The Angels have overhauled the pitching side of their coaching staff, parting ways with pitching coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the moves, and the club confirmed them soon after. In their place, Double-A pitching coach Tim Leveque will serve as interim pitching coach, while assistant pitching coordinator Michael Wuertz takes over as interim bullpen coach, according to the team.
Interim GM John Mozeliak explained the decision this way:
“After spending time discussing with [manager Kurt Suzuki ] where we are as a coaching staff and where we want to go in the future, we felt it was best to make a change. With seven weeks remaining, we plan to use this time to evaluate what additional steps are needed to elevate our entire pitching program and best position us for success moving forward.”
The Angels have shown some progress on the mound this season, but the big picture still hasn’t been pretty. Reid Detmers and José Soriano have put together strong years under this staff, and since-traded relievers Chase Silseth and Ryan Zeferjahn had breakout stretches as well. Even so, the numbers remain rough: the Angels carry MLB’s seventh-worst ERA at 4.53 and the game’s worst walk rate at 11.1%.
Part of that burden comes down to the roster itself. The bullpen, especially, was asked to do too much with a thin farm system and a collection of journeyman veterans who are late in their careers.
Maddux’s exit ends a short stay in Anaheim. He signed a one-year deal after the 2025 season, coming over from the division-rival Rangers. Texas had even given the Angels permission to talk with him while trying to keep him, either in his old pitching coach job or in another role in the organization, but no agreement came together and he headed west.
For Maddux, the Angels were the fifth stop in a long coaching run. He previously worked as pitching coach for the Brewers, Rangers twice, Nationals and Cardinals, spending at least five seasons with Milwaukee, Texas and St. Louis and two years in Washington.
He turns 65 later this month, but his baseball résumé stretches well beyond the dugout. Maddux pitched 15 seasons in the majors, appeared for nine teams and posted a 4.05 ERA over 861 2/3 innings as both a starter and reliever.
Still, he’s known most for his coaching work. The 2026 season was his 24th straight year as a major league pitching coach, and he’s worked under managers such as Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy.
Even after this abrupt dismissal, he should have no trouble finding another big league job if he wants one in 2027.
In Other News...
Angels Make Abrupt Midseason Staff Change As Pressure Mounts On Pitching
With seven weeks left in the season, the Angels turned to a sudden reset on the pitching side, a move that underscored how much pressure has built around the staff. Interim general manager John Mozeliak said the organization wanted to evaluate and improve its pitching program, and the changes came amid a midseason shakeup that reached multiple spots in the dugout and bullpen.
The reshuffle brought new interim voices into the mix, with Tim Leveque stepping in as pitching coach and Michael Wuertz taking over the bullpen role. For a club still trying to steady its run prevention in the stretch run, the timing of the move makes clear that the Angels are treating the final weeks as a chance to see whether a different structure can bring a different result. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Netos Sudden Slide Is Becoming A Real Angels Problem
Zach Netos season has turned into one of the more troubling developments in Anaheim, because the problems have shown up everywhere at once. The Angels shortstop has slipped offensively, on the bases and in the field compared with his previous standards, and the underlying numbers back up the eye test. His expected batting average and exit velocity have both fallen sharply, which helps explain why the overall production has looked so out of character for a player the Angels need to anchor the middle of the diamond.
The timing only makes it more uncomfortable for a club that has already had to think hard about its long-term direction. Los Angeles did at least hold onto Neto at the trade deadline, a sign that the organization still sees him as part of its core, but that decision also comes with a clear expectation that he has to play better. For now, the question is not whether the Angels value him, but whether they can afford this kind of slide from a shortstop whose profile once looked much more stable. [Read more 🡒]