5 bold Angels predictions for Kurt Suzuki's first (and maybe only) year at the helm

The Los Angeles Angels made a change at the top this past winter — though some fans will argue the switch didn't go high enough up the chain of command. Regardless, former Angels manager Ron Washington was let go this offseason, and Los Angeles anointed Kurt Suzuki as the new skipper.

Angels' owner Arte Moreno isn't showing much faith in his first-year manager, however. Suzuki is only signed to a one-year deal, and based on the way things have gone so far this spring, he could be one-and-done in the City of Angels.

Predicting the outcome of a 162-game season is no easy task, especially for a team as volatile as the Angels. But let's see just how bold we can get while still keeping some of these prognostications within reason.

Reid Detmers returns to the Angels bullpen

The Angels made the decision last season to move Reid Detmers to the bullpen. Things went so well that they...decided to move him back to the starting rotation. Detmers made 61 relief appearances last season and posted a 3.96 ERA and 3.12 FIP while striking out 30.1% of the batters he faced.

As a starter, Detmers' K-rate is just 25% and he owns a career 4.90 ERA and 4.27 FIP. It won't take long for the Halos to realize that they should've just left well enough alone. Look for Detmers to return to the bullpen before the All-Star break.

Jorge Soler starts more games in the outfield than Josh Lowe

The Angels made a trade for outfielder Josh Lowe during the offseason, but he's already struggling with something that's plagued him in the past — injuries. Lowe missed nearly 120 games over the past two seasons, and an oblique injury has sidelined this spring.

With Mike Trout moving back to center field, Jo Adell has been pushed to right field, and it's assumed that Lowe will be LA's Opening Day left fielder. Though he may be able to avoid the IL before the start of the season, don't expect it to last. Look for Jorge Soler — who should be the team's DH — to have more outfield starts in 2026 than Lowe.

Nelson Rada makes his Angels debut in May

Speaking of the Angels outfield, LA's brass is very high on Nelson Rada. The 20-year-old's glove is ahead of his bat, but that's never stopped the Halos from making rushed decisions with their top prospects.

Rada made it all the way to Triple-A Salt Lake last season and hit .323/.433/.416 in 42 games with the Bees. If he starts the 2026 season the way he finished in 2025, the Angels won't hesitate to call him up before the calendar flips to June.

Only one Angels starter from Opening Day roster will survive the season

Don't take this prediction to be all gloom and doom. There's a good reason that nearly every Angels starter won't finish the season on the active roster — they're not very good. Or, in the case of Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah, they're injury-prone.

Yusei Kikuchi could be moved at this year's deadline. Starting pitching is always in high demand, and that extra year on his current deal could give added incentive for another club to swing a deal. So, if you're keeping score at home, the only starter who's likely to survive the season will be Jose Soriano. But with players like Tyler Bremner, Ryan Johnson, and George Klassen waiting in the wings, this isn't all bad.

Angels GM Perry Minasian is fired shortly after the MLB deadline

It's tough to be an Angels fan right now, but it's arguably even tougher to be the team's general manager. Though Minasian has caused his fair share of problems over the years, the financial restrictions he's operating under this year have definitely made his job increasingly difficult.

Unless the Halos are in the playoff hunt around the All-Star break, this team should be a seller at the MLB trade deadline. One could easily see Moreno getting a head start on the offseason checklist and cutting bait with Minasian shortly after the August 3 deadline.