3 Angels players who have turned their seasons around for the better, 2 for the worst

The Los Angeles Angels are a team that has gone from in postseason contention and buying heavily at the trade deadline to one that had just lost seven in a row since the deadline before finally winning last night and with a 1.9% chance to make the postseason according to FanGraphs.

Even after their win last night, the Angels trail in the division by 11.5 games and in the Wild Card race by 7.0 games. A miracle run isn't impossible, but it'd take just that for this team to squeak into the postseason for the first time since 2014.

The Angels recent struggles has nothing to do with three players who have completely turned their seasons around, but it does have more to do with two who have really struggled after hot starts.

LA Angels infielder Luis Rengifo has become a staple at the top of the order after a brutal start

Luis Rengifo has been the ultimate example of a player who's gone from the bottom to the top on this Angels team. After a promising 2022 season, Rengifo got off to an abysmal start in 2023. He wasn't quite playing everyday with all of the depth the Angels had, but he was also playing way more than his statistics said he deserved to.

With the Angels dealing with a myriad of injuries, Rengifo has been a guy the Angels have needed to step up, and boy, has he done just that. The switch-hitter had a .590 OPS through the month of June and seemed to be on the verge of losing his roster spot entirely. Since July 1, he's been a completely different player.

In his last 30 games, Rengifo has slashed .305/.381/.600 with seven home runs and 14 RBI. He's not only been one of the best hitters on the Angels in that stretch, but he's been one of the best hitters in all of baseball, as he's 18th in the sport with a 166 WRC+ since July 1.

Rengifo has seen his OPS rise from a miserable .590 to a much more manageable .725, and he seems to be only improving. Rengifo has settled in quite nicely into the leadoff spot as he's slashed .333/.392/.597 with four of his 11 home runs from that spot in the order this season. Rengifo should have an everyday role with all of the injuries and with how well he's played.

LA Angels pitcher Tyler Anderson is finally delivering consistent quality outings after a rough start to his Angels tenure

A couple of months into the season, it was fair to say Tyler Anderson was the worst free agent signing of the offseason. He went from being one of the best starting pitchers in baseball last season to one of the worst this season. Fortunately, he's turned his season around.

Through his first 12 starts of the season, Anderson had a 5.80 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched. He had some solid starts, but also had plenty of outings in which he looked uncompetitive out there. His walks and home runs shot up while the strikeouts plummeted.

Since his June 18th start in Kansas City, Anderson has been a whole lot better. The southpaw has a 3.54 ERA and a 3.32 FIP in his eight appearances (seven starts) since. His walks are still high, but he's done a much better job limiting the long ball, and he's been effective virtually every time out.

He's allowed three runs or fewer in every appearance but one, and he's given the Angels a bit more length as well.

His season ERA of 4.92 is not at all what the Angels envisioned it'd be, but he's been a whole lot better than he was. The last eight appearances from Anderson is what Angels fans expected to see from him all year. If he continues to be this solid down the stretch, his overall numbers will continue to look much better.

LA Angels pitcher Carlos Estevez has imploded after an unbelievable start

Outside of Shohei Ohtani, Carlos Estevez had a serious case of being the Angels MVP runner up in the first half. He had a 1.80 ERA and converted 21 saves in 21 tries while being named an all-star for the first time. The bullpen had its ups and downs, but Estevez was always reliable.

The second half has been a different story. Even before his blown saves, Estevez had rough outings against the Astros and Tigers and he simply hasn't looked like the same dominant pitcher he was from April through midway July.

It's not only Estevez's fault the Angels went on the losing skid that they did, but he sure played a huge role. The guy who was unstoppable in save situation has been beaten in each of his last two save chances. He blew a save against the Mariners on a Grand Slam to cost the Angels one game, and he gave up five runs while recording just one out against the Giants to the opener of that series. Those are two losses in their seven-game streak that they win if Estevez is first half Estevez.

The right-hander has seen his season ERA balloon from the aforementioned 1.80 to 3.57. Two blown saves aren't enough to move this guy from the closer spot yet, but he's certainly on thin ice with this team needing every win it can possibly get.

LA Angels pitcher Dominic Leone has continued to improve as an Angel

The Mets took a chance on Dominic Leone early this season after he opted out of his contract with the Rangers and at first, things didn't go too well. Through his first 19 appearances, he had a 5.66 ERA and was slumping alongside virtually every single one of his Mets teammates. Since recording four outs in an appearance against the Brewers which included three strikeouts, Leone has been a different guy.

Leone had a 1.80 ERA in his final 12 appearances as a Met with 15 strikeouts in 10 innings and showcasing some increased velocity. This caused the Angels to have interest in the veteran at the trade deadline, and considering what they gave up, I'd imagine they weren't the only team to want to acquire Leone.

Since arriving to the Angels, he's been just as effective. His first appearance came with two men on and nobody out against the Mariners. He did walk the leadoff batter, but got out of that jam allowing no runs to come across. Bases loaded nobody out, nothing. His next appearance also came against the Mariners and he delivered two scoreless frames in a game the Angels wound up losing.

Leone then appeared in the second game of the Giants series with the Angels bullpen completely taxed, trying to close out a win for the Angels. This wasn't a traditional save, he was asked to record six outs. He did allow a Wilmer Flores home run, but other than that, was spotless, recording his first save of the season.

The trade to acquire Leone seemed like it'd be the least impactful of the many moves Perry Minasian made, but he's been the best piece acquired thus far. He started his turnaround in New York and has continued it in Anaheim.