The Los Angeles Angels needed to win only one of three games against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field this week to hand Chicago the most losses in a single season in MLB history. But the White Sox rallied to win three straight, including a 7-0 blowout in finale. The result, for the Angels, was a disheartening record of their own.
Thursday’s loss marked the Angels’ 96th of the season. That’s the most in a single season in franchise history, surpassing 95-loss efforts in 1968 and 1980. Despite positive signs of growth from young players like Logan O’Hoppe and Zach Neto, it was by objective measure the worst season in Angels history.
O’Hoppe has established himself as a pillar of the team’s future with a 20-homer season and a .701 OPS in 135 games thus far. But he was as frustrated as anyone by the lack of team success that came with his development in 2024, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“It’s pretty sickening,” O’Hoppe said. “Going into the spring and expecting things to turn around, and then this happens. We’ve got a good group in here, and it doesn’t feel like what the record shows, but the record is what it is. I don’t think anyone’s OK with it in here.”
The 24-year-old catcher knows there is no poiint in dwelling on the frustration of 2024. Instead, he and the Angels need to look at what can be improved upon in 2025, if not for them then for the fans who came and supported throughout the dismal campaign.
“What else can we do but be optimistic?” O’Hoppe said. “It’s just frustrating. The fans come out on the weekends, and they want to see us win. We want to win more than anybody. And sleepless nights all year get pretty old after a while, and it’s just frustrating. I know we have to go through it, but it doesn’t mean any of us are OK with it.”
The 2024 season marks the Angels’ ninth consecutive season with a losing record and 10th consecutive season without making the playoffs. The nine straight losing seasons is already the longest active streak in MLB, and if the Detroit Tigers — currently the third American League wild card team — make the postseason, the Angels will hold the longest active postseason drought as well.
Things can still change for 2025. The Angels are entering with perhaps their best starting points of the drought, having young talents throughout the roster, slightly greater financial flexibility and the hopeful return of a healthy Mike Trout.
Ron Washington proud of young Angels
Neto, Nolan Schanuel and O’Hoppe were a point of pride for Angels manager Ron Washington this season, as the three young cornerstones ranked first, third and fourth on the team in games played this season. For Washington, this signifies a massive youth movement for a franchise that has struggled to develop prospects in recent years.
