Los Angeles Angels

Lore & Background

The franchise was founded in Los Angeles in 1961 by Gene Autry as one of MLB's first two expansion teams and the first to originate in California. Deriving its name from an earlier Los Angeles Angels franchise that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), the team was based in Los Angeles until moving to Anaheim in 1966. Due to the move, the franchise was known as the California Angels from 1965 to 1996 and the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004. 'Los Angeles' was added back to the name in 2005, but because of a lease agreement with Anaheim that required the city to also be in the name, the franchise was known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim until 2015. The current Los Angeles Angels name came into use the following season. Throughout their first four decades of existence the Angels were a middling franchise, but did win three division titles during that span. Notable stars to have played for the Angels during that time include Hall of Fame players Nolan Ryan (1972-1979), who threw four of his seven no-hitters with California, Rod Carew (1979-1985), who collected his 3,000th hit with the team, and Reggie Jackson (1982-1986), who hit his 500th career home run with the team. The Angels came within one game of reaching the World Series in 1982 and 1986. Under manager Mike Scioscia, they would eventually achieve their first Wild Card spot in 2002 for their first postseason appearance since 1986 and used this momentum to win the 2002 World Series, their only championship appearance to date. The Angels and the Washington Nationals are the only two MLB franchises to win their sole appearance in the World Series. Over the next seven years under Scioscia's management, the Angels would then win five division titles, spearheaded by their lone Hall of Fame representative Vladimir Guerrero. They also saw an increase in fan attendance, consistently placing the franchise among the top draws in MLB. This notoriety has grown into international attention since 2012 with the signing of Albert Pujols and the emergence of superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, who cumulatively won five AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards with the team. Despite this, they have not appeared in the postseason since 2014, the longest active playoff drought of any MLB team. Through 2025, the Angels have a win–loss record of 5,093–5,205–3 (.495). They were the first expansion team to reach 5,00

In Their Own Story

On August 2, 2025, the Chicago White Sox faced off against the Los Angeles Angels in a game that would define their statistical progress for the year. The contest was a tight defensive battle that ended with a final score of 1–0 in favor of Chicago. This result was immediately recognized by fans and observers as a turning point in the season's narrative, as it officially meant the White Sox had exceeded their total win count from 2024. However, this success against Los Angeles did not alter the team's ultimate trajectory; just weeks later on August 20, a 1–0 loss to the Atlanta Braves ensured another losing record for the club.

Reader's Guide

The Los Angeles Angels name originates from the first Los Angeles–based sports team, the Los Angeles Angels of the California League, who took the name from the English translation of Los Angeles, which means 'The Angels' in Spanish. The team name started in 1892. In 1903, the team name continued through the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. The current Angels franchise was established by MLB in 1961 after original owner Gene Autry bought the rights to the franchise name from Walter O'Malley, the former Los Angeles Dodgers owner, who had acquired the franchise from Phil Wrigley, the owner of the Chicago Cubs at the time. As stated in the book Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball, 'Autry agreed to buy the franchise name for $350,000, and continue the history of the previously popular Pacific Coast League team as his own expansion team in the MLB.' After the Angels joined the MLB, some players from the Angels' PCL team joined the MLB Angels in 1961. As an expansion franchise, the club continued in Los Angeles and played their home games at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field (not to be confused with Chicago's ballpark of the same name), which had formerly been the home of the PCL Angels. The Angels were one of two expansion teams established as a result of the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion, along with the second incarnation of the Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers). The team then moved in 1962 to newly built Dodger Stadium, which the Angels referred to as Chavez Ravine, where they were tenants of the Dodgers through 1965. The team's founder, entertainer Gene Autry, owned the franchise for its first 36 years. During Autry's ownership, the team made the postseason three times, but never won the pennant. The team has gone through several name changes in their history, first changing their name from Los Angeles Angels to California Angels on September 2, 1965, with a month still left in the season, in recognition of their upcoming move to the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim at the start of the 1966 season. In 1997, The Walt Disney Company (already the owner of the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim of the NHL) took control of the team in preparation for a plan to establish a rival cable channel that would've been called 'ESPN West.' The team extensively renovated Anaheim Stadium, which was then renamed Edison Internationa

Did You Know?

• The Angels were the first expansion team to reach 5,000 total wins, doing so in 2024.
• The Angels and the Washington Nationals are the only two MLB franchises to win their sole appearance in the World Series.
• The mantra 'Win One for the Cowboy' refers to founder Gene Autry, who never saw the Angels win a World Series in his 38 years as owner.