The Los Angeles Angels have really cooled off after a promising start.
They fought for first place in the AL West division with the Houston Astros for a while and compiled a solid 27-17 record to open the year.
Now?
They are 39-53, fourth in the division, and playing like a hapless, hopeless team.
They have Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and a strong core of hitters, yet they haven’t been able to consistently win games in recent weeks.
They have had to endure key injuries, some disappointing, under-performing stars, and some rough stretches of play, including a 14-game losing streak.
Not even Juan Soto looks likely to save or help this organization, and that’s a sad reality.
MLB writer Dan Szymborski tweeted about that in the past few hours.
“I have to admit that I want to see the Angels acquire Juan Soto because I’m legitimately curious if they can get 20 WAR from Trout/Soto/Ohtani in 2023 and still somehow go 79-83,” he said.
I have to admit that I want to see the Angels acquire Juan Soto because I'm legitimately curious if they can get 20 WAR from Trout/Soto/Ohtani in 2023 and still somehow go 79-83.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) July 18, 2022
The Angels Are A Pain To Watch
In fact, Ohtani and Trout have shared the same team since 2018, yet the Angels haven’t made the playoffs over that span.
The last time Los Angeles played a meaningful October game was in 2014.
It has been eight years.
The Angels appeared to have made some strides in the least year or two, drafting only pitchers last year and bringing in a few free agents over the offseason.
The moves haven’t panned out, however.
We would imagine a Ohtani/Trout/Soto trio would be extremely productive, but the Angels may be able to find a way to miss the playoffs even with all of them.
Trout and Ohtani often have a couple of homers and several RBI between them, only for the team to lose by a final such as 7-4.
It’s a painful truth, especially for their fans.
NEXT: Angels Share An Amazing Mike Trout WBC Update
