The Los Angeles Angels made a bold move on Tuesday, firing pitching coach Mike Maddux along with two of his assistants as the team looks to close out a difficult season on a different note.
Bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott were let go as well, leaving manager Kurt Suzuki’s staff reshaped with just 43 games remaining.
Interim general manager John Mozeliak made the call, pointing to a broader concern rather than one single issue. He said the pitching staff wasn’t making full use of the technology and analytical tools that have become standard across the league.
The Angels currently rank among the worst teams in baseball in ERA and walks allowed, numbers that reportedly weighed on the decision.
Tim Leveque steps in as interim pitching coach after working his first season at the Double-A level with the organization’s Rocket City affiliate.
He spent years in the St. Louis Cardinals system during Mozeliak’s tenure there, a connection that likely factored into his promotion. Michael Wuertz, who previously worked as the Angels’ minor league pitching coordinator, takes over as interim bullpen coach.
A Season of Turnover
This latest shake-up follows the June firing of general manager Perry Minasian and continues a rough stretch for the franchise under owner Arte Moreno.
The Angels are on pace for their eleventh straight losing season and twelfth consecutive year without a playoff appearance, both the longest active droughts in Major League Baseball.
Maddux, who turns 65 later this month, had spent decades coaching in the majors, including a run with the Texas Rangers that produced a championship and one of the league’s best pitching staffs. His departure from Los Angeles came after just one season on a one-year deal.
Players React to the Change
Pitcher Reid Detmers, one of the more analytically inclined arms on the roster, said he wasn’t surprised by the news given ongoing conversations about how the team could better use the data already available to it. He noted that leaning into available technology can only help players improve, even if not every pitcher wants to use it the same way.
Mozeliak made clear the pitching staff was the focus of this shift, not the offense. He said hitting coaches remain in place and that manager Kurt Suzuki isn’t going anywhere either, describing their working relationship in positive terms.
With the trade deadline behind them and the Angels firmly out of playoff contention, the front office appears focused on building a more modern, technology driven foundation heading into next season.
