End of the Road 2015: Los Angeles Angels

(AP) The Los Angeles Angels made it to the final day of the regular season, but After losing to the Texas Rangers, were officially eliminated from the MLB postseason. That means they’ve effectively come to the end of the road in their 2015 season. As we’ll do with each eliminated team this season, let’s give them a send-off that would make Boyz II Men proud.

We’ll look at the highs and lows of their season, what bright spots their future might hold and what questions need answering as they prepare for 2016.

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HIGH POINT: The Angels fell short in the end, which is a disappointment considering the high expectations coming into the season. But they really did look the part of a contender going into and coming out of the All-Star break. After trailing the Houston Astros the entire first half, they finally caught and passed them on July 12 while in the midst of a 14-3 stretch. That stretch included a three-game sweep in Texas — the eventual AL West champions — where they outscored the Rangers 33-8. Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last much longer.

LOW POINT: Having your season officially end on the final day of the regular season is painful. That probably felt like the lowest point. However, it all started unraveling on July 28 when they visited Houston and were swept out of first place by the Astros. That set the tone for a 10-19 August, which saw them fall to third place in the division and ultimately pushed them too far back to recover in the wild card.

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BEST HIGHLIGHT: All things Mike Trout, really. As he’s done in each of his five MLB seasons, Trout provided several clutch hits, crushed numerous monster home runs, and added again and again to his remarkable defensive highlight reel. If we had to pick one highlight that stood out though, it would to be his most recent home run robbery, where he literally climbed the wall to take away Jesus Montero’s would-be three-run homer.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: As long as Mike Trout’s around, there’s always hope. The Angels have baseball’s ultimate centerpiece under team control through 2020, which will make new general manager Billy Eppler’s task a little bit easier. The Angels don’t have much in the way of prospects, and according to owner Arte Moreno have no intentions to rebuild. But they do have a solid veteran core with Albert Pujols rebounding and Garrett Richards pitching like an ace. If guys like Kole Calhoun, C.J. Cron and David Freese stay healthy and steady, and Eppler finds another starter or two, they’ll be fine.

QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING: We’ve already learned that Mike Scioscia is coming back as manager. That’s one step toward stability. But will Eppler be able to mend the relationship between ownership, the front office and the clubhouse? Even before the Josh Hamilton fallout, the different levels within the organizations all seemed to be on different pages. That strained relationships, caused distractions and ultimately led to Jerry Dipoto’s departure. Now that there’s a new middle man in place, maybe that will slowly improve.

Previously in this series: Phillies, Braves, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Diamondbacks,
Athletics, White Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Rays, Mariners, Red Sox, Orioles, Indians, Giants and Twins.