The Angels’ decision to clear house on the pitching side hit a familiar name for Rangers fans: Mike Maddux.
Los Angeles fired Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Don Chiti after a 4-1 extra-inning loss to Texas opened the four-game series between the division rivals. The Angels are 45-73, which leaves them with the worst record in the American League and the fewest wins in MLB.
The move is not exactly a stunner given where the Angels sit, though the choice to begin with the pitching staff stands out a little more than the club’s obvious offensive problems. Los Angeles ranks 27th in OPS at .688, 26th in runs scored with 485, and owns a 25.4% strikeout rate, the worst in the majors for the second straight season.
For Texas, Maddux’s firing brings back a coach who was a major presence in the organization for years. He had two separate stints with the Rangers, first from 2009 through 2015 and then again from 2023 to 2025. His departure for the Angels last offseason was a real loss for the Rangers, and his absence has been felt this season.
Maddux did manage to improve the Angels’ pitching numbers. Their ERA went from 4.89 in 2025 to 4.53 so far this year. Their strikeout rate climbed from 20.5% to 23.3%, and their FIP improved from 4.78 to 4.29 this season.
He also worked with a group that did not give him a lot to polish. Still, he helped Reid Detmers get back into the starting rotation, saw Walbert Urena break out, and watched Jose Soriano open the year with a stunning run. He also helped now-Rangers reliever Chase Silseth find a role for the first time in his career, former Rangers closer Kirby Yates bounce back after a rough 2025 with the Dodgers, and young relievers Samy Natera Jr. and Jose Fermin start to tap into their upside.
Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said the decision to move on from Maddux and his staff came because they were not "sufficiently using the technology available."
That fits the profile of an old-school coach like Maddux, whose approach has long leaned on feel and confidence. Even so, it is notable that his pitching staff was outpacing the Angels’ hitters, a group whose coaches were embracing the tech side of the game.
The Rangers know exactly what Maddux can bring. His return to the organization lined up with a World Series title, and last season he guided a staff that finished first in the league in ERA. His standing around the game is as strong as it gets.
Texas should at least look into getting him back in some form, even if it is only as an advisor. He could be especially useful for Jack Leiter once Leiter comes off the IL, after Leiter flashed a 3.86 ERA with Maddux in 2025 and has posted a 5.29 ERA this year.
Veterans like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi also were better with Maddux than without him, and it is easy to imagine him helping MacKenzie Gore settle in, trust his stuff and build more consistency.
That does not mean the Rangers need to rip up the coaching setup. But finding a way to get Maddux’s voice back in the building would make sense, and it could help Texas as it fights for its playoff life.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Made A Roster Move That Raises Bigger Questions
The Rangers have turned to Jarred Kelenic again, purchasing his contract from Triple-A Round Rock and putting him back on the active roster for a second stint this season. Kelenic has been productive since being sent down, which made the move easy to understand from a depth standpoint, and it gives Texas another look at an outfielder who has already spent time shuttling between Arlington and Round Rock this year.
To clear the needed roster space, the club designated infielder Jonah Bride for assignment and made the corresponding 40-man move as well. Elsewhere on the roster front, catcher Danny Jansen has started a rehab assignment with Round Rock while working back from an elbow issue, another sign that the Rangers are trying to piece together several parts of the roster at once as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Got The Win But MacKenzie Gore Raised A Bigger Question
Even in a game the Rangers ultimately won in extra innings, MacKenzie Gore made sure the spotlight stayed on the pitching. The left-hander worked into the sixth inning and kept forcing uncomfortable at-bats, with his changeup doing much of the heavy lifting as both bullpens got involved and the matchup turned into a test of depth and endurance. It was the kind of outing that can shape how an opponent talks about a series long after the final score fades.
The bigger question is less about the result than what Gore looked like doing it. His stuff created plenty of empty swings, and the pitch mix suggested a starter who can miss bats in a way that changes the tone of an inning, not just survive one. For the Rangers, the win mattered in the standings, but the more lasting takeaway may be that they saw a young pitcher whose ceiling keeps nudging the conversation in a different direction. [Read more 🡒]