The Los Angeles Angels have sacked Ron Washington, bringing an end to what was one of the hardest seasons in recent franchise history. Washington, who had been a baseball manager for decades and had been to two World Series, will not be back in 2026. The choice is another turning point for a team that has had four managers in five years.
Washington’s 2025 season took a terrible turn on June 20 when he left the team for health reasons. The 73-year-old manager had quadruple bypass surgery, which he told the public about in August. Ray Montgomery, the team’s bench coach, took over as manager while Washington was away. Montgomery had been with the Angels since 2020, first as director of player personnel and then as bench coach in 2022.
Sam Blum of The Athletic broke the news on X, reporting that “Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery will not return as Angels manager in 2026, a source told @TheAthletic. Still no confirmed information regarding Perry Minasian. The Angels will have a new manager next year.” The announcement effectively put an end to any hopes Washington may have had of returning after he got better. Owner Arte Moreno and the front office made it clear that they didn’t want Washington to keep managing, even though he was emotionally attached to the game.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Washington’s record with the Angels shows how hard it is to manage a team with few good players, not because he was a bad manager. The team went 63-99 in its first season and got a little better, going 72-90 in 2025. His previous success with the Texas Rangers, including making the World Series in 2010 and 2011, showed that he could do well with competitive teams. The Angels are looking for a new manager again, and there are still questions about GM Perry Minasian’s future that need answering.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Those numbers, however disappointing, barely capture the frustration that defined the season’s last days. Washington’s tenure concluded on the field, mirroring the abrupt end to his managerial run.
Ron Washington’s Angels conclude forgettable campaign
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports
Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports
The change in management comes after a season that ended painfully. On Sunday, the Los Angeles Angels lost their last game to the Houston Astros 6-2. This was their 13th loss in the last 16 games. The fans in Anaheim saw another disappointing chapter in what has become a ten-year story of failure.
One of the few good things about that last game was Mike Trout. His first-inning home run traveled 443 feet, tying the game at 1-1 and giving him five home runs in seven games. The three-time MVP had a rough patch before this, hitting only one home run in 36 games from August 8 to September 19. His late-season power surge gave us a taste of what could have been.
Rookie lefty Sam Aldegheri kept Houston from scoring for four innings, but he gave up four runs in the fifth. The Angels had a chance to win in the ninth inning when the bases were loaded, but Taylor Ward struck out looking to end any chance of a comeback. Trout ended the season with a .232 batting average, 26 home runs, and a career-worst .798 OPS in 130 games.
The final score is bad: 72-90 overall, last place in the division, and their tenth straight losing season. The Angels haven’t made the playoffs in eleven years. The nine-game improvement from 2024 doesn’t help much when the drought keeps going on.