The Angels haven’t been to the postseason in more than a decade, but three former members of the organization are suddenly in position to make October noise somewhere else.
That’s the strange pull of playoff baseball. The regular season is a grind built on survival, but the postseason can flip on one arm, one swing, one matchup.
For Angels fans, watching familiar faces chase that stage elsewhere could stir up plenty of emotions. For the organization itself, it’s another reminder of how far away October has felt - and how much work still remains, even with a promising minor league system in place.
José Soriano is the one who could have the biggest impact. The Angels dealt him this season, and he has settled into what looks like a key role for the Toronto Blue Jays as their likely No. 2 starter.
If Toronto gets into the field, Soriano could be right in the middle of it. As of Wednesday, the Blue Jays were two games behind the final American League wild-card spot, so the postseason itself is still no sure thing.
Even so, Soriano has already given them value: Toronto is 6-2 in his starts this year.
Jo Adell’s path is a little different, but just as familiar to Angels fans. For a long time, there was always the sense that he was on the verge of becoming more than he ever quite became in Los Angeles.
The Cleveland Guardians decided to take the gamble at the deadline, and Adell has answered with the kind of power they were hoping for. He has posted a .742 OPS across 38 games with Cleveland, and in 142 at-bats he has 6 home runs and 28 RBIs.
He still isn’t a finished product, but in a short series, that kind of bat can change everything.
Then there’s Randal Grichuk, a player Angels fans know well for another reason: he was taken one pick before Mike Trout. He has built a solid 13-year career and has gone over 1,000 hits, but after a rough 2025 season, he seemed to be drifting toward the end.
Instead, he found something again with the White Sox. In 91 games, Grichuk has hit .302/.330/.599, and he has been especially dangerous against left-handed pitching with a .989 OPS in that split.
That gives Chicago a real weapon if the postseason matchup calls for it.
There’s one catch with Grichuk, though. His playoff track record has been thin.
In 50 career postseason at-bats, he has only 9 hits, a .180 average and a .572 OPS. And it has been six years since he last played in the playoffs with a Major League team.
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Angels Sale Could Change Far More Than Just The Team
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Now John Mozeliak is sorting through what the change means for the organization as a whole, and the implications go well beyond baseball operations. A new owner with deep pockets can reset priorities fast, but in this case the bigger question is how much of the Angels future will be tied to the ballpark, the property around it, and the kind of development strategy that often follows a sale like this. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Rebuild Just Got A Playoff Push Fans Should Notice
The Angels rebuild has a small but meaningful reason for optimism this week, and it is coming from Double-A Rocket City. The Trash Pandas opened their Southern League postseason series with a 9-2 win and now sit one victory away from reaching the league championship round, a run that has put a spotlight on some of the organizations young talent.
Arjun Nimmala, Jacob Cozart and Jake Munroe have been part of the push, exactly the sort of prospect development the Angels are banking on as they try to build something more durable. The next game shifts to Knoxville, Tennessee, with the starting pitchers still to be announced, and for an organization in transition, even a minor league playoff run can feel like a useful sign of where the arrow is pointing. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Have A Chance To Steal A Dodgers Bat For Next Year
With playoff hopes gone, the Angels have spent the late season using the final stretch to get a longer look at younger players and sort through next years roster picture. That broader evaluation now comes with a possible free look at a hitter from across town, after the Dodgers designated Ryan Ward for assignment and put him on waivers.
Colorado has the first crack at claiming Ward, but the Angels sit right behind the Rockies in waiver priority. For a club searching for useful bats and any edge it can find heading into next season, that makes this a situation worth watching closely, especially if Ward becomes available in Anaheims lane before the waiver process runs its course. [Read more 🡒]