The Good and the Bad From Angels vs. Royals Today

A win is a good thing no matter the time of year and the Angels picked one up today. It didn't look great early, but the team rallied nicely in a game that feaured most of the Opening Day regulars.

Let's start off with the good.

Grayson Rodriguez settled down nicely after a rough start.

It was a really rough start for Rodriguez who was hit hard in the first inning then hit former Angel Brandon Drury in the head with the bases loaded. It was unintentional and simply a clear sign Rodriguez had no control at that point. He held the Royals to two runs that inning to limit the damage.

After that, Rodriguez was really good including a clean 1-2-3 inning. On the day Rodriguez made it through 3 innings, recorded 3 K's and only walked one,

Grayson Rodriguez on his slider and curveball: "This is the best those two pitches have ever been. So I've got that going for me. Heater is obviously there. The velocity is there. One big thing for me, and kind of what's been in the past, is working on command."
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) March 2, 2026

Jack Kochanowicz also looked good.

Jack followed Rodriguez with 3 scoreless frames of his own. He added 2 strikeouts which is encouraging to see as a lack of strikeouts has been a major issue for him. Koch allowed 2 hits but did not walk a batter.

Mike Trout is still Mike Trout.

Trout ran back on a screaming line drive and made a vintage catch today. It was great to see him in center field in general and he made the type of catch today that made Mike Trout famous. He also had an RBI single just to show his all around greatness.

Oswald Peraza and Yolmer Sanchez had big days.

Peraza is fighting for a utility job and helped his cause today. He crushed an 0-0 fastball for a home run. Sanchez came through with a walk off hit to seal the win.

Yolmer Sanchez is in camp looking for an opportunity. Getting the game winning hit is a great way to get noticed.

Oswald Peraza hits his first home run of #LAASpring, Angels pitching combines to strike out 11 batters, and Yolmer Sánchez delivers a walk-off single for the win. pic.twitter.com/eiQNKXm9Lk
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 3, 2026

The Angels won the battle of the K's.

Angels hitters struck out 7 times. Angels pitchers recorded 11 K's. That's the opposite of how the K battle went most of last year. This was the biggest problem for the team in 2025 and on that must be addressed if the team is going to improve. It did today.

Christian Moore looked like the Opening Day starter.

Moore collected an RBI hit and a walk but did not strike out today. Keeping the K's down will be critical to his success and the fact he worked a walk is notable. Even in March walks take plate discipline.

Jose Fermin had a rough day.

Really, this is about it for the bad in the game. The reason the Angels needed a walk off is due to the fact Fermin gave up 2 runs in the top of the 9th. Fermin is on the roster bubble but could be working on something with Mike Maddux.

It is Spring Training. Enjoy the good and chalk the bad up to the fact it is Spring Training. It was a good day to be an Angels fan. The starting club was on the field for the most part and played well on both sides of the ball.