diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/typescript.js b/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/typescript.js
index 0d5d380c307c..1a0c8c7a652d 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/typescript.js
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/src/plugins/typescript.js
@@ -896,6 +896,7 @@ export default (superClass: Class<Parser>): Class<Parser> =>
 
     tsParseTypeAssertion(): N.TsTypeAssertion {
       const node: N.TsTypeAssertion = this.startNode();
+      this.next(); // <
       // Not actually necessary to set state.inType because we never reach here if JSX plugin is enabled,
       // but need `tsInType` to satisfy the assertion in `tsParseType`.
       node.typeAnnotation = this.tsInType(() => this.tsParseType());
@@ -2001,7 +2002,7 @@ export default (superClass: Class<Parser>): Class<Parser> =>
 
     // Handle type assertions
     parseMaybeUnary(refShorthandDefaultPos?: ?Pos): N.Expression {
-      if (!this.hasPlugin("jsx") && this.eatRelational("<")) {
+      if (!this.hasPlugin("jsx") && this.isRelational("<")) {
         return this.tsParseTypeAssertion();
       } else {
         return super.parseMaybeUnary(refShorthandDefaultPos);
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/need-parentheses/output.json b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/need-parentheses/output.json
index 8895830ae739..bb02e0d6956a 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/need-parentheses/output.json
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/need-parentheses/output.json
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@
           },
           "object": {
             "type": "TSTypeAssertion",
-            "start": 2,
+            "start": 1,
             "end": 6,
             "loc": {
               "start": {
                 "line": 1,
-                "column": 2
+                "column": 1
               },
               "end": {
                 "line": 1,
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-after-operator/output.json b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-after-operator/output.json
index 8f2d74a4e5fa..f8020782bcc6 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-after-operator/output.json
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-after-operator/output.json
@@ -80,12 +80,12 @@
           "operator": "+",
           "right": {
             "type": "TSTypeAssertion",
-            "start": 5,
+            "start": 4,
             "end": 14,
             "loc": {
               "start": {
                 "line": 1,
-                "column": 5
+                "column": 4
               },
               "end": {
                 "line": 1,
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-and-assign/output.json b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-and-assign/output.json
index 84ad7e4d64d0..964e552cfc5f 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-and-assign/output.json
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-and-assign/output.json
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@
           "operator": "+=",
           "left": {
             "type": "TSTypeAssertion",
-            "start": 2,
+            "start": 1,
             "end": 11,
             "loc": {
               "start": {
                 "line": 1,
-                "column": 2
+                "column": 1
               },
               "end": {
                 "line": 1,
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-before-operator/output.json b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-before-operator/output.json
index 1599d9ec1425..34f750336a37 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-before-operator/output.json
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion-before-operator/output.json
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@
           },
           "left": {
             "type": "TSTypeAssertion",
-            "start": 1,
+            "start": 0,
             "end": 10,
             "loc": {
               "start": {
                 "line": 1,
-                "column": 1
+                "column": 0
               },
               "end": {
                 "line": 1,
diff --git a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion/output.json b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion/output.json
index 5d5a05d21acf..0da048e7ef02 100644
--- a/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion/output.json
+++ b/packages/babel-parser/test/fixtures/typescript/cast/type-assertion/output.json
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@
         },
         "expression": {
           "type": "TSTypeAssertion",
-          "start": 1,
+          "start": 0,
           "end": 10,
           "loc": {
             "start": {
               "line": 1,
-              "column": 1
+              "column": 0
             },
             "end": {
               "line": 1,