The Los Angeles Angels have officially made MLB history for all the wrong reasons as their miserable 2026 campaign nears its conclusion. A recent 5-2 loss against the Boston Red Sox completely extinguished whatever microscopic playoff chances the team still possessed. The struggling franchise now officially holds the longest postseason drought among all active Major League Baseball teams at a staggering 12 seasons. This painful mathematical elimination serves as yet another devastating conclusion for a fanbase desperate for sustained success.
“The Los Angeles Angels ELIMINATED from playoff contention,” said the image uploaded on X by Talkin’ Baseball. And the franchise was the first team to confirm elimination this season.
The Angels are 54-90, sitting at the bottom of the AL West. Their .375 win percentage is the worst in MLB this year, and it shows just how far they have been from contention. They have dropped 12 of their last 14 games, reflecting hardly any signs of a bounce-back. Los Angeles has an ERA of 4.22, which puts them 20th in the league. Their batting average of .233 is even worse, as they are the third-worst in MLB. All these numbers suggest that there hasn’t been a single issue or a specific bad stretch that cost them a playoff spot. The Angels’ overall performance has been quite disappointing, making their final 18 games pointless.
But they are not so bad when looking at the AL West division only. It’s the only one in MLB this year with just a single team above .500, and that too by just 2 games. While the Houston Astros will get a buy for the postseason, Bleacher Report suggests that the Angels have a 21-22 record against their divisional rivals.
But that’s just one fraction of the story. The Angels went 11-18 against the AL East opponents. Against the AL Central, which has hardly been better than the division led by the Astros, the Angels have a dreadful 7-20 record.
But their struggle might not be over yet, and the remaining games may still hold some value. With a 54-90 record, the Angels are on pace for their 100-loss season in franchise history. They must win at least 9 games in this regular season to avoid another shameful record.
But it might not be all gloom for the franchise. In fact, one recent update has offered the players and the fans a lot of reason to be positive about their future.
Ownership change offers a potential reset
The Los Angeles Angels won the World Series in 2002, beating the San Francisco Giants. The following year, Arte Moreno bought the franchise for $180 million. But his ownership didn’t turn out to be as fruitful as the fans had expected. They have never made it to the World Series since then. And they already have the worst playoff drought.
There has been enough disappointment among the fans for the team’s repetitive poor performance. And the chants of “sell the team” became quite common. And it’s finally happening. Billionaire Stan Kroenke has agreed to take over as the new owner of the Angels for a record $4 billion valuation. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns the Los Angeles Rams, the cross-town NFL team. They also have teams like the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), and Arsenal F.C. (Premier League) under their umbrella.
While they are waiting for the other MLB owners to approve the deal, players and fans have welcomed the deal already.
Mike Trout, the franchise face, has openly admitted that such a change was needed. He said:
“No bad things, no hard feelings against Arte. But yeah, no, I’m super excited. The guys are excited. There’s a good vibe around the clubhouse, vibe around the stadium, and we’re all excited.”
This approved deal will officially end Moreno’s 23-year tenure and inject massive KSE resources directly into the struggling baseball operation. Kroenke is already reportedly planning to replace Angel Stadium with a massively improved, $2.5 billion ballpark in Anaheim to drastically boost revenue-generating opportunities.