Angels Achieve Historic 100-Loss Season as New Ownership Era Begins

The Los Angeles Angels have ended their season with a 7-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, officially recording their first 100-loss season in franchise history. This marks a grim milestone, as the Angels become the final Major League Baseball franchise to reach triple-digit losses in a single season.

The defeat on Sunday capped a grueling campaign for the Angels, who finished with a 62-100 record, surpassing the 63-99 mark set in 2024. Franchise star Mike Trout observed the final game from the dugout on a scheduled day off. Earlier in the week, shortstop Zach Neto had expressed a desire for the team to avoid reaching this historic low, but the season's conclusion proved unforgiving.

Former Mariner Yusei Kikuchi started on the mound for the Angels, allowing three runs in five innings. The Mariners extended their lead with a costly throwing error by the Angels and a two-run double. Despite a solo home run from Jose Siri late in the game, the Angels could not overcome the deficit.

This season of historic losses occurs as a new era dawns for the franchise. The controlling interest of the Angels is set to be sold to Stan Kroenke's group for a reported $4 billion, a record sale price for an MLB team. The team's performance had already prompted significant changes earlier in the season, with General Manager Perry Minasian being fired on June 26. Interim GM John Mozeliak subsequently traded several established players, including Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Logan O'Hoppe, and Chase Silseth, to acquire prospects and rebuild the roster around a young core.

For the Angels' fanbase, enduring the team's lowest historical point, the incoming ownership under Kroenke, known for building championship teams in other professional sports, offers a potential vision for future success.