The Angels appeared hell-bent on ending the postseason drought last winter in order to turn the tide of the franchise and keep their franchise star. Unfortunately for the Angels, Los Angeles failed to make it back to October in 2023 despite another incredible year from Shohei Ohtani. Here’s our recap of the Los Angeles Angels’ 2023 season.
Related: 2023 MLB Season Recap: Kansas City Royals
The Offensive Numbers
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 739 | 16th |
| Home Runs | 231 | 5th |
| OPS | .743 | 12th |
| Whiff% | 29.2% | 30th |
| Hard Hit% | 40.4% | 14th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.47 | 19th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.88 | 25th |
| Strikeouts | 1,445 | t-10th |
| Whiff% | 27.3% | 6th |
| Chase% | 28.1% | 20th |
The Good
Despite the fact that Shohei Ohtani missed most of the final month of 2023, the two-way sensation will likely win the 2023 AL MVP.
Ohtani had yet another otherwordly campaign, in which the 29-year-old hit .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs and 78 extra-base hits and struck out 167 over 132 IP.
Infielder Brandon Drury, meanwhile, followed up his strong 2022 campaign with yet another impressive season. Drury belted 26 home runs for the Angels and posted a .803 OPS.
Los Angeles also received solid campaigns from INF Luis Rengifo, OF Mickey Moniak, and C Logan O’Hoppe. Both O’Hoppe and Moniak hit 14 home runs, while Rengifo took advantage of a number of injuries and belted 16 home runs over 126 games.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel also became the first player from the 2023 MLB Draft to make it to the Majors. The 21-year-old hit .275/.402/.330 with a home run and four extra-base hits through 29 games.
The Bad
Things for the Angels began to fall off the rails in July. Star outfielder Mike Trout went on the IL in early July with a left hamate fracture and played just one game after that.
Still, Los Angeles remained somewhat afloat in the AL Wild Card and opted to buy at the Trade Deadline rather than stand pat or entertain the idea of trading Ohtani.
The Angels picked up pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox and paid a premium. Los Angeles also gave up two pitching prospects to the Rockies in exchange for former Halos prospects Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron.
It didn’t work, as Cron got injured shortly after the trade, Giolito gave up 25 earned runs over 32.2 IP (6.89) as an Angel, and the team bottomed out in what was a grueling stretch in August. That prompted the Angels to put Giolito, Lopez. Grichuk, as well as Matt Moore and Hunter Renfroe on waivers in a salary dump.
Giolito’s struggles in Anaheim and Trout’s injury were far from the only problems for the Angels. Anthony Rendon hit just .236/.361/.318 over 43 games in what was another bizarre season for the infielder. Tyler Anderson also struggled in his first season, while Aaron Loup posted an ERA north of 6.00.
Reliever Carlos Estevez looked dominant in the first half and was an AL All-Star. However, his second half was a very different story:
- 1st Half: 1.80 ERA, 3 HR, 43 K over 35.0 IP (21 SV)
- 2nd Half: 6.59 ERA, 4 HR, 35 K over 27.1 IP (10 SV)
Add in all of those problems and the Angels finished with the same record (73-89) for the second straight season and the sixth consecutive sub-.500 campaign.
What to Look For in 2024
It’s not a secret that this upcoming offseason will be a pivotal one for the Angels. After a year in which making the MLB Postseason was a must, Los Angeles now must contend with the fact that Shohei Ohtani may depart after failing to make the playoffs yet again.
Added wrinkles include the health of Anthony Rendon, the need for a new manager after Phil Nevin was not retained, and the question of whether Mike Trout will stay.
There were reports that the Angels would entertain the idea of a trade if Trout wanted out, although the star outfielder stated in September that he intends to be in an Angel uniform come 2024.
Even if the Angels do lose Ohtani, Los Angeles does have a good amount of talent that, should the Angels find a nice piece or two that could complement their current core, could compete for a playoff spot next season. But that won’t be easy given that the Astros, Mariners, and Rangers will all return strong teams.