The Los Angeles Angels host the Texas Rangers on August 13, 2026. First pitch from Angel Stadium is scheduled for 10:07 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ABTV.
Find my MLB picks and Rangers vs. Angels prediction below.
Rangers vs Angels Prediction
- Rangers vs Angels Picks: Under 7.5 (47c, Polymarket)
Rangers vs Angels Polymarket MLB Odds
Rangers vs Angels Probable Pitchers
| Jacob deGrom (RHP, TEX) | Stat | Walbert Urena (RHP, LAA) |
|---|---|---|
| 8-7 | W-L | 7-8 |
| 2.9 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.7 |
| 3.87 / 3.59 | ERA / xERA | 2.83 / 3.38 |
| 3.27 / 3.16 | FIP / xFIP | 3.80 / 4.29 |
| 23.5% | K-BB% | 9.6% |
| 35.2% | GB% | 54.0% |
| .295 | BABIP | .259 |
| 109 | Stuff+ | 100 |
| 108 | Location+ | 103 |
Rangers vs Angels MLB Preview
Jacob deGrom has allowed five or six runs in five of his last 16 starts. He’s also allowed two or fewer runs in 15 of his 22 starts this season.
DeGrom has some newfound issues in his contact profile this year (9 Barrels/BBE, 45.5 HardHit%), but with a 23.4 K-BB%, his worst estimator is still just a 3.60 xERA, more than a quarter of a run below his 3.87 ERA.
His 75.3 LOB% is a career low for any season where he’s reached the 65-inning mark.
This is still a quality pitcher with a quality defense behind him (15 FRV via BARTOLO’s projected lineup).
The lineup he’s projected to face is not a good one, averaging just an 80 wRC+ on the road, 95 wRC+ vs RHP, and 60 wRC+ over the last month. It includes five batters with a 56 wRC+ or lower over the last 30 days. The bottom four are nearly automatic outs, none above an 85 wRC+ against RHP this year either.
The Rangers' bullpen has the fourth-worst estimators in the league over the last 30 days (4.60 FIP, 4.94 xFIP, 4.54 SIERA), with BARTOLO ranking them 22nd (4.14 wFIP). Chase Silseth was their big trade deadline acquisition. From the Angels.
While Walbert Urena’s 2.83 ERA is a run below deGrom’s, the underlying quality of his work has been three-quarters of a run worse, but fairly respectably around four, especially over the last month in which he’s generated a 4.18 SIERA and .298 xwOBA allowed.
Urena has walked 12.6% of the batters he’s faced this year, but with 54% of his contact on the ground and a 33.3 HardHit%. A lot of weak ground balls is a good way to make up for all those walks.
The Texas projected lineup is very average, combining for a 110 wRC+ on the road, but 101 wRC+ both against RHP and over the last 30 days.
There are still some outs in the bottom half of this lineup, with none of Jaker Burger, Elias Diaz, and Nicky Lopez exceeding a 90 wRC+ against RHP this year or a 75 wRC+ over the last 30 days.
They’re also a bottom-third of the league offense in stolen bases with 58 (12 of them no longer on the active roster), so those Urena walks are more likely to turn into double plays than extra bases.
Also, whereas the Angels have been a terrible defensive team, they’ve also ditched some of their worse defensive players. Thursday’s projected defense sits at 5 FRV.
Unfortunately, the Angels traded off a lot of the bullpen that has a 3.33 FIP, 3.62 xFIP, and 3.25 SIERA over the last month. BARTOLO ranks them 23rd (4.16 wFIP).
Angel Stadium is a perfectly neutral run environment, with the early weather forecast suggesting only a 1-2% boost, half of which is reclaimed by scheduled umpire Marvin Hudson (-0.8).
As mentioned, I have Urena around four, with deGrom sitting about three-quarters of a run better. Then the Texas offense is around average, with the Angels sitting nearly 20 points (wRC+) below.
A key here is that the combined projected defenses register a positive 20 FRV.
Now, both bullpens are a concern, and the last time I said that the Phillies and Cardinals combined to allow 8 runs over the last 4 innings on Monday, but that’s not the norm, even with the worst bullpens.
Even with the potential late damage factored in, I still can’t get to 8 runs here and am happy playing the Under 7.5.
Picks: Under 7.5 (47c, Polymarket)
