What Happened to Los Angeles Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels have experienced a tumultuous period, marked by a persistent inability to reach the postseason despite boasting generational talents like Mike Trout and, until recently, Shohei Ohtani. Following Ohtani's departure in free agency after the 2023 season, the team entered a new era with significant challenges. The 2024 season proved to be a franchise low, as the Angels finished with a dismal 63-99 record, their worst in team history, and extended their playoff drought to 10 consecutive seasons. Injuries continued to plague key players, with Mike Trout limited to just 29 games in 2024.

The struggles continued into the 2025 season, where the Angels posted a 72-90 record, finishing last in the AL West for the second consecutive year. This extended their streak of losing seasons to ten and their playoff drought to an MLB-worst 11 seasons. Manager Ron Washington, who began the 2025 season, stepped away indefinitely in June for health reasons, with bench coach Ray Montgomery taking over as interim manager. The consistent underperformance led to significant changes in the offseason leading into 2026.

In late 2025, the Angels announced that neither Ron Washington nor Ray Montgomery would return as manager for the 2026 season. On October 21, 2025, former Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki was hired as the team's new manager, signing a one-year contract. General Manager Perry Minasian, despite calls for his termination, was retained, with his contract running through the 2026 season. The team also made some roster adjustments, acquiring Josh Lowe in January 2026 and trading Taylor Ward for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, though Rodriguez began the season injured. Off the field, owner Arte Moreno, who had explored selling the team in 2022 before deciding to keep it in early 2024, reiterated in February 2026 that he has no plans to sell. The Angels also reached a confidential settlement with the Skaggs family in December 2025.

A significant financial development for the 2026 season is a reduction in team payroll. After an estimated $206 million payroll in 2025, the Angels' projected payroll for 2026 is around $180 million, partly due to the termination of their broadcast contract with Main Street Sports. The team also deferred Anthony Rendon's $38.5 million salary for 2026. Mike Trout, who played 130 games in 2025 and hit his 400th career home run, was ruled out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to a lack of contractual insurance.

CURRENT STATUS as of 2026-03-29: The Los Angeles Angels have begun the 2026 MLB season with an unexpected 2-0 record, their best start since 2007, after sweeping their first two games against the Houston Astros. New manager Kurt Suzuki secured his first managerial win, and Mike Trout made headlines by homering in both opening games, a career first. Despite this promising start, projections for the season remain modest, with many analysts expecting the Angels to finish fourth or fifth in the AL West. The team is relying on the continued performance of Trout and the development of young talents like Zach Neto (who hit 26 homers in 2025) and Jo Adell (who led the team with 37 homers in 2025) to break their long playoff drought. The team's current valuation stands at $2.8 billion as of March 2026.