The Los Angeles Angels had a disappointing finish to the 2025 season after being in the playoff race at the trade deadline.

It marked the 11th consecutive season of missing the playoffs. During that stretch, the Angels had the likes of Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Albert Pujols but couldn’t make it into October.

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Whether the team the Angels put on the field in 2026 makes the playoffs is a mystery, but these players could be difference makers and are poised for breakout seasons.

Los Angeles is taking a different approach to this offseason, already signing several pitchers to help with depth. They signed former All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah to a one-year prove it deal to help build the starting rotation as well as right-handed reliever Jordan Romano, another former All-Star looking to get back to form.

Manoah was electric in his first two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, earning an All-Star Game appearance in 2022. Poor performance, injuries and injury setbacks derailed his 2023 and 2024 seasons, and he never pitched in 2025. The 27-year-old has a lot to prove and would be a huge boost to this rotation if he can get back to dominating hitters like he did to begin his career.

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Romano was one of the league’s best closers from 2021 to 2023 but has fallen off the last two seasons. The 32-year-old was cut by the Philadelphia Phillies and has a chip on his shoulder.

Their best signing thus far is left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz, who had an impressive season after not pitching in Major League Baseball since 2021. Pomeranz had a scoreless streak that surpassed 20 innings to begin his tenure with the Chicago Cubs and finished the year going 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 57 appearances (four starts, 49.2 innings).

Pomeranz is a veteran and has been in the league for a long time. He’s already “broken out,” but this season will be a true test for the 37-year-old to determine if last year was a fluke or if he is one of the best lefty relievers in the game.

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First baseman Nolan Schanuel is primed for a breakout season. He excels at putting the ball in play and getting on base, but his raw power hasn’t quite translated to the big leagues just yet. The power is there, though, and he will end up hitting a lot of home runs in his career if he can pull the ball in the air more. Schanuel is also a great defender and provides a lot of value on both sides of the ball.

I expect Schanuel to hit close to 20 home runs and drive in 65 or more runs in 2026.