Rangers fan favorite former coach caught up in Angels sweeping dismissals

The Texas Rangers defeated the Los Angeles Angels in a thrilling 4-1 extra-inning affair to kick off the four-game set between these division rivals. Today, the Angels are taking sweeping action, firing pitching coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott, and bullpen coach Don Chiti.

At 45-73, the Angels have the worst record in the American League and the fewest wins in MLB. It's not a shock that changes are being made, though it might be a surprise that they're starting with Maddux and the pitching staff.

Arguably, the bigger issue facing Los Angeles is on the offensive side of the ball, where the club ranks 27th in OPS at .688, 26th in runs scored with 485, and posted a 25.4% strikeout rate, which is the worst mark in the majors for the second straight season.

Maddux leaving for the Angels last offseason was a big blow to the Rangers, and the team has clearly missed his calming presence this season. Maddux, of course, had two stints with the Rangers, starting in 2009 through 2015, and then returning from 2023 to 2025.

The Angels did improve under Maddux's tutelage. The team's ERA was 4.89 in 2025 and has improved to 4.53 so far this year. Their strikeout rate had improved from 20.5% to 23.3%. By FIP, the Angels improved from 4.78 to 4.29 this season.

The Rangers would be wise to try and find a role for Mike Maddux following Angels' dismissal

A carpenter is only as good as his tools, and Maddux didn't have much in the way of talent to work with the Angels. He did oversee Reid Detmers' successful reintegration to the starting rotation, Walbert Urena's breakout, and Jose Soriano's mind-boggling start to the season.

He also helped now-Rangers reliever Chase Silseth carve out a role for the first time in his career, former Rangers closer Kirby Yates rebound after a disastrous 2025 with the Dodgers, and young relievers Samy Natera Jr. and Jose Fermin begin to realize their potential.

According to Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak, the decision was made to let Maddux go due to him and his staff not "sufficiently using the technology available." It's not surprising that an old-school coach like Maddux would resist technology, especially since so much of his approach is based on vibes and confidence, but at the same time, his unit was outperforming the team's hitters whose coaches were leaning into tech.

The Rangers have seen firsthand what Maddux can do. His return to the organization coincided with a World Series title, and last season, he led a pitching staff that led the league in ERA. His reputation in baseball is unmatched.

Texas would be wise to investigate bringing Maddux back in some capacity, perhaps in an advisory role. He could be a boon to the staff, especially to a guy like Jack Leiter (once he returns from the IL), as Leiter looked to be breaking out with a 3.86 ERA with Maddux by his side in 2025, versus the 5.29 ERA he's put up this year.

Veterans like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi also performed better with Maddux than without him, and one has to imagine that he'd be able to help MacKenzie Gore settle down and trust his stuff, developing some consistency in the process.

That doesn't mean overhauling the coaching staff right now, but finding a way to get Maddux's voice back into the organization would be smart and could help the Rangers down the stretch as they fight for their playoff lives.

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