Weather Forecast for Angels vs Royals – August 20, 2024

Los Angeles Angels

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Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Angels are set for the second game of their series on August 20, 2024, after the Royals secured a 5-3 victory against the Angels the previous day. Currently, the Royals sit at 70-55, enjoying a solid season, while the Angels are struggling at 53-72, reflecting their disappointing year.

Cole Ragans is projected to take the mound for the Royals. He has established himself as a quality starter, currently ranked as the 14th best pitcher in MLB according to advanced-stat Power Rankings. Ragans has pitched well this season, holding a 3.18 ERA and striking out 6.8 batters on average while allowing only 2.3 earned runs. His last start was particularly impressive; he pitched 7 innings with just 1 earned run and 8 strikeouts.

On the other hand, Tyler Anderson will start for the Angels. While his 3.30 ERA seems respectable, his xFIP of 4.77 suggests that he has been fortunate this year and might face challenges moving forward. His last outing saw him struggle significantly, allowing 7 earned runs over just 6 innings.

The Royals’ offense ranks 12th in MLB, showcasing average talent, but they benefit from a strong performance by Bobby Witt Jr. Meanwhile, the Angels’ offense struggles at 25th in the league, indicating significant challenges for their hitters.

With Ragans on the mound and the Royals showing better overall performance, projections favor Kansas City, giving them an implied team total of 4.61 runs compared to the Angels’ 3.39 runs. The Royals appear positioned for another win as they continue to capitalize on their strong play this season.

Los Angeles Angels Insights

• Los Angeles Angels – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (+165)
  Tyler Anderson is an extreme flyball pitcher (39.5% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) and has the benefit of pitching in the #26 HR venue in the majors in today’s game.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set matches up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• Kevin Pillar – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+145/-190)
  From last season to this one, Kevin Pillar’s flyball exit velocity has decreased from an average of 90.6 mph to 87.4 mph.
  Explain: Most home runs are flyballs, and the harder those flyballs are hit, the more often they turn into home runs. This is a strong indicator of power.
• Los Angeles Angels – 2H Moneyline
  The Los Angeles Angels bullpen profiles as the 3rd-worst in Major League Baseball, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT).
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a weak bullpen sneakily creates an easier matchup for the opposing offense and boosts a game’s runs.

Kansas City Royals Insights

• Cole Ragans – Over/Under 6.5 Strikeouts (-145/+110)
  Cole Ragans has a large reverse platoon split and has the benefit of facing 8 opposite-handed hitters in today’s game.
  Explain: A pitcher with a reverse platoon split will perform better against opposite-handed hitters (i.e. a right-handed pitcher will be better against a left-handed hitter). Holding this advantage against several hitters can have a huge impact on whether a pitcher will perform well or struggle on any given day.
• Salvador Perez – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+115/-150)
  Typically, batters like Salvador Perez who hit a lot of flyballs generally hit worse when facing pitchers who also induce a lot of flyballs such as Tyler Anderson.
  Explain: This mostly has to do with the way the hitter’s swing plane interacts with the pitch trajectory, and it can create diminished performance across all categories and hidden value few are considering.
• Hunter Renfroe – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+140/-185)
  Hunter Renfroe pulls many of his flyballs (40% — 98th percentile) but may find it hard to clear the game’s 4th-deepest LF fences in today’s game.
  Explain: This player’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.

Betting Trends

• Kansas City Royals – Run Line -1.5 (+100)
  The Kansas City Royals have hit the Run Line in 35 of their last 60 games at home (+10.35 Units / 14% ROI)
• Los Angeles Angels – Over/Under 1.5 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total (+110/-140)
  The Los Angeles Angels have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 6 of their last 8 games (+4.55 Units / 49% ROI)
• Jo Adell – Over/Under 1.5 Hits Runs and RBIs (+120/-155)
  Jo Adell has hit the Hits Runs and RBIs Over in 11 of his last 15 away games (+7.05 Units / 40% ROI)