The Angels’ rotation has gone from a season-long problem to the hottest thing in baseball, and the turnaround has come with a clear message: modern data is driving the change.
After the dismissal of veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux, interim general manager John Mozeliak said the old staff was let go because they refused to utilize modern analytics and technology. In stepped interim pitching coach Tim Leveque, a former St.
Louis Cardinals pitching analyst, and the results have been immediate. Leveque has used advanced data to help unlock the Angels’ young arms, first at the AA level and now in the majors.
At the time the coaching staff was reshuffled, Angels pitchers were carrying a 4.51 ERA. Grayson Rodriguez and George Klassen were inconsistent, and Ryan Johnson did not look like an MLB caliber starter.
Since Leveque took over, that picture has changed fast. The rotation put up an MLB-best 2.03 ERA over an eight-game stretch, then followed that with a 1.51 ERA across the next 65.2 innings.
On a recent road trip, that number dropped even further to 0.84. Over that run, Angels starters shut out opponents in six of nine games.
The shift has been tied to the club leaning harder into its pitching lab and the tools that help pitchers understand their exact pitch shapes. That work is paired with data on which pitches to throw in different counts, and the result has been a staff that is winning the data battle, or at least meeting it on even terms, after losing it just weeks ago.
This is no longer about old-school feel alone. The Angels are using biometric data for mechanical tweaks, and Trackman is giving them information on pitch shape, spin, and velocity.
The move also fits the backgrounds of the young pitchers involved. Reid Detmers and Ryan Johnson had access to this kind of information in college, while teams like the Orioles and Phillies used it while developing Grayson Rodriguez and George Klassen.
That made it easier for those arms to fold the approach back into their game planning and execution.
The individual performances have followed the same upward path. Detmers put together a 14-inning scoreless streak.
Klassen owns a 1.38 ERA over the last month. Johnson has been the biggest surprise, posting a 1.62 ERA while also working deeper into games.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is pitching like he did in 2024, both before his injury and during the stretch when he had access to analytics.
There is some context worth noting. Critics can point to matchups against below average offenses like Kansas City and Texas, but the rotation also held the Houston Astros to three runs over 19 frames. No one is expecting the Angels to live with an ERA that starts with a 1 forever, but the run does suggest something real: this staff could be building toward being solid as soon as next season.
For an Angels organization searching for pieces that can matter long term, the emergence of Rodriguez, Klassen, and Johnson offers a reason to look ahead. If this analytical approach holds, the Angels could have a good, young rotation sooner than expected - maybe even enough arms to create an unusual problem of too many starters for five spots.
That kind of depth is exactly the sort of development this franchise needs, and Johnson is a key name to watch the rest of the way. If he keeps proving he can be a quality MLB starter with the help of analytics, it would be a major lift for the organization.
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