The 9 greatest players in Angels history

Best Season as an Angel: 1982 - .319/.396/.403 with three home runs, 44 RBIs, 67 walks, .799 OPS, 121 OPS+ and a 4.3 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .314/.393/.392 with 18 home runs, 282 RBIs, 405 walks, 968 hits, .784 OPS, 119 OPS+ and 15.4 fWAR

While Carew's plaque in Cooperstown has him wearing a Minnesota Twins cap, he spent the final seven seasons of his Hall of Fame career playing first base for the Angels. Across over 6,000 at-bats as an Angels, Carew hit .314 and posted a .393 on-base percentage. Seven of Carew's 18 All-Star Game appearances came during his time with the Angels, and he accumulated 968 hits during his age-33 through age-39 seasons. The Angels retired Carew's No. 29 in 1986.

Best Season as an Angel: 1979 - .294/.365/.537 with 30 home runs, 101 RBIs, 59 walks, .903 OPS, 145 OPS+ and a 5.6 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .269/.370/.436 with 154 home runs, 557 RBIs, 630 walks, 1,103 hits, .806 OPS, 124 OPS+ and 35.7 fWAR

Probably one of the 15 greatest second basemen ever, the Angels signed Grich in free agency following parts of seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, where he had emerged as a star. Grich cemented his legacy with the Angels, posting 35.6 fWAR between 1977 and 1986, a mark that only trailed Willie Randolph among second basemen. Grich made three All-Star teams as an Angel, and finished the strike-shortened 1981 season as the American League leader in home runs (22), slugging percentage (.543) and OPS+ (165).

Best Season as an Angel: 2003 - .315/.345/.541 with 29 home runs, 116 RBIs, 31 walks, .885 OPS, 131 OPS+ and a 5.1 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .296/.327/.469 with 272 home runs, 1,292 RBIs, 397 walks, 2,368 hits, .796 OPS, 105 OPS+ and 26.4 fWAR

Anderson finished runner up to Marty Cordova in 1995 American League Rookie of the Year Award, marking the beginning of a tremendous career spent largely with the Angels. Across 15 years with the Angels, Anderson became the franchise leader in hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), singles (1,572), doubles (389), sacrifice flies (76) and extra-base hits (796). Anderson had 21 hits in the 2002 postseason, helping the Angels to reach and win the World Series for the first time in team history.

Best Season as an Angel: 2004 - .337/.391/.598 with 39 home runs, 126 RBIs, 52 walks, .989 OPS, 157 OPS+ and a 5.9 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .319/.381/.546 with 173 home runs, 616 RBIs, 304 walks, 1,034 hits, .927 OPS, 141 OPS+ and 20.3 fWAR

Guerrero spent a larger chunk of his career playing for the Montreal Expos, meaning his counting numbers fall short of some behind him on this countdown, and left off the list altogether. However, the Angels lured Guerrero west with a five-year/$70 million deal in free agency in advance of the 2004 season and he rewarded them by winning an American League MVP in his first season with the Halos. Across six seasons with the Angels, Guerrero hit 173 home runs and posted a .927 OPS. His .319 batting average as an Angel is the top mark in franchise history. Guerrero was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, and was the first player to ever go into Cooperstown wearing an Angels cap.

Best Season as an Angel: 1970 - .278/.353/.459 with 22 home runs, 82 RBIs, 69 walks, .812 OPS, 127 OPS+ and a 6.8 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .268/.340/.403 with 115 home runs, 546 RBIs, 558 walks, 1,408 hits, .743 OPS, 116 OPS+ and 42.5 fWAR

Before he became a manager who won over 1,000 games, Fregosi was a shortstop who spent 11 of his 18 major league seasons playing for the Angels. As an Angel, Fregosi made six All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove Award. Between 1964 and 1970, Fregosi posted 37.3 fWAR, 10th among all players in baseball and topping the likes of Harmon Killebrew, Joe Torre, Pete Rose and Al Kaline. Fregosi -- who would go on to manage the Angels for parts of four seasons -- had his No. 11 retired by the franchise in 1998.

Best Season as an Angel: 1995 - .330/.429/.594 with 34 home runs, 105 RBIs, 91 walks, 1.024 OPS, 165 OPS+ and a 5.8 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .282/.385/.498 with 299 home runs, 1,016 RBIs, 970 walks, 1,674 hits, .884 OPS, 128 OPS+ and 35.4 fWAR

While Salmon's most famous contribution to baseball history may have been saying "that's the furthest ball I've ever seen hit" when Barry Bonds launched a titanic home run in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series, he was a hell of a player in his own right. Salmon won the 1993 American League Rookie of the Year Award, and would ultimately spend his entire 14-year career with the Angels. The slugging right fielder in the franchise leader with 970 walks, and is in the top five in career home runs (299), RBIs (1,016), OPS (.884), runs scored (986) and total bases (2,958).

Best Season as an Angel: 1993 - 16-14 with a 3.15 ERA, 142 ERA+, 3.69 FIP, 1.293 WHIP, 187 strikeouts, 13 complete games and a 5.1 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: 165-140 with a 3.72 ERA, 118 ERA+, 3.93 FIP, 1.369 WHIP, 2,151 strikeouts, 57 complete games and 46 fWAR

While perhaps not a superstar, Finley is one of the most accomplished starting pitchers in Angels history, having made four All-Star teams in 14 seasons with the team. The lefty led the American League with 13 complete games in 1993, and a pretty staggering 183 1/3 innings during the strike-shortened 1994 season. As an Angel, Finley racked up 190 or more innings in 10 separate seasons, and is appropriately the Angels all-time leader in innings pitched at 2,675. Among all starting pitchers in franchise history, Finley is also tops in total fWAR (46) and wins (165).

Best Season as an Angel: 1973 - 21-16 with a 2.87 ERA, 123 ERA+, 2.49 FIP, 1.227 WHIP, 383 strikeouts, 26 complete games and an 8.7 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: 138-121 with a 3.07 ERA, 115 ERA+, 2.94 FIP, 1.294 WHIP, 2,416 strikeouts, 156 complete games and 44.8 fWAR

Ryan spent slightly longer with the Houston Astros and is wearing a Texas Rangers cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, but the peak of his 27-year career might have come with the Angels. In eight seasons with the Angels, Ryan led baseball in strikeouts on eight occasions and finished in the top three in American League Cy Young Award voting three times. In the history of the Angels franchise, Ryan is the leader in strikeouts (2,416), complete games (156), complete-game shutouts (40) and FIP (2.94).

Best Season as an Angel: 2013 - .323/.432/.557 with 27 home runs, 97 RBIs, 110 walks, .988 OPS, 179 OPS+ and a 10.2 fWAR
Career Stats as an Angel: .305/.419/.583 with 310 home runs, 816 RBIs, 865 walks, 1,419 hits, 1.002 OPS, 176 OPS+ and a 77.8 fWAR (stats current as of January 2022)

If you think it's too early for Trout -- still only 30 -- to be at the top of this list, think again. Trout is a three-time American League MVP, nine-time All-Star, eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner and won the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year Award. A first-round pick in 2009, Trout is already the all-time leader among Angels players in fWAR (77.8), offensive WAR (76.2), on-base percentage (.419), slugging percentage (.583), OPS (1.002) and home runs (310). Considering he's under contract through the 2030 season, Trout is unlikely to relinquish this spot as long as baseball exists.