3 most legendary LA Angels shortstops of all-time

The No. 1 most legendary LA Angels shortstop of all-time: Jim Fregosi

Before Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, Jim Fregosi was the LA Angels first legend. Fregosi was a six-time All-Star and an early face of the franchise. He was the franchise.

He’s fourth in games played. Fregosi is the LA Angels leader in triples. He won a gold glove in 1967 and combined with Bobby Knoop as a slick fielding double play combination. 

Fregosi made his debut as a 19-year-old in 1961 and established himself as a regular in 1963 while garnering some MVP votes. In 1964 he became the first LA Angel to hit for the cycle and he also made the AL All-Star team that year. 

Fregosi’s highest finish in MVP voting was seventh in 1967, when he hit .290/.349/.395 with nine homers and 56 RBIs in 151 games.

When Fregosi left the LA Angels it had a historic impact for the club. He was traded to the New York Mets for a multi-player package that included another legendary LA Angel, the great Nolan Ryan. 

After retiring as a player, the 36-year-old Fregosi returned to become manager of the ball club and led the team to its first postseason appearance in the ‘Yes We Can’ year of 1979. He had his number 11 retired and was inducted into the LA Angels Hall of Fame in 1998.