In the 13th feature of an extensive series, we will take a look at the top 10 hitters of every Major League Baseball franchise. Here we feature the Los Angeles Angels. The list includes the California Angels (1965 to 1996), the Anaheim Angels (1997 to 2004), and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005 to 2015).
10) Bobby Grich
The second baseman from Muskegon, Michigan had 154 home runs with the Angels from 1977 to 1986. He had a career high 30 home runs in 1979, and led the American League with 22 home runs in 1981, the year Grich won his only Silver Slugger Award. Thrice he was an American League All-Star with the Angels in 1979, 1980, and 1982. Grich had 14 home runs in 1980 and 19 home runs in 1982.
9) Chili Davis
The outfielder from Kingston, Jamaica had 156 home runs with the Angels from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996. He had 26 home runs with the Angels as an All-Star in 1994. Davis is known as the first Jamaican to play a Major League Baseball game.
8) Shohei Ohtani
The designated hitter from Oshu, Japan has 171 home runs with the Angels since 2018. He had 22 home runs as the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018, had a career-high 46 home runs as the American League Most Valuable Player in 2021, and leads the American League with 44 home runs in 2023.
7) Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
The Hall of Fame rightfielder from Nizao, Dominican Republic had 173 home runs with the Angels from 2004 to 2009. A four-time All-Star with the Angels, Guerrero Sr. had 39 home runs in 2004 when he was named the American League Most Valuable Player.
6) Troy Glaus
The corner infielder from Tarzana, California had 198 home runs with the Angels from 1998 to 2004. He led the American League with an Angels single season record 47 home runs in 2000. That was the first of three years Glaus was an American League All-Star with the Angels (also honoured in 2001 and 2003). When the Angels won the 2002 World Series, Glaus had seven postseason home runs that year. Two of the seven home runs came in Angels wins. The first was in an 8-6 Angels win over the New York Yankees in game two of the American League Divisional Series, and the second was in a 2-1 Angels win over the Minnesota Twins in game three of the American League Championship Series.
4) Albert Pujols
The first baseman from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic had 222 home runs with the Angels from 2012 to 2021. When Pujols was selected as an American League All-Star in 2015, he had 40 home runs.
4) Brian Downing
The designated hitter and outfielder from Los Angeles, California had 222 home runs with the Angels from 1978 to 1990. He had 12 home runs as an American League All-Star in 1979, and a career-high 29 home runs in 1987. Where Downing deserved high praise in 1987 was plate discipline. He led the American League with 106 walks.
3) Garret Anderson
The leftfielder from Los Angeles, California had 272 home runs with the Angels from 1995 to 2008. Anderson had a career-high 35 home runs in 2000. In 2002 and 2003, he was an American League All-Star in back-to-back years and had 29 home runs each season. Anderson then had 17 home runs as an All-Star in 2005. When the Angels won the 2002 World Series, he had two postseason home runs. Anderson’s dingers came in game two of the American League Divisional Series, an 8-6 Angels win over the New York Yankees, and in game three of the American League Championship Series, a 2-1 Angels win over the Minnesota Twins.
2) Tim Salmon
The rightfielder from Long Beach, California had 299 home runs with the Angels from 1992 to 2006. He did not play in 2005 because of torn rotator cuff and biceps tendon surgery. Salmon had a career-high 34 home runs in 1995 and 2000. As the American League Rookie of the Year in 1993, he had 31 home runs. When the Angels won the 2002 World Series. Salmon had four home runs. He had one dinger in game two of the American League Divisional Series, an 8-6 Angels win over the New York Yankees, another home run in game three of the American League Divisional Series, a 9-6 Angels win over the Yankees, and two more home runs in an 11-10 Angels win over the San Francisco Giants in game two of the all-California World Series.
1) Mike Trout
In continuing the fishy theme, the centerfielder from Vineland, New Jersey had 368 home runs with the Angels since 2011. The 11-time American League All-Star had 30 home runs as the American League Rookie of the Year in 2012, 36 home runs as the American League MVP in 2014, 29 home runs as the American League MVP in 2016, and a career-high 45 home runs as the American League MVP in 2019.
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