose Soriano struck out two Dodgers but also failed to complete his inning.

Chase Silseth keeps sliding down the depth chart. He'll get more chances but guys like Urena and Joel Hurtado are passing him by.

But the most important thing is a clean bill of health so far.

Not to jinx anything but the main goal of Spring Training is to get guys up to game speed and ready for the regular season. So far the Angels are fortunate in that regard. They even got big news on a critical piece of the bullpen, Robert Stephenson.

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Jeff Joiner
JEFF JOINER

I'm a lifelong Angels fan who majored in journalism at CSU, Bakersfield and has previously covered the team at Halos Heaven and Crashing the Pearly Gates. Life gets no better than a day at the ballpark with family and friends.