Los Angeles Angels: 4 former players make Hall of Fame ballot

The 2021 baseball Hall of Fame ballot is out, with some former LA Angels making the cut.

Did you think election season ended after November 3rd? If so, you are mistaken.

With the news of the 2021 Hall of Fame ballot release on Monday, it’s once again time for the members of the BBWAA to vote on the next group of baseball immortals.

The candidates for potential induction include holdovers from last year such as Barry Bonds, former Angel Bobby Abreu, Omar Vizquel, Curt Schilling and many others.

Though the Angels are poorly represented in the group of players returning to the ballot for further Hall consideration, they’re decently represented among ballot newcomers for 2021.

Perhaps the names Dan Haren, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter and Shane Victorino ring a bell? For Angels fans, some of these former players may resonate more than others.

Each of these players’ respective tenures with the Halos varied in length and productivity. Let’s re-evaluate their careers in red and white and their Hall of Fame prospects.

Dan Haren

Dan Haren spent 13 seasons in the major leagues, playing for eight different teams. Three of those seasons were spent with the Angels between 2010 and 2012.

As a reliable mid-rotation option behind then-team ace Jered Weaver, Haren won 33 games in 78 total starts for Los Angeles, posting a 3.52 ERA in 509.1 total innings pitched. His 3.51 FIP and 1.14 WHIP during that same span indicated he pitched as well as his stats indicate.

The Halos failed to make the playoffs during Haren’s brief tenure in red and white, falling below .500 in 2010 before rebounding in 2011 and 2012. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say the team wasted three quality seasons of Haren’s career before he would sign with the Washington Nationals in free agency prior to the 2013 season.

Ultimately, Haren was solid but unspectacular during his time as an Angel, as he was for most of his career. This would make his Hall of Fame chances relatively slim for 2021.

LaTroy Hawkins

Hawkins only spent one year in an Angels uniform, but it was a decent one.

A career-long reliever, Hawkins spent 21 years in MLB, a remarkable feat of durability and longevity rarely matched among players today.

The right-hander pitched out of Los Angeles’ bullpen in 2012, accruing a 3.64 ERA in 48 appearances and picking up one save in the process. Hawkins’ 4.48 FIP and 1.38 WHIP that season indicate that he benefitted from some luck, but nevertheless served as a valuable cog in the Angels’ bullpen.

Like Haren, the Halos did not capitalize on Hawkins’ performance while with the team, as they missed the playoffs in 2012. The reliever would sign with the New York Mets in 2013.

Hawkins’ 21 years in baseball serve as his greatest asset when pondering his Hall of Fame case. However, his career 4.31 ERA and 127 saves are relatively underwhelming considering his career length. Hawkins will likely miss induction into Cooperstown in 2021.

Shane Victorino

Out of the players mentioned on this list, outfielder Shane Victorino had the shortest and least memorable tenure as an Angel.

Los Angeles acquired the former World Champion with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox in a 2015 midseason trade with the latter.

In just 38 games as a Halo, Victorino hit a mere .214 with a .577 OPS and 65 OPS+ across 98 plate appearances. The Angels would miss the playoffs in 2015 and Victorino moved on after the season.

The 12-year outfielder’s two World Series rings look nice on his resume, but a career average of .275 with a .765 OPS and 102 OPS+ are rather middling figures, therefore rendering Victorino’s Hall of Fame chances pretty moot.