3 lessons the Ducks have learned from the Angels

In 2014, the Los Angeles Angels made the playoffs, finishing the season with the best record in baseball en route to their first playoff appearance since 2009. It would be short-lived as they were swept in the ALDS by the Kansas City Royals, who had eeked out an extra-innings win against the Oakland Athletics in the single-elimination Wild Card Round.

The Royals would make it all the way to the World Series where they fell to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. The Royals would win the World Series the very next season. The Angels have not been to the postseason since.

In 2018, the Anaheim Ducks were also swept in the first round of the playoffs. They too have not returned to the playoffs since. However, the Ducks have learned some lessons from their neighbors across the way during the pair's extended playoff droughts.

Don’t be afraid to plan for the future

The Ducks have played the long game in developing some of their high draft picks. Trevor Zegras (ninth overall in 2019) and Jamie Drysdale (sixth overall in 2020) began their pro careers in the AHL.

Mason McTavish (third overall in 2021) got a cup of coffee with the Ducks during the 2021-22 season before returning to juniors and playing out the remainder of that season in the OHL.

Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall in 2022) spent three seasons in juniors and had to learn a different style of play after being traded midway through the 2022-23 season. Leo Carlsson (second overall in 2023) spent his entire rookie season in the NHL but was initially put on a game management plan.

Mike Trout quickly rose through the Angels' system after being drafted 25th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft. He spent barely two seasons in the minors before getting called up to the big club. While he may be a unique case, the Angels haven't been shy about elevating some of their top picks through the ranks at a fast rate.

Zach Neto was drafted 13th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. He played just 48 minor league games before getting called up to play for the Angels. While Neto proved to be an above-average fielder, he struggled at the plate and also dealt with injuries.

This season, his offense has improved slightly and his arm remains a strength, but his range as a fielder has declined. There's no doubt that more time at the minor league level could have helped him, but the Angels were also desperate for someone to fill the void at shortstop.

The Angels also took the accelerated route with first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who they drafted 11th overall in 2023. He played just 21 minor league games before getting the call to the MLB, the fewest amount since Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003, who also played in 21 MiLB games before being called up to the majors.

The Angels believed Schanuel was close to MLB-ready when they drafted him and his high walk rate and low strikeout rate combined with low chase and whiff percentages once he was in the big leagues backed that up. However, his exit velocity was among the slowest in the league and his defense at first was below-average.

This season has delivered mixed results for Schanuel. His defense has improved but his exit velocity increased by only 1.4 miles per hour to 86.8. His bat speed is also bottom-two percentile in the entire league. He too is the victim of the Angels lacking MLB-ready depth at first base, the reason why he was elevated so quickly to the MLB in the first place.

Thus far, Zegras and McTavish appear to be developing exponentially. While Zegras missed most of the 2023-24 season due to injuries, he has already posted multiple 60-point seasons. McTavish posted 43 points in 80 games during his first full NHL season in 2022-23 and had a strong start to this past season before tailing off and dealing with injuries of his own as well.

Drysdale never quite solidified his spot in Anaheim before a torn labrum limited him to just eight games in 2022-23. A contract dispute followed by an injury caused him to miss most of the first half of the 2023-24 season. He was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Cutter Gauthier this past January.

Mintyukov and Carlsson both performed well during their rookie seasons. The former had 28 points in 63 games in a top-4 role while playing a part on special teams. The latter was the bonafide top-line center right from the get-go and had 29 points in 55 games during a season that featured many breaks due to his game management plan and injuries.

The Ducks are primed to have Zegras, McTavish, Mintyukov and Carlsson all in their lineup for the 2024-25 season and it doesn't look like any of them will need to spend time in the minors anymore for developmental reasons. The same can't be said for Neto or Schanuel, who could both do with a little more seasoning.

Sell when necessary

The word "sell" probably gives Angels owner Arte Moreno chills at night. Since Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek was hired in 2022, he has not been shy about exchanging players on expiring contracts for long-term assets. His first major moves as general manager were to deal away Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson.

All three of those players had spent a decade in the organization up to that point, but those ties didn't stop Verbeek from seeing the bigger picture. The Ducks had been stuck in a "retool" phase ever since their last playoff appearance in 2017 and needed to finally break it all down to build things back up. This would be the first step.

The 2022-23 season saw the Ducks completely bottom out despite the offseason additions of Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Dmitry Kulikov and John Klingberg. Verbeek wasn't afraid to sell again, dealing away Klingberg and Kulikov, who were on expiring contracts.

The expectation was that Anaheim could start building up in 2023-24, but a long spell of losses through the winter months had the Ducks set to pick in the top 10 once again. Verbeek again sold off players on expiring contracts with Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick and Ilya Lyubushkin all shipped out for assets.

This hasn't been a common theme for the Angels over the last several years. Attempting to remain competitive was the No. 1 priority with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani proving why they're two of the best players in the MLB. But Trout has played over 100 games in a season just twice since 2019 and only played in 29 games this season. He will miss the rest of the season after recently suffering a setback while on a rehab assignment.

Ohtani has departed, switching over to the other side of the Freeway Faceoff with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past winter. Ohtani's agent, Nez Bazelo, said that he kept in touch with the Angels throughout the negotiating process up until the very end and that they had every opportunity to make a deal work.

The Angels also had every opportunity to trade Ohtani away for assets at both the 2022 and 2023 trade deadlines, but they did not. It was always going to be tough to convince the two-way superstar to stay given the team's consistent finishes in the standings. Moreno had to have known this going into the 2023 offseason. So why didn't they try to get something, anything for Ohtani besides salary relief?

This season, only two Angels were dealt at the trade deadline, relievers Carlos Estévez and Luis García. Perhaps the value of players like Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo wasn't as high as many thought it would be, but a team with a bottom-5 winning percentage trading away only two players feels a bit odd. Moreno’s lack of commitment to either going for it or committing to a rebuild could have forced Minasian to hold for now.

No overlord ownership

Speaking of Moreno, perhaps the starkest contrast between the Ducks and Angels is the way each ownership handles its respective teams. Henry and Susan Samueli have been co-owners of the Ducks since 2005, with the Ducks becoming the first NHL team in California to win the Stanley Cup two years later in 2007.

Aside from a stock options backdating case in 2006 that was dismissed in 2009, the Samuelis have not come under fire for anything egregious. They've allowed the front office to work freely––perhaps more than they should sometimes––and have fully supported their actions.

The same cannot be said for Moreno, who once reportedly told former Angels general manager Tony Reagins he would be fired if he did not acquire Vernon Wells from the Toronto Blue Jays. To continually be in "win-now" mode, Moreno has signed off on mega-contracts that became problematic almost immediately. Moves like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Anthony Rendon come to mind.

The Angels have changed general managers three times since Reagins resigned in 2011, with Jerry Dipoto, Billy Eppler and now Perry Minasian all taking their turn. But no matter who appears to hold the reins, everything goes back to Moreno, who seems to have the final say on just about any big move.

After drafting in the top 10 for the sixth consecutive year, the Ducks have to start moving upwards. They appear primed to do so this upcoming season, health willing.

As for the Angels, they have picked in the top 10 four times since 2014, but haven’t had a top-3 pick since 1997. Those four picks were Jo Adell, Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman and Christian Moore. Adell is still trying to figure out things at the MLB level while Detmers is just trying to figure things out in general. Bachman recently returned from shoulder surgery and Moore was drafted this year.

With Ohtani gone and Trout battling his own body, it's tough sledding for the Angels. But a look at what the Ducks could be soon become may help them find a blueprint of their own to follow.