Drake Lee – online editor

After the sixty-game mad dash that was last year’s MLB season, Angel and Dodger fans welcomed the return of a fresh 162-game start for different reasons.
The two fan bases have different expectations heading into the 2021 season. Angels supporters want an end to their team’s six-year postseason drought, which is also the same amount of time that Mike Trout has been absent from a playoff game.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are seeking to become the first baseball team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win back-to-back World Series titles. Fans are hoping that the Mamba Mentality from last year will carry over into this season so they can prove that 2020 was not a “Mickey Mouse” championship.
Currently (May 12), the Dodgers own a 19-17 record; however, the Giants, who have been a surprising contender this season, are competing with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. The timeless archrivals have not faced each other so far; their first game against each other is on May 21st.
In the eyes of most baseball fans, it has been a disappointing year for the defending world champs. Costly injuries have bogged down the Dodgers’ offensive, and the loss of Dustin May to Tommy John Surgery has weakened the starting rotation.  
But there is a new and powerful foe that has risen against Chavez Ravine: the Padres.
Led by third baseman Manny Machado and starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet, the Padres broke out in 2020 (37-23 record) and were the toughest opponent that the Dodgers faced during the regular season. The Dodgers’ narrowly edged over the Padres during the regular series season, six games to four, which was the most contentious stretch that the Dodgers had during last year’s campaign.
Bad blood formed between the two teams during the postseason, and the fierce rivalry has carried over into this year’s contest as the regular-season series is even once more. If the Dodgers are to have any chance of clinching the division, they will need to score victories against the Padres early and fend off the Giants and their excellent pitching staff.
Meanwhile, the Boys in Red are off to a subpar start, currently (May 12) sitting under .500 with 16 wins and 19 losses. Early optimism from the fan base has transformed into a pessimistic rancor, which is directed mostly at the pitching staff.
A failure to make any big splashes in the free-agent market has resulted in an incredibly pathetic pitching staff. In the American League, Angels hurlers currently rank last in ERA, 13th worst in walks, and 13th in saves, a testament to the poor status of the starting rotation and the bullpen.
Of course, the offense, led by perennial MVP Mike Trout, underrated Anthony Rendon, and a healthy Shohei Ohtani, have dominated. With an offense that is first in home runs and second in batting average, it is easy to see why Angel Stadium attracts a massive crowd every year.
However, this massive crowd witnesses its Angels outscored approximately half the time as the torrid offense cannot completely cover the frequent mistakes of the horrendous pitching staff, and this is a narrative that has been played on the Anaheim stage for several years.
As previously mentioned, Angels fans are anxious; they believe that Mike Trout, for a player of his caliber, should receive another shot in the postseason. A very surprising development from the Angel camp is the demotion of future-hall-of-famer Albert Pujols. The veteran was in the final contract of his ten-year, $253 million contract.
Time will tell where these teams end up, but one thing is certain: both teams are out to prove their dominance.