Angels' Coach Excited By New Pitching Lab Project

The Angels' spring training ballpark is the Cactus League's oldest — and their pitchers could use an upgrade.

From 2019-23, Angels pitchers have accumulated a 4.60 earned-run average, 24th in Major League Baseball. While other teams below them on the list have built-in excuses like a hitter-friendly ballpark, or an obvious rebuilding phase, the Angels have none.

The team has consistently run a competitive player payroll, enough to put them in line to acquire good pitchers. Their ballpark is fairly neutral, favoring neither pitchers nor hitters. 

Outwardly, team officials and players have suggested the Angels are competing for a championship year after year. Yet their pitching has lagged behind their peers.

The last five seasons are particularly telling. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, who cited former coaches in the organization, there was "basically no state-of-the-art technology available" to Angels' pitchers until 2019. Even with the tech at their disposal, the Angels have needed more.

That's one reason why the reported renovations to the Angels' spring training complex in Tempe, Arizona have held such promise. At least one newcomer to the organization can't wait to get the renovations started.

“I know that free agents that we will attract over the next few years will be excited to hear that we have this as well. But I’ve seen the plans, and I can’t wait for it to come to fruition for us.”

— Angels pitching coach Barry Enright,

via The Athletic

The plans include new pitching and hitting labs, according to the report. Renovations to Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Cactus League's oldest ballpark, have been in the works since the Angels and the city of Tempe reached agreement on a $51 million upgrade in 2021.

Exactly what the renovations would entail, and when they would take place have been difficult to pin down. The Times reported groundbreaking was originally scheduled to take place in Jan. 2023. Angels owner Arte Moreno was exploring a sale of the club at the time, however, and the team asked for a delay in order to allow any new owner to have his input.

Since then, Moreno has pulled the team off the market, and it's unclear when groundbreaking will begin. Enright, for one, is pushing for the pitching lab sooner rather than later.

“It’s huge. Guys are starting to ask about it now. And again, it is only a tool. But it’s a big tool to have. … I’m on them every week to make sure that this is happening.”

— Angels pitching coach Barry Enright