Angels' biggest 2026 disappointment according to ESPN should have John Mozeliak on notice

The Los Angeles Angels are at a crossroads. That can sound like a bad thing, but in this case, it's really not. For the first time in a long time, the club has multiple pathways to a brighter future. All they have to do is decide whether they want to go all-in and try to compete in 2027, or try to pull off a slower build around their rising farm system.

If the Angels choose the former route, they'll have a key strength in their budding starting rotation. There will be work to be done to strengthen the lineup around Zach Neto and Mike Trout, but the key issue might be what ESPN highlighted as Los Angeles's biggest 2026 disappointment: the bullpen.

The Halos have tried multiple different strategies to try and make their relief corps work. The original plan was to rely on veteran reclamation projects with lengthy injury histories. That trio of Jordan Romano, Drew Pomeranz, and Kirby Yates worked out about as well as you could expect. Injuries and mostly poor performance was the norm.

For much of the season, the club's saves leader has been Romano with four, despite his being released at the end of April. It was only recently that Ben Joyce notched his fifth save of the year to pass him for sole possession of the team lead.

When the veteran retread path didn't work, Los Angeles turned to some young, inexperienced arms and filled the gaps with well-traveled journeymen like Shaun Anderson. This method may not have been as disastrous, but it's a stretch to say that it's really working.

The Angels will have to invest in the bullpen this offseason, but there are some building blocks on the roster

If John Mozeliak is still running the show this winter, he's going to need to prioritize bringing in some accomplished (and uninjured) veteran relievers. At least one needs to have experience performing in high-leverage situations, too.

With that said, the cupboard isn't entirely bare. The Angels' unit that began the season posted a 24th-ranked 4.61 ERA during the first half, however, as the young arms were infused the tide turned. From the All-Star Break onward, Halos' relievers have compiled a 3.76 ERA that ranks 13th.

Samy Natera Jr. and Jose Fermin look like legitimate pieces. Joyce, as long as he can stay healthy, has a chance to be dominant. Other youngsters, like Sam Bachman, haven't experienced the same level of success, though.

At the end of the day, relievers in general are volatile, and the samples aren't huge on these young guns. They could be huge for the future, but the wise move would be to complement them with a couple of veterans that have lengthy track records of high-leverage excellence.

In that way, the Angels can take this from a group that might come out slightly above average if everything breaks right, and turn it into a true strength. Overwhelming strengths are what win out over time, and if Los Angeles is serious about competing as soon as possible, that's what the bullpen needs to become. This can no longer be a group that is typically ignored.

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