The Angels have made a sweeping change to their pitching staff, and interim GM John Mozeliak is making clear why Tim Leveque and Michael Wuertz were the two men he wanted in place.
Mike Maddux, Darryl Scott and Dom Chiti are out after being told earlier they were safe through the end of the season. That changed fast, and Mozeliak’s explanation centered on a staff he felt wasn’t leaning hard enough on technology.
Leveque now steps in as interim pitching coach, while Wuertz takes over as interim bullpen coach. Leveque had been the Angels’ Double-A pitching coach at Rocket City, and Wuertz had served as a minor league assistant pitching coordinator.
“My philosophy's been to just try to use as much information as I can, because ultimately, at the end of the day, it's about making the right decision,” Leveque said in a followup piece written by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “What my instinct tells me, what information the organization has, how I know the guys, and just trying to use everything that we have to try to make the best decisions possible.”
Mozeliak’s comments also pointed to a personal connection with Leveque from his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. He said the recommendation came from inside the organization, but he made it clear he was already familiar with Leveque’s work.
“First off, the internal group recommended him,” Mozeliak said about Leveque, although he did add that others in the Angels’ organization vouched for him, according to Bollinger.“ But there was my dotted-line connection to him as well.
But I think he's a really smart guy. I think he understands where the game's at and he'll be a good resource for [manager Kurt] Suzuki moving forward.”
Leveque already knows several Angels pitchers from Rocket City, including Ryan Johnson, Blake Weiman and Luke Murphy. Wuertz brings a much longer track record with the organization, having spent 11 years in a range of roles, which means he’s familiar with pitchers such as Reid Detmers, Ben Joyce, Samy Natera Jr., Walbert Ureña and George Klassen.
Suzuki backed the reshuffle and pointed to the familiarity both men already have with the roster.
“The positive thing is they know most players that are here because they had them,” Suzuki said. “It helped with Murph, talking with Tim and debating whether to go Fermin or Murphy. And he gave me a good insight on Murphy being more of a reverse guy, so we stuck with Murphy and it worked out.”
In Other News...
Angels Fans Sent A Clear Message With That Packed Stadium
For one night at Angel Stadium, the crowd told its own story. Nearly 34,000 fans showed up to watch the Angels, a reminder that the local appetite is still there even after years of frustration, and Mike Trout's RBI single gave the evening at least one bright on-field moment for a fan base that has lived through more than its share of uneven seasons.
Molly Jolly has talked about improving both the fan experience and the product on the field, and nights like this make clear how closely the two are tied together. The attendance spike did not erase the bigger questions around the club, but it did underline a simple point: even in a rebuild, Angels fans are still willing to lean in when there is something worth believing in. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Turn Angel Stadium Into A Special Day For Local Kids
Angel Stadium turned into much more than a ballpark this week, as the Angels Baseball Foundation staged its 14th annual Back 2 School event for local children getting ready for the new school year. The day brought together 800 kids from 11 nonprofit organizations and gave them a chance to leave with school supplies, clothing, shoes and Angels gear, all part of a community effort that has become a familiar part of the club's calendar.
For many of the children, the visit also included a stop in the dugout, a small but memorable touch that made the experience feel personal. Project Access was among the participating nonprofits and brought 100 children to the event, underscoring how broad the reach of the day has become as the Angels continue using the stadium for something beyond baseball. [Read more 🡒]
Local Angels Pick Brings Anaheim Fans A Story Worth Believing In
An Orange County product with a college power bat and a local following, Gavin Grahovac is already giving Angels fans something to latch onto. The Texas A&M third baseman was taken by the Angels in the third round of the 2026 draft, and his first taste of pro ball came with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he wasted little time making an impression with an opposite-field home run early in the game.
For a franchise that has spent years trying to restore belief, the appeal of a hometown pick is about more than sentiment. Grahovac has already framed his arrival in the most familiar way possible for this fan base, talking about helping the Angels win and bringing a World Series back to Anaheim, and now the early swings and the longer-term pressure of that promise will travel with him from here. [Read more 🡒]