3 unheralded Angels who could swing 2026 from failure to success

The Los Angeles Angels are not expected to do a ton this season. They finished in last place in the American League West in 2025 so no one is counting on them to set the world on fire. PECOTA projections have them finishing in last place yet again.

Failure for the 2026 Angels would be to remain at the bottom of the division. It's a bit too ambitious to think this team could win the AL West, but a success could simply be finishing higher in the division or having a record closer to .500. The Angels will need some things to go right to make that happen and it may have to involve three unheralded players who, like the team itself, are not expected to do a whole lot in 2026.

3 Angels who could help the team escape the cellar in 2026 if things break their way

Bryce Teodosio

One of the big question marks for the Halos right now is who will play center field? Mike Trout is open to playing there, but at this stage of his career that seems like it could be a disaster. Without a true center fielder, the team may have to turn to someone like Josh Lowe who has experience in center but is not an ideal guy to have out there every day.

Bryce Teodosio graded out as a top-10 center fielder defensively last season in a smaller sample size, but he has not hit well enough to warrant more playing time. What if that changes in 2026? Maybe this season could be the year he becomes just a league-average hitter. That may not sound all that thrilling, but combined with his stellar defense that could change everything for Los Angeles.

He slashed .276/.339/.418 with five homers, 51 runs batted in, and 40 stolen bases in 114 games at Triple-A in 2024. The Angels need some of that to translate to the majors this season.

Ben Joyce

Another key question for the Angels is who will close games for the team in 2026? Robert Stephenson seems to have the inside track as of right now, but Ben Joyce is another candidate waiting to break out.

Joyce has incredible velocity and regularly hits triple-digits on the radar gun, but he has struggled with injuries in his big league career. His impressive 2.08 ERA in 31 appearances in 2024 should give the Angels hope that he can establish himself as a late-inning arm in 2026.

Vaughn Grissom

The Angels acquired Vaughn Grissom in a trade with the Boston Red Sox this past offseason. The 25-year-old has not put up impressive numbers in the big leagues thus far, but his 2025 Triple-A numbers point to a potential breakout.

In 96 Triple-A games he slashed .270/.342/.441 with 13 home runs and 48 runs batted in. He's a sneaky candidate who could put pressure on, and maybe even supplant, Christian Moore at second base. No one is expecting the Angels to do much in 2026, but if these three players can step up and surprise some folks then maybe the Angels can outperform the low expectations set for them.