Here are the top Angels players of the 2010s

Here are the top Angels players of the 2010s

December 20th, 2019

ANAHEIM -- With the decade coming to a close, it’s time to look back at the top 10 Angels players of the last 10 years.

There’s no doubt about No. 1 -- was named MLB.com’s player of the decade -- but here’s the full list of the Angels’ top 10 players of the 2010s:

1. Mike Trout
Seasons: 2011-present

Trout was not only the Angels’ best player of the decade but the best in baseball by a wide margin. Despite not playing in 2010, Trout racked up 73.4 Wins Above Replacement during his first nine seasons with the Angels, far surpassing everyone else in the Majors, according to FanGraphs. Buster Posey recorded the second-best WAR among position players with 53, while Clayton Kershaw led all pitchers with 59.1 WAR. Trout captured three American League Most Valuable Player Awards, was named an All-Star eight times and won seven Silver Slugger Awards. He led the Angels with 285 homers, 903 runs, 752 RBIs and 200 stolen bases during the decade.

2.
Seasons: 2010-16

Weaver led all Angels pitchers with 212 starts, 99 wins, 1,353 1/3 innings, 1,052 strikeouts, 10 complete games and six shutouts. His 3.46 ERA was also the lowest among all Angels starters with at least 100 innings pitched. He was a three-time All-Star from 2010-12, finishing in the top 5 in the balloting for the AL Cy Young Award in each of those three seasons. Weaver also threw a no-hitter against the Twins in '12.

3.
Seasons: 2012-19

Calhoun was a pleasant surprise for the Angels after he was drafted as a senior sign out of Arizona State University in 2010. Calhoun became a mainstay in right field beginning in '14, and he showed off a rare combination of power and strong defense. Calhoun ranked third among Angels players in homers (140), RBIs (451) and runs (530) during the decade. He also won a Gold Glove Award in '15.

4.
Seasons: 2012-present

Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million deal to join the Angels, and while he hasn’t been the same player he was in St. Louis, he has still racked up plenty of stats in his eight seasons with the club. Among Angels players, Pujols ranked second to Mike Trout in several key categories, including games played (1,118), home runs (211), runs (537) and RBIs (746). He was an All-Star in 2015 and received MVP Award votes in '12 and '14.

5.
Seasons: 2010-14

Long before he helped the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title, Kendrick was a stalwart for the Angels from 2006-14. During the decade, Kendrick had the second-best batting average (.288) behind only Mike Trout (.305). Kendrick's 724 games ranked fifth among all Angels, while he was fourth in RBIs (334) and fifth in runs (350). He was an All-Star in '11 and received MVP Award votes in '14.

6.
Seasons: 2016-present

The Angels acquired Simmons in a trade with the Braves before the 2016 season, and he has been exactly what the Angels hoped for and more. Simmons remains an elite defender at shortstop, winning Gold Glove Awards in both '17 and '18. He has also improved offensively and posted the lowest strikeout rate of any Angels player over the last decade.

7.
Seasons: 2010-15

Aybar was an underrated player with the Angels from 2006-15, and he remained productive during the decade, winning a Gold Glove Award in '11 and being named an All-Star in '14. The shortsop ranked fourth in games played (872), fourth in runs (426), fifth in RBIs (299) and second in stolen bases (115).

8.
Seasons: 2011-18

When healthy, Richards was a top-of-the-rotation talent for the Angels, but he only reached the 200-inning mark once. He was third among all Angels starters with 115 starts and 45 wins, while his 3.54 ERA was third best among all Angels starters, behind Jered Weaver's 3.46 ERA and Dan Haren's 3.52 ERA. His 645 strikeouts also ranked second among Angels pitchers.

9.
Seasons: 2010-12

Hunter played in just 448 games with the Angels during the decade, but he made them count, as his .285 batting average ranked third among Angels, while his 62 homers placed fifth and his 264 RBIs finished seventh. Hunter was also an All-Star in 2010, but he won his ninth and final Gold Glove Award before the decade started in '09.

10)
Seasons: 2012-15

Wilson signed a five-year, $77.5 million contract with the Angels prior to the 2012 season, though he didn’t play his final season due to injury. He still ranked second among Angels pitchers with 119 starts and 51 wins, while ranking third with 722 1/3 innings and 622 strikeouts. Wilson was an All-Star in '12.