Sep 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Chris Taylor (33) runs after hitting a single during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images William Liang-Imagn Images

Angels Receive Bleak Future Outlook From Former GM

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Aaron Coloma | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Athletic's Jim Bowden ranked the Los Angeles Angels 17th out of the 18 teams who missed out on the postseason in terms of who is best positioned for the 2026 season, only ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

The Angels finished dead last in the AL West for the second consecutive season, and have mutliple problems to address ahead of spring training. They could lose closer Kenley Jansen, who converted all but one of his 30 save opportunities in 2025, in free agency, two of their five Opening Day rotation pieces, Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks, are set to enter free agency and their strikeout rate last season was the second-worst in MLB history.

"The Angels were 25th in runs scored and 28th in team ERA," wrote Bowden. "Combine that with their farm system being ranked in the bottom five by most analysts and that tells you just how dim their chances are to be able to make enough moves this offseason to reach the playoffs next year."

The Angels have taken an aggressive approach with their young players since the beginning of the 2020s, fast tracking nearly all of their first-rounders to the majors to try and remain competitive, leaving their farm system barren and their MLB team underdeveloped.

With all their top prospects coming to MLB, however, the Angels have a fair bit of talent in the majors and with a little refining, they could produce some stars to help get the franchise on track. The Halos' 226 home runs in 2025 were the fourth most of any team in the league.

"They do have some good young players to build around, highlighted by shortstop Zach Neto and center fielder Jo Adell, who hit 37 homers this past season," wrote Bowden. "It’s just really sad to see future Hall of Famer Mike Trout playing on a losing team for 10 straight years. The Angels will be looking for a new manager once again after they parted ways with Ron Washington earlier this week, and MLB legend Albert Pujols is rumored to be Angels owner Arte Moreno’s top choice for the job."

The Halos are in an odd spot this offseason, as they have plenty of tools, such as the aforementioned Trout, Neto and Adell, who can make a serious difference in a game, however their win now approach hasn't paid off at all in recent seasons.

Their new manager, whoever he may be, will have his work cut out for him, and could have a few seasons of rebuilding ahead of him before the Angels are competitive again, at least as of now.