MLB power rankings: Angels' 12-month disaster shows no signs of stopping

No, it probably won’t be the worst season in Los Angeles Angels franchise history. Yet you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more disastrous 12-month period than the one about to wrap up.

On July 26, 2023, the Angels were fired up, trading a handful of prospects to acquire Chicago White Sox pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. A day later, Shohei Ohtani pitched his greatest game as a professional, one-hitting the Detroit Tigers in a doubleheader sweep.

And then? Well, the bottom fell out.

Just three games out of a wild card spot and flush with reinforcements, the Angels finished that season 18-40. Ohtani blew out his arm in August and left as a free agent in December. The veterans were flipped to save luxury tax penalties as quickly as they were brought in.

It’s gone no better this season, with a 41-57 mark and .418 winning percentage, which would be third-worst in franchise history, and they kicked off the second half by dropping a pair of games to the woebegone Oakland Athletics and cementing their status in the bottom five of USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

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Some good news: Mike Trout should return this week after missing nearly three months with a meniscus tear. Perhaps that will kickstart 12 months of better vibes. It’s not a very tough act to follow.

A look at this week’s rankings:

1. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

• J.T. Realmuto returns and the gang's all here.

2. Baltimore Orioles (+1)

• They're 13-7 in Corbin Burnes' starts – and the AL is 1-0.

3. Cleveland Guardians (-1)

• Very quietly have lost seven of 10.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)

• If your current closer (Evan Phillips) is on the struggle bus, might as well win a game off your old closer (Kenley Jansen).

5. New York Yankees (-1)

• Aaron Boone says they keep getting beat on third and long, otherwise known as days Gerrit Cole doesn't pitch.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

• They can sweeten the trade market by knocking the Cubs further from contention this week.

7. Atlanta Braves (-1)

• Shelving Max Fried and Ozzie Albies probably puts division hopes out of reach.

8. Boston Red Sox (-)

• All-Star MVP Jarren Duran was drafted three GM regimes ago.

9. Minnesota Twins (-)

• A Brewers sweep in the Upper Midwest jamboree means they're once again tied with the...

10. Kansas City Royals (-)

• With first career complete game, Seth Lugo's starter transformation is, well, complete.

11. Houston Astros (+1)

• Won't see Mariners again until Sept. 23. Might live rent-free in their heads until then.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (+1)

• Struggling Paul Goldschmidt sinks to No. 7 in lineup, lowest he's hit as a Cardinal.

13. Seattle Mariners (-2)

• Six runs scored Sunday breaks four-game streak of zero, one, or two pushed across.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (+1)

• Jordan Montgomery should be back this week, with Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly not far behind.

15. San Diego Padres (+1)

• Dylan Cease and Michael King come out of break unhittable.

16. New York Mets (-2)

• Kodai Senga is back this week.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (+1)

• Taj Bradley emerging as frontline guy.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)

• Win a series vs. Phillies on a Skenes-less weekend. This bears watching.

19. Texas Rangers (-2)

• Reality sets in: They're 11th among 15 AL teams.

20. San Francisco Giants (-)

• Hayden Birdsong's 12 strikeouts vs. Colorado most by a Giants rookie since Timmy Lincecum in 2007.

21. Washington Nationals (+2)

• James Wood's three-run homer caps stirring sweep of Cincy.

22. Detroit Tigers (+2)

• Trade Tarik Skubal? Silly talk.

23. Cincinnati Reds (-2)

• Nine-game trip begins grimly - and has to turn around at Atlanta and Tampa Bay or it's break up the band.

24. Chicago Cubs (-2)

• Back of rotation is low-key killing them; just 4-14 in Kyle Hendricks' starts.

25. Toronto Blue Jays (-)

• Will it be one stick of dynamite or a skyscraper implosion come deadline day?

26. Los Angeles Angels (-)

• Win their final game ever at Oakland Coliseum.

27. Oakland Athletics (-)

• Zack Gelof's average drops to .199.

28. Colorado Rockies (-)

• Todd Helton could relate to this squad, as the Hall of Famer finished fourth or fifth in 12 of his 17 seasons.

29. Miami Marlins (-)

• Jazz Chisholm says Miami is "home for me." We'll see for how much longer.

30. Chicago White Sox (-)

• Have been swept 14 times.

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