Angels fan survey results: Frustration, apathy and confusion about team's plan to compete

Before you get into the nitty-gritty, here is the underlying fact you need to know. Right now, the Angels are not particularly popular with their fans. At a time of year when fans are typically the most optimistic, the results of this poll suggest there isn’t much excitement heading into 2025.

The Angels were active early in the offseason and made some important moves. But, largely, the roster wasn’t dramatically improved or completely remade. It’s nine years of losing records, a decade without the playoffs and 15 years without a postseason win.

But arguably the most important data points in this survey suggest fans do not believe the Angels have a plan to compete.

This is our fourth year conducting a fan survey poll. And the sheer number of participants speaks to a level of apathy within the fanbase. There were 972 respondents this year, compared to 1,979 a year ago, 1,956 in 2023, and 771 in 2022. The results of the poll also show a decline in optimism and faith in the team’s decision-making.

Enough summary. Let’s get to the results.

How confident are you in the Angels’ direction?

We now have four years of data from fans on this important question. In 2022, 42.8 percent of respondents said they were either somewhat or very confident. In 2023, that dipped to 30.1. In 2024, it fell to 8.4 percent. This year, it’s roughly the same, at 9.7 percent. It should be noted that the overall antipathy and lack of voting could play a role in that number not dropping even further. It’s a safe bet that those who voted last year but didn’t this year aren’t exactly thrilled with the state of the franchise.

In total, this season 80.4 percent of respondents said they were not very confident, or not confident at all in the team’s direction. A total of 50.7 percent of respondents said they were not confident at all. Both numbers are significantly higher than we’ve seen in any previous years.

One fan said: “They don’t have a clear direction. Not bad enough to tank and rebuild. And not good enough to compete. But we’ll sign 3-5 guys, and say we can compete, which never happens.”

How would you rate Arte Moreno’s work as owner?

Nearly everyone who took this poll rated Moreno poorly, with 94.9 percent of respondents saying he was either below average or poor. That’s worse than the 90.1 percent of respondents from last year, the 87.4 percent from 2023, and 76.1 percent in 2022.

A significant 79.5 percent of people rated him poor, which was the lowest option. That’s well up from the 67.6 percent the year prior. He did not receive a single vote for excellent this year, for the first time, and only 11 total people said he was doing good.

Moreno hasn’t been popular for a while, but his approval rating is at an all-time low. The Angels have the sport’s longest playoff drought. They are no longer in the mix for top free agents, and scandals continue to dominate headlines off the field. This is the result of that.

One fan said: “From consistently meddling in potential deals, to refusing to trade Shohei Ohtani, forcing the team to make win-now moves that continuously backfire. Worst of it all was saying he was going to sell the team before backing out, robbing the fans of the most delight we’ve felt in years.”

How would you rate the work of Perry Minasian as GM?

Minasian is similarly facing all-time low support, though it is still significantly better than his boss. A total of 16.7 percent of respondents said he was either good (15.8 percent) or excellent (0.9 percent). That’s down from 28.1 percent last year, and 56.6 percent in 2023.

This year, 37.3 percent of respondents said Minasian was either below average (26.6 percent) or poor (10.7 percent). That’s worse than the 26.1 percent last year and the 10.8 percent the year prior.

However, many fans do not pin the team’s failures on Minasian, with the reasoning that Moreno makes his job more difficult, thus making evaluating him tougher to assess. The plurality, 46 percent of respondents, said he was doing a fair job this year, nearly identical to last year.

One fan said: “He doesn’t seem to understand how to build a pitching staff or bench depth. This may not be his fault and just the directive he’s given by Arte.”

How do you rate Ron Washington’s work as manager?

Similar to Minasian, many fans have a hard time properly assessing Washington after one season, with 49.6 percent of respondents saying he was doing a fair job.

Overall, he is by far the most popular of the Angels’ power brokers, with 36.6 percent of respondents having an overall positive view of Washington, and just 13.7 percent having a negative view of him.

Washington has a pedigree of winning baseball games as a manager, and is known to be genuine in expressing his perspective. Fans view it as a breath of fresh air in an otherwise frustrating existence rooting for the Angels.

One fan said: “The Angels last year had their worst record ever; it would be hard to say he did a good job. This year will really tell on if the younger players begin to step up.”

Should Arte Moreno sell the team?

A whopping 95.6 percent of respondents said yes, with just 18 total people saying no. Those numbers are nearly identical to last season.

One fan said: “The best day of a lifetime as a sports fan was the Angels winning the World Series, the worst day was Arte announcing he was pulling the team off the market. What a disappointment.”

How would you rate the Angels’ offseason?

A disclaimer here is that some of these votes were cast before the team signed Yoan Moncada, and some were cast afterward. Regardless, there are not a lot of positive feelings toward the team’s offseason work, with 58.4 percent having a generally negative view, and just 4.4 percent having a positive view. There was not a single voter who said their offseason was excellent.

These numbers are actually a little better than last year, with 70.5 percent of respondents having a negative view in 2024. The Angels were fairly busy early in the offseason, adding Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud and Yusei Kikuchi. But after November ended, the team did very little to adjust the roster.

One fan said: “They lost a franchise record amount of games and added a handful of players that maybe a team who was on the bubble would need to put them into the playoffs. Pick a direction.”

Who is your favorite player, not including Mike Trout?

We don’t include Trout on these rankings, because he’d win handily. And it’s interesting to see who fans appreciate beyond Trout, a first-ballot Angels entrant to Cooperstown someday.

There were a bunch of options given, but this was a race between Logan O’Hoppe and Zach Neto, with the catcher outpacing the shortstop by 44.1 percent to 30.9 percent. One reader suggested that Neto’s constituency might be better among younger fans, which is a fair point. Overall, there’s not much daylight between the Angels’ two top young players.

Taylor Ward came in third at 4.7 percent with Luis Rengifo and Ben Joyce just two votes behind. Notably, Anthony Rendon received 1.1 percent of the vote, one vote better than José Soriano.

Last year, O’Hoppe garnered a similar percentage to this year, though Neto only had 21.6 percent of the vote.

One fan said: “I voted O’Hoppe, but both he and Neto have that confidence and attitude. Excited to see them grow as players over the coming years.”

Can Mike Trout remain healthy in 2025, and regain his MVP form?

This chart was basically split evenly, with one-third saying yes, no and unsure. Only 30.4 percent said yes, compared to 47.4 percent last year.

It’s hard to blame the fans for the decline. Trout has sustained injuries for years now, and he’s entering his age-34 season. When he’s been healthy, he’s been productive. There’s hope he can return to form, but less optimism.

One fan said: “When he’s on the field he still produces, but he keeps getting freak injuries. He may never be peak Mike but I think he can be close for a few more seasons.”

Should the Angels release Anthony Rendon, and eat the more than $76 million owed to him the next two years?

This was a new question because it’s clearly something that’s on the minds of the Angels’ higher-ups. And 63.1 percent of respondents said that Rendon should be off the roster. Only one-quarter of the respondents said he should stay.

The argument could be made for both sides. Is there any chance he will add value this year? Yes, of course there is. And perhaps playing a limited role allows him to be far more effective.

Then there’s the other side of this. He has barely played the last four years. His perceived apathy toward playing baseball — a perception he’s created through actions and words — can be a distraction. And his play on the field hasn’t been worthy of a roster spot.

Fans can be emotional, explaining support for the latter. Though, they also might not be wrong.

One fan said: “Not sure it really makes a difference at this point. They’re not likely to be playoff contenders in the next two seasons, so unless he’s bad in the clubhouse, I don’t know that it matters. But he shouldn’t be guaranteed a spot — he should have to earn it.”

Which prospect excites you most?

The big question here was who would win, Christian Moore or Caden Dana? Fans often lean toward players who have already been in the big leagues. But Moore generated a ton of excitement last year, and was the runaway winner in this poll, earning 50.1 percent, compared to 29.7 percent for Dana. George Klassen earned 5.7 percent, with no one else generating any significant support.

It wouldn’t be shocking for Moore to start the season with the Angels, though the addition of Moncada makes it less likely. Dana’s struggles in his brief stint last season indicate he has a little ways to go before getting his second shot.

One fan said: “Not the most exciting list of prospects to go over, but Moore has some power potential from the middle infield which is always hard to find.”

What is your level of confidence in the Angels’ player development system?

The 74.7 percent of respondents not expressing confidence in this part of the team infrastructure is similar to last season, when that number was 77.1 percent.

There was a chance this number could get better, with some young players getting called up and performing well. But fans were smart to realize that many of those young players spent very little time in the player development system. Even a pitcher like Joyce found success in the big leagues because coaches there helped him add a sinker once he was called up.

One fan said: “The successes the Angels have had recently are with players who spent little to no time in their minor-league system. This is more of a sign they do not even trust their own development system. The Angels are viewed as a team that cannot get the best out of players or help them develop a new skill/pitch.”

Which Angels player 25 years old and under is most likely to become an All-Star in 2025?

This question is effectively a rematch of the earlier question about popularity. And again, O’Hoppe wins, with 46.7 percent of respondents picking him, compared to 22.7 percent for Neto. It’s worth noting that if Neto misses time due to his shoulder injury, making the All-Star game this year would be tough regardless. And making it as a catcher is probably more reasonable than doing so as a shortstop. That’s also probably why Joyce got 18.8 percent, since relievers are often the most likely, particularly on a struggling team.

José Soriano only garnered 3 percent, though there’s a good case to be made that he has the best shot, as well. And 5.3 percent of voters said no one from this group would make the All-Star game this year.

One fan said: “I think Logan and Zach make the most sense but there are bigger names than them, which is unfortunate. But Joyce has a shot because of how hard he throws. He is going to grab attention with the number and I think that’s pretty fair considering the fans get to vote.”

Do you believe the Angels have a plan to compete?

This is a very introspective and fundamental question that’s defined their struggles for so long. A whopping 74.2 percent of voters do not believe the Angels have a plan to compete, while only 13.2 percent of voters do believe there’s a plan.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a question of whether the plan is any good. This is about if they have a plan at all. And only about one in every seven or eight voters believe that they do.

One fan said: “I fully believe they think they have a plan. But saying one thing to your fanbase and not backing it up with meaningful additions via the free agent or trade market when there are impactful players still available doesn’t give a lot of hope that they know what they are doing.”

How would you feel about a full-scale rebuild if the Angels adequately committed to one?

Most fanbases hate the idea of a rebuild. Angels fans are desperate for anything that feels like moving in the right direction. That’s why 70.8 percent of voters said they would embrace a rebuild of some kind, compared to just 14.5 percent that would not support that type of action.

A rebuild would mean another year or two of painful losses, but at the expense of adding young players that will be a part of the next generation of success. It’s clear that these fans just want something to look forward to.

One fan said: “Losing sucks. And it may not work out. But at least there’s a plan with a full rebuild. At least you know what’s going on. And with some of the players we have, it may not be a long rebuild if you actually commit to it.”

Do you feel as though the Angels front office and upper management are adequately transparent with the fans?

This is yet another indictment of how the franchise is run. Only 3.4 percent of voters said they felt the team was adequately transparent, with 88.4 percent saying they were not.

This is reflective of the fanbase not feeling heard or cared about. This likely goes back to the idea of the team having a plan. If there is one, it hasn’t been articulated to them.

This is a data point that the Angels should look at, and take active steps to improve. Transparency is something within their control.

One fan said: “You can’t keep saying you’re going to sign players and that everyone wants to play at Angel Stadium, and then not sign anyone. Something isn’t adding up.”

How do you feel about the Angel Stadium experience?

The results this year are almost identical to what they were last year. As they should be. Nothing has changed with the stadium. Generally, fans seem to enjoy the experience there, with many noting that upgrades are needed.

One fan said: “Wish (the) atmosphere was better, but can’t expect much with how the team performs. But the prices compared to other Southern California teams seem fair so I can’t really complain too much.”

How do you feel about the Angels’ television broadcast on FanDuel Sports West (previously Bally Sports West)?

The TV broadcast remains popular, with only 13 percent of respondents having a negative view of the telecast, which is nearly identical to last year. More respondents are indifferent to the broadcast this year (38.3 percent) compared to last year (26 percent). This is probably related more to fans generally watching fewer games than they used to because of poor on-field results.

Commenters specifically shouted out fan-favorite Mark Gubicza and his play-by-play partner Wayne Randazzo as being an enjoyable tandem in the booth.

One fan said: “I will always love Wayne and Gubi. Wayne especially has come into his own; they are often the reason to watch Angels games in September.”

How do you feel about the Angels’ in-game radio broadcast on AM830?

Again, indifference is the plurality, at 43.3 percent. Only 7.5 percent have a negative view of the radio broadcasts, compared to 49.2 percent with a positive view.

Many respondents said it was important for the broadcasters to call games on the road again, which it hasn’t done since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

One fan said: “Terry and Mark do a great job on the home broadcasts. But they need to go on the road to call road games — the deals waiting to watch the TV screens are embarrassing for an MLB team.”

As an Angels fan, what are your feelings toward Shohei Ohtani?

This was an interesting question because he left the Angels, won a World Series with a rival, and his former interpreter has been involved in a major sports betting scandal.

On social media, there is a lot of negativity toward Ohtani from Angels fans — often unfair. He was one of the greatest players in Angels history, and turned into an MVP-caliber player while wearing their uniform. In bad seasons, he was oftentimes the lone bright spot.

So is the social media banter different from actual fans’ perspectives? Yes. Only 13.7 of respondents had a negative perception of Ohtani, compared to 65.9 percent with a positive view of their former superstar, with nearly half of respondents saying they “love him.”

One fan said: “Greatest player of our generation, if not all time. I hate that he went to the Dodgers, but I don’t hate him for going to the Dodgers, if that makes sense. I still proudly wear my Ohtani jersey to games.”

What should the Angels’ team name be?

It’s probably not a great sign when only 6.4 percent of respondents think the team name should be what the team name actually is. More than half, 55 percent, said the Angels should be the Anaheim Angels, the team name when they won the World Series in 2002. And one-third, 33.6 percent, said they should be the California Angels, which was the longtime name. There were 14 hearty souls, or possibly trolls, wanting to go back to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

One fan said: “We are not Los Angeles, we just look like the Dodgers little brother. Arte taking the L.A. name just to look ‘big market’ is sad. True Angel fans know we are Anaheim and Orange County. Would love for them to be proud of that like their neighbors, the Ducks.”

(Photo: John McCoy / Getty Images)