It is the weirdest vibe in baseball. You drive down the I-5, maybe thirty miles if the traffic gods are smiling—which they never are—and you cross from the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains into the palm-fringed sprawl of Anaheim. On one end, you have the Los Angeles Dodgers, a billion-dollar juggernaut that functions like a small nation-state. On the other, the Los Angeles Angels, a team that has spent the last decade trying to find its soul while living in the backyard of a giant.
They call it the Freeway Series. Honestly? It usually feels more like a hostile takeover.
But something shifted in 2025. If you haven't been paying attention to the box scores lately, you missed a glitch in the Matrix. The Angels, a team that lost a franchise-record 99 games in 2024, somehow swept the Dodgers in 2025. All six games. Gone. It was only the second time in history the Halos managed a full-season sweep, and it happened right when the Dodgers were coming off back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025.
Baseball makes no sense.
Why the Freeway Series Still Matters in 2026
The "big brother, little brother" dynamic is real. Dodgers fans will tell you the rivalry doesn't exist because they’re too busy winning rings. Angels fans will tell you they hate the Dodgers more than anyone in their own division.
Entering 2026, the regular-season record actually favors the Halos. Check the math: the Angels lead the all-time series 81–73. Despite the Dodgers’ dominance on the national stage, they often trip over their own shoelaces when they play in Anaheim. Or when the Angels show up at Chavez Ravine.
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The Shohei Ohtani Factor
We have to talk about him. There’s no avoiding it. When Ohtani left the Angels for that massive $700 million deal with the Dodgers, it felt like a betrayal to the folks in Orange County. They called him a traitor. They burned jerseys. Then, 2025 happened, and Ohtani was back to his "unicorn" ways, pitching and hitting like a man possessed.
But here’s the kicker: the Angels beat him.
On August 13, 2025, the Angels tagged Ohtani for some of his worst numbers of the season. It was a 6-5 win at Angel Stadium that finalized the sweep. Seeing Ohtani in blue hitting against his old teammates is still jarring. It’s like seeing your ex at a party with a billionaire. You want to be happy for them, but you also kind of want them to spill red wine on their white shirt.
The Disconnect in Experience
If you go to a game at Dodger Stadium, you’re getting an event. It’s 56,000 people, the smell of Dodger Dogs, and an intensity that feels like a playoff game in May. It’s expensive. Parking is a nightmare that can take two hours to escape.
Angel Stadium? It’s basically a family picnic with a baseball game in the background.
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The atmosphere in Anaheim is "summer ball." People are chatting. They’re eating. They aren't always screaming at the umpire. For a lot of Dodgers fans who live in the OC, going to an Angels game is just a cheaper way to see their own team play. That’s why the "Takeover" happens. You’ll see a sea of blue in the stands at the Big A, and it’s loud enough to make you forget which team is the home team.
- Dodgers Strategy: Win-now, every year, no excuses.
- Angels Strategy: Rebuilding around Zach Neto and hope Mike Trout stays healthy for 100 games.
- The Crowd: Blue in the North, Red in the South, but the Blue travels better.
Zach Neto and the New Guard
While everyone was looking at Ohtani, Zach Neto turned into a problem for the Dodgers. In August 2025, he homered twice off Yoshinobu Yamamoto. One of them was on the very first pitch of the game. That kid is the spark the Angels haven't had since... well, since a younger Mike Trout.
Speaking of Trout, he’s still the heartbeat. Even with the injuries, when he steps into the box against the Dodgers, the energy changes. It’s the battle of the MVPs. Mookie Betts on one side, Trout on the other. It’s the kind of high-level baseball that justifies the "Los Angeles" name on both jerseys, even if one team actually plays in a different county.
The 2026 Outlook: What to Expect
The schedule for 2026 is already circled. The first meeting is May 15 at Angel Stadium.
The Dodgers are projected to be monsters again. They’re looking at a rotation that includes Ohtani, Yamamoto, and maybe even Roki Sasaki if the rumors hold. They are built to win 100 games in their sleep.
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The Angels? They’re the "dark horse" that everyone is afraid to bet on. ESPN projections are bleak for them, but they’ve proven that in a short series, they can frustrate the Dodgers. They play with an "edge" when the blue jerseys show up. It’s about pride.
What most people get wrong is thinking the Angels are just a farm system for the Dodgers. They aren't. They’re a stubborn, frustrating team that seems to exist solely to ruin the Dodgers' perfect week.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning to catch the Los Angeles Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers games this year, keep these things in mind:
- Buy Parking Early: If you're going to Dodger Stadium, don't be the person paying $50 at the gate. Buy it online for $30.
- The Train is Your Friend: Take the Metrolink to the Anaheim-Artic station for games at Angel Stadium. It drops you right in the parking lot. No traffic, no stress.
- Watch the Pitching Matchups: The Angels tend to save their best arms for this series. If Jose Soriano is on the mound, expect a low-scoring dogfight.
- Jersey Etiquette: If you wear a Dodgers jersey to Anaheim, expect to be surrounded by 20,000 other people doing the same. If you wear an Angels jersey to Chavez Ravine, maybe bring a friend.
The rivalry is alive, even if it’s lopsided in the standings. As long as Ohtani is in blue and the I-5 exists, these two teams will be locked in a weird, geographical dance that defines Southern California baseball.
To get ready for the 2026 season, start tracking the spring training performance of the Angels' young infielders. Their ability to handle high-velocity pitching will be the deciding factor in whether they can repeat their 2025 success against the Dodgers' elite rotation.