Some background: He’s a bad-bodied (5’10” 165) 24-year-old Venezuelan right-hander with absurdly good control. How absurd? As a Nats prospect in 2021, he walked 4 batters in 51 innings. That’s basically 3/4 of a batter every nine innings. He hit more hitters with a pitch (5) than he walked that year.

But, predictably, he also gave up a lot of hits and stalled out in the Nationals system; and appeared to have some kind of catastrophic health issue that completely extinguished his 2025 season; and signed with the Halos as a reclamation project this spring.

And reclaimed him, they have. He debuted in AA last night and had a nice game (4 IP, 0 ER) but perhaps more interestingly, it made him the first Angels prospect this year (and the first I can ever recall) to pitch in all five levels of their system in a single season. I hope he’s been logging his Southwest miles.

https://www.milb.com/player/jose-atencio-682719

Maybe another long relief arm to add to our expanding reservoir of bullpen prospects.

Legend

GrandpaBaseball

3 hours ago

The starting pitching is a good or better than the Halos have had in 16 years or more and the lineup just hit only once a week with more than 4 guys getting hits, now moving on I do like Meckler, Neto Trout and Grissom in the top 4 spots though, but they are getting there hits in different innings and games.

Does anybody care what time it is becomes in my head does anybody care if we lose 100 games? We knew we were cooked to lose a hundred this year a year ago, bet we don’t lose a hundred next year as we not even see a 100 game season.

Trusted Member

Texan44

5 hours ago

I am not anti-tank. But sometimes the “best laid plans of mice and men.” Anyway Baltimore had 100 loss seasons in 2018, 2019, Covid, and 2021. Elias came in and had high draft choices. He also claimed innumerable players off the waiver wire. If you want to know how the Orioles version of CTPG thinks about it……

https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/70397/the-2026-orioles-are-officially-a-failure

Legend

DowningDude

5 hours ago

Happy Monday! Woo hoo! Early baseball today!

Trusted Member

Texan44

5 hours ago

Sometimes, those deals that you DON’T make are good ones. The Angels need outfield help. Luis Roberts Jr came across waivers and the FO passed, Looked like an upgrade if you wanted one. He was expensive for rest of the year and was $20 or $2 million option for next year. The FO passed, Orioles bought.

Now he is injured and might miss the rest of the year. So far, I am very impressed with the waiver wire opportunities the FO has passed on so far after Moz came in.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/orioles-place-luis-robert-jr-on-10-day-il.html

Super Member

YOUknowulovetheIE

5 hours ago

Reply to Texan44

Lots of people spent big $ on his rookie cards, calling him the next trout. 😂😂😂😂

Legend

Fansince1971

7 hours ago

Further thoughts re yesterday’s discussion about (in my view) the lack of any relevance in being the only team without a 100 loss season thus far.

If avoiding a loss total is any part of your team’s identity – then the team is a loser franchise. Avoiding a certain loss total is a loser’s point of pride. Good teams and Org’s focus only on the winning side of things.

So – I am suggesting it’s meaningless whether the Angels lose 100 or 110 games this season or anywhere in between. We should not care. 2026 is a lost season and we should view it that way no matter what the total losses turn out to be.

With Arte gone – in future seasons (whenever they may occur) I suggest we all turn our focus as Angel fans to winning and avoid losing as a point of the team’s identity.

Legend

Fansince1971

6 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

If some of you really must continue the 100 loss narrative, how about flipping it to the Angels being the only team to have never won fewer than 63 games in a season. At least that focuses on the win side of things.

Last edited 6 hours ago by Fansince1971

Legend

Senator_John_Blutarsky

6 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

I also don’t understand the fascination by some with avoiding 100 losses. Like, that gives the franchise some type of “bragging rights”! This is the same logic that led Arte to not trade Ohtani.

The Angels are one of the worst, if not the worst, franchises in MLB today. 99 losses do not make the team better.

Just as that great American philosopher Ricky Bobby said: “If you ain’t first, you’re last”. Screw the win/loss record. Winning in October is what matters.

Legend

Fansince1971

5 hours ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

Yes. If you hold out loss total as a point of pride, then you are rooting for a loser Org.

Legend

DowningDude

5 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

I’ll wave my white flag. You guys have convinced me that I’m a total loser.

Go 100 losses. Whatever.

Trusted Member

milehigh

1 hour ago

Reply to Fansince1971

Count me in as one who does not want this team to lose 100 games. And yes, that would mean rooting for a loser org. Then again, we all have been doing that literally for the last 11 seasons including this one. So we all have been rooting for a loser org. For me, I prefer not to see the players questioned in every interview after the 100th loss or in every interview whenever the next season starts about how they feel losing 100 games for the first time. I prefer the players not to have that stink with them. That’s just me.

As angry as you have been this year toward this org and Arte and Perry, and deservedly so, I am as angry at Moz right now. As much as Moz has done to improve things, I can’t stand that he has let Suzuki continue his imbecilic managing in the second half of this season. How could Moz possibly ask Suzuki about Maddux and let Suzuki continue his lineups and managing. I would have to say that Suzuki is at least 50% responsible for all the losing this year.

I am extremely disappointed in Moz. I thought he was going to make a difference in the total package that is on the field. I thought at least he was going to tell his manager who he wants to see play daily. But Moz let Suzuki continue on playing his vets because good times were just around the corner. Paris is brought up late in the season and sits until today? I don’t understand why Moz allows that to happen. If we had played Guzman’s, Moore’s, Paris’s, all season and lost 110 games I would be happy. We would find something out. You’re supposed to show your players you will do anything to win. I don’t see that.

Legend

DowningDude

5 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

RE: “I suggest we all turn our focus as Angel fans to winning and avoid losing as a point of the team’s identity”

GREAT IDEA. No problem with some of us wanting to start that NOW, is there?

Or it’s ok to accept being a loser?

I just don’t get it, dude.

Let people root for what they want to root for instead of repeatedly inundating us all into thinking the same as you.

I don’t want 100 losses.

Call me a loser … I’ll wear that.

Go team!

Legend

Fansince1971

5 hours ago

Reply to DowningDude

Wait, isn’t this site all about trying to express opinions and convince others? Or does it end with just expression of your opinion? If so, there are a lot of other people around here that should be the focus of your comments. If this is a one and done type of opinion spot, then there are violations everywhere on this site. I read the same six opinions pretty much every day. And that includes the folks posting something every day about what record the Angels have to achieve in the last number of games to avoid 100 losses.

If you want to suggest a complete moratorium on the subject, that is fine with me. But every day, I read 100 losses being a subject of conversation, I will likely respond.

Last edited 5 hours ago by Fansince1971

Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

4 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

“If some of you really must continue the 100 loss narrative” says the guy who continues with it, unbidden.

Trusted Member

Texan44

7 hours ago

We have bantered about “coaching.” (You probably will need an new incognito window).

But good coaches and willing students can do miracles. Washington is well respected as are others. But this is a coach trying to turn a catcher into an infielder.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/How-Matt-Galante-turned-Craig-Biggio-into-a-6401507.php