The best Angels player to wear number 34

Number 34 was worn by Nick Adenhart back when he played for the Los Angeles Angels. Adenhart threw six scoreless innings in his first start of the 2009 season before he was taken from us way too soon by a drunk driver.

No Angels player took number 34 after Adenhart's passing as a sign of respect until Noah Syndergaard signed with the Angels last season. Syndergaard was planning on taking another number out of a sign of respect for Adenhart, but Adenhart's family and the Angels organization convinced him to take 34.

Syndergaard was only an Angel for half of a season, but he wore it with pride and was a class act. Nobody is wearing it now, but it was nice to see someone wear it for the first time since the passing.

Bryan Harvey is the best Angels player to wear number 34

Getting into the best Angels player to wear number 34, Bryan Harvey was a pretty easy answer. Harvey wore number 38 when he first came up in 1987 but switched to 34 in 1988. He'd wear that number for the remaining five seasons he stayed an Angel.

Harvey took over as the closer in May of his first full season and never looked back. He posted a 2.13 ERA in 50 appearances and 76 innings pitched. He converted 17 saves and finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Harvey's best season by far came in the 1991 campaign. The right-hander posted a 1.60 ERA in 67 appearances and 78.2 innings pitched. He struck out 11.6 batters per nine while walking just 1.9/9. He had a 1.97 FIP and a 257 ERA+. He also led the league with 46 saves and 63 games finished, both of which were Angels franchise records at the time. He finished in the top five in the AL Cy Young balloting which is awfully impressive for a reliever.

Harvey is third in Angels history with 126 career saves and is probably the third best reliever the Angels have ever had.