Nothing seems to go right for the Los Angeles Angels right now! With inside battles and the team failing to make any major signings, the Angels have remained at the bottom of the farm system rankings. Their 28th spot makes it evident that they have not guided their younger players properly to establish a winning culture, and their farm system ranking remains one of the worst when compared to the other teams, especially the Boston Red Sox, who remains at the top.
But it’s not something new; the Red Sox have remained at the bottom since 2021. One of the major reasons could be rushing too much on the top draft picks through the minors or their decision not to trade Shohei Ohtani. As for the Angels, calling up their players much earlier than the other teams seems to have caused a problem; they have often rushed their draft picks in the last couple of years, and it won’t be a surprise if they even pick Christian Moore to play at second base, who slashed .347/.400/.584 in 25 games.
However, the Angels’ struggle in drafting quality players after the first round is also to blame, which eventually led to no extension of Shohei Ohtani’s contract to bring him back into the team. But that’s not all; Shohei Ohtani’s 2023 performance, which included 54 home runs, a.310 average, 197 hits, 130 RBIs, and 134 runs scored in 159 games, made the Angels regret not trading for him as he went to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Moreover, the Angels did not make proper trades to get some young talent in 2024, which reflects their farm system’s lack of depth, eventually pushing the prospects to much higher levels than they expected. Their prioritization of rushing into the players to increase their perceived trade turned out to be a bane rather than a boon. So, moving forward, the Angels will either have to spend huge on big players or they will have to focus on improving their player development system.
This will allow them to acquire young talents without focusing much on the trade competition every year. They still have their top prospect, Caden Rana, with 10.1 IP, 9.58 ERA, and 2.03 WHIP, who could bolster their roster in the upcoming games. However, a major problem looms over them, as with the Anaheim Angel Stadium’s lease extension, fans have expressed their dissatisfaction. But why is it so?
The Angels’ extending their stadium’s lease makes fans unhappy
Amid the poor ranking, Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno’s poor decision has left fans unhappy. Although the current lease was set to expire in 2029, the Angels have extended it to 2032—an unexpected move considering how badly the stadium is in shape. Because it is one of the oldest stadiums and has not had any recent renovations, Angel Stadium’s attendance is dropping. Additionally, the Angels have failed to make any significant mark recently, as they went 63-99 in the American League West, failing to reach the playoffs.
Due to this, the lease extension didn’t actually matter to the fans, resulting in a sudden outrage. Arte Moreno faced the blame, considering his poor decisions and incompetence in preparing a winning roster for the team. The problems started in 2009 when Moreno hired a manager and president who did not have any prior knowledge of baseball sports, and since then, he has been the center of trolling. Moreno even failed to hire the right talent, along with poor coach and scout selection, which further alleviated the problems for the Angels.
So, given the situation the Angels are in right now, they would like to turn things back by trying to move up the ladder in the farm system ranking and maybe, also build a new stadium. Do you think it can help get back their fan base? Let us know in the comments below.
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