The Los Angeles Angels will have to start a new stage in 2026. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, Ron Washington will not continue as the team's manager, and interim Ray Montgomery will not be in the bench next season.

Washington, who arrived with the organization in 2024, could only manage 80 games that year before stepping aside due to health problems. During that span, the Angels posted a 40-40 record. Then, with Montgomery in charge, they finished the season at 72-90 and missed the postseason for the 11th consecutive time.

Washington's passage and the future of the club

The veteran strategist, with extensive experience in the Major Leagues, revealed in September 2024 that he was recovering from quadruple open-heart surgery. Even so, he reappeared to visit the players and spend time with them.

“(The doctors) told me that after eight weeks I could start doing something light, but my light work was going to Texas and being with the team,” he explained at the time. “I feel very good, really… I didn't come here to work, I came to be with my guys and have fun with them.”

However, after that experience, it was clear that he would not return to the bench. Montgomery took over on an interim basis, but the organization has already informed him that he will not continue in the role until 2026.

The franchise's immediate future depends on an exhaustive search. The next manager will have the responsibility of trying to reverse more than a decade of frustration and give the Los Angeles team a new direction.