How Angels' Pitching Became Dominant In Month Since Firing Three Coaches

The Los Angeles Angels are in the midst of a significant pivot, even if the baseball being played is mostly meaningless, as they’ve already been eliminated from postseason contention for some time now. Despite that fact, there have been several encouraging signs coming out of Anaheim for 2027 and beyond.

The obvious change is the regime change that is underway and expected to be finalized early next year. With owner Arte Moreno finally out, there has been a new beacon of hope shining on the Angels franchise. 

That may be the most headline-grabbing story to close out the year, but it shouldn’t overshadow the on-field change that's been evident over the last month or so. Since they let go of pitching coach Mike Maddux, along with bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott, the Angels have been a completely different force on the mound. 

Let’s dive into who the Halos were before the trio was fired to get a better idea of just how poorly things went under Maddux’s guidance. The Angels ranked dead last in walk rate at 11.1%, 25th in WHIP, 24th in ERA at 4.53, 24th in quality starts, and 23rd in fWAR. To put it in simple terms, the pitching staff as a whole was either at or very near the bottom of the league in most statistics. There were multiple factors, but the dreadful pitching was a top factor in why the Halos had a league-worst record of 45-74 on the morning of August 11.  

Since Maddux’s departure, however, the Angels’ pitching staff has seemed to be unlocked. From the firing up until September 16th, the Angels suddenly ranked at or near the top of baseball in those very statistics that they were ranked at the bottom in the previous months. 

Los Angeles had posted a league-leading 18 quality starts, 2nd-lowest ERA at 3.03, 5th-lowest WHIP, 7th-lowest walk rate, and the 2nd-most fWAR from August 11 to September 16. Going from the bottom tier in baseball to the top tier in just a month has been an unforeseen flip for the Angels, but it has brought much more optimism for the club heading into 2027. 

Reid Detmers has solidified himself as not just the Angels’ ace, but as one of the biggest left-handed threats baseball has to offer. Rookies Walbert Urena, Ryan Johnson, George Klassen, and even veteran Grayson Rodriguez have seemingly reinvented themselves in the time that Maddux was let go. 

The biggest cause for this is likely the team’s transition into a more analytical approach – something that Maddux and the Angels apparently had missed the memo on. Given that the most analytically driven teams are consistently finishing at the top of the standings, such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers, you’d think every team would want to follow suit. 

Not the Angels, though, and they have consistently finished near the bottom of the standings as a result. It’s worth mentioning that other analytically averse clubs, like the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox, have consistently joined the Angels at the bottom of the standings over the years, with the exception of this year’s White Sox squad. 

The Halos seem to be catching up with the times, and it’s paid off immediately. Despite not having a great or even good starting rotation or bullpen on paper, they have been playing like they are undoubtedly one of the best staffs in the game over the past month. 

It goes to show how much time the Angels have wasted over the years and how much potential they have capped from players, but better late than never, right? All you can ask for is for them to carry over whatever they are doing into next season because the fans in Anaheim are starved for meaningful baseball to be played for the first time in several years. It may not come in 2027, but a return to the postseason finally looks to be on the card in the not-so-distant future for the Halos. For now, this change in play has been one of the most fascinating storylines of the entire season.