Los Angeles Angels Hire Kurt Suzuki as Manager
The Los Angeles Angels have announced Kurt Suzuki as their new manager, a decision that marks a significant shift for the franchise. Suzuki, a veteran catcher with an extensive career in Major League Baseball, takes on the role without prior experience as a professional coach. His main mission will be to revitalize a team facing the longest playoff drought in MLB.
Suzuki, 42, played for 16 seasons for five different teams, including his 2019 World Series victory with the Washington Nationals. In the last three years, he served as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.
The search for the new manager also considered former Angels stars like Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter. The need for a change arose after the absence of Ron Washington, who missed a large part of the 2025 season due to quadruple bypass surgery.
Ray Montgomery, who took on the role of interim manager during Washington’s absence, received an offer to continue in the organization, but in a different position and not as the head manager.
Suzuki inherits a team with considerable offensive potential, but with questions in pitching. Shortstop Zach Neto stands out as one of the most complete players in the game. Outfielders Jo Adell and Taylor Ward, for their part, demonstrated their power by hitting a combined 73 home runs in the 2025 season. Mike Trout, under contract until 2030, and catcher Logan O’Hoppe, along with first baseman Nolan Schanuel and second baseman Christian Moore, complete a promising young core.
The Angels’ rotation, aside from Yusei Kikuchi and José Soriano, is in a state of constant change. The bullpen also presents uncertainties that could affect the team’s aspirations in a division that includes the Seattle Mariners.
Suzuki, who played his last two seasons as a backup catcher for the Angels in 2021 and 2022, received praise for his handling of the pitching staff. With this appointment, he becomes the fifth manager of the organization since Mike Scioscia ended his 19-year tenure in 2018, succeeding Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin, and Washington.
Under Scioscia’s direction, the Angels won their first World Series championship in 2002 and clinched five American League West Division titles between 2004 and 2009. The 2009 season marked the last time the team won a playoff game. They have only returned to the postseason once, in 2014, being swept in the American League Division Series by the Kansas City Royals. The 2025 season, which concluded with a 72-90 record, marked their tenth consecutive season with negative numbers.
Fans have expressed their discontent with the management of Arte Moreno, the team owner, criticizing him for his excessive involvement in baseball operations, the lack of investment in player development, and decisions considered unwise. One of the most notable was not trading Shohei Ohtani before he became a free agent and subsequently not matching the contract offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sources close to the situation indicated that Moreno initially considered Pujols as manager at the start of the offseason, but ultimately opted for another direction after a breakdown in negotiations.
