Angels GM Perry Minasian on 2024 Season: 'A Lot of Things to Be Excited About'

Maren Angus-Coombs | Oct 6, 2024

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's hard to see the positive in a season full of negative.

However, Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian somehow sees a brighter future after his club set a new franchise record for losses in a single season (99).

“As far as the season goes, very frustrating from a small-picture standpoint,” Minasian said. “Big picture, there are a lot of things to be excited about. I believe this is the type of year that we’ll look back at a year from now, two years from now, and say that was huge.”

What is so huge about this season specifically?

According to Minasian, it is the development of the team's young core. Shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O'Hoppe, first baseman Nolan Schanuel, and pitchers such as José Soriano and Ben Joyce have given the Angels a youthful core they lacked in seasons before.

Minasian noted that the recent impressive year-to-year improvements seen in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals could be mirrored by the Angels.

“For this organization to do that, we needed to have a young core to build around,” said Minasian, who just completed his fourth season as the general manager. “And I believe in this young core. We finally have it. It’s really exciting to watch.”

Minasian expressed his desire to retain all the coaches, emphasizing that “continuity is really important to me.”

While some might find it surprising given that the Angels just finished with 99 losses, Minasian believes there’s more to consider. He encourages fans to look beyond the surface and understand his perspective.

“For our fans, the ones that have been following us over the last three years and have gone through what we’ve gone through the last three years, I wouldn’t jump off the bandwagon now,” he said. “This team is going to improve. It’s going to be an exciting team to watch going forward. Again, I wouldn’t jump off a bandwagon now.”

Angels fans are justified in their skepticism.

The team hasn't reached the playoffs since 2014, marking the longest active postseason drought in MLB, and they haven't finished with a winning record since 2015.

Star players like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon have failed to stay healthy and the team's lack of depth was exposed during such a tough season.

Regardless, the Angels' general manager was able to identify the positive aspects amid the disappointment.