The Yankees are continuing their journey along the West Coast with a visit to Anaheim. Following a successful series in San Diego, they now face the Angels in a three-game series. Despite Shohei Ohtani’s move to the Dodgers and Mike Trout’s injury, the Angels present an opportunity for the Yankees to secure another series win.
Anaheim hasn’t seen much success this season, especially with Trout sidelined due to knee surgery after showing glimpses of his prime form earlier. However, young hitters like Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, and Jo Adell have been contributing positively offensively, with Adell’s resurgence being particularly noteworthy. Despite the promising performances from these players, the Angels seem to rely heavily on veterans like Kevin Pillar, Miguel Sano, and Willie Calhoun, along with pitchers like Hunter Strickland, Amir Garrett, and Roansy Contreras.
While there’s a certain appeal to a team blending young talent with experienced players, the Angels are still considered below average and are expected to be a team the Yankees can defeat. Let’s delve into the pitching matchups for the upcoming series.
Tuesday: Nestor Cortes vs. Griffin Canning (9:38 pm ET)
After an up-and-down start during Opening Day in Houston, Cortes has established himself as one of the Yankees’ most reliable pitchers. Since that initial outing, he boasts a 2.97 ERA and a 3.19 FIP, and he hasn’t surrendered an earned run in his last 15.1 innings.
In my view, Cortes has rebounded this season primarily due to his precise command. When he places his four-seamer at the upper part of the strike zone and his cutter inside against right-handed batters, he becomes a formidable challenge for opponents, despite his modest velocity of 91-92 mph. However, he occasionally struggles when his command falters. There have been instances where he’s elevated his four-seamer above the zone, leading to difficulties.
Furthermore, if he delivers a middle-middle four-seamer, hitters can capitalize and cause damage. As long as Cortes can steer clear of these mistakes, he should be poised for another impressive start.
Facing Cortes will be 28-year-old right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning. Once regarded as a top-100 prospect, Canning has settled into a somewhat average role as a mid-rotation starter for the Angels over the past five years. Throughout his career, he has posted a 97 ERA+, although this season he has struggled more, recording a 5.05 ERA and a 5.39 FIP.
Canning features a mediocre fastball, clocking in at 93 mph, which has been susceptible to hard hits this year. The Yankees will likely aim to capitalize on this fastball whenever Canning throws it in the zone. His most effective pitches are a hard slider and a changeup, both of which he throws in the upper 80s. Historically, Canning’s changeup has been his most successful pitch in terms of results, and it’s expected to be his primary weapon against the Yankees’ left-handed hitters.
Wednesday: Luis Gil vs. Tyler Anderson (9:38 pm ET)
There are few pitchers in the league right now who are as thrilling to watch as Luis Gil. His dazzling 14-strikeout performance last weekend felt like a definitive statement of his talent, and he followed that up with another commanding display, holding the Mariners scoreless for 6.1 innings with just one hit allowed.
As has been emphasized countless times, control is key for Gil. He has significantly improved, issuing only one or two walks in each of his last three starts compared to his erratic performance in the first month of the season. In his recent starts, he has been more accurate, with over two-thirds of his pitches finding the strike zone. It’s crucial for him to maintain this control and challenge the Angels’ diverse lineup with his dynamic pitching arsenal.
While the Yankees will deploy a couple of left-handed pitchers enjoying resurgence in this series, the Angels will present their own challenge on Wednesday with Anderson. Anderson was a prized free-agent acquisition for the Angels two winters ago after a breakout season with the Dodgers, signing a three-year deal in November 2022. Despite a rocky start with the Angels, where he posted a 5.43 ERA over 27 appearances, Anderson has significantly improved in 2024, boasting a stellar 2.52 ERA across 64.1 innings.
However, he still struggles with walks and strikeouts, relying heavily on inducing weak contact and utilizing his effective changeup against right-handed batters. Despite his impressive run prevention numbers, the Yankees could find success against Anderson by showing discipline and laying off his offspeed pitches below the strike zone.
Thursday: Carlos Rodón vs. Patrick Sandoval (9:38 pm ET)
Following a rough outing in Baltimore where he surrendered three home runs at the beginning of May, it seemed like Carlos Rodón might be heading for a downturn. However, the left-handed pitcher has bounced back impressively, delivering six-plus strong innings in each of his last four starts for the Yankees. During this stretch, he has struck out 21 batters while issuing just five walks.
It would be beneficial for Rodón to increase his strikeout numbers against the Angels. Although he has been successful this season, he hasn’t quite replicated the outstanding performances from his 2021-2022 seasons, where he recorded significant strikeout and whiff rates. Currently, Rodón’s strikeout, walk, and whiff statistics are average.
One key aspect that could help Rodón generate more swings and misses is his fastball placement. Comparing the heatmap of his fastball from his stellar 2022 campaign with the Giants to this year’s heatmap reveals that he has been more centered with his fastball this season, leading to seven homers allowed. It would be beneficial for him to emulate Nestor’s strategy and elevate his fastball at the top of the zone, although executing this tactic can be challenging.
The opposing pitcher, Patrick Sandoval, is also a lefty. Sandoval has been one of the Angels’ top pitchers besides Shohei Ohtani in recent seasons, boasting a strong 122 ERA+ over 380 innings from 2021 to 2023. However, he has struggled in 2024 with a 5.60 ERA over 54.2 innings. Despite his average velocity of 93 mph, Sandoval relies heavily on his changeup and slider rather than his fastball, with his changeup being particularly effective.
Sandoval’s pitching profile is somewhat similar to Anderson, whom the Yankees will face the night before. With some luck, the Yankees can navigate through both pitchers and secure the series victory in Anaheim.
