Angels: The best Opening Day lineups in Halos history
Today is supposed to be the start of the 2020 season, so I thought it would be fun to list the best Opening Day lineups in Angels history.
The thing I will miss most about Opening Day is reading the first lineup card. Hopefully, we will get a chance to do this in June or July, but for now, we are left feeling nostalgic about what we don’t have. In the meantime, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at the best Opening Day lineups in Angels history.
In ranking the best lineups, I am not looking for the best lineup that was used in Game 3 or Game 37; I am only concerned with the lineup that was written on the lineup card for Opening Day of each season. If a star player happened to miss the opener, they won’t be considered in the lineup, even if they ended up playing a majority of time in the lineup that season.
In terms of performance, while I will consider historical significance, I am mostly focused on how the players in the Opening Day lineup ended up performing that particular season. This opens up the possibility for player like Kole Calhoun, who had a strong season at the plate in 2014, to be considered.
Surprisingly, after coming up with the list, there is one player conspicuously missing, for no fault of his own, but I will let you read ahead to see who I am talking about.
Without further ado, here are the top Opening Day lineups.
3) 2012 Opening Day
This is an example of a lineup that would have been even better if we included a particular superstar who happened to miss Opening Day that year. That is, Mr. Mike Trout. However, this lineup is still really good because it features the best season the Halos saw from some of their veteran contributors.
Albert Pujols has been on a steady decline since arriving in Anaheim, but in 2012, his first season with his new team, he still had a little juice left in his bat. The future Hall-of-Famer had his highest slugging percentage since changing teams that season. He hit 30 home runs, 50 doubles, and provided a legitimate presence in the middle of the lineup.
Another veteran, who was on the opposite end of his time with the Halos, Torii Hunter, put up one of his best seasons in Anaheim, too. The 36-year-old jumped his average from .262 the season before to .313 in 2012. While his home run total was down, his 129 OPS+ was a high mark for his career.
This lineup also had depth with Chris Iannetta at catcher (106 OPS+), and Mark Trumbo, who made the All-Star team that year, and hit 32 home runs. These two rounded out a lineup that started at the top with Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar. While neither were the most adept at getting on base via the walk, they hit a combined 308 hits, and kept pitchers off rhythm with their ability to swipe a base.
2) 2000 Opening Day
The 2000 Angels mashed a franchise record 236 home runs. This lineup was loaded from top to bottom with even catcher Bengie Molina emerging onto the scene with surprising power.
The outfield trio of Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson, and Tim Salmon hit a combined 94 home runs. Erstad had one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history, batting .355/.409/.541. He led the league in hits with a whopping 240. He came to the plate more than any other Major Leaguer that season, and he made every at bat count. Garret Anderson had stronger seasons than in 2000, but not from a power standpoint. His 35 home runs was a career high, and he swung for the fences while still hitting a respectable .286. Tim Salmon tied his career high in home runs. He also got on base at an impressive 40.4 percent clip.
Meanwhile, Mo Vaughn, far from the greatest signing in Halos history, gave the club his last productive season at the dish. He knocked in 117 runs behind the power of 36 homers.
And then there was Troy Glaus, 23 years-old, winning a Silver Slugger award with a league-leading 47 home runs. His OPS of 1.008 was the highest of his career. He also set career marks in on-base percentage (.404) and slugging percentage (.604).
1) 1982 Opening Day
The best Opening Day lineup in Halos history belongs to the 1982 team. This lineup included five players with an OPS at least 20 percent greater than league average that season. Even without Bobby Grich missing the opener, this lineup was stacked with a lethal combination of sluggers.
Of course, the highlight of this Opening Day lineup was the debut of Reggie Jackson. Mr. October proved he had one last great season left in his 36-year-old body, smacking a league-leading 39 home runs, while batting .275/.375/.532. His OPS+, which is park adjusted so accounts the difference between Angel Stadium and Yankee Stadium, was nearly on par with his 1980 campaign when he finished second in MVP voting.
All-Star Fred Lynn recovered from an injury-riddled debut season in 1981 with his best season as an Angel at the plate. He hit 21 home runs and slashed .299/.374/.517. His 141 hits were the most since his career-best season with the Red Sox in 1979.
Between Lynn and Jackson, you had to deal with Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew, 36-years-old at the time, but still a difficult out, batting .319 and getting on base in front of the power sluggers.
Moving down the lineup didn’t get any easier for opposing pitchers. Brian Downing and Doug DeCinces both had breakout seasons. DeCinces hit a career best .301 average and .548 slugging percentage while connecting on 30 home runs. He won the Silver Slugger award and finished third in MVP voting. Downing added 28 more home runs, while accumulating a career-best 300 total bases.
While I wish we were talking about the 2020 Opening Day lineup, it’s fun to remember these great lineups of the past. Thanks for reading!