The Los Angeles Angels keep on losing and it doesn't seem like there's an end in sight, but at least Mike Trout is healthy and playing well.
The Los Angeles Angels got off to a good start at 11-10 through 21 games (yes, one game over .500 is good for this franchise) but are just 11-25 in 36 games since April 17.
It’s been a long time since Angels fans have had real excitement and a playoff team, and with how this season has gone thus far, it’s likely fans won’t be watching their team in October yet again.
With the win over Detroit today, the Angels are 22-35 and tied with the Tigers for the worst record in the American League. In a division with no teams over .500, the Angels genuinely have a chance to make noise in the AL West, but the team can’t get out of its own way.
When the team is hitting well, the pitching staff gives up a million runs. When the team is pitching well, the offense is anemic. Defensively, the Angels rank 24th in fielding percentage (.984) and errors (32).
Besides right-hander Jose Soriano having a great season and emerging as an ace, the only good thing going for the Halos is that star center fielder Mike Trout is healthy and playing well.
Trout, 34, struggled with injuries for much of this decade, but he changed his dietary habits and training regimen to become the best version of himself we’ve seen in years. He’s playing center field every day, running fast and hitting like he used to when he was a bona fide Most Valuable Player candidate year after year.
He’s one of the lone bright spots on an Angels team that ranks 29th in ESPN’s Week 9 Power Rankings.
“Mike Trout is healthy and producing and that's a delight to watch,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo wrote Thursday. “But Anaheim's baseball franchise remains a dreadful rudderless entity anyway. The Angels have one of baseball's worst records again. They're on their way to a third straight last-place finish in the AL West -- a division without a team above .500 -- and a 12th consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
“They haven't won a postseason game since 2009, meaning Trout still hasn't won one in his career. Barring a miracle run, it won't happen in 2026.”
The fact that Trout is still without a postseason win is disgusting and shameful. How is it possible that a team that once had Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Albert Pujols at the same time couldn’t win a postseason game, let alone get to the playoffs since 2014?
Trout is slashing .239/.405/.487 (.892 OPS) with 13 home runs and 30 RBI in 56 games played, good for 2.0 WAR.
