Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Prediction – 4/17/2025

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Betting Preview

As the Texas Rangers prepare to face off against the Los Angeles Angels on April 17, 2025, at Globe Life Field, both teams are looking to build on their recent performances. The Rangers enter the game with an 11-7 record, enjoying a strong start to the season, while the Angels sit at 9-8, having an above-average campaign thus far. The matchup's intrigue is heightened after the Rangers got a win over the Angels yesterday.

Kumar Rocker, projected to start for the Rangers, has struggled this season with a 0-2 record and an alarming 7.94 ERA. However, his xFIP of 4.83 suggests he might have been unlucky, hinting at potential improvement. Rocker’s high groundball rate of 50% might serve him well against the powerful Angels, who have belted 30 home runs this season, ranking 3rd in MLB. Conversely, Jack Kochanowicz starts for the Angels with a modest 1-1 record and a 5.74 ERA. Like Rocker, Kochanowicz has struggled with efficiency, indicated by his 4.70 xFIP. This may favor the Rangers, who have been difficult to strike out.

Offensively, the Rangers rank 24th in MLB in scoring, while the Angels boast a robust 8th place ranking, making this an uneven matchup. The Rangers' best hitter has found his rhythm of late, achieving a .444 batting average over the past week, which could be pivotal in this contest.

With the Rangers favored at -145 on the moneyline, there’s belief they might outperform their implied total of 5.12 runs. Given the projections and Rocker's potential upside, the Rangers could secure a critical win in this rivalry.

Quick Takes Los Angeles Angels:

Jack Kochanowicz's 95.1-mph fastball velocity this year ranks in the 84th percentile among all SPs.

• Velocity is a key component to fastball success in generating strikeouts and preventing runs.

Jo Adell has seen a substantial improvement in his exit velocity this season; just compare his 93.4-mph average to last season's 89.6-mph mark.

• Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.

Mike Trout hits a lot of his flyballs to center field (39.6% — 94th percentile) and has the misfortune of hitting them in the direction of the game's 7th-deepest CF fences today.

• 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.

Quick Takes Texas Rangers:

The leading projection system (THE BAT X) expects Kumar Rocker to be on a bit of a short leash in today's game, projecting a maximum of 82 pitches.

• A pitcher who is on a pitch count is likely to be pulled from the game earlier, record fewer outs, and generate fewer strikeouts.

Based on Statcast metrics, the leading projection system (THE BAT X)'s version of Expected wOBA (.331) may lead us to conclude that Marcus Semien has experienced some negative variance since the start of last season with his .294 actual wOBA.

• xwOBA uses highly advanced Statcast data to measure a player's overall hitting ability more accurately than actual wOBA can.

The Texas Rangers have been the 3rd-unluckiest offense in Major League Baseball this year, according to the leading projection system (THE BAT X), and are likely to positively regress in future games

• When teams underperform their projected talent level, markets may undervalue them even while they are likely to perform better in the near future.

Game Trends

• The Texas Rangers have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline in 37 of their last 80 games at home (+2.78 Units / 2% ROI)
• The Los Angeles Angels have hit the Team Total Over in 10 of their last 14 games (+4.85 Units / 28% ROI)
• Joc Pederson has hit the Hits Under in his last 8 games (+9.05 Units / 112% ROI)

Los Angeles Angels vs Texas Rangers Prediction

Predicted Final Score: Los Angeles Angels 4.36, Texas Rangers 5.03

• Date: April 17, 2025
• Venue: Globe Life Field
• Starting Pitchers:
  • Jack Kochanowicz - Angels
  • Kumar Rocker - Rangers

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