Angels Hold Steady in Latest National Power Rankings

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 17, 2024

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

With Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in the past, the Los Angeles Angels are looking ahead to the second half of the season.

The Angels have gone 20-17 since June 3 despite going 5-8 in July. They ended the first half on a 4-1 hot streak, including a series win over the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners.

Their last week kept them at No. 26 in Newsweek's Major League Baseball Power Rankings that were published on Wednesday. At 41-55, the Angels trail the Toronto Blue Jays (44-52) and lead the Oakland Athletics (37-61), Miami Marlins (33-62), Colorado Rockies (34-63) and Chicago White Sox (27-71).

“It’s just fun watching these guys grow, it really is,” manager Ron Washington said. “When we lost Trout and those guys early in the year, the spotlight was on all those young kids. In my heart, those young kids stepped up and grew faster than we expected them to. I’m proud of the way they handled it. And now we’re starting to get those guys back and the dynamic is changing.”

Washington hopes his young squad builds off its first-half momentum and gains confidence throughout the second half. He also acknowledged the season might get harder if the Angels trade away some of the team's veteran leadership.

“The only thing we’re trying to tackle in the second half is finding sustainability and consistency,” Washington said. “As far as getting to this point from Day 1 to right now, it's been about growth and trying to learn how to grind, trying to learn how to win. Hopefully in the second half a lot of that will come into play.”