Los Angeles Angels All-Time Roster

Mike Trout, LA Angels. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
Mike Trout, LA Angels. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
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Garret Anderson, LA Angels
Garret Anderson, LA Angels (Photo by Robert Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

LA Angels all-time roster — Left Field: Garret Anderson (1994-2008)

While the Los Angeles Angels may have struggled in the 1990s, they were putting together the pieces to set up their excellent teams of the following decade. Garret Anderson was one of those key pieces.

Brought up to the Angels a couple of years after Tim Salmon, Anderson was another player who was overlooked during his career. He only made three All-Star Games, and appeared on the MVP ballot three times. He did win two Silver Slugger awards, but his performance was lost due to the inflated numbers of the Steroid Era.

However, that should not take away from the player that Anderson was. While he would never be confused for an on-base machine, he had a solid ability to make contact, striking out over 90 times only twice in his career. A .296/.327/.469 hitter with the Angels, Anderson also chipped in 272 home runs and 489 doubles, providing a steady presence in the middle of the Angels order.

He was also vastly underrated defensively. Anderson never won a Gold Glove, but he was worth 80 runs saved for the Angels, leading the league twice and finishing his career with the fourth-highest total in MLB history. He may not have had many chances in left comparatively, but he made the most of those he had, even making plays that most left fielders would not be able to conceive of.

A solid all-around player, Garret Anderson was a mainstay of the Angels lineup for most of his career. One of the best players in team history, Anderson could even make a case for being one of the best defensive left fielders that the game has ever seen.

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