Athletics vs Angels Expert Picks and Betting Guide – 5/21/2026

Athletics

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Los Angeles Angels

Athletics Insights

• Luis Severino – Over/Under 5.5 Strikeouts (-135/+105)
  Luis Severino’s 95.4-mph fastball velocity since the start of last season grades out in the 82nd percentile among all starters.
  Explain: Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.
• Darell Hernaiz – Over/Under Total Bases
  Darell Hernaiz’s exit velocity on flyballs has fallen off this season; his 88.4-mph figure last year has decreased to 83.5-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.
• Nick Kurtz – Over/Under Total Bases
  Nick Kurtz has a 95th percentile opposite-field rate on his flyballs (37.1%) and will have to hit them out towards the league’s 11th-deepest LF fences today.
  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.

Los Angeles Angels Insights

• Jose Soriano – Over/Under 6.5 Strikeouts (+100/-130)
  Given that groundball pitchers struggle the most against flyball hitters, Jose Soriano (56.2% GB% according to the leading projection system, THE BAT) will be a bit disadvantaged in this game with 2 FB hitters in Sacramento’s projected lineup.
  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.
• Mike Trout – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+125/-165)
  Sacramento’s 3rd-worst outfield defense of all teams on the slate creates a favorable matchup for Mike Trout, who tends to hit a lot of flyballs.
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up well with the opposing team’s defensive weakness, which may lead to better-than-usual performance.
• The Los Angeles Angels have 4 bats in their projected offense today with a high (i.e. over 27%) underlying K% (per the leading projection system, THE BAT X) (Logan O’Hoppe, Jorge Soler, Zach Neto, Mike Trout).
  Explain: Teams that have multiple high-strikeout hitters will make it much easier for the opposing pitcher to record strikeouts