MLB-worst Angels fire three coaches in latest Los Angeles upheaval

John Mozeliak, who was hired six weeks ago as the Los Angeles Angels interim GM, made his most sweeping changes yet Tuesday by firing three veteran pitching coaches.

The Angels fired well-respected veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott. They were all on one-year contracts along with manager Kurt Suzuki.

The new pitching coach will be Tim Leveque, who was in the St. Louis Cardinals organization for 20 years with Mozeliak with Michael Wuertz as the interim bullpen coach.

“After spending time discussing with Kurt where we are as a coaching staff and where we want to go in the future, we felt it was best to make a change,” Mozeliak said in a release. “With seven weeks remaining, we plan to use this time to evaluate what additional steps are needed to elevate our entire pitching program and best position us for success moving forward.”

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.

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Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.

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Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.

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Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.

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April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder’s hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.

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April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.

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April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

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The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.

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A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.

(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)

A young Red Sox fan meets Tessie the Boston Red Sox mascot before the Red Sox’s home opener against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park on April 3, 2026.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) and center fielder Jakob Marsee celebrate a victory against the Chicago White Sox at loanDepot Park on April 1, 2026.

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Fans try to catch a solo home run hit by the San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman as San Diego Padres left fielder Nick Castellanos looks on during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026.

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Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic entertains fans during the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026.

(Kyle Ross, Imagn Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto gets doused with ice water by teammates after a win over the Athletics at Rogers Centre on March 29, 2026.

(John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)

The Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez blows a bubble as he waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026.

(Aaron Doster, Imagn Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt is doused with water by teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 10th inning at Busch Stadium on March 28, 2026.

(Jeff Curry, Imagn Images)

Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.

(Jovanny Hernandez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.

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The Angels’ pitching staff was yielding a 4.53 ERA, but Maddux and his staff also oversaw the breakout seasons of Reid Detmers, Rafael Soriano, Walbert Urena, Ryan Zeferjahn and Chase Silseth.

“I had a great time in Anaheim,” Maddux said in a text message with USA TODAY Sports. “Pitching was our strong suit. Glad to see some improvement… The coaches room is a solid cast of characters.”

Leveque was in his first year as the Angels Class AA Rocket City’s pitching coach. He worked in the Cardinals’ scouting department in 2025 after being a minor-league pitching coach and pitching coordinator for the previous 19 years with the Cardinals.

Wuertz is in his 11th year with the Angels, and was the Angels minor league assistant pitching coordinator.