Top 10 Best Los Angeles Angels Players of All Time

The Los Angeles Angels franchise has been home to many successful players throughout history. The franchise has produced multiple Hall of Fame players and has two of the MLB’s current superstars: Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Read on to learn more about the top 10 best Los Angeles Players of All Time. 

Who Are the Best LA Angels Baseball Players of All Time?

1. Mike Trout
2. Nolan Ryan
3. Vladimir Guerrero
4. Chuck Finley
5. Jim Fregosi
6. Tim Salmon
7. Bobby Grich
8. Garret Anderson
9. Shohei Ohtani
10. Jered Weaver

1. Mike Trout

• Three-time AL MVP
• Ten-time All-Star
• Nine Silver Slugger awards

When Mike Trout retires, there’s a real chance he could go down as one of the greatest professional baseball players of all time. In modern baseball, Trout’s play has been simply unmatched, and nobody has come close, either. In terms of offense, Trout has been awarded nine Silver Sluggers, has maintained a lifetime batting average of .303, and has already hit 350 home runs as of the start of the 2023 season.

In terms of defense, Mike Trout plays center field for the Angels, where he absolutely dominates. In 2012 he was awarded the highly prestigious Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award. And as far as his speed goes, Mike Trout even led the MLB in stolen bases in 2012, his rookie year in which he won the AL Rookie of the Year award. Mike Trout’s baseball resume is truly endless, capped off by his three AL MVP awards, which makes him the greatest Los Angeles Angel of all time. 

2. Nolan Ryan

• Eight-time All-Star
• 11-time strikeout leader
• 5,714 career strikeouts

As far as starting pitchers go, Nolan Ryan is undoubtedly one of the best of all time. He was truly dominant practically every time he started on the mound. Ryan was known for overwhelming batters with his nearly-unstoppable fastball, which is why he’s racked up a truly astronomical number of strikeouts over the course of his career, 5,714 to be exact. He stands at number one all-time in career strikeouts, and the next closest pitcher, Randy Johnson, is nearly a thousand strikeouts away from Ryan.

There were 11 seasons in his big league in which he led the league in strikeouts. Ryan played for the Angels between 1972 and 1979, and he kept his dominance up during that time. He would make five All-Star games while he was with the Angels. And Nolan Ryan wasn’t just a strikeout artist either. His career ERA stands at a more-than-respectable 3.19. He was an easy selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

3. Vladimir Guerrero

• 2004 AL MVP
• Eight-time All-Star
• Eight-time Silver Slugger

Vladimir Guerrero was one of the greatest Los Angeles Angels ever, thanks to his remarkable abilities on offense. Guerrero played for the team between 2004 and 2009 and in that span absolutely dominated the MLB in all categories of hitting. His best season was his first with the team in 2004, in which he won the AL MVP award. That season he hit for a .337 average and scored 124 runs.

On the defensive side of the ball, he was tied for first in the AL in outfield assists. Guerrero was a very well-rounded player, as evidenced by his ability to hit for both power and average. His career .318 batting average is incredibly strong, and that’s just the cherry on top of 449 home runs and 1,496 runs batted in. Guerrero additionally made eight All-Star games in his career, half of which were during his time with the Angels.

4. Chuck Finley

• Five-time All-Star
• 14 seasons with the Angels
• Angels Hall of Fame

Chuck Finley was one of the most loyal players to ever play for the Los Angeles Angels. Finley began his career with the team in 1986 and would play for them all the way until 1999, when he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. During his time with the Angels, Finley was a truly dependable and excellent starting pitcher.

He won exactly 200 games in his MLB career and maintained a lifetime earned run average under 4.00 (3.85). He also amassed a huge amount of strikeouts during his lengthy career in professional baseball, 2,610 to be exact. As a result of his continued excellence on the mound, Finley was named to five All-Star games, all of which, except for one, came during his time in California. And because of his loyalty to the franchise and reliable performance to the team, Finley was named to the Los Angeles Angels Hall of Fame.

5. Jim Fregosi

• Six-time All-Star
• 1967 Gold Glove
• Angels number 11 retired

Jim Fregosi played shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels between 1961 and 1971. During that time, he provided a massive boost to the team thanks to his excellent play on both sides of the ball. In terms of offense, Fregosi hit 151 career home runs and batted in 706 runs. In terms of his defensive ability, Fregosi was one of the finer talents in the league at the shortstop position.

He was recognized for this in 1967 as he was awarded a Gold Glove for his outstanding defensive play. Fregosi made it to six All-Star games during his time in professional baseball, all of which were during his career as an Angel. Thanks to his 11 seasons with the team and his consistently excellent play, the Angels elected to retire Fregosi’s jersey, number 11, from active use. They also inducted him into the Los Angeles Angels Hall of Fame. 

6. Tim Salmon

• World Series Champion
• AL Rookie of the Year
• 1995 Silver Slugger

Without a doubt, Tim Salmon is one of the definitive greatest Angels of all time. Salmon played his entire career in Major League Baseball with the Los Angeles Angels from 1992 to 2004, along with one additional season in 2006. In that span, Salmon made quite a difference for the team. In his first season in Los Angeles, Salmon won the AL Rookie of the Year award for a season that saw him hit 31 home runs and 95 RBIs.

Salmon continued his success by winning a Silver Slugger award in 1995. Although he never reached an All-Star game, Salmon was instrumental in helping the Angels win the 2002 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. During his long career with the Angels, Salmon maintained a respectable .282 batting average and hit 299 home runs in that span. Thanks to his loyalty to the franchise and unwavering dependability, Salmon was selected for the Los Angeles Angels Hall of Fame. 

7. Bobby Grich

• Six-time All-Star
• Four Gold Gloves
• 1981 Silver Slugger

Bobby Grich is one of the most well-rounded players to ever play for the Los Angeles Angels. Grich played second base for the Angels between 1977 and 1986, and in that time, proved to be truly excellent. Of his six career All-Star game appearances, three of them were during his time in California.

Part of this excellence was his superb defensive abilities, for which he won four Gold Gloves. But he was more than just an outstanding second baseman. Grich was a truly talented hitter, as evidenced by his 1981 Silver Slugger award. He was granted the award for his offensive performance in the 1981 season, a season in which he led the American League in home runs with 21, as the season was shortened by a strike. Grich’s excellence over a decade spent with the team has earned him a well-deserved place in the Los Angeles Angels Hall of Fame. 

8. Garret Anderson

• World Series champion
• Three-time All-Star
• Two-time Silver Slugger

Garret Anderson had an extremely long career with the Los Angeles Angels and is undoubtedly one of their best players of all time. Anderson played in Los Angels from 1994 all the way until 2008. In his 15 seasons with the team, Anderson managed to amass quite a bit of hardware in terms of awards. Chief among these would be his World Series ring, which he won with the team during their 2002 playoff run that resulted in a World Series win.

Anderson was particularly on his game that year and was elected to an All-Star game for his efforts that season. He would be an All-Star again the following year and once again in 2005, good for three All-Star appearances in his career. Anderson was also the recipient of two Silver Slugger awards, the first in 2002 and the second just a year later in 2003. 

9. Shohei Ohtani

• 2021 AL MVP
• Two-time First-Team All-MLB
• 2018 AL Rookie of the Year

Entering the MLB in 2018 for the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani had one of the most highly anticipated debuts in MLB history. Before entering the MLB, Ohtani had a super career in the Japanese professional baseball league. Ohtani was highly touted for being both an incredibly good hitter and starting pitcher, which is almost unheard of in professional baseball. And once he made his debut, Ohtani didn’t disappoint. He won AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 and has since made two All-Star games (2021 and 2022).

Ohtani’s 2021 season was particularly dominant, earning him the prestigious AL MVP award. Perhaps most remarkably, however, has been Ohtani’s ability to dominate as a hitter and starting pitcher. In 2021, Ohtani made the First-Team All-MLB list as a designated hitter, and a year later, in 2022, he made the list again, but this time as a starting pitcher. Entering the 2023 MLB season, Ohtani remains one of the most exciting talents in the entire sport.

10. Jered Weaver

• Three-time All-Star
• Pitched a no-hitter in 2012
• Two-time AL wins leader

Jered Weaver was an extremely talented starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels between 2006 and 2016. During that time, Weaver found enormous success on the mound. Perhaps his highest achievement with the team was when he threw a no-hitter on May 2, 2012, against the Minnesota Twins.

In addition to his achievement that day, Weaver also made it to All-Star games in three distinct seasons with the Angels. He was also the leader in the wins category in both 2012 and 2014 for the American League. He also led the entire MLB in strikeouts in 2010 with 233. Weaver’s all-time record is an outstanding 150 wins compared to 98 losses. He held a lifetime 3.63 ERA and finished his career with 1,621 strikeouts. There’s little doubt that Weaver was one of the more exciting pitchers of the late 2000s and early 2010s and that he’s one of the best Angels in team history. 

Honorable Mentions

• Dean Chance
• Doug DeCinces
• Jim Edmonds
• Chone Figgins
• Troy Glaus
• John Lackey
• Mark Langston
• Jarrod Washburn
• Jered Weaver
• Mike Witt

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