Ron Washington does not hold back when considering what his young core of players can become in 2025.
Even though their accomplishments last season were not enough to prevent the team from setting a franchise record with 99 losses, the Angels’ manager has no trouble looking at many of those same players and seeing much more.
And he wants everyone else to see the same thing.
“They’ve been through it already where you allowed them to show you they can get better,” Washington said. “Now, they have to deal with expectations, and I would like you to put expectations on them.
“They are at the point now where they’ve been through it. If what they’ve done already is their ceiling, we’re in trouble.”
The projections have the Angels enduring another losing season in 2025. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2014 and haven’t had a winning season since 2015. The addition of 30-and-older pitchers like Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks and Kenley Jansen and hitters Jorge Soler and Travis d’Arnaud have not moved the needle much. Players at that age are generally expected to get worse.
The Angels’ hope for improvement is from the other end of the roster. If the Angels are to surprise the baseball world and have a winning season or even make the playoffs, it will be because the core of 25-and-under players took the steps forward that Washington is expecting.
And they’re expecting it too.
“I feel that way, 100%,” said shortstop Zach Neto, the 24-year-old who is the heart of that core. “We know what we have in here building for the future. I think it’s going to be something special.”
Angels general manager Perry Minasian answered more cautiously when asked if it’s realistic to expect significant jumps from their young core players.
“I hope so,” Minasian said. “With the talent they have, the sky’s the limit. Does that happen this year? I don’t know. Obviously everybody has different time frames. You’re going to go through some adversity. But we believe with the group we have and the group we have coming, and what we surrounded them with this offseason, the caliber of player and person, we’re only hoping to enhance that particular group.”
The core is undoubtedly Neto, 25-year-old catcher Logan O’Hoppe and 23-year-old first baseman Nolan Schanuel.
Last season, those players had varying degrees of success. None of them were All-Stars or Silver Slugger winners. None of them received even a single MVP vote. None of them made an MLB Network list of the top 100 players in the majors right now.
But recent history suggests that their performance bodes well for the type of players they could become.
Neto was one of just 18 position players in the last 15 seasons who produced at least 5 Wins Above Replacement in his age-23 season, according to Baseball-Reference. Of the other 17, only one hasn’t made at least one All-Star team in his career.
Schanuel is one of only 34 position players in the last 15 seasons to have an OPS+ of 100 or better in his age-22 season. From that list, 28 players went on to become All-Stars, and one of the ones who didn’t was the Rookie of the Year, Michael Harris II.
O’Hoppe is one of just three catchers in the last 15 years to have an OPS+ of at least 100 in his age-24 season. The other two both became All-Stars.
Each of those three has specific goals to take the next step.
O’Hoppe hit .244 with 20 home runs and a .712 OPS last season, but those numbers cratered after his OPS peaked at .826 around midseason.
“There’s a lot I need to improve on,” O’Hoppe said. “I would say managing at-bats, and really my catching in general, especially when I’m not feeling my best. How can I get a professional, productive at-bat out of myself if I’m not feeling well? And how can I keep a clear mind behind the plate, even when I’m not feeling well at the plate?”
Neto hit .249 with 23 home runs, 30 stolen bases and a .761 OPS. Neto, who is starting the season on the injured list because of rehab from shoulder surgery, said he expects to improve as long as he stays on the field.
“Just being healthy throughout, and building off the the year I had,” Neto said. “Last year I took a huge step from what I did my first year. Just trying not to be an (inconsistent) player. I’m trying to stay on that rise.”
Schanuel hit .250 with 13 homers and a .706 OPS. His slugging percentage was just .362, which is low for a corner infielder, so he spent his winter trying to improve his bat speed and exit velocity.
“I think I put a lot of time and effort into it this offseason, and seeing some progress already in spring training,” Schanuel said. “Seeing a step forward is definitely a good sign.”
While Neto, O’Hoppe and Schanuel are clearly the key players in the young core, there are others who have shown flashes of good performances while still not being in their prime years. A player’s best years are generally when he is 27 to 29.
Right-hander José Soriano, 26, posted a 3.42 ERA in his first year as a major-league starting pitcher. Right-hander Ben Joyce, 24, had a 2.08 ERA and established himself as a high-leverage reliever.
Others like outfielders Jo Adell (25) and Mickey Moniak (26) and pitchers Reid Detmers (25) and Jack Kochanowicz (24) have less of a track record of success, but they are still young enough for the Angels to see the possibility of breakouts.
Of course, none of that is certain. And Angels fans have earned the right to be skeptical.
Some players start their careers on a star trajectory and stall or even get worse. Some get hurt. Some take years to break through.
Two of the Angels’ everyday players are perfect examples. Taylor Ward didn’t have a 100 OPS+ season until his age-26 season, and his breakout season – a 136 OPS+ in 2022 – came as a 28-year-old. Luis Rengifo didn’t look like much until his age-25 season, and his subsequent improvement has been small. He’s now 28.
Caveats like that suggest that the Angels’ true window to win might not open this year. It might be in 2026 or 2027, when O’Hoppe, Neto and Schanuel are closer to their primes, and joined by players like Christian Moore (22), Caden Dana (21), George Klassen (23) and whoever they take with the No. 2 overall pick in this summer’s draft.
But Washington is counting on significant steps this season.
“It could be a surprise team, but I won’t be surprised,” Washington said. “I expect it. Put expectations on them. If you can’t deal with expectations, how can you be successful?”