Angels notes: Fans are back, Mike Trout jersey sales, 2-way Shohei Ohtani

Baseball is back for real now, with the Angels hosting the White Sox on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. Please enjoy these news and notes on opening day, which should be a national holiday.

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J.P. Hoornstra at the Orange County Register talked to several Angels fans who will be back at Angel Stadium for the first time since 2019.

Mike Trout ranks 10th in MLB jersey sales, as measured since the end of the World Series from MLB shop. The Associated Press has more.

Among Jeff Passan’s 2021 predictions at ESPN are Mike Trout winning his fourth AL MVP, and Shohei Ohtani hitting 31 home runs with a 3.75 ERA in 80 innings.

Jeff Fletcher at the Orange County Register wonders if Ohtani can be a two-way star again.

Five Thirty Eight gives the Angels a 30-percent chance of making the playoffs, with Neil Paine saying, “The Angels are another legit contender in the West … on paper.”

Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projection has the Angels slightly better, projected for 84 wins and a 33.3-percent chance to play in the postseason.

Rhett Bollinger and Scott Merkin at MLB.com provided opening day FAQ for Angels-White Sox.

An oldie but goodie: Bollinger recalling the top opening day moments in Angels history.