Angels seem completely unaware they are the worst team in MLB: 'Our best baseball is ahead of us'

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The Los Angeles Angels are bad. They’re really bad. In fact, they’ve been bad for the last decade.

Their last season with a winning record was 2015, 11 years ago. Mike Trout was 23 years old. Johnny Giavotella played in 129 games. Albert Pujols was still playing, and Jered Weaver, Hector Santiago and Garrett Richards anchored the team’s rotation. 

Since then, they’ve finished in fourth place in the American League West six times. They’ve finished in last place twice, and third once. Their last second-place finish, not in the league, in the division, was in 2017. 

If you’re a rival organization looking for franchises to emulate, the Angels are the last place you’d look. And sure enough, they’re in last place in the standings 36 games into the 2026 regular season at 13-23. Not just last in their division, last among all 30 teams. Worse than the Colorado Rockies, worse than the Washington Nationals. And well behind the Chicago White Sox who lost 121 games just two years ago.

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So what can be done about it? Well, if you ask the team’s front office, nothing needs to be done. They’re heading in the right direction with plenty of reasons for optimism moving forward. How is that possible?

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels stands prior to the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., on April 13, 2025. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

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In a new interview with The Athletic, Angels GM Perry Minasian seemed completely unwilling to admit the reality of where his team is in the standings. 

"Our best baseball is in front of us, there’s no doubt about that," he said.

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While the Angels offense sits around the middle of the pack in runs scored, more advanced metrics paint a less favorable picture. The team’s weighted runs created plus, where 100 is league average, is 97. Top-hitting teams like the Braves, Dodgers and Cubs, are in the 122-124 range. 

"If you look at where you’re at on offense, we’re in a pretty good spot, relative to the league where we rank in OPS," Minasian responded.

Defensively, they’ve been well below average, essentially costing the team 15 runs in just 36 games. That’s last in baseball. And while there have been some bright spots on the pitching side, with Reid Detmers looking good in his return to the rotation and Jose Soriano putting up Cy Young-level numbers, the team’s ERA is 26th in baseball at 4.64. 

"We’ve got good arms," Minasian said. "We’ve got good people. We’ll be fine."

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano walks back to the dugout after ending the third inning with bases loaded against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on Apr. 28, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)

This is what is so bizarre about the Angels as an organization and staff. They’ve consistently acted as though their roster is capable of competing at a much higher level than it is. Put simply, they don’t have the players to match better teams.

Jo Adell, a former No. 1 overall prospect, is now 27 and never developed into the star he was projected to be. While he has top tier power, he’s walked just four times in 145 at bats this season. Zach Neto has become an above-average player and Jorge Soler has been a strong pickup, but there’s a significant difference in quality and depth between the Angels and contending teams. 

Then there’s Mike Trout. Trout, finally healthy after years of injuries, looks like, well, himself. His OPS+ is 168, 68% better than league average. He’s leading the league in walks with 34, compared to just 39 strikeouts. Trout’s already stolen five bases in just 36 games, when he hasn’t exceeded 10 since 2019.

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He also turns 35 in August, making it much less likely he’s on the next great Angels team considering they need yet another rebuild. Sounds like the perfect trade candidate, right? 

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout is hit by a pitch as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus watch during the first inning of an opening-day game in Anaheim, Calif., on April 3, 2026. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

Well therein lies yet another problem with the Angels. They’re remarkably stubborn. Instead of acknowledging the issues, admitting where they are in the standings and looking to accumulate prospects in hopes of competing again in a few years, they’re determined to go down with the ship.

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Yes, they’d have to eat some money Trout’s owed the next four seasons. And yes, it would mean getting rid of their franchise icon who’s played his whole career in Orange County. But it’s their best chance of building a new core. Their farm system is depleted. Top prospects have yet to pan out. There’s no depth to rely on. And the best player on a last-place team is about to turn 35. 

This is where smart teams, smart front offices would pivot strategies. But that’s never been the Angels’ strength. And based on Minasian’s answers, it doesn’t seem like they’re about to change now.