Angels name Kurt Suzuki manager

The Los Angeles Angels have named Kurt Suzuki of Wailuku, Hawaii as their new manager. Suzuki becomes the first Major League Baseball manager ever from the state of Hawaii according to Rob Collias of Kauai Now News on Tuesday.

Suzuki has been in the Angels organization the last three years. His specific role was the special assistant to Angels General Manager Perry Minasian of Chicago, Illinois the last three seasons.

Two people considered for the Angels managerial job were former Angels superstars Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols. There are now reports that Pujols is being considered as the new manager for the San Diego Padres or Baltimore Orioles according to Joey Thompson of FOX Sports.

Suzuki takes over from Ron Washington, who was relieved of his duties on October 1. It was a disappointing season for the Angels, as they were last in the American League West for the second straight year. The Angels’s record in 2024 was 72 wins and 90 losses. The only two teams worse than the Angels in the American League in 2025 were the Minnesota Twins (at 70 wins and 92 losses), and the Chicago White Sox (at 60 wins and 102 losses). The Twins have also fired their manager Rocco Baldelli since the regular season came to an end. 

Suzuki spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher from 2007 to 2022. He was with the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels. Suzuki was an All-Star with the Twins in 2014. In 1635 career games, Suzuki batted .255 with 143 home runs and 730 runs batted in. He also won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019. In the second games of the 2019 World Series, Suzuki hit a home run in a 12-3 Washington win over the Houston Astros. The dinger came off of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.