This hasn't been a banner year for the Los Angeles Angels.
The team has endured a season filled with disappointments, extending the longest playoff drought in Major League Baseball history. The Angels have clinched their ninth consecutive losing season, and for the first time since 1999, they are set to finish last in their division. A single additional loss will set an unfortunate franchise record, with the Angels currently sitting at 95 losses, tying the dismal seasons of 1968 and 1980.
It's been a challenging inaugural year for manager Ron Washington. The team has struggled with injuries to key players, with star outfielder Mike Trout logging just 29 games this season, and third baseman Anthony Rendon appearing in only 57 games. Despite a brief glimmer of hope in July, where the Angels posted a winning record and headed into August with a 47-61 tally, the latter part of the season saw their performance plummet. In August and September, the team managed a dismal 16-34 record.
However, there is some potential within the ranks. Promising players such as Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto, and Jo Adell are all 25 years old or younger. Washington has emphasized the importance of these young players developing into big-league regulars. "It's players that have to grow into big-league players," he noted.
Washington's candid assessment of the team's situation raised some eyebrows earlier in the season. "We're going to get some baseball players who may not be superstars, but they know how to play. We forgot to bring real baseball players into the organization. Nothing against those guys here, but they're not big-league baseball players and they certainly can't help us win a championship," he said. The statement sparked some controversy, prompting Washington to clarify his comments: "I misspoke. I didn't mean it the way it came out, where I'm saying the organization isn't giving me big-league players. It's players that have to grow into big-league players."
This period of turmoil isn't unique to the Angels; many teams in MLB history have experienced similar phases. However, for a franchise with the hopes and talents it has boasted in recent times, this certainly feels like a particularly rough stretch. As Washington and the organization look to the future, the focus will undoubtedly be on cultivating the young talent within the team and making strategic moves to bring "real baseball players" into the fold. The goal will be to end the prolonged drought and return to playoff contention.
The Angels' fans remain loyal, though their patience is wearing thin. The years of falling short despite having some of the top talents in baseball have been frustrating. The resignation of seeing another would-be promising season end in disappointment hangs heavy, especially knowing that the team is on the brink of setting an unwanted franchise record. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope, faint but palpable, in the promise of a new generation of players who might lead the team out of its current doldrums.
As the Angels look to close out this disheartening season, all eyes will be on the management to see how they address the critical issues plaguing the team. Washington's inaugural year as manager might not have delivered the results fans hoped for, but it has brought a sobering clarity to the challenges ahead. The future may not be guaranteed, but with methodical planning and growth, the Angels aim to rise once more.