Manager Ron Washington endeavors to turn around the Angels
Although the 2024 MLB season is just at the end of its second full week, there are several teams that have shown clear improvement from a year ago.
One team that has surpassed expectations is the Los Angeles Angels, managed by Ron Washington. Last season the Angels finished 73-89 and haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2014 despite having superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the latter playing for the Angels from 2018 to last season. Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December, the largest in professional sports history.
When Washington was hired by the Angels last November, the team looked to lean on his 40-plus years of experience. The last time the 71-year-old New Orleans native managed a squad, he reached consecutive World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2010 and 2011.
Washington also won a World Series as the third-base coach for the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Many Angels fans felt like they were destined for another losing season when they started this campaign 0-2, losing both games in blowout fashion to the Baltimore Orioles by 11-3 and 13-4.
However, after the second loss, Washington called a team meeting. It seemed premature but Washington knows what it takes to be successful and it was clear his ballclub was not showing those traits. The Angels would win the next game against the Orioles 4-1, and then go on to sweep the Miami Marlins.
They were in second place in the American League West at 6-5 before facing the Tampa Bay Rays last night (Wednesday). A telling sign of Washington establishing a positive and hopeful culture is that he has the belief of veteran Trout, an 11-time All-Star and 3-time AL MVP, who has experienced numerous losing seasons with the Angels.
“Coming in, just the energy he brings. When things aren’t right, he fixes it,” Trout said to Nick Hamilton of MLBbro.com.
With one of the best players in the game in Trout reinvigorated, the potential breakout of 25-year-old outfielder Jo Adell and a possible resurgence of veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, the Angels may be a surprising contender for the AL West title. That won’t be determined until well into the summer in the long 162-game marathon, but Washington has the Angels seemingly up for the challenge.
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