Latest MLB poll shows Angels could be drifting toward troubling new low

Opening Day has arrived, and if we're being honest, it was a treacherous journey just for the Los Angeles Angels to get to this point. They have a new manager in Kurt Suzuki, though no one truly expects him to be around past this season.

Their biggest offseason move was trading for oft-injured starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, who will open the season on the IL. Spring training confirmed how laughable their experiment with Alek Manoah was, and they might possibly be facing another lawsuit.

While there have been signs that Mike Trout might be turning back the clock and re-emerge as one of the top superstars in baseball this season, the dysfunction surrounding the Angels' roster and front office may drown out the optimism.

It truly feels like Arte Moreno is just biding his time until he sells the franchise. The 2026 season is a wash year for the franchise. There are very few long-term building blocks on the Opening Day roster; their farm system isn't the healthiest, and the impression is that a regime change will take place next offseason.

Opening Day is not meant to leave a bad taste in the mouths of baseball fans, but this is the bed that the Angels have chosen. It's also why overall fan interest in the team may be dwindling. FanSided's Zachary Rotman recently ranked the baseball teams on their watchability, and to the surprise of no one, the Angels weren't listed.

If the Athletics have a better baseball product, that's a big problem for the Angels

That's not saying that the Angels don't have fans out there: it's just to say that it's going to be a long season. What makes things worse for LA is the fact that the Athletics snuck their way onto Rotman's list, landing at No. 14. As the regular season gets underway, many are pointing to the Athletics being the surprise contender.

If anything, it's a reminder that the Angels may no longer have a buffer between them and the bottom of the American League West division.

If there is a silver lining to be found, it's that the outside noise doesn't appear to be getting to the Angels. Zach Neto and Co. have embraced the reality that most baseball evaluators are already counting them out. There will need to be results on the field first, and by then, perhaps the product will actually become watchable.