Angels snag former Cardinals staffer in charge of outdated philosophy

The St. Louis Cardinals announced that the vast majority of their major league coaching staff will remain the same for next season, while there are shifts in roles amid some minor changes. Other staffs around the league are undergoing changes, and a familiar organization will be scooping up a former Cardinals coach.

The LA Angels hired Mike Maddux as pitching coach.

After interviewing Albert Pujols for the manager position, the Los Angeles Angels decided on a different first-time manager and former player in Kurt Suzuki. Among Suzuki's staff will be a veteran voice, as the Angels hired Mike Maddux away from division rival Texas Rangers. Maddux had been with Texas since leaving the Cardinals early in the 2022 offseason, a departure that seemingly took the organization by surprise. The pitching coach left St. Louis after spending five years with the organization.

While Maddux headed the Cardinals staff, the team ranked in the middle of the pack in pitching stats, checking in at 16th in terms of fWAR and 24th in K/9 and BB/9, but put up the sixth-best ERA and seventh-most wins during that stretch. Maddux's philosophy was an extension of long-time pitching coach Dave Duncan, as Greg's brother preached contact and getting the ball on the ground. The Cardinals' pitchers ranked best in the league at causing grounders, and the Cardinals were also the stingiest team when it came to allowing home runs, averaging 1.01 HR/9 from 2018-2022.

Maddux had four pitchers tally at least 30 wins over those five seasons, with Adam Wainwright leading the way with 49 victories and Miles Mikolas sitting second with 41. The pitching coach was also known for his reclamation projects, getting the most out of his bullpen and finding value in cheap closer options. Maddux called on Giovanny Gallegos 214 times, and the reliever became a dominant piece at the back end of games. He also received 30 and 29 saves from failed starters Alex Reyes and Carlos Martinez, respectively, while overseeing Jordan Hicks' transformation to and from the bullpen.

For all the good stories, there was also the disappointing, as the Cardinals staff was let down by free agent signings Brett Cecil and Greg Holland, while Maddux was at the forefront of the debuts of Luke Weaver, Matthew Liberatore, and Jack Flaherty. Of course, there is never an actual way to measure the overall influence of a pitching coach, but it does seem that the longtime guru has a way of unlocking something extra more often than not.

Maddux will have some work to do with the Angels, as he only has a few set spots in the rotation and does not have a huge prospect pool waiting for their call to the majors.