The 2016 Major League Baseball season is set to begin for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Led by the elite starting pitching of Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers are hoping to improve on a season that ended at the hands of the New York Mets in the NL Divisional Series in 2015. For the Angels, they hope to rally around the great Mike Trout and make a surprise run to the postseason this year themselves. Below are some additional details on Dodgers Opening Day, Angels Opening Day, and thoughts on the season ahead to get you ready for baseball in L.A.
Los Angeles Dodgers 2016 Preview
Dodgers Opening Day: Tuesday, April 12 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Dodgers Opening Day Lineup: Carl Crawford (CF), Chase Utley (2B), Justin Turner (3B), Adrian Gonzalez (1B), Yasiel Puig (RF), Corey Seager (SS), Yasmani Grandal (C), Joc Pederson (LF), Clayton Kershaw (P)
Dodgers 2016 Season Preview via Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated:
“The Dodgers came a one-run Game 5 loss away from beating the ace-loaded Mets and advancing to last year’s NLCS despite the fact that their lineup—the NL’s fourth-most prolific during the regular season—had by October sustained more arrow strikes than St. Sebastian. Yasmani Grandal, the catcher who batted .282 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs before the All-Star break, was virtually debilitated by a shoulder injury that ruined his second half and on which he had surgery over the winter. Howie Kendrick was enduring the lingering effects of a badly strained hamstring. Yasiel Puig, also with an injured hamstring, had one hit after Aug. 27. Even Justin Turner, the third baseman who nearly single-handedly kept the Dodgers in the series by batting .526, was playing with a bum left knee that would shortly thereafter require a microfracture procedure. In 2016, though, Los Angeles’ offense should return mostly intact, both in health and composition.”
Los Angeles Angels 2016 Preview
Angels Opening Day: Tuesday, April 4 vs. Chicago Cubs
Angels Opening Day Lineup: Yunel Escobar (3B), Daniel Nava (CF), Mike Trout (RF), Albert Pujols (DH), Kole Calhoun (LF), C.J. Cron (1B), Andrelton Simmons (SS), Carlos Perez (C), Garrett Richards (P)
Angels 2016 Season Preview via Erin Flynn of Sports Illustrated:
“Any team that has Mike Trout is bound to stumble upon some degree of success, but the presence of one phenom on a roster is never enough to carry an entire team (see: the 2015 Nationals). The four-time All Star has put in MVP-caliber work every year since his first full season with the Angels in 2012—including his lone win in ’14—but postseason success in that period has been sparse to nonexistent. In 2014, Los Angeles finished with baseball’s best record but was swept out of the ALDS by the Royals—its only trip to October so far with Trout. Last year, the Angels finished with the best record of teams that didn’t make the playoffs, and a wild-card berth dangled just out of their grasp until the season’s final days. Trout, catcher Carlos Perez and then-third baseman David Freese all did their part by hitting over .300 in the season’s final month, but the rest of the starting lineup hit a collective .233, and the Halos missed the second wild-card spot by just one game. The theme of Trout receiving little backup at the plate was present throughout the Angels’ entire season, and that will be the crux of whether Los Angeles can max out its present potential in 2016.”
Magellan Storage wishes good luck to both of the Los Angeles area baseball teams for the 2016 MLB season! You can get tickets for a great game of baseball for both teams on their websites, www.angels.com and www.dodgers.com! Throughout the season, be sure to also check out MagellanStorage.com for all of your storage needs.
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