All Angels team 1965-2017, position players

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For a team with the resources the Angels have had in recent years, the product on the field isn't what you expect. Of course, there are exceptions. Mike Trout is one of the greatest players in this, or any generation. Beyond that, the cupboard still hasn't been completely bare. Here we go.

Catcher: Bob Boone Boone was a excellent defensive catcher, a good handler of pitchers, and not much of a hitter. Not to knock Bob, but for him to be an organization's best player at a position in the last 50+ seasons is an indicator that position isn't one of strength. Bob played 7 season for the Angels and complied a defensive WAR of 14.5 which is just outstanding. It is negated somewhat by weak overall offensive factors which drag his total WAR for his years with the Angels to 12.1. Boone gets the edge over bat first guy, Mike Napoli.

First base: Wally Joyner First base also hasn't been a position of particular strength over the years. Rod Carew played the position for a number of years for the Angels, but he was on the back side of his career, lacked power and was a great glove at the position. Those qualities tended to negate his ability to hit for average. Albert Pujols has provided power, but has clearly been in decline since coming to the Angels. That leaves Wally Joyner. Wally played 7 seasons for the Halos, put up a batting average of .286, an OBP of .350 and a slugging percentage of .450. Those are solid numbers. He wasn't terrible with the glove, but not great. Wally Joyner, a solid performer at first.

Second base: Bobby Grich Grich was one of the best players in Angels history. He combined a great glove with a good bat that included power in his 10 seasons with the Angels. Bobby had his best season in 1979 when he 30 homers to go with 101 RBIs. He was also leading the AL with 22 home runs in the strike shortened 1981 season. Grich finished with a WAR of 34.9 in his years in California. Bobby Knoop, a great fielding second baseman of the mid 60's gets a mention by virtue of his three gold gloves.

Shortstop: Jim Fregosi Jim came up with the Angels in 1961 for a cup of coffee and ended up staying with the team through the 1971 season. Fregosi gets bonus points because he went to the Mets in a trade for Nolan Ryan. All in all, Jim was one of the best asserts in franchise history. Fregosi offensive stats might seem a little light, but he played in a era dominated by pitching. Fregosi had 5 seasons with a WAR of 5 or more, including two of over 7. Jim was a 6 time all star with the Angels and finished with a WAR of 45.9 while with the Halos. Fregosi finished with an OPS of .743 while with the Angels. For the time frame in which he played, that was excellent for a shortstop. If Andrelton Simmons plays for the Angels long enough, he could supplant Fregosi. His WAR of 7.1 for the 2017 season was largely glove driven. He is one of the elite defensive shortstops baseball has seen in the last 50 seasons. Angel fans, enjoy.

Third base: Troy Glaus In his prime, Troy was Mike Schmidt lite. The power hitting third baseman was a key component in the Angels 2002 championship team, winning world series MVP honors. In 2000 Troy led the AL with 47 homers and had an OPS of 1.008. He followed that up with a 41 homer, 108 RBI season in 2001. During the championship 2002 season, he totaled 31 homers to go with a career high 111 RBIs. For a guy that stood 6'5”, he played a pretty good third base. His WAR total for his 7 seasons with the Angles was 22.5, but in his prime he was one of the best third basemen in the league. Glaus is a fairly easy choice over Doug DeCinces and Carney Lansford.

Left field: Brian Downing This catcher turned outfielder gets the decision over Garret Anderson. Downing gets the nod, primarily because of his on base skills. His OPS of .813 is aided tremendously by his OBP of .372. Meanwhile, Anderson had 5 seasons of 29 or more homers and twice led the AL in doubles. Anderson's batting average was .296 but his OBP was only .327. Anderson and Downing produced similar overall results in very different ways. Neither excelled in the field. For 15 seasons, Anderson's WAR was 28.0 while Downing's was 37.8 in 13 seasons. Walks and OBP really are a big deal.

Center field: Mike Trout You were expecting Albie Pearson? Mike Trout has a career OPS of .976. He's won two MVP awards, and has finished second three times in six full seasons. His combination of speed, power and on base skills are unmatched. He is also a spectacular fielder, though the eye test is more favorable for him than defensive WAR is. He's been the greatest player in baseball for a while, and a lot of us are sleeping through it since he plays on the west coast. Beyond Trout, some pretty food players have manned center field for the Angels. Jim Edmonds played a flashy brand of defensive while hitting for power. Darin Erstad also had a couple of big seasons for the Angels. Still, Trout is one of the easiest choices I've made, not just on the Angels, but on any team.

Right field: Tim Salmon Tim played 14 years for the Angels. His biggest season was 1995 when he .330 with 34 home runs and 105 RBIs. His OPS for that season was 1.024. In 1997 he hit 33 homers with a career high 129 RBIs. His OPS for his 14 seasons with the Halos was .884. His total WAR for his time was 40.5. He had three seasons with a WAR of 5 or more. The Angels have had other big names play right field for them, but for the most part, they were players that were over the hill by the time they got to the Angels. One exception was Vladimir Guerrero. Salmon gets the edge in right field, but you'll see more of Vlad soon.

Designated hitter: Vladimir Guerrero And here's Vlad again. Guerrero started with the Montreal Expos and had most of his best seasons with them, but he could still swing the stick by the time he got to the Angels. In his six seasons with the Angels hit .319 with three seasons of 100+ RBIs. His OPS while in LA was .927. One of the best bad ball hitters in MLB history, Vladimir Guerrero, is the Angels DH.

So there is my all Angels team. Some big names aren't on it. Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols are examples of big name guys who were past their prime when they got to the Angels. How do my picks compare to yours? Let me know.

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