After reaching the full decade mark of consecutive losing seasons, perception is that the Los Angeles Angels will make it 11 straight years following the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
It was a lackluster winter for the Angels, who made minimal financial additions to a club that had multiple holes to fill. Paraphrased comments in the likes of "we need upside" from executive staff, followed by "winning is not a top five priority for the fans" from ownership leave very little to believe this team will be competitive in 2026, whether from a playoff chase, division hopeful or even winning-record perspective.
Their largest financial move of the winter came in a one-year, $5 million contract given to 39-year-old reliever Kirby Yates. Tied for their fourth largest financial commitments over the winter were the buyout of former prospect Evan White and the signing bonus for 17-year-old international signee Jeyson Horton, both of which came at a $2 million expense.
If you ask the team itself, there is motivation to not have such claims and prove the world wrong, which is commonplace for any baseball player in a similar position to that of the Angels young core, which includes a first-year manager on a one-year contract.
It may not be all doom-and-gloom, but the clubhouse’s motivation to prove people wrong will have to come to fruition to prove as much.
In this season’s preview from The Sporting Tribune and the staff writers who cover the Los Angeles Angels, we will break down each area of the clubhouse and what to anticipate from each member, while ending with season projections.
This preview is a collective effort from the Angels writing staff from The Sporting Tribune - Jack Haslett, Jack Janes, Thomas Murray and Taylor Blake Ward.
Rotation - Thomas Murray, Lead Angels Analyst for The Sporting Tribune
The Angels starting rotation could be one of their biggest strengths or weaknesses, and it all depends on two things. Can they stay healthy? And will they produce?
José Soriano
The starting rotation will be led by José Soriano, who is entering his fourth season in the big leagues. Suzuki announced last week that Soriano would be getting the start on opening day for the first time in his career.
Being a key part of the Angels pitching staff the last three years, Soriano is coming off a career year of going the distance and pitching a full season.
Before last season, Soriano struggled to stay healthy as he had Tommy John Surgery twice in his professional baseball career. In August 2024, his season abruptly ended after dealing with fatigue.
In 2025, Soriano’s proved he could go the distance by making a career high of 31 starts and 169 innings pitched. He had a career high of 152 strikeouts on top of that and pitched with a 4.26 ERA.
Yusei Kikuchi
Behind Soriano in the starting rotation will be last season’s opening day starter, Yusei Kikuchi.
Kikuchi came to the Angels right before the 2025 season, when general manager Perry Minasian signed him in free agency on a three-year deal for $63.7 million contract, the highest contract the Angels have given to a pitcher since they signed C.J. Wilson in 2012.
Last season, Kikuchi pitched himself to a 7-11 record while throwing 174 strikeouts, a 3.99 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.
Kikuchi was absent for most of spring training after pitching in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan.
During the WBC, he appeared in just two games for Japan and started in one. His workload wasn’t necessarily that high as he pitched in only four innings, giving up 3 runs and striking out 5 batters total.
Reid Detmers
Reid Detmers will be taking the third slot of the starting rotation after spending all of last year in the bullpen.
Detmers looked like a changed man coming out of the bullpen last season, serving as a high leverage, left-handed reliever for the Angels.
Appearing in 61 games last season, Detmers thrived in the new role, building his confidence back up after a rough 2024 season, where he spent half of it down in Triple-A Salt Lake. Last season, he pitched in 63 ⅔ and had 80 strikeouts, 25 walks, and a 3.96 ERA.
Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson both make the team
Initially it was looking like Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah were going to slot in as the fourth and fifth starting pitchers for the Angels rotation but after getting hurt a week before the regular season started both got injured and will start the season on the injured list, making Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson the fourth and fifth starters in the rotation.
Rodriguez was acquired via trade right when the offseason began in November, in exchange for long time left fielder, Taylor Ward.
Rodriguez, 26, was once the future ace of the Orioles rotation after having a 13-4 win-loss record in 2024, pitching with a 3.86 ERA and having 130 strikeouts. After making only two starts in spring training last year, Rodriguez was sidelined, and his season ended after having surgery to remove some bone spurs that developed in his arm.
After being traded, Rodriguez said his arm felt fine and he would be ready to go for spring training. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as he landed on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.
Last week, Suzuki described Rodriguez’s injury as “dead arm.” On Sunday, Suzuki said the plan for Rodriguez will be to let him rest and not rush him back from injury.
The move to rest Rodriguez and not let his injury become something more serious is one that should be beneficial to the Angels for the long term. With four years left of club control, the Angels are hopeful that Rodriguez can find the magic he once had with the Orioles and become the frontline starter he was once expected to be and one the Angels have needed over the years.
For most of camp, it appeared that there was a three-way position battle for the fifth spot in the rotation between Manoah, Kochanowicz, and Johnson. But with Manoah landing on the injured list alongside Rodriguez due to a finger contusion, both Kochanowicz and Johnson landed spots as the fourth and fifth men in the starting rotation.
As the three competed for the fifth spot, they were making it very difficult on Manoah, who was not having a terrific spring, having a 9.39 ERA in 5 starts and 15 ⅓ innings pitched. Control of his pitches was an area he struggled with the most, as he walked 14 batters.
As for Kochanowicz and Johnson? Their spring performances were impressive to say, nonetheless.
Known for getting batters to ground out, utilizing his sinker, Kochanowicz also developed a slider over the offseason and started to utilize his changeup more. His spring training ended with him starting 5 games with 16 ⅔ innings pitched, 15 strikeouts and 1.62 ERA.
Kochanowicz had a strong spring training last year as well and beat Detmers out for the fifth spot in the rotation. But once the regular season started, he was graded as one of the worst pitchers in baseball, posting a 6.81 ERA with 58 walks, 72 strikeouts and giving up 21 home runs to opponents.
By mid-August, he was sent down to the minors and did not appear back on the Angels roster.
Johnson was one of the biggest surprises coming out of camp last year after making the team, despite having never thrown a pitch in the minor leagues.
Serving as a relief pitcher in the bullpen, Johnson lasted a month with the big-league club, until he was sent down to High-A Tri-City to focus on becoming a starting pitcher.
Johnson started in 12 games down in Tri City and was exceptionally good, having a 1.88 ERA, 65 strikeouts and keeping the walks down to 10.
This spring training, he’s looked just as good, appearing in 6 games and 20 ⅔ innings, he finished with a 3.05 ERA, 23 strikeouts and 5 walks.
Johnson is currently listed as the Angels second top pitching prospect, right behind Tyler Bremner.
Given Manoah’s struggles during spring training and Rodriguez’s concerns of staying healthy, it may be difficult for the Angels to demote either Kochanowicz or Johnson if they prove their spring training was no fluke.
Bullpen - Jack Haslett, Lead MLB Analyst for The Sporting Tribune
Not retaining Kenley Jansen ahead of this season obviously leaves the Angels looking for a new closer, but manager Kurt Suziki hasn’t made any decisions on that front yet.
“That’s still something we’re working through. Obviously, we have a few guys that have done it before at a high level, that had some success closing games pitching at the back of the bullpen,” Suzuki said March 22. “Right now, we’re still looking at our options and seeing how it’s going to play out this season.”
Kirby Yates looks like the most likely candidate for a closer role, or at least as one of a few high-leverage relievers, but the 2024 All-Star will begin his season on the IL with left knee inflammation before he’ll be able to hammer out a regular season role with the team.
Joey Luchessi is the latest edition to the Angels, signed on March 24. Luchessi had a strong year in the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants with a 3.76 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 38 games and he profiles as a more reliable middle relief option.
Jordan Romero had by far the best spring of any Angels in the bullpen. In six games he had a 1.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with six strikeouts. One of several Angels with closing experience, Romano could be relied on as a high leverage reliever, if not vying for the closing spot itself later in the season.
The bullpen consists of several Angels relievers that have seen stints in the rotation, like Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth, which gives Los Angeles more long relief options.
Rounding out the bullpen are Drew Pomeranz, Brent Suter, Ryan Seferjahn, who was used relatively often by the Angels last season, and Walbert Ureña, who was competing for a starting spot in the spring.
One of the biggest question marks for the Halo bullpen is Ben Joyce, who will start the season on the 15-day IL while he continues to recover from a shoulder procedure to repair his labrum he underwent last May.
The flamethrower has obvious upside with a fastball that regularly sits above 100 MPH, but command issues and a series of injuries over the last five seasons have kept him from reaching his potential. Still, having one of the fastest pitches in baseball at their disposal when Joyce returns from the IL will be an obvious plus for the Angels.
Lineup - Jack Janes, Lead MLB Analyst for The Sporting Tribune
CATCHERS
The Angels are rolling with Logan O’Hoppe as the starter and Travis d’Arnaud as the backup behind the plate once again.
It was a down year across the board for O’Hoppe in 2025. His .213 batting average and .629 OPS paired with poor defensive metrics resulted in a -0.8 fWAR.
In the batter’s box, plate discipline continued to be an issue for O’Hoppe. His chase and whiff rates were all well below average, which led to a ghastly 30.8% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. O’Hoppe struggled mightily on anything other than fastballs, but especially against breaking pitches, hitting .156 and whiffing on 42.2% of the breaking pitches he faced.
Of the 19 home runs O’Hoppe hit, only two of them came after the All-Star break. It goes without saying that the Angels need a bounce-back season from the 26-year-old backstop.
As for d’Arnaud, he’s entering the final year of his two-year contract with the Angels. His first year in an Angel uniform featured a .197 average and .598 OPS in 69 games played.
d’Arnaud’s defense behind the plate also graded out poorly according to most metrics, but the Angels are more concerned with how he can impact the team beyond his statistics. He was brought in to be a veteran presence for O’Hoppe to lean on as he continues to develop.
Last year, O’Hoppe spoke glowingly about his relationship with d’Arnaud and Kyle Hendricks continuously gave credit to d’Arnaud’s pitch calling throughout the season.
d’Arnaud most likely will not be an impact player, but he can still leave his mark on the Angels as a player/coach archetype.
INFIELD
At first base, Nolan Schanuel is entering his third full season in the big leagues and is looking to take another step in his development.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound first baseman has elite plate discipline, but severely lacks power. Schanuel improved his power output marginally in 2025, raising his slugging percentage from .362 in 2024 to .389 last year. He also raised his maximum exit velocity from 105.9 miles per hour in 2024 to 109.8 last season.
The improved power can be credited to Schanuel’s elevated bat speed. He improved his bat speed by 2.3 miles per hour in 2025, but it is still well below the league average of 71.7. Schanuel’s 67.5 miles per hour average bat speed ranked as the 11th slowest in baseball among qualified hitters last season.
If he sees another uptick in power along with another year of elite plate discipline, there is a real possibility that Schanuel can establish himself as an above-average hitter in 2026.
Over at second base, the Angels have options.
Christian Moore was an early favorite to land the job out of camp but didn’t get the results he wanted despite hitting the ball hard this spring. Moore was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he will get everyday reps, which is what he needs.
Non-roster invite Adam Frazier is one of the ones in the mix. The 10-year veteran hasn’t had a season that graded out as average since his lone All-Star appearance in 2021, but he had a strong finish to the season last year, hitting .283 in 56 games after getting traded to the Kansas City Royals during the All-Star break.
Frazier has played well this spring, hitting .300 with an .832 OPS. He can also play outfield, if needed.
Oswald Peraza is another option after putting up big numbers in Cactus League play, hitting .333 with a .956 OPS. He can play practically any position in the infield, though mostly third base after his trade over to the Angels from the New York Yankees at last year’s trade deadline.
Peraza is a defensive-first infielder who was a top 100 prospect when climbing the minor league ranks, but his bat never clicked in the big leagues. He has a .189 average and .542 OPS in 524 career plate appearances.
At shortstop, Zach Neto looks to have his breakout season.
Despite missing the first month of the season last year due to recovering from a torn labrum in his shoulder, Neto still accrued 3.1 fWAR. He hit 26 homers and swiped 26 bags with a .793 OPS in 126 games played. He also set a franchise record for most home runs hit to lead off the game with nine.
Neto will be looking for more consistency at the plate in 2026, as he hit .279 before and .223 after the All-Star break. The 25-year-old has the tools to be a top 10 shortstop in the game, and the Angels are hoping he makes that step this season.
Over at the hot corner, it’ll be Yoán Moncada once again. He returns to the Angels on another one-year deal after having an injury-riddled 2025 campaign.
A persistent knee issue limited the switch-hitter to just 84 games last year, and unable to hit from the right side of the plate. Moncada only logged 27 of his 289 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter.
When he was in the lineup, he was productive. Moncada hit .234 with a .783 OPS and was one of the only hitters on the Angels who drew walks. He walked at 11.1% clip, where the league average is 8.4%.
It’s also fair to assume Moncada’s defensive struggles last season were impacted by the knee issue. The Angels are hoping for a healthy season from him to provide some power and get on base in the lineup, while also playing steady defense at third.
Jeimer Candelario appears to have made the team out of camp as a bench option. He’ll provide insurance at third base in case Moncada goes down with an injury, but Candelario can also play first.
Candelario is coming off an abysmal 2025 season with a .113 batting average and .410 OPS but slugged his way to a roster spot in spring, hitting four homers with a .931 OPS.
His pitfalls over the last two seasons have been elevated swing and miss rates, as well as a tendency to chase out of the zone.
OUTFIELD
Mike Trout is coming off his healthiest season since 2019 (not counting the 60-game season in 2020), and the big news at Tempe Diablo this spring was that Trout was returning to center field.
He started the season in right field, but a bone bruise in his knee put him on the injured list in April, and he played the rest of the season as a designated hitter. Trout played in 130 games, which is only the second time he’s eclipsed the 100-game plateau in the 2020s.
When Trout was in the lineup, he wasn’t the Mike Trout of old but was still a productive hitter. He hit .232 with a .797 OPS and 26 home runs. Trout’s downfall last year was primarily a slow start to the season and a tough August, when he hit .214 with just one home run and struck out 36.9% of the time.
Whether the 34-year-old can stay healthy or not playing center field remains to be seen, but at this point, moving him off didn’t work, so why not go back to what he’s comfortable with? Trout has also eclipsed the 30 feet per second plateau in sprint speed this spring, which means he still has elite speed in the tank.
With Trout moving back to center, that means that Jo Adell will shift back over to right field. This works for Adell, who finally settled in defensively in right field in 2024, ranking in the 57th percentile in Outs Above Average, and then struggled in center field last year.
The former top 10 prospect in baseball finally broke through at the plate in 2025, after struggling for the first five seasons of his career. Adell connected for 37 home runs and 98 RBIs with a .778 OPS.
Over in left field, newly acquired Josh Lowe will look for a rebound season. The speedy lefty had a breakout season in 2023, hitting .290 with an .835 OPS and 20 home runs. Since then, a string of oblique injuries has kept him sidelined for much of the last two seasons, and his offensive numbers have dipped as a result.
Lowe has played mostly right field in his career, but with right field being Adell’s best position, the Angels believe Lowe will be a better fit. Lowe can also play center if Trout needs a day to DH or in case he gets injured at any point.
Also impacting the DH situation is Jorge Soler. The 34-year-old started more games in the outfield than at DH for the first time since 2022, when he was limited to only 72 games. With the added workload last year, Soler struggled to stay healthy. Soler only appeared in 82 games and hit just .215 with a .680 OPS.
In a perfect world, Trout and Soler rotate in at DH to get both of them some rest and try to stay healthy.
Filling out the bench is defensive wizard Bryce Teodosio. Despite being brought up in August and only playing 50 games last year, Teodosio still racked up 10 Outs Above Average, which was the 18th most in baseball. Elite jumps and a 29.9 feet per second sprint speed help Teodosio be an elite defender out in the outfield.
He’ll be a defensive replacement late in ballgames, as his hitting leaves a lot to be desired. If he gets on base, Teodosio can be a threat on the basepaths, but he hit just .203 last year and does not have a track record of being a solid hitter.
Coaching Staff - Taylor Blake Ward, Managing Editor for The Sporting Tribune
The rotating chair of manager for the Angels continues in 2026 and the Halos will see their fifth manager in five years, whether by full-time hire or interim titles.
Former veteran catcher and recent development assistant Kurt Suzuki has been brought in to manage the Angels in 2026, and 2026 alone for the time being, after signing a one-year contract that conjuncts with Perry Minasian's contract that expires at the end of the season.
Suzuki was a well-liked teammate and seemingly, is a well-liked leader in the clubhouse under his new title; but has no experience as a manager, or decision-making coach aside from preemptive decisions that are made by Front Office staff during Cactus League play.
It is a blank slate, which can be a double-edged sword for Suzuki who could prove he's worthy of being a long-term manager; or he could flounder. It's a cliche, but it won't be known until it happens in either direction.
Joining the freshly appointed manager are veteran coaches John Gibbons, who will serve as bench coach after a scattered 11 years as manager; and Mike Maddux, a long-time and successful pitching coach.
Much of the Angels success hinges on Maddux and how he develops arms at the highest level of the sport, which is an oddity in sorts with big-league baseball not being known as a development league.
Brady Anderson joins the coaching staff as hitting coach, with a perceived hitting philosophy change for a team that struck out more than any other in 2025.
A host of other new faces join the coaching staff, including former beloved teammate Max Stassi who will oversee catching responsibilities; and Andy Schatzley and Keith Johnson, former development coaches who have received praise from the Angels young core during recent time playing under their tutelage.
Season Predictions:
"This has the potential to be a long season for the Angels. It’s hard to look at the roster and say they are definitely better in any area than the team that lost 90 games last year. The rotation has “what if” potential with Grayson Rodriguez, Reid Detmers and Ryan Johnson, but there are still more questions than answers. I’ll predict a 65-97 record in 2026." - Jack Janes
"Health is the biggest concern for the Angels this season, especially for Mike Trout, who has missed 80 games or more in three of his last five seasons. With a healthy lineup, the Angels have the firepower to be offensive threats, but pitching both in the starting rotation and bullpen is a major concern.
Even in a declining AL West, the Angels’ chances of finishing beyond last place look slim with the Athletics developing a solid young team of their own and the Rangers, Astros and Mariners all retaining strong talent. I think the Angels go 75-87." - Jack Haslett
"I look at this team and wonder how they'll get through the back half of the season. It wasn't a good off-season for needed talent influx or depth building, and while the pitching depth is probably better than it has been in awhile, it's still not good enough they have starting pitching to get through any (more) injuries. The last time they had a 'winning' August or September was 2022 and that was at a 30-30 mark. I would say you can't anticipate another 38 losses in the final two months like in 2023-24 (34 losses in 2025), but then again, I think you can.
They've been leapfrogged by everyone in the AL West and don't necessarily look like a better team than they were last year. I do think their win total starts with a seven but will be paying more attention to whether or not their loss total starts with a nine. Let's play some optimism and say they jump one game from last year and miss a 90-loss season with a 73-89 campaign, but even that feels like overly confident optimism." - Taylor Blake Ward
"I think the Angels starting rotation will be better than expected but will look very different midway through the season than what will be there on opening day. I would expect to see top pitching prospect Tyler Bremner make his debut at some point this year, Caden Dana become part of the rotation at some point, and an MLB debut by George Klassen.
Unfortunately, the Angels lack depth in other areas on the roster, primarily in the bullpen and I think they will finish last in the American League West with a 66-96 record." - Thomas Murray