After a process that sifted through a few former players, the Los Angeles Angels announced Tuesday that they’ve hired former catcher Kurt Suzuki as their new manager.
Suzuki, 42, played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, including his final two in Anaheim with the Angels. After his 2022 retirement, he joined the team’s front office as a special assistant to the general manager.
His familiarity with Orange County extends to college. The Hawaii native was one of the stars on Cal State Fullerton’s 2004 College World Series championship team, where he hit the game-winning RBI in the clinching game.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 04: Kurt Suzuki #24 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on from the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on October 04, 2022 in Oakland, California.
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He played for the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals before his stint with the Angels. He won the 2019 World Series with the Nationals.
The 2014 All-Star hit .255 across his career with 143 home runs.
Now, the former player will have the challenge of navigating an Angels team that hasn’t participated in the postseason in more than a decade. While the crosstown rival LA Dodgers are set to play in the World Series, the Angels finished last in the AL West with a 72-90 record – an improvement from the 63-99 finish in 2024.
The managerial job opened up at the end of this season when the team announced it parted ways with Ron Washington after two seasons. Washington stepped away from the Angels in June and later announced that he’d had quadruple bypass surgery.Â
He didn’t return to the bench. Ray Montgomery served as interim manager, although it’s unclear if he’ll remain on staff under Suzuki.
Suzuki will become the Angels’ fifth full-time manager since longtime skipper Mike Scioscia was fired in 2018.