Los Angeles Angels — Tough Road Ahead & Clock’s Ticking

Angels baseball in 2025 was a mix of flashes and frustrations…but mostly frustrations. They finished dead last in the West, but Mike Trout played in 130 games, his most since 2019 by a wide margin. The 34-year-old MVP had a solid season, bashing 26 homers, but the feeling around the league is that the Halos are running out of time to do right by their superstar.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Angels were bottom-5 in MLB in several categories on both sides of the ball. The good news is, Trout appears to be healthy, former top prospect Jo Adell took a massive (and long-awaited) step forward in 2025, bashing 37 homers and 98 RBIs, and Logan O’Hoppe seemingly cemented himself as the catcher of the future.

The problem, among many, is that no team struck out more than the Angels, and only the Guardians got fewer hits. This offense is getting in their own way. The road is long for the Angels. Few teams were as busy as Los Angeles this offseason, but I’m honestly not sure if these additions move the needle that much.

Biggest Needs
Rotation balance and healthier late-game bullpen arms.

They did address these holes, heavily investing in a bullpen, that was 3rd-worst in the league last year, with guys like Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano and Brent Suter among others.

They were a little lighter on the starters market but did bring in Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah. Drew Promeranz could also be stretched into a spot starter if needed. This is a team that could benefit from veteran leadership like that of Max Scherzer.

Our Take
LA starts 2026 with far more questions than answers. If injuries cooperate and offense finds consistent traction, they could be more interesting than they have been since the departure of Shohei Ohtani, but Mike Tout hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2014, and the Angels are going to have to do ALOT better if they want to get him there before he calls it quits.