Which LA Angels Are the Best At Each of the Five Tools?

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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 27: Outfielder Peter Bourjos #25 of the Los Angeles Angels runs to third base against the Tampa Bay Rays August 27, 2013 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Angels won 6 – 5. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /

For the LA Angels and the rest of baseball, there are five key tools to look at when evaluating players.

The LA Angels have some of the best players in all of baseball residing in Anaheim this year. Mike Trout is still the best in the league, Shohei Ohtani was an MVP candidate prior to injury last year, and Andrelton Simmons has gone from being a defensive-minded shortstop to being one of the best all-around infielders in all of baseball.

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But who is the best Halo at each specific skill? All of these players were scouted back in the day, and given grades based on speed, hit power, contact hitting, arm strength/accuracy, and their ability with their glove.

We will be sorting through that today, and like we did when giving away season awards sans Mike Trout, a player is only allowed to win one category. So now, without further ado…

Speed: Peter Bourjos

Truthfully, Peter Bourjos is a stretch for this. He was not on the Angels last season, and is only signed to a minor league contract for 2019. However, the Angels only have a few couple of players with real speed, and you’ll see their names later.

While Bourjos does have an inside track to being the fourth outfielder to start the season, his real value will come on the base paths. With players like Albert Pujols, Jonathan Lucroy, and Justin Bour on the roster, there will be plenty of pinch running opportunities.

ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 10: Shohei Ohtani #17 shakes hands with Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after defeating the Minnesota Twins 7-4 in a game at Angel Stadium on May 10, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Contact: Mike Trout

With his batting average never dropping below .287 in a full season at the big league level, Mike Trout gets the nod for best contact. Every other season (outside of 2015 when he hit .299) in the MLB, Trout has been above a .300 batting average.

The real beauty of Trout’s ability at the plate is his ability to change. Once one of the highest strikeout rates in the MLB, even leading the league with 184 in 2014, Trout has cut down on that number considerably.

Trout, obviously, was in consideration for literally every other category as well, but other Halos need to shine too. While he would have been the nominee for speed as well as contact, Trout ranks in the Top 3 for each of the remaining categories as well.

Related Story. A Look Back At Ohtani's First Year in Anaheim

Power: Shohei Ohtani

I mean, this one is a no-brainer. Shohei Ohtani can hit a baseball so hard, so far, and so fast, it’s jaw-dropping. His rookie season was filled with highlights of the long ball, including hitting the third deck during batting practice.

22 home runs is cool and everything, but the raw power Ohtani shows before the game is equally as exciting. Even before he came to America, he was hitting home runs off the ceiling of Japanese stadiums.

Ohtani arguably has the best power in the MLB. With him sidelined from pitching this season and focused solely on hitting, his numbers will only go up, and there are sure to be a few home runs that leave Angel fans worried about steroid testing.

ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 22: Andrelton Simmons #2 and Kole Calhoun #56 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim celebrate a 2-1 victory over Toronto Blue Jays at Angel Stadium on June 22, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

Arm: Kole Calhoun

This one is another easy choice. The best case for Calhoun’s arm being the best in Anaheim is last season. While Calhoun started the year with one of the worst offensive seasons at the plate, he was still in the everyday lineup until hitting the disabled list.

What this basically means is despite being as close to a zero at the plate as anyone in the history of baseball, Calhoun’s arm in the outfield was still so elite that the Angels couldn’t sit him.

Glove: Andrelton Simmons

The final category for the position player honors is glove, and who else but the best defensive shortstop (player?) in the game of baseball? Andrelton Simmons was as good as ever in 2018, winning his fourth Gold Glove Award and second in as many years.

While Andrelton’s arm put him second to Calhoun in that category, his glove is undoubtedly the best on the team. A baseball better be hit far away and hard if a hitter wants to get it past Simmons, as his range is amongst the best to ever play.

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The Angels are star-studded, to say the least. Trout and Ohtani are amongst the best in the game, while Simmons and Calhoun are elite defenders. This team has the core group of players needed to contend for the playoffs, this year they just need to put it all together, stay healthy, and ride their stars to the promised land.

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