This season has been up and down for the Los Angeles Angels. Despite sweeping cross-town rival and reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in six games, to having the third most runs allowed in the MLB, the Angels are on a path to an under .500 season.
After their 11-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners in mid-September, the Angels were officially eliminated from playoff contention. As the season comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the two most surprising and disappointing players from this season.
Surprises
Jo Adell; Center Fielder
Jo Adell is going to finish the season with the best yearly stats of his MLB career. Adell improved in almost every category since last year, and the 26-year-old is showing great promise as a starter. The most impressive improvement Adell saw this season is in his at-bats, where even though he’s played only ten more games, he’s earned 32 more hits and 33 more RBIs compared to last season.
The 2017 first-rounder also saw his batting average increase to .241, simultaneous with a rise in on-base percentage, which reached .300. In the outfield, he also developed a solid fielding percentage of .980. After what will be a forgettable season for Angels fans, Adell’s personal best brings hope for the team’s future.
Nolan Schanuel; First Baseman
Nolan Schanuel had a relatively good third season in the big leagues despite having a wrist contusion back in August. Schanuel exhibited a knack for getting on base, sporting an OBP of .355. Playing 22 games less this season, he had only seven fewer hits and three fewer home runs, suggesting that his productivity would have been greater than what it was last year should he have played the same number of games.
His slugging percentage and batting average are at an all-time high, and Schanuel’s improvement this season looks to be only the beginning of evolving into a stud. He is just as reliable on defense as he is on offense, and the 23-year-old is one to be on the lookout for as his career progresses.
Disappointments
Mike Trout; Right Fielder
Mike Trout is Angels royalty, as there is no doubt that he is the best to ever wear the uniform. While Trout has maintained an outstanding 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield, the long-time veteran’s offensive stats are on the decline. Trout has missed a majority of the last two seasons due to fracturing his left hand in 2023, on top of a torn meniscus in his left knee in 2024. Trout was shut down after each one, and played just 111 games in the two seasons combined. There was a lot of hope for Angels fans when Trout returned, but the fan favorite couldn’t deliver on his expectations.
The hope was that Trout would perform like his old self, but a combination of injuries and old age has slowed him down. This season, he had the second-most strikeouts of his 15-year career and the second-lowest batting average. This is the first season where Trout has played over 100 games and tallied fewer than 100 hits, giving him half the total bases he normally gets when playing this many games.
The three-time American League MVP and all-time home run record holder for the Angels has done so much for the team, but after this season, it may be time for the organization to look to its younger talent to bring the team back to the playoffs.
Logan O’Hoppe; Catcher
Logan O’Hoppe’s season started on a promising note. Before the All-Star break, the catcher had already accrued 17 home runs and an OBP of .267. This was a great start for the young catcher’s fourth year in the big league and for the Angels as a whole, but O’Hoppe’s season quickly went the other direction
June marked the start of O’Hoppe’s slump, only batting .154 for the month in 71 at-bats. The struggles continued post All-Star Break, and in the games that followed, he only recorded two home runs and six RBIs. O’Hoppe’s decline stung for Angels fans, but they can remain hopeful that next season he will again increase his offensive productivity as he did to start the season.