Walton Powers Athletics Past Angels for Second Straight Win
The Athletics keep finding ways to beat the Angels, and Thursday's 7-3 win continued an early-season trend that's hard to ignore. It was the second straight win over the Angels for Oakland, building some early momentum in the opening week of the 2026 season.
Donovan Walton was the story from the start. The second baseman turned in a 38.0 fantasy point performance to earn MVP honors, providing the kind of production that changes a game's complexion before it even settles into a rhythm. Walton's day set the tone for an Athletics lineup that never let the Angels find their footing.
He wasn't alone. Henry Bolte was right behind him with 36.5 fantasy points out of the center field spot, giving Oakland a dangerous top-of-the-order combination that the Angels simply couldn't contain. Zack Gelof added 35.5 points at third base, and with those three names combining for well over 100 fantasy points among them, it's clear the middle of this Athletics order did the heavy lifting. Alika Williams chipped in 25.0 points at shortstop, rounding out an infield that dominated from top to bottom.
On the mound, Jeffrey Springs got the start and did enough to keep his team in front, posting 11.8 fantasy points, while Geoff Hartlieb came out of the bullpen and added 11.7 points to help close things out. It wasn't a dominant pitching performance by strikeout totals, but it didn't need to be with the offense doing what it did. Shea Langeliers provided steady value behind the plate with 12.5 points, and veteran Jeff McNeil added 11.5 points as well, giving the Athletics contributions up and down the roster rather than relying on just one or two players to carry the load.
For the Angels, this loss adds to a difficult start to the season. The lineup showed some individual bright spots, but they weren't enough to turn the result around.
Vaughn Grissom was the best of the bunch for the Angels on Thursday, putting up 35.5 fantasy points at first base in a performance that at least offered some hope moving forward. Mike Trout also had a productive day, tallying 30.5 fantasy points in center field, a reminder that even in a tough stretch, Trout remains capable of carrying an offense when the rest of the lineup doesn't show up around him. Beyond those two, though, the production dried up fast. Wade Meckler managed just 10.0 points, and the rest of the lineup was largely a non-factor, with several regulars posting single-digit fantasy point totals in support.
Mitch Farris started for the Angels and finished with only 8.5 fantasy points, a sign that the pitching staff couldn't match what the Athletics were doing on the mound, let alone slow down Walton, Bolte and Gelof at the plate. When your starter is outpaced by three different opposing hitters before he even factors into run prevention, that's the type of night that turns into a loss in a hurry.
It's only the first week of the season, and there's plenty of time for both clubs to find their identity. But the early signs are clear: the Athletics look like they have the offensive depth to compete right out of the gate, with multiple players capable of producing big performances on any given day. The Angels, meanwhile, need more from the middle and bottom of their order if Trout and Grissom are going to have enough support to string together wins. It's a small sample early in the season, but this isn't the start anyone in Anaheim wanted.
For fantasy managers building their JockBroker lineups this week, Walton, Bolte and Gelof all offered exactly the kind of performances that decide matchups, while Grissom and Trout kept the Angels' side respectable despite the final score.
