Angels Manager Ron Washington Has Higher Expectations for Young Halos in 2025

Sep 18, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington reacts during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The young core of the Los Angeles Angels, comprised of Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, and Zach Neto, will be expected to perform at a high level next season, according to Angels manager Ron Washington.

“I think when you've been through something for the first time and you've weathered the storm, the expectations go up,” Washington said at the Winter Meetings. “But it's not the expectations that will bog them down. It's an expectation that they should envision wanting for themselves, and that's to be successful. I think my young group last year did a tremendous job of staying in the fight and making it through the 162-game grind, and they know what it's about now.”

After a full season in 2024, the young core has completed a 162-game season. Now, the trio will elevate a roster with several new faces, and likely more to come. At the end of another losing season, owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian urged fans not to jump off the bandwagon and promised change in 2025.

Since then, the Angels have added a slew of players during the offseason to build around the young core. Minasian said the organization has a lot of faith in the young Halos to perform well as the organization hopes to make strides next season.

“For this organization to do that, we needed to have a young core to build around,” Minasian said earlier this year. “And I believe in this young core. We finally have it. It’s really exciting to watch.”

While the trio of O'Hoppe, Neto, and Schanuel blossomed in 2024, it wasn't without the help of an experienced player on the team. O'Hoppe recently shared that Angels star Mike Trout has been an incredible mentor to the younger players.

"He's an unbelievable human, he works his butt off, and I'm excited to watch what he's going to do staying healthy for a full year," O'Hoppe said. "At first, you walk into the clubhouse, you're like, 'Wow, this is unbelievable to watch this,' and as the years have gone on, he's built such a close relationship with me, Zach Neto and the other young guys. It's been a friendship that I'm really grateful for and I learn a lot being friends with him obviously and I'm grateful that I have it because it's something I wouldn't get anywhere else."

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