Angels' Shortstop: 'Hopefully It Couldn't Get Worse' After Team's Worst Season Ever

Jeremy Hanna | Sep 28, 2024

Sep 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) reacts after injuring himself during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Well, it's finally over. The Los Angeles Angels have finished 2024 with the worst record in franchise history.

While the Angels technically won more games in 1994 and 2020, they didn't lose 97 games. Los Angeles finished this season with a .394 win percentage.

When it came to reflection, no one was more harsh than manager Ron Washington, especially when it comes to talking about the future of his team.

“We’re going to get some baseball players who may not be superstars, but they know how to play,” Washington said, per Anthony De Leon of The Los Angeles Times. “We forgot to bring real baseball players into the organization. Nothing against those guys here, but they’re not big-league baseball players and they certainly can’t help us win a championship.”

Washington later backtracked these comments, but the criticism still stands. The Angels need to grow and develop into a better team. And quick.

According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, some members of the Angels' roster remain optimistic of the team's growth heading into the next season.

“Hopefully it couldn’t get worse than this,” shortstop Zach Neto said. “It’s a learning step for all of us.”

“What else do we do but be optimistic?” catcher Logan O'Hoppe asked. “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. Sleepless nights all year get pretty old after a while. It’s just frustrating. You feel the emotions, and at some point, you just don’t have any more emotions to feel.”

Even though O'Hoppe wasn't happy with the overall results, he felt that the team was a "good group."

“It’s pretty sickening,” O'Hoppe said. “Going into spring and expecting things to turn around, and then it 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. I don’t know. It’s just tough right now.”

Neto and O'Hoppe were highlights of this season. Neto offered stellar fielding alongside a .249 batting average, 23 home runs, 77 RBI, and 30 stolen bases.

Meanwhile, O'Hoppe continues to be one of the best building blocks for the Angels. This season, he maintained a .238 batting average with 20 home runs and 56 RBI across 135 games.

The Angels are in a great place for growth. Hopefully, they'll be able to come back from a season that was a disaster.

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