Angels' firing of pitching coach Mike Maddux may be Pirates' gain

The Los Angeles Angels' decision to clean house should be an opportunity for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Angels fired pitching coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti on Tuesday. While the Angels have not had a stellar performance from their pitching staff as a whole, Maddux, Scott and Chiti did not have much talent to work with.

The Angels' decision to move on from Maddux could be the Pirates' gain. Pirates pitching has been middling at best this season, ranking 21st in the majors with a 4.34 ERA and a 3.67 BB/9 rate and 19th with a 1.327 WHiP entering action on Tuesday. 

Pittsburgh Pirates may have chance to correct error from 2025-26 offseason after Los Angeles Angels fire Mike Maddux

An even bigger concern may be how staff ace Paul Skenes has regressed this season. After staking a claim as one of the best pitchers in baseball over the previous two seasons, Skenes has posted an uncharacteristic 3.96 ERA and a 1.118 WHiP over 129.2 innings. While those are respectable numbers, they are not the performance the Pirates expect and need from their staff ace.

The general struggles for Skenes, and the Pirates pitching staff as a whole, come on the heels of the questionable decision to fire pitching coach Oscar Marin while letting assistant pitching coach Brent Strom depart the organization. The Pirates had ranked ninth in the majors with a 3.76 ERA and fourth with a 1.216 WHiP under their tutelage in 2025.

Now that Maddux is available, the Pirates have a chance to correct that mistake. The long-time reliever became one of the more respected pitching coaches in the game, working for the likes of Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy. If the soon-to-be 65-year-old wants to continue coaching, the Pirates need to pick up the phone.