There is something oddly familiar about the Los Angeles Angels now. You flip the channel, peek at the score, and realize you haven’t missed a thing. It is that same late-game chaos—the kind that leaves fans yelling at their screens and quietly walking away by the seventh inning.
This routine is predictable, and it’s specifically gold for insiders. In a year where teams either make headlines or fade quietly without the spotlight, the Angels from Los Angeles have managed to do it all. They flash power, then collapse in stunning fashion. Currently, MLB is not just noticing—they are laughing, especially when an NBA-style mock hits a little too close to home.
Commentary in basenall is rarely subtle; however, sometimes it even becomes a comedy roast—and this time, it was the Angels taking the spotlight. In a recent episode of Baseball Today, host Chris Rose said something that stung harder than a late-inning blown lead. He said, “They have become my NBA team… You do not have to start watching the Angels till the seventh because that is when the game is going to be decided—most likely in the wrong way if you are an LA fan. God, their pen—that is a rough watch.”
This was not just a joke—it was a highlight of all the things going wrong on the team. Through 33 games, the Angels sit fifth in the AL West with a 13-20 record. In addition, their bullpen is a nightly thriller for the other team. Their ERA is 27th in MLB with a low rate of 5.36, and they have a 1.49 WHIP. Rose wasn’t the only one to criticize—co-host Trevor Plouffe asserted, “It has been tough for them all season long, and it was exposed in the series for sure—not good”.
So, what makes this criticism land so well is how true it feels. The Angels’ offense provides occasional fireworks. They are ranked top 10 in homers with 44; however, they are hardly scraping together runs and are currently sitting 27th with 117 scored. This type of imbalance turns games into pressure cookers, and by the seventh inning, all bets are off. The power could be real; however, without bullpen stability, it’s like trying to light fireworks underwater.
Besides the delivery, what the insiders said on point was certainly the timing. The team’s games have adopted a pattern: slow beginning, brief hope, and gut-punch ending. That’s why fans of opposing teams laugh through the pain.
Angels’ season spirals deeper into disarray
If the Angels’ seventh-inning implosions are the punchline, the team’s bullpen transactions are the setup. The Angels are now carrying a grotesque 7.02 bullpen ERA as of May 5. Watching the team’s relievers pitch has become a high-stakes version of Guess Who? with a constantly changing cast and dreadful outcomes. The current additions to the Angels’ chaotic carousel are Michael Darrell-Hicks and journeyman Touki Toussaint. Meanwhile, Garrett McDaniels has departed and is currently shelved with biceps tendonitis. Another departure was Jake Eder, whose 7.71 ERA across three appearances did not exactly inspire confidence.
Ben Joyce was expected to be the anchor—if not the flamethrower ace. But shoulder inflammation has sidelined him indefinitely. Joyce, who regularly throws over 100 mph and once clocked 105.5, admitted recently that there’s been “little progress” in his recovery. He can hardly play catch, and each attempt has followed in pain. The Angels’ lack of bullpen depth—already exposed—now looks catastrophic without him. As Joyce remains sidelined, expect even more reliever roulette as the front office tries to patch a sinking ship with duct tape.
As if the team chaos weren’t enough, the lineup is dealing with an identity crisis. Yoan Moncada might ultimately return soon, and while his slash line was underwhelming before the thumb injury (190 AVG and no HR), his .370 OBP offered a glimmer of hope—particularly for a bullpen that ranks dead last in walk rate. Still, he’s no savior. Meanwhile, the bigger concern is Mike Trout. Initially removed from an April 30 game as a “precaution,” Trout is now on the IL with a bone bruise to the same knee he had surgically repaired. GM Perry Minasian’s update was not comforting, providing little clarity on the timeline.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 30: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels jogs to the dugout in the second inning during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on March 30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
Injuries happen. But for the Angels, they seem to arrive in waves, and the franchise’s responses have been anything but convincing. With talent out, relievers crumpling, and the front office scrambling for short-term fixes, Anaheim’s early-season misfortune has quickly turned into a forbidding trend. It’s only May, but with each game, the narrative grows louder: if this is the beginning, fans fear what the middle will look like.
At this point, calling the Angels a work in progress might be generous—they are more like a weekly renovation project with no blueprint. From team blow-ups to mounting injuries and late-game snooze fests, this franchise is unraveling faster than fans can refresh the IL updates. Sure, it’s early May, but the caution signs aren’t just flashing—they are roaring. The question now is not whether the Angels can turn it around; it is whether they even know where to begin.
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