Raisel Iglesias has sharply declined since July 1, per Mark Bowman

What happened

Raisel Iglesias has been one of the more reliable arms in the Angels bullpen for most of 2026 — and then July arrived. Per Mark Bowman on X, Iglesias has allowed 11 runs, 10 of them earned, across 15 games and 14.1 innings since July 1, a stretch that stands in stark contrast to the numbers he posted through the first two months of the season.

The decline is not a one-bad-outing story. It is a trend line, and Bowman laid it out in three clean phases.

Why it matters

The Angels are 62-100 and have been eliminated from both the AL West division race and the Wild Card race, so the stakes here are not about October. But a bullpen arm's second-half collapse still matters — for roster construction, for the organization's read on what Iglesias is and what he costs, and for the operational question of whether he can be trusted in late-game situations while the club plays out the string.

When a reliever's expected slugging percentage jumps from .269 to .418 over the course of a season, that is not noise. That is a hitter population making better contact against him, and the walk rate climbing alongside it suggests the command picture has changed as well. Bowman's breakdown gives the Angels' front office a precise timestamp for when things shifted.

The numbers

Bowman's three-phase breakdown is worth sitting with, because the arc is unusually clean.

Through May, Iglesias appeared in 17 games and threw 17.2 innings, allowing just 2 runs — all earned — while striking out hitters at a 31.8 percent clip and walking them at a 4.5 percent rate. The expected batting average against him sat at .196, and his expected slugging percentage was .269. Those are closer-caliber numbers. The walk rate in particular — 4.5 percent — suggests a pitcher who was locating with confidence and forcing hitters to swing at his terms.

June showed the first signs of softening. Over 9 games and 9.2 innings, the run total held at 2 earned, but the strikeout rate slipped to 23.1 percent and the walk rate climbed to 7.7 percent. Expected batting average rose to .245 and expected slugging to .341. The results were still acceptable, but the underlying contact quality and command metrics were already moving in the wrong direction.

Then came July 1 through the present. In 15 games and 14.1 innings, Iglesias has allowed 11 runs, 10 earned. The strikeout rate is 24.2 percent — roughly in line with June, but no longer the dominant 31.8 percent figure from May. The walk rate has climbed further to 9.1 percent. Expected batting average is .226, and expected slugging has reached .418. That last number is the one that draws the eye: a jump of nearly that magnitude in expected slugging from May to the post-July 1 stretch is the kind of movement that shows up in a pitcher's peripherals before it fully shows up in the box score — and in this case, it has already shown up in the box score too.

The through-May line reads like a different pitcher than the post-July 1 line. Same arm, same uniform, meaningfully different results and underlying profile.

Where the club stands

The Angels enter the weekend at 62-100 (.383), sitting fifth in the AL West and 19 games back in the division. They are 22.0 games relative to the Wild Card cut line and ranked 12th in that race — which is to say, eliminated. They have dropped their last two games.

The upcoming schedule offers no particular relief. Saturday brings a road game at Miami's loanDepot park with Walbert Ureña taking the ball against Sandy Alcantara. Sunday at Miami features Grayson Rodriguez against Ryan Gusto. The club returns home Monday to face the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium, with Reid Detmers lined up against MacKenzie Gore.

None of those matchups change the organizational math. The Angels are playing out a season that has already rendered its verdict. What the remaining weeks offer is information — about young starters, about roster pieces, and, per Bowman's breakdown, about what Iglesias looks like when the calendar turns against him.

What we don't know yet

Bowman's post documents the statistical decline but does not attribute a cause. There is no reported injury, no diagnosis, no mechanical explanation on the record. Whether the Angels have made or are considering any roster or usage adjustment in response to this stretch is not reported. Bowman's characterization — "sharply declined" — is well-supported by the numbers he presents, but the underlying reason for the shift remains unaddressed in the material.

It is also worth noting that Bowman's post does not specify when "present" ends — the data covers July 1 through some recent point, but the exact cutoff date is not stated.

What to watch

The walk rate is the thread worth pulling. Iglesias went from 4.5 percent through May to 7.7 percent in June to 9.1 percent since July 1. That is a consistent directional move across three separate sample windows, not a spike caused by one bad outing. If the walk rate continues climbing, the expected slugging figure — already at .418 — is likely to follow, because pitchers who lose the strike zone tend to come back into it on hitter-friendly counts.

For a team that has been eliminated and is working through a difficult season, the question of how the Angels use Iglesias in the final weeks of 2026 is a small one in the grand scheme. But small questions still have answers, and Bowman's breakdown gives anyone paying attention a clear-eyed look at where one of their relievers stands heading into August.