For the first time in 66 years, the Angels reached 100 losses—despite Mike Trout’s best season in a decade. The Angels were standing at the precipice with 99 losses before the season finale against the Seattle Mariners. Despite struggling in previous years, the Angels were the only MLB franchise to never lose 100 games in a single season until now. The Angels were unable to prevent their downfall as they fell 7-3 to the Mariners.

Although former MVP Mike Trout played in 142 games, his most active season in the last decade in terms of games played, he did not step out in the season finale. Trout’s return to center field and regular availability should have stabilized the roster. Instead, the team performed worse than ever. Talkin’ Baseball noted the same on their X handle.

“Mike Trout’s 142 games played were his most since 2016 as the Angels lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history. They were the only remaining franchise without a 100-loss season,” Talkin’ Baseball wrote on X.

The 12-time All-Star recorded a .242/.382/.421 slash line and an .803 OPS. He hit 22 homers, 26 doubles, 86 runs, and 54 RBIs in his most active season in ten years. The last time Trout played in more games was in 2016, when he recorded 159 appearances. His 634 plate appearances this year are also the highest in a decade.

Trout also returned to center field this season and played 109 games at the position. He thanked manager Kurt Suzuki for letting him return to center field after playing in right field in 2025.

“I want to thank Zuk [Suzuki] for just trusting me to go out there and play the position I played my whole life,” Trout said, per MLB.com. “We had great communication the whole year on how I felt. And like I said, just appreciate Zuk just sticking with it.”

Trout recorded two errors at center field this season. His -5 OAA is below the league average, though his 83rd percentile in sprint speed is well above MLB average. Trout also avoided frequent injuries this year. His only injury was the right hamstring strain, which forced him to miss 17 games. Trout’s presence in the dugout could not save the Angels from a historic franchise collapse.

In the 66 years of franchise existence, the Angels have won only one World Series (2002) and haven’t played in the postseason since 2014. The Angels’ last playoff run ended with a sweep by the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS. With their 100th loss, the Angels surpassed their previous franchise record of 99 losses from 2024.

The Colorado Rockies have also lost 100 games this season. It is their fourth consecutive season with 100 losses. The Athletics lead MLB with 18 100-loss seasons, while the Philadelphia Phillies have 14. The Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles each have 13 100-loss seasons. The San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox have only one 100-loss season. The Dodgers have not lost 100 games since 1908, when they were known as the Brooklyn Superbas. The New York Yankees also did not have a 100-loss season under their current name. They were known as the Highlanders when they finished 50-102 in 1912.

This season marked the end of Arte Moreno’s era, and perhaps the outcome is fitting, considering that earlier in the year, Moreno said winning is not the top priority for the home fans. Fans also regularly protested against Moreno in the upper deck, asking him to “sell the team.” Moreno bought the franchise in 2003, and during his 23 years of ownership, the Angels made it to the playoffs only 6 times. They are experiencing a postseason drought since 2014.

The former owner ultimately sold the team on September 1 to Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. The transaction is underway. The ownership change will be finalized when the league approves.

The Angels had a tumultuous year in the front office, also. Their team president, John Carpino, retired in March after 23 years with the franchise. The Angels fired general manager Perry Minasian in June and all the pitching coaches in August. After the Angels dismissed pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti, and others, their pitching staff logged a dramatic late-season turnaround. Interim general manager John Mozeliak promoted the use of technology like TrackMan within the team, and interim pitching coach Tim Leveque delivered.

Before the change, the Angels held a 4.51 ERA and a league-high 508 walks. They cemented the turnaround when the Angels’ starters posted a stellar 2.51 ERA in August, the lowest in franchise history since April 1982, per USA Today. Reid Detmers (2.40 ERA in September) delivered an ace-level performance while rookie Walbert Urena posted a 2.57 ERA.

Meanwhile, Mike Trout has expressed his excitement about the new ownership.

Mike Trout on future Angels ownership

Trout is under a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension that runs through the 2030 season. It also has a no-trade clause. However, he has never shown interest in leaving the franchise. Rather, Trout has repeatedly expressed his desire to win a championship for the team. Trout’s shot at a championship might come with the ownership change if they eventually build a team around him.

According to CNBC, Arte Moreno agreed to sell the controlling stake in the Los Angeles Angels to Stan Kroenke’s Kroenke Sports and Entertainment for a record $4 billion. Trout told the reporters that, though he has not had a chance to speak with Kroenke yet, he had promising conversations with people within the ownership group.

“It’s super exciting,” Trout said, per MLB.com. “The conversations that we had, I’m obviously going to keep it in-house but it was very positive. And it gets me excited.”

The ownership group already owns an impressive sports portfolio that includes the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and Arsenal in the English Premier League. With all of them winning titles recently, the Angels can surely hope for a better 2027.