Ron Washington’s time with the Los Angeles Angels officially came to an end Tuesday, and now the big question hanging over the team is: who’s Arte Moreno going to bring in as the next skipper?
Washington, 73, stepped in as Angels manager before the 2024 season, marking his first dugout gig since his Texas Rangers days nearly a decade earlier. His first year in Anaheim didn’t exactly go to plan—the Angels finished dead last in the AL West with a 63–99 record. This season, he only managed 80 games before stepping away in June for quadruple bypass surgery.
That leaves the Angels—just like their division rival Rangers—looking for a new manager heading into 2026. And interestingly enough, one of the names floating around is a former player of Washington’s in Texas.
Michael Young on the Shortlist
Nothing official has come from the Angels’ front office yet, but the rumor mill is running full speed. Former Angel (and sure-fire Hall of Famer) Albert Pujols is one of the names being thrown around. Pujols has some managerial experience from his post-playing career in the Dominican Republic, and according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, he’s viewed by many as the frontrunner.
But another name being tossed in? Michael Young. Yep—the longtime Rangers infielder.
It’s a little weird to picture Young in an Angels uniform, let alone running the show in Anaheim, given how closely tied he is to Texas. He’s been working as a senior advisor with the Rangers since 2014 and is basically royalty in Arlington—team Hall of Fame, No. 10 retired, and the franchise leader in hits, runs, and total bases. But Young is a California guy at heart, born and raised, and played college ball at UC Santa Barbara. That connection could make things interesting.
Experience-wise, Young doesn’t have much. His only taste of managing came at the 2024 MLB Futures Game during All-Star Weekend in Texas. That’s it. Still, nobody’s questioning his knowledge of the game—just whether the Angels would roll the dice on someone with that little dugout experience.
What About Texas?
The Rangers, meanwhile, are in their own managerial search after parting ways with Bruce Bochy earlier this week. Early signs point to them leaning toward someone with a track record, but Young could easily slot in somewhere on the coaching staff if he wanted—bench coach, hitting coach, special assistant, whatever.
And let’s not forget Skip Schumaker. The former Marlins manager and NL Manager of the Year joined the Rangers’ front office last year as an advisor, and many saw him as Bochy’s eventual replacement. If Texas does go with Schumaker, Young would still be an invaluable piece of the puzzle, a right-hand man to whoever takes over.
So, will Michael Young make the jump to Anaheim? Or will he stay in Texas and keep shaping the Rangers’ future from the inside? For now, it’s all speculation—but one thing’s clear: both the Angels and Rangers are about to have very different looks in 2026.
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