TEMPE, Ariz. — When Los Angeles Angels starter Patrick Sandoval invited teammates over for a Super Bowl watch party at his place in Arizona on Sunday, there was purpose behind it. Yes, watching football was a chief goal. But there was more.

Sandoval enters the 2024 season wanting to make a proactive effort to become a vocal leader. He’s coming off a self-described dreadful season. His strikeouts dropped significantly. His walks exploded. He allowed more homers. And his ERA, unsurprisingly, was more than a run higher than in 2022.

But for all the on-field struggles, there’s also a different area that Sandoval looks back at and wants to change. Bringing everyone over for some football is just a start.

“I definitely could have done better last year of being a leader, a little bit more vocal,” Sandoval said on Tuesday. “I think this year, I’m going to do my best to change that, and be a guy that guys can lean on and look to for advice.”

It was around this time last year that Sandoval became a far more recognizable name across the sport. He pitched exceptionally for Team Mexico in the WBC. He was solid against Team USA, then dominated a do-or-die game against Japan in the semifinals. After posting a 2.91 ERA during the 2022 regular season, it seemed Sandoval was on track to become a breakout star.

That, however, didn’t happen. Sandoval had a 4.11 ERA, his WHIP was 1.514. And his strikeouts per nine innings dipped from 9.1 to 8.0. He wasn’t awful, by any means. But by the burgeoning standards he’d set, it couldn’t have gone much worse.

He’s spent this offseason tweaking his mechanics, starting a pilates regimen at the suggestion of Griffin Canning and following the free agency of his good friend, Shohei Ohtani — an ordeal he compared to the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift craze that is impossible to escape from.

Patrick Sandoval on Ohtani free agency and signing:

“I equated it to the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift stuff. It was everywhere. … But I’m happy for him, he got what he wanted. You like to see your friends succeed. Wish he was doing it with us, but I’m happy he got what he got.”

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) February 14, 2024

Sandoval also got to meet and speak with new pitching coach Barry Enright. In the first conversation, Enright told the southpaw that he wants him to get the WBC swagger back.

It’s a good goal, but there needs to be a plan behind it. And Enright said that Sandoval has several versions of his slider that he used. There was a lot of experimentation happening, Enright said referring to Sandoval and a couple others, without them being focused on getting into good counts.

“Don’t be the jack of all trades and master of none,” Enright told The Athletic in November. “What is your best feel? What are your top four pitches? What have we just learned? What are we excited about? And then cut out the fat, and hold on to the non-negotiables, and go from there. And be able to refine to be really good at something first.”

With Sandoval, the root of his struggles has been both mechanical and mental. Getting his WBC swagger isn’t a vague throwaway comment. It’s representative of what the team wants from the 27-year-old, and what he wants of himself. A poised pitcher with a presence on the mound.

Far too often, Sandoval’s outings devolved with his emotions. Whether he was pissed at himself, or annoyed about a defensive lapse behind him, those frustrations defined his season. His staggering 23 unearned runs last year were a clear-cut reflection of the problem.

“I’m just not happy at all with my season personally, and how we (as a team) ended up last year,” Sandoval said. “I think consistency for me, and staying level-headed. Not let innings get too big. Damage control.”

It was all one big cycle, Sandoval said. The longer the inning got, the more his mechanics would suffer. The more his mechanics suffered, the more he got in his head. The frustration would mount.

That feels like eons ago now, as he walked back into the clubhouse following the first official workout of spring. Pitchers were getting their first bullpens logged. A couple guys took batting practice in the cage. There was one fan in attendance watching it all in a retro Tim Salmon jersey.

Sandoval talked about the new feeling surrounding the team. The vibe is different, he said, specifically noting the tenor and camaraderie during the team’s conditioning workouts.

The first day of spring is always about turning the page, for good teams and bad, for players coming off an MVP season, and for players that stunk.

Sandoval wants to be so much more than what he showed in 2023, both on the field and off of it.

“He’s got ace stuff,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe. “He’s a guy that’s been here and been through it, and has been with guys that have been here for a while, and knows what it takes. I think he brings a huge leadership role … and I think he brings a lot of value to the team.”

Angels Extras

• Manager Ron Washington said the current plan is for Carlos Estévez to be the team’s closer. He had a 1.88 ERA through July of last season, then an 8.38 ERA over the final two months.

• Longtime Angels television analyst and Royals Hall of Fame pitcher Mark Gubicza will be in uniform for a couple days this spring to work with players. The Angels have typically invited alumni to assist in spring training coaching.

• The Angels have hired Dylan Cintula and Bob Alejo as new strength and conditioning coaches. Matt Tenney and Adam Auer were let go after last season, and Minasian cited the team’s copious injuries last year as part of the reason for the change.

• Lefty starter José Suarez and reliever José Cisnero will both report late to camp. Suarez is dealing with a family matter, the team said. Cisnero has a visa issue and is expected to miss at least a week, and maybe longer.