FIRST HALF REVIEW
HOW THEY GOT HERE: The Angels have gone through a couple of extended stretches in which their offense, defense and pitching have all been terrible. From April 18 through May 21, they were 6-24. At the start of July they had a seven-game losing streak. Those two stretches sunk their season, bringing them to the All-Star break with a 38-59 record, which is tied for the worst record in the majors. Outside of those two awful stretches, they’ve been competitive, giving some reason to believe they might have some of the pieces of a winning team. As they hit the All-Star break, the top three in the rotation – Reid Detmers, José Soriano and Walbert Ureña – have all been mostly good. Their scattered poor starts and the overall struggle of the rest of the starters have left them with a 4.72 rotation ERA, which ranks 26th in the majors. The bullpen (4.61, 24th) isn’t much better, and they’ve lost seven games when they had a lead after eight innings. The offense ranks 14th with 430 runs scored, and 21st with a .708 OPS.
SECOND HALF PREVIEW
KEYS TO SUCCESS: Given their place in the standings, “success” is going to measured by which young players take steps that could set them up for better things in 2027. One of the Angels’ biggest problems in recent years is that the young players they’ve identified as their core haven’t advanced the way they’d hoped. Can shortstop Zach Neto cut down his strikeouts and errors? Can Ureña improve his control so he can get deeper into games? Can catcher Logan O’Hoppe continue his strong month and convince the Angels that he really is the answer behind the plate? Can right-hander Grayson Rodriguez finish the season healthy and pitch effectively? Can Denzer Guzman continue to do what he’s done over the past month, now that opponents have gotten a look at him? Also, can any of the minor leaguers – right-hander George Klassen, right-hander Joel Hurtado, infielder Christian Moore – come up during the second half and demonstrate that they will be part of the long-term answer?
BIGGEST CONCERN: If the roster is depleted any further by trades or injuries, the Angels could go into a tailspin and lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history. They’ve relied on young players to get to this point, and there’s a good chance they’ll need to do that even more over the final two months. Some of them will likely be pushed into roles before they’re ready. The key for the Angels will be to make sure none of them fail enough to damage their confidence.
TRADE POSSIBILITIES: Right-hander Kirby Yates started slowly after returning from a knee injury, but as he’s gained lower body strength he’s turned into a capable reliever, and all contenders are looking for relievers. He won’t fetch a huge haul because he’s a rental, but the Angels might be able to get a useful prospect for him. The larger question is which – if any – of the Angels’ controllable players will be dealt. Detmers and Soriano are the most attractive, but outfielder Jo Adell and relievers Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth and Ryan Zeferjahn could also generate some interest. The Angels don’t have to trade any of them, because they’re all under club control for next season, so they’ll listen for offers they can’t refuse.
SCHEDULE: The Angels don’t play another game outside California until after the Aug. 3 trade deadline. They have four home series – against the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. That’s interrupted by a quick trip to play the San Francisco Giants (July 24-26).