In a full 15-game MLB slate, there are bound to be some blockbusters, and few would argue against the notion that the Toronto Blue Jays-Atlanta Braves meeting is one. There are also bound to be a few stinkers.
In common parlance, the 9:38 p.m. ET game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Angels probably qualifies as the latter, as both teams are at least tied for the worst record in their respective leagues, and they own two of the three longest active playoff droughts in the sport. Last night’s series opener, though, was a 9-8 thriller in Colorado’s favor, and there’s some sense of morbid curiosity in watching the league’s two worst teams battle it out.
For the middle game of the series, the Rockies will start Tomoyuki Sugano, and the Angels will turn to Grayson Rodriguez.
Let’s break down this matchup with some odds and lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels prediction, preview
Colorado was still competitive in the NL West through the end of April, posting a 14-17 record through the opening month’s penultimate game, but since then, it has fallen back into losing ways, going just 9-21. Despite the Rockies’ being on pace to finish with the same record as they did in 2024 (61-101), the season has still had some promise. They’ve jumped from 27th to 17th in OPS, as Hunter Goodman, TJ Rumfeld, Jake McCarthy, and Mickey Moniak all have OPS’s above .800. Additionally, while their rotation has remained the worst in baseball, their bullpen has improved from the league’s second-worst to its fifth-worst because converted starter Antonio Senzatela has turned into one of the National League’s best relievers and free agency signing Brennan Bernardino has proven a worthwhile investment. Colorado is still a long way from contention of any kind, but this season has been a step in the right direction.
Los Angeles is in a similar position. The Angels slumped through a 7-24 stretch between the middle of April and the middle of May, and their 10-season playoff drought will almost certainly not end, but there have been some silver linings nonetheless. Their offense has slightly improved overall, and Mike Trout has enjoyed arguably his strongest season since 2022, with Zach Neto and Oswald Peraza also providing some offensive value. Additionally, Los Angeles had the third-worst rotation in baseball last season and is above the bottom 10 this season, and while José Soriano might be out of realistic Cy Young contention at this point, he and youngster Walbert Ureña could form the core of the next competitive Angels rotation. Los Angeles’ bullpen has still been awful, ranking dead last in the majors in ERA for the second straight season, but at least Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth haven’t been the issue.
The other two starters the Rockies signed in their rotation overhaul over the summer (Michael Lorenzen and José Quintana) haven’t been good, but Sugano has. To be fair, he’s slowed down somewhat after recording a 2.84 ERA through the end of April, but three or fewer earned runs in each of his last three starts isn’t bad. Still, advanced numbers don’t paint such a positive picture of him, as he ranks in just the first percentile in expected ERA (7.71), expected batting average (.319), and barrel rate (16.0%) while also posting bottom-decile numbers in average exit velocity, chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and hard-hit rate. The Angels are actually pretty well-suited to take advantage of Sugano’s weaknesses, as they hit the ball hard, and his struggles to strike batters out could work in their favor, given that they lead the league in strikeouts while ranking second in whiff rate. Still, Sugano’s elite track record in his native Japan and the fact that he pitched seven brilliant innings at Angel Stadium last season makes me inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since Los Angeles has had the league’s worst home offense this season.
Rodriguez hasn’t shown much this season. The tall Texan opened his career with a couple of solid seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, but he missed the entire 2025 season with lat and elbow injuries, and a 7.53 ERA in his first three starts of 2026 isn’t convincing. He hasn’t pitched enough innings to qualify, but his Statcast numbers aren’t much better than Sugano’s, as he has just a 5.88 expected ERA, struggling to generate chases and giving up lots of hard hits. In part, that’s a function of facing the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in his return, but he was still prone to giving up a few too many hard hits even in his final season with the Orioles. While Colorado isn’t necessarily well-suited to take advantage of that, his inability to incentivize chases could mitigate its biggest weakness. The splits should be in his favor, since the Rockies haven’t hit as well outside the high-altitude environs of Coors Field, but Angel Stadium is a generally hitter-friendly atmosphere as well.
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels pick, best bet
Best Bet: Colorado Rockies Moneyline (+139)
I can’t say I really trust anything about either of these teams or their starting pitchers, but Sugano is an experienced veteran who manages to escape damage despite eminently hittable stuff. His superstar run in Japan automatically makes him a more trustworthy option than a guy making his fourth start in a season and a half.
Strong Lean: Under 15.5 Total Strikeouts Thrown (-105)
Sugano has never struck a lot of batters out, even in NPB. Rodriguez has lost some of his knockout juice, as his curveball, fastball, and changeup have moved less than they did in his last full season, so it might take him a while to get his strikeout numbers back up.
