Angels Manager Ron Washington Explains His Thinking Behind Coaching Staff Hires

The new five coaches are a blend of ages, ethnicities, and experience levels.

Once he agreed to become the next manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Ron Washington wasted no time in creating one of the most diverse and unique coaching staffs in baseball.

Joining Washington and the Angels this season are Bo Porter, Eric Young Sr., Johnny Washington, Barry Enright, and Tim Laker, creating a uniquely diverse staff that varies in ethnicity and age.

As the Angels' coaching staff is entirely brand-new for 2024, Washington recently appeared on MLB Hot Stove to explain his reasoning for each hire, and how important they will be to each guy in the clubhouse.

“Yes, it’s my coaching staff. There’s no doubt about that. I wanted to put some teachers together, guys that will be out there, getting after it, trying to teach the game of baseball every single day.”

Ron Washington via MLB Hot Stove

Washington has always been considered one of the best teachers of baseball and an ultimate "players' coach."

He has already spoken with Angels superstar centerfielder Mike Trout and asked what he thinks has gone wrong with the team over the years.

Since 2018, when Mike Scioscia managed his final game after 19 years on the bench, the Angels have cycled through four managers in five years. Washington will look to take them back to the postseason for the first time since 2014.  

In the meantime, their excuses for underperforming have ranged from poor player development, injuries to star players, and inconsistency among their non-stars. The team hasn't finished with a winning record since 2015. For whatever reason, the Angels have been nothing more than a dark-horse contender that has failed to put it all together for the last decade.

Washington's staff is one of the most diverse in baseball. Porter, Young, and Johnny Washington are African-American. Enright, 37, is five years removed from his final season as a pitcher. Laker, 54, is new to the Angels after coaching for four different organizations since retiring as a player in 2006.

It will be interesting to see if and how the coaches' diversity translates to the field. 

Will the Angels have a different take on baseball than years past? We could look to see a blend of new-school and old-school baseball informed by analytics, but unafraid of playing small ball.

Before coaching the Angels, Washington was the third base coach for the Atlanta Braves and is also a former manager of the Texas Rangers. In 2010 and 2011, Washington led the Rangers to the World Series. In 2021, he was part of the Braves' staff that won the World Series.