All-time Angels starting lineup based on WAR

When going about choosing an all-time roster for the Los Angeles Angels, some names that come up are very obvious. Others might be chosen based on certain attributes like home runs or defense.

Opinions are subjective, but numbers are objective. Using Baseball Reference WAR (bWAR), we decided to try and see what the real all-time Angels roster would look like. Today we look at the position players.

When looking solely at WAR, you leave out some pretty significant names. A guy like Shohei Ohtani who is obviously an all-time Angel

1. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Brian Downing, C, 38.0 bWAR

It might be a bit unorthodox to have a catcher leading off, but Brian Downing did come to Anaheim as a catcher, and is a guy who got on base a ton over the course of his Angels career.

The Angels acquired Downing in a trade with the White Sox in the 1977 offseason and used him as their catcher for the first two seasons primarily before phasing him over to left field and DH. Despite being more known for his work as a DH, we're slotting him in behind the plate.

Downing slashed .271/.372/.441 with 222 home runs and 846 RBI across 13 years. He's third in games played, fourth in runs, hits, and home runs while ranking fourth in bWAR among Angels position players. He made an all-star team and received MVP votes three times.

The Angels gave up some pretty decent players to land Downing including Bobby Bonds, but this is obviously one of the best trades made in franchise history.

2. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Darin Erstad, 1B, 32.6 bWAR

Darin Erstad is going to slot in where he was hitting when the Angels won the World Series in 2002. Erstad formed a great one-two punch with David Eckstein in front of the likes of Salmon and Anderson. He also would've been a great choice to lead off with Mike Trout hitting second, but this lengthens the lineup a bit more.

Erstad played three positions a lot in the majors. He played a lot of center field including in 2002, he played a lot of left field, but the position he played the most was first base. It might be a bit surprising for someone with such great speed to be used at first, but that was the case with Erstad. He won two Gold Gloves in the outfield and one at first base.

He was obviously a beast defensively, but Erstad wouldn't be hitting second if he couldn't hit. He didn't have the most power, but he did hit as many as 25 home runs in a season. That 2000 campaign saw him lead the league in hits with 240 while driving in 100 runs with a career high of 28 stolen bases. He finished eighth in the AL MVP balloting.

Erstad ranks in the top five in both runs and hits while ranking sixth in Angels history in games played. He's also sixth with his 32.6 bWAR.

4. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Tim Salmon, RF, 40.6 bWAR

Tim Salmon burst onto the scene with an unbelievable 1993 season that saw him win the Rookie of the Year Award in the AL and he remained an elite player throughout most of his 14-year career which was spent only with the Angels.

Salmon was a staple in the heart of the order for over a decade for the Angels, being reliable to hit close to 30 home runs and drive in close to 100 runs each season with a high batting average as well.

He's second in games played in Angels history while also ranking second in hits, home runs, and RBI. He's the franchise leader in walks, and is third in total bases, and on base percentage. His 40.6 bWAR ranks third among Angels position players.

He somehow was never an all-star, but he did receive MVP consideration three times, finishing as high as seventh twice. One of those times came in 1995 when he hit 34 home runs, drove in 105 runs, and won a Silver Slugger.

Salmon was as complete of a hitter the Angels have ever had and obviously played a key role in the 2002 championship season.

5. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Garret Anderson, LF, 28.1 bWAR

One of the best and in my opinion more under-appreciated Angels in history is Garret Anderson. A consistent threat right in the middle of the order who could do just about anything offensively.

Anderson often found himself hitting behind Tim Salmon and that's where he is in this lineup in left field. He was the Rookie of the Year runner up in 1995, just a couple years after Salmon won it. He was a three-time all-star, all with the Angels, and received MVP consideration three times as well. He finished as high as fourth place in the balloting in 2002 when he hit 29 home runs with 103 RBI and a .306 average.

Anderson was perhaps known most for being an absolute doubles machine. He led the league in doubles in that 2002 season and did so again in 2003. He hit over 40 doubles in a season four times, and is the Angels franchise leader in that category by 150. Trout will likely get there, but it'll take a while.

Anderson is the franchise leader in games played, total bases, hits, RBI, and extra-base hits. He's also second in runs scored and third in home runs. He ranks eighth in bWAR among position players mainly because his defense wasn't the best, but his bat surely made up for it.

6. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Troy Glaus, 3B, 22.6 bWAR

Troy Glaus is yet another example in this lineup of an Angels farmhand who came up and made an immediate impact. In his first full season with the Halos he hit 29 home runs and drove in 79 runs. His next season saw him lead the league with 47 longballs. He was an all-star, took home a Silver Slugger award, and had already established himself as one of the best third basemen in the game.

Glaus often found himself hitting behind the likes of Salmon and Anderson, and was a run-producing machine. He was a guy the Angels could rely on to hit 30+ home runs with 100+ RBI. He did that each season from 2000-2002.

He was a three-time all-star in his seven years as an Angel with two Silver Slugger Award wins. He doesn't rank so highly on Angels all-time counting stats because he was only with the team for seven years, but he is sixth in home runs and is one of the premier power hitters this franchise has had.

He ranks 11th in bWAR among position players. He's in this lineup because of the fact that he's the highest ranked third baseman on the list. No, Erick Aybar was not a third baseman. The Angels needed someone to play third, and the 2002 World Series MVP fits the role perfectly.

7. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Bobby Grich, 2B, 35.1 bWAR

After a string of some homegrown Angels players, Bobby Grich is a player who the Angels signed in free agency. Grich began his career with the Orioles and was a three-time all-star and four-time Gold Glove winner with the O's before coming to Anaheim.

He was limited to just 52 games played in 1977 and didn't have the best season in 1978, but Grich started showing why the Angels wanted him in the 1979 season. Grich smacked 30 home runs and drove in 101 runs for the Angels that season. He had a .903 OPS and a 145 OPS+ as well. He made his first of three all-star games in a four year span while also finishing eighth in the AL MVP balloting.

The 1981 season might've been Grich's best if there was no lockout as he led the league with 22 home runs in 100 games while also leading the league with a .543 slugging percentage and a 165 OPS+.

It didn't start out great, but Grich wound up ranking fifth in Angels history in bWAR among position players. He also ranks seventh in games played and runs scored while ranking within the top ten in most statistical categories.

8. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Jim Fregosi, SS, 45.9 bWAR

Jim Fregosi was a player who could do pretty much anything on the diamond. He had some power, shown with his 22 home run season in 1970. He had some speed, represented with his 17 stolen bases in 1966. He even led the league with 13 triples in 1968. He was always a pretty solid average hitter who didn't strike out too much. He was just a pros pro.

Fregosi was a six-time all-star as an Angel including appearances in each season from 1966-1970. He received MVP consideration eight times as an Angel, finishing as high as seventh in 1967. He took home a Gold Glove award that season as well.

Fregosi didn't have the gaudy offensive numbers that others in this lineup had, but he was a guy the Angels could rely on to get the big hit and put up a quality at-bat. He's second in franchise history in bWAR with his glove in mind, but his bat was awfully solid too. Plus, who can forget the trade that sent him to New York for Nolan Ryan?

9. All-time LA Angels starting lineup: Howie Kendrick, DH, 28.5 bWAR

Now is when we get into the weird part of the list. Howie Kendrick was a great player throughout his Angels tenure. He had a lot of big moments and was as consistent as they came in the league at second base during his time with the team. With all of that being said, is he really an all-time Angel? Over a player like Vladimir Guerrero?

Kendrick's spot of second base is occupied by Bobby Grich, and Guerrero's spot is occupied by Tim Salmon. In an ideal world Guerrero would be the DH, but Kendrick has the higher WAR. Even Erick Aybar has a higher WAR than Vlad Sr. Despite the obvious Guerrero snub, Kendrick is here, and he had a career worth highlighting.

During his nine-year Angels career, Kendrick slashed .292/.332/.424, averaging nine home runs and 56 RBI per season. He was a player who could hit pretty much anywhere in a lineup top to bottom, often finding himself hitting second or fifth. In this lineup he hits ninth behind some of the best Angels ever.

Kendrick made an all-star team back in 2011 and finished 18th in the MVP balloting in 2014, his final as an Angel. He was a clutch performer who didn't hit many home runs but hit a lot of singles and doubles while stealing around 15 bags consistently. He's the kind of player the Angels could definitely use right now with his versatility both offensively and defensively.