The Angels Offense is Improving In One Key Area - It is Sustainable?

Last year the Angels had the third worst on base percentage in all of Major League Baseball.

Apr 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (27) stretches after calling a timeout as he bats against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Last year the Angels had the third worst on base percentage in all of Major League Baseball. They were only a few thousandths of a point ahead of the Colorado Rockies for the worst in the league due to a team record number of strikeouts. The team was built around power but solo home runs do not win a lot of games, as last season's 90 losses prove.

Heading into 2026 it was obvious the team needed a revamped offensive approach that would cut down on the strikeouts and improve the team's on base percentage. Doing so while still ranking near the top of the league in home runs would be difficult, however. So far, the Angels are pulling it off but can they keep it up.

The Angels are middle of the pack in on base percentage.

Through 14 games the Angels are sporting a .311 on base percentage. That ties them with the New York Mets for 16th best in the league. The Cubs are the midpoint at .312, a mathematical difference so small as to not really matter. In short, the Angels are a league average team when it comes to getting on base.

If they kept this up an for the entire season, that would be a huge boost to the club. The fact they are rated this highly while still ranking third in home runs with 18 is huge. Getting on base then putting the ball in the stands is a great recipe for scoring runs.

Can the Angels continue this improvement?

Apr 5, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (18) hits a walk off sacrifice RBI against the Seattle Mariners during the eleventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In looking at the underlying data there are far more reasons to say yes than no. One obvious area that can improve is the team's batting average which currently sits at a lowly .207. Even last year's bad group hit .225 which was worst in the league. It is highly probably for the Angels to improve their batting team batting average which will in turn improve their on base percentage.

There are as many candidates for improvement as regression, as well. Nolan Schanuel's on base percentage of .268 and Logan O'Hoppe's of .22 both stand out as ones that should improve over time. Jorge Soler's .520 mark will obviously decline and .345 would be a new record for Jo Adell.

Schanuel may have been pressing due to hitting behind Mike Trout, which was bad lineup construction. Logan O'Hoppe has always been streaky.

Strikeouts and depth will be the keys in this area. The team is again leading the league in K's with 149 which is right at 10 per game. It will be tough to give away this many free outs and still get on base at a respectable clip. Last season the team K'd 1627 times.

It is early but if this group of players stays together an on base percentage just north of 3 does look sustainable but also capped. The strikeouts are simply too worrisome to ignore. Perhaps a new look outfield later this year with Nelson Rada leading off and the Josh Lowe (16 K's) experiment over improves both the OBP and defense.