Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Prediction & Match Preview - April 30th | MLB Season 2022
Superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels will play the second of a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, April 30, in the Windy City. At the time of writing, the Angels carry a respectable 12-7 record, while the White Sox are off to a slow start with a losing 7-10 record. The clubs will square off in Guaranteed Rate Field at 1:05 p.m. EDT.
The Angels are yet to announce their starting pitcher, but the White Sox have already assigned the rubbermatch to the right-hander Vince Velasquez, who will be looking to secure his first win of the season. The 29-year-old carries an 0-2 record with an inflated 6.75 ERA into Saturday's matchup. He'll be looking to polish up both.
Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox
Date & Time: Saturday April 30, 1:05 p.m. EDT.
Venue: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois.
Los Angeles Angels Preview
The Angels can't complain about their April. They're five games above .500 despite having an injured Mike Trout ride the bench for a week. What's more, Ohtani's bat hasn't heated up even close to its full potential yet. The 27-year-old is batting just .238 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. A turnaround is on the horizon, however. After skipper Joe Maddon bumped him to the number two spot in the batting order behind Taylor Ward, he decided to move Ohtani back up to hitting leadoff against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. It turned out to be a wise decision as the left-handed batter went three-for-five with two singles, a double, and an RBI.
Key Player: Taylor Ward
The Los Angeles Angels have a lucky charm in their back pocket, and his name is Taylor Ward. The outfielder has had a phenomenal April. He's batting .395 and slugging .816 with four home runs and nine RBIs. The 28-year-old loves hitting alongside Shohei Ohtani in the batting order, regardless of whether he's hitting behind or in front. He went three for four in Wednesday's game against the Guardians and needed only a single to complete the cycle. He also chipped in four RBIs.
Taylor Ward is the second MLB player in the modern era to have a double, a triple, a grand slam, and 4+ runs scored in a single game.
Taylor Ward last night: 3 for 4, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B https://t.co/qMReHSP1UI
"Taylor Ward is the second MLB player in the modern era to have a double, a triple, a grand slam, and 4+ runs scored in a single game. Taylor Ward last night: 3 for 4, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B" - @ Sportskeeda Baseball
Los Angeles Angels Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: To be determined.
- Taylor Ward (R) RF
- Shohei Ohtani (L) P
- Mike Trout (R) CF
- Jared Walsh (L) 1B
- Anthony Rendon (R) 3B
- Brandon Marsh (L) LF
- Jack Mayfield (R) 2B
- Max Stassi (R) C
- Tyler Wade (L) SS
Chicago White Sox Preview
The Chicago White Sox will be looking to leave their April behind in this matchup. The highly touted Southside Chicago club is three games below .500 and have lost eight of their last 10 games. Thankfully for them, they'll be playing at home for this series against the Angels. The White Sox road record of 2-7 looks atrocious beside their winning home record of 5-3. The Sox need to settle in at home and string a few wins together if they hope to build any winning momentum on the road. Starter Vince Velasquez has had his troubles this April, but he'll be looking to improve his stats to close out the month. The righty has 13 punchouts this far, and he'll be happy to dodge whatever bats he can in this stacked Angels lineup.
Key Player: Jose Abreu
If the Chicago White Sox want to get back to being their old selves, then their biggest slugger, Jose Abreu, has to pull up his socks. It's been a slow April for the 35-year-old who finished 14th in American League MVP voting last season. He's hitting only .203, and his .356 slugging average indicates his power is lacking significantly.
Jose Abreu's StatCast rankings tell me that he's been INSANELY unlucky. https://t.co/1OcLCPq655
"Jose Abreu's StatCast rankings tell me that he's been INSANELY unlucky." - @ White Sox Takes
One Twitter user points out Abreu's baseball savant in-depth statistics indicate that he's just been unlucky so far. Take a look at his average exit velocity. It's in the top 99th percentile of the league, as is his hard-hit percentage. He's hitting the ball harder than almost everyone in the league. Those extra base hits and home runs will start coming soon. Abreu just needs to watch more pitches. His chase rate is in the league's top 73rd percentile, meaning he's swinging at pitches out of the zone far too often.
Chicago White Sox Projected Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Vince Velasquez (RHP)
- Tim Anderson (R) SS
- Andrew Vaughn (R) LF
- Gavin Sheets (L) RF
- Jose Abreu (R) 1B
- Yasmani Grandal (S) DH
- Jake Burger (R) 3B
- Reese McGuire (L) C
- Adam Engel (R) CF
- Danny Mendick (R) 2B
Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox Prediction
As much as the White Sox would like to come away with a win at home to end their less-than-perfect month, the hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field simply affords too great an offensive opportunity for the Angels to pass up. With Taylor Ward's hot bat leading the way, they'll come away with a 4-1 victory.
Where to follow the Los Angeles Angels vs Chicago White Sox
Watch: MLB TV, Bally Sports West (Angels), NBC Sports (White Sox).