Ryan Johnson’s Rough Night as Angels Drop to MLB’s Worst Record

Johnson’s Up‑and‑Down Season

Ryan Johnson was seen as one of the Angels’ most promising pitching prospects after the 2024 draft, but his sophomore campaign has been anything but smooth. An infection forced him onto the 15‑day injured list, and he spent the early part of the year rehabbing in Single‑A and Triple‑A. A sub‑par April‑May stint as both starter and reliever earned a nearly month‑long option, and his brief Triple‑A stay came with a 5.40 ERA in a single appearance.

Johnson returned to the majors on June 18, delivering two solid outings that limited opponents to a single run before Sunday. In that game he faced the Boston Red Sox at Angel Stadium, where early promise slipped away quickly. The Angels jumped out to a three‑run lead, but Johnson could not preserve it, allowing five earned runs over four innings.

Pitching Problems Expose Weaknesses

Johnson possesses a useful mix of a cutter, sinker and split‑finger fastball, yet his execution has faltered this season. When his off‑speed offerings run flat or miss their target, Red Sox hitters capitalized, launching a two‑run homer by Jarren Duran and a three‑run shot from Wilson Contreras. Even a defensive lapse—Zach Neto’s bobble on a potential third out—set up Contreras’s second three‑run blow.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki lamented the missed execution, noting that quality hitters punish mistakes. “Execution at that point, good hitters are gonna make you pay on mistakes and that’s what they did,” he said after the game. Johnson tried to stay positive, remarking, “I think I like the mix that I had. I just had a couple pitches get hit.”

Late Rally Not Enough

The Red Sox extended their lead with two more runs in the seventh, building a cushion the Angels could not erase. Jo Adell drove in a run in the eighth and Zach Neto touched home with a solo homer in the ninth, but the comeback fell short.

The loss sealed a six‑game losing streak for Los Angeles and dropped the club to a 36‑55 record, giving them sole possession of the worst mark in Major League Baseball. The defeat also highlighted the uphill battle Johnson must still fight to regain his early‑season promise.