List of Los Angeles Angels seasons explained

This is a list of seasons completed by the Los Angeles Angels, also known as the California Angels from 1965 to 1996, the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2005 to 2015. They are a professional baseball franchise based in Anaheim, California. They play in the Western Division of Major League Baseball's (MLB) American League.

Established in 1961, the Angels played their first four seasons in the city of Los Angeles, California under two stadiums: Wrigley Field, the venue used for the Pacific Coast League team that the Angels named themselves after, and Dodger Stadium, which the Angels referred to as "Chavez Ravine". They moved to the city of Anaheim in 1966 while changing the name of the team to refer to the entire state of California while playing in Anaheim Stadium, where they play today (which is now called Angel Stadium). The Angels were created in 1960 as part of a boom in baseball coming to the state of California. They were the third California MLB team to play in the state but the first non-relocated team to play there. Gene Autry was the first owner of the franchise, having bought the rights in 1960. The inaugural season for the team resulted in seventy wins to 91 losses, which stands as the best winning percentage for an expansion MLB team. They would contend in parts of the 1960s, finishing 3rd twice in the decade but never finishing closer than ten games out of a pennant. The 1970s brought a number of miserable seasons, which included seven straight losing seasons from 1971 to 1977. However, the Angels had a few shining spots in that era, which included Nolan Ryan (who threw four no-hitters with the team). In 1979, the Angels won the AL West and reached the postseason for the first time ever. They lost to the Baltimore Orioles in four games, while Ryan departed Anaheim in free agency in the winter. The Angels won the AL West twice in the next decade but fell short of the World Series by one game each time.

In 1997, The Walt Disney Company bought ownership in the team. As such, the team name was changed to reflect the actual city the team played in while renovations were done for the stadium, which took corporate branding that referred to it as "Edison International Field of Anaheim", which stayed that way until 2003. Losing a one-game tiebreaker for the AL West in 1995 was the closest the Angels were to reaching the postseason in the 1990s. However, the Angels steadily grew talent in the next few years that soon made them a relative contender, done under manager Mike Scioscia. In 2002, the Angels went from losing 87 games to winning 99 to set a franchise record for wins at the time while making the postseason for the first time in sixteen years. They would roll to a World Series victory during the postseason, which included winning the final two games while facing elimination. Arte Moreno bought the team from Disney after the season ended. In the next twelve seasons, the Angels would reach the postseason six times. Despite seeing two players awarded the American League's Most Valuable Player award four times (2016, 2019, 2021, 2023) over the next couple of years, the Angels (all under Moreno's leadership as owner) have failed to reach the postseason since 2014 and have had eight straight losing seasons from 2016 to 2023, the worst stretch of losing seasons in franchise history.

The Angels in total have completed 63 seasons in Major League Baseball, qualifying for the postseason ten times with one World Series championship (2002). The Angels are the only team in all of MLB to have never lost 100 games in a season.[1]

Table key

American League Championship Series
American League Division Series
Cy Young Award
Final position in league or division
"Games Back" from first-place team
Number of regular season losses
Manager of the Year
Most Valuable Player
American League Rookie of the Year
Each year is linked to an article about that particular MLB season
Each year is linked to an article about that particular Angels season
Number of regular season wins

Year by year

World Series champions †AL champions *Division champions (1969–present) ^Wild card berth (1995–present) ¤
SeasonTeamLevelLeagueDivisionFinishWinsLossesWin%GBPostseasonAwards
Los Angeles Angels
1961MLBAL8th7091.43538½
1962MLBAL3rd8676.53110
1963MLBAL9th7091.43534
1964MLBAL5th8280.50617Dean Chance (CYA)[2]
California Angels
1965MLBAL7th7587.46327
1966MLBAL6th8082.49418
1967MLBAL5th8477.522
1968MLBAL8th6795.41436
1969MLBALWest3rd7191.43826
1970MLBALWest3rd8676.53112
1971MLBALWest4th7686.46925½
1972MLBALWest5th7580.48418
1973MLBALWest4th7983.48815
1974MLBALWest6th6894.42022
1975MLBALWest6th7289.44725½
1976MLBAL West4th7686.46914
1977MLBAL West5th7488.45728
MLBAL West2nd8775.5375
1979MLBALWest ^1st8874.543Lost ALCS (Orioles) 3–1[3] Don Baylor (MVP)[4]
1980MLBALWest 6th6595.40631
1981MLBAL West4th3129.517
7th2030.400
1982MLBALWest ^1st9369.574Lost ALCS (Brewers) 3–2[5]
1983MLBALWest5th7092.43229
1984MLBALWest2nd8181.5003
1985MLBALWest2nd9072.5561
1986MLBALWest ^1st9270.568Lost ALCS (Red Sox) 4–3[6]
1987MLBALWest6th7587.46310
1988MLBALWest4th7587.46329
1989MLBALWest3rd9171.5628
1990MLBALWest4th8082.49423
1991MLBALWest7th8181.50014
1992MLBALWest5th7290.44424
1993MLBALWest5th7191.43823Tim Salmon (ROY)[7]
1994MLBALWest4th4768.409
1995MLBALWest2nd 7867.5381
MLBAL West4th7091.43519½
Anaheim Angels
1997MLBALWest2nd 8478.5196
MLBAL West2nd8577.5253
MLBAL West4th 7092.43225
MLBAL West3rd8280.506
2001MLBAL West3rd 7587.46341
MLB †AL *West2nd ¤9963.6114Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–1
Won ALCS (Twins) 4–1
Won World Series (Giants) 4–3[8]
Mike Scioscia (MOY)[9]
2003MLBAL West3rd 7785.47519
2004MLBALWest ^1st9270.568Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0[10] Vladimir Guerrero (MVP)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2005MLBALWest ^1st9567.586Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
Lost ALCS (White Sox) 4–1[11]
Bartolo Colón (CYA)
2006MLBALWest2nd8973.5494
2007MLBALWest ^1st9468.580Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0[12]
2008MLBALWest ^1st10062.617Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–1[13]
2009MLB AL West ^1st9765.599Won ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0
Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–2[14]
Mike Scioscia (MOY)
MLBAL West3rd 8082.49410
MLBAL West2nd8676.53110
MLBAL West3rd8973.5495Mike Trout (ROY)
2013MLBALWest3rd7884.48118
2014MLBALWest ^1st9864.605Lost ALDS (Royals) 3–0Mike Trout (MVP)
2015MLBALWest3rd8577.5253
Los Angeles Angels
2016MLBALWest4th7488.45721Mike Trout (MVP)
2017MLBALWest2nd8082.49421
2018MLBALWest4th8082.49423Shohei Ohtani (ROY)
2019MLBALWest4th7290.44435Mike Trout (MVP)
2020MLBALWest3rd2634.43310
2021MLBALWest4th7785.47518Shohei Ohtani (MVP)
2022MLBALWest3rd7389.45133
2023MLBALWest4th7389.45117Shohei Ohtani (MVP)
TotalsWinsLossesWin%
4,9585,016All-time regular season record (1961–2023)
2737All-time postseason record
4,9855,053All-time regular and postseason record

Record by decade

The following table describes the Angels' MLB win–loss record by decade.

Decade Wins Losses Pct
1960s 685 770 .471
1970s 781 831 .484
1980s 783 783 .500
1990s 738 817 .475
2000s 900 720 .556
2010s 822 798 .507
2020s 249 297 .456
All-time 49585016.497
These statistics are from Baseball-Reference.com's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim History & Encyclopedia,.[15]

Postseason appearances

YearWild Card Game/SeriesLDSLCSWorld Series
1979Baltimore Orioles
1982Milwaukee Brewers
1986Boston Red Sox
2002New York YankeesMinnesota TwinsSan Francisco Giants
2004Boston Red Sox
2005New York YankeesChicago White Sox
2007Boston Red Sox
2008Boston Red Sox
2009Boston Red SoxNew York Yankees
2014Kansas City Royals

Postseason record by year

The Angels have made the postseason ten times in their history, with their first being in 1979 and the most recent being in 2014.

YearFinishRoundOpponentResult
American League West ChampionsALCSBaltimore OriolesLost13
American League West ChampionsALCSMilwaukee BrewersLost23
American League West ChampionsALCSBoston Red SoxLost34
World Series ChampionsALDSNew York YankeesWon31
ALCSMinnesota TwinsWon41
World SeriesSan Francisco GiantsWon43
American League West ChampionsALDSBoston Red SoxLost03
American League West ChampionsALDSNew York YankeesWon32
ALCSChicago White SoxLost14
American League West ChampionsALDSBoston Red SoxLost03
American League West ChampionsALDSBoston Red SoxLost13
American League West ChampionsALDSBoston Red SoxWon30
ALCSNew York YankeesLost24
American League West ChampionsALDSKansas City RoyalsLost03
10Totals5–92737

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Best 100-Loss Team in Modern Baseball History .
  2. Web site: Cy Young Award winners . Major League Baseball . 2010-09-12 .
  3. Web site: 1979 AL Championship Series . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  4. Web site: Most Valuable Player winners . Major League Baseball . 2010-09-12 .
  5. Web site: 1982 AL Championship Series . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  6. Web site: 1986 AL Championship Series . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  7. Web site: Rookie of the Year winners . Major League Baseball . 2010-09-12 .
  8. Web site: 2002 Anaheim Angels Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  9. Web site: Manager of the Year winners . Major League Baseball . 2010-09-12 .
  10. Web site: 2004 Anaheim Angels . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  11. Web site: 2005 Anaheim Angels Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  12. Web site: 2007 AL Division Series . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  13. Web site: 2008 AL Division Series . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  14. Web site: 2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics . Baseball-Reference . 2010-09-12 .
  15. Web site: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim History & Encyclopedia . Baseball-Reference.com . 2016-10-18 .
  16. News: Bodley . Hal . Ties in baseball called out by rules committee . USA Today . 2007-02-18 . 2010-09-12 .
  17. Leggett . William . One Hundred And One . . 1969-04-14 . 2010-09-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120202031410/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082286/index.htm . 2012-02-02 .
  18. Web site: Baseball stoppages date back to 1972 . ESPN. Associated Press . 2002-08-29 . 2010-09-12 .
  19. Web site: Strike looms large over All-Star Game . CNN Sports Illustrated. Associated Press . 2002-07-07 . 2010-09-12 .
  20. News: Newhan . Ross . Ross Newhan . A Season Without Titles – Baseball: Players will be honored, but there will be no divisional champions because of the shortened schedule . . 1994-10-06 . 2010-09-12 .