The Angels have struggled over the past decade or so. And that’s putting it lightly. Despite the talent — and they’ve had a ton of it — they haven’t been able to get over the hump.
They haven’t had a winning season since 2015, and haven’t made the postseason since 2014. In Mike Trout’s illustrious 12-year career, the Angels have made the playoffs just once. With Trout and two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Angels haven’t had a winning season.
There are many areas you can point to for why the Angels have struggled, but MLB insider Jeff Passan stated it pretty clearly when he was asked on the Pat McAfee Show why they continue to be a losing team year in and year out.
“They stink because you can have the two best players in baseball, or two of the five best players in baseball, and if the 24 around them aren’t good enough, you’re never going to win,” Passan said. “Like you just can’t be carried by superstars. Superstars have to be a piece of the puzzle and you need a team around them.”
Obviously it may not be as simple as that, but baseball is a sport where you can’t be carried by superstars — the Angels have been a prime example of that. Unlike in basketball, where LeBron James can pretty much single-handedly lead the Cavaliers to the championship, baseball is just different.
Trout has undeniably been the best player in baseball since he entered the league, and Ohtani may just be the best player in baseball right now. But if you don’t have a strong team around your superstars, you aren’t going to win in the MLB. That’s the issue the Angels have tried to address this offseason.
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