The Angels spent the offseason revamping their roster in the hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. After re-signing Justin Upton, landing Shohei Ohtani and adding Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler, many thought they had assembled enough talent around Mike Trout to contend in 2018.
But things have not panned out as expected. A cavalcade of injuries, an inconsistent offense, a stretched and occasionally spotty bullpen and a decimated rotation have all played a role in stunting the club's early season promise. After a franchise-record 13-3 start, the Angels went 36-45 to finish the first half one game over .