When the Los Angeles Angels signed manager Phil Nevin to a one-year contract following his interim stint in 2022, general manager Perry Minasian said he would collaborate with Nevin on the coaching staff. Now, the first decision has been made in that department, and it involves hitting coach Jeremy Reed.
Reed was hired as the hitting coach of the Angels in 2018 after one year of being the team’s Minor League hitting coordinator. He was hired during Mike Scioscia’s final season with the Angels, and remained the hitting coach for the short tenures of Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon, and Nevin’s interim term in 2022.
Nevin and Minasian’s first big 2023 decision is the end of Reed’s tenure, as the five-year hitting coach is not returning next season, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post:
Jeremy Reed, LA Angels hitting coach, will not be returning for the 2023 season. Established himself with veteran MVPs as well as impacted young up and comers Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward and Jared Walsh.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 19, 2022
While it is unclear if Reed chose to leave on his own or was let go by the Angels, there is no denying a change was needed after an abysmal 2022 campaign. The Angels were one of the worst offenses in all of baseball, despite having both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout for a majority of the season.
The Halos ranked 24th in batting average (.233), 23rd in OPS (.687), 25th in runs scored (623), 25th in walks (449), and struck out more than any other team (1,539). In fact, the Angels never had a top-10 offense by OPS during Reed’s tenure, despite having two MVP winners.
Earlier in the 2022 season, Nevin, Jared Walsh, and Taylor Ward were critical of the Angels approach at the plate against fastballs, while Ward unanimously credited Trent Woodard — his college teammate — for his breakout season.
Nevin’s first true decision as manager will be to replace Reed with someone who can maximize the back-end of the Angels lineup, while Minasian must work hard to improve the depth of the team at the same time.
Ohtani has negative impression of 2022 season
While speaking to media members in Japan, Ohtani stated the obvious about the Angels 2022 season. He said that he has a mostly negative impression and that the latter months of the season felt longer than they had in years prior.
