Angels vs Rays Picks and Prediction – 4/8/2025

Two teams looking to move up clash Tuesday when the 6-3 Los Angeles Angels visit the 4-5 Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM ET at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Angels are coming off a 6-2 win over Cleveland, while the Rays dropped a 4-3 contest to Texas. The pitching matchup features Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 3.00 ERA) for the Angels against Shane Baz (1-0, 0.00 ERA) for Tampa Bay. Elevate your MLB game with our top-notch MLB picks.

Los Angeles has taken care of business early in the season with two straight wins against Cleveland after a tough road loss in St. Louis. Logan O’Hoppe continues to mash, now leading with 5 home runs, 9 RBI, and a .345 average. Offensively, the Angels have outscored opponents 46-34 and are doing damage with the long ball, already racking up 13 homers through nine games. Kyle Hendricks looked solid in his first start, going six innings and allowing just three runs with no walks.

Defensively, the Angels have a 4.50 team ERA and have allowed 74 strikeouts and 38 walks. Their WHIP sits at 1.34 and opponents are batting .236 against them. The bullpen has been inconsistent, and injuries are a concern. Key contributors like Zach Neto (10-Day IL) and Sam Bachman (15-Day IL) are out, and relievers Kelvin Caceres and Ryan Johnson are both day-to-day. 

Tampa Bay is trending in the wrong direction with four straight losses, including a weekend sweep by Texas. The Rays' last win came a week ago against Pittsburgh. Brandon Lowe is heating up, posting 3 home runs and 8 RBI with a .306 average, while Jonathan Aranda is batting .333. Shane Baz dominated in his only start of the season, throwing six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks.

On defense, Tampa has been far more efficient than the record shows. The team ERA is a strong 2.97 with a WHIP of 0.97. Opponents are hitting just .210, and the Rays have struck out 87 while allowing just 16 walks. Injuries have stacked up, with five players currently sidelined, including key infielders like Richie Palacios and Gregory Barrios. 

Shane Baz has been electric to start the season, and the Rays' pitching numbers suggest they’re better than a 4-5 record. While the Angels have the power edge, Tampa’s 2.97 ERA and 0.97 WHIP show how difficult they’ve made things for opponents. Baz's 10-strikeout outing gives the edge here. Final Score Prediction: Tampa Bay Rays win 5-3.