The 2026 Midsummer Classic has come and gone as the American League beat the National League by a 4-0 score on Tuesday night. Outfielder Mike Trout was the lone Los Angeles Angels representative in the contest, but he couldn't get on base in his hometown of Philadelphia.

With the night being quiet for Angels fans, the attention now turns to how the rest of the 2026 campaign will play out for the AL’s last-place club. While the future certainly holds another postseason-less fall for the Angels, the second half of the year could tell fans a lot about the club’s outlook in 2027.

Here are three important stories to follow as the second half of 2026 plays out for the Halos:

This year’s starting rotation in Anaheim has brought more excitement than in years past, beginning with right-hander Jose Soriano’s electric performances in March and April. Though he’s come back down to Earth since his historic start, he has positioned himself as an extremely valuable asset for the Angels.

Left-hander Reid Detmers joins him in that aspect, holding possibly the highest trade value of any Halos trade candidate after his return to the starting rotation this season. A one-two-three punch is completed with righty Walbert Urena, who is having an electric rookie campaign, posting a 2.88 ERA in 17 games.

With a great young trio of starting arms, but two of them being tossed around in trade rumors left and right, the rest of the season will be huge in the direction the Angels decide to go next offseason. Of course, that’s assuming Detmers and Soriano will remain with the team until then.

The top of the starting rotation may instill hope in Angels fans, but the catcher position has brought the opposite in 2026. Logan O’Hoppe entered the year with big hopes of a bounce-back campaign after finishing 2025 as a replacement-level player.

Halfway through the season, however, O’Hoppe has taken an even bigger step back. His .582 OPS and poor defense have culminated in a negative WAR for the 26-year-old this time around. If O’Hoppe doesn’t turn things around in a big way in the second half of the year, it would force the front office’s hand to truly decide whether O’Hoppe is the catcher of the future for the club.

Lastly, perhaps the biggest storyline of them all for the Angels during this second half will be how the front office approaches this year’s August 3 trade deadline. Former General Manager Perry Minasian is out, and interim John Mozeliak is in with the deadline just weeks away.

While it was previously reported that the Halos would not be trading away players such as Detmers or outfielder Jo Adell, you have to wonder how the GM swap can affect the Angels’ approach at the deadline.

If Mozeliak is another Arte Moreno pleaser, then the deadline will come and go with no moves that will bring light to the future of the club. If Mozeliak finds a way to get through Moreno, however, it could provide just the shakeup the Angels have been desperately needing for years now.