The best Angels player to wear number 51

20 players in Los Angeles Angels history have worn number 51. Of those 20, three of them can be considered the best.

Jaime Barria is coming off of a season in which he got the results he was looking for, but virtually every advanced metric suggested was fraudulent. That's shown this spring as Barria struggled in the WBC and hasn't pitched well for the Angels either. While this season might not be his best, he's been a solid arm for the Halos in the last half-decade. He deserves recognition for that.

Joe Saunders is the other player worthy of consideration. He was an all-star in one of his four seasons with the Angels but was pretty bad in every other season.

Jordan Walden is the best player to wear number 51 in Angels history

Jordan Walden had one of the more awkward deliveries I've ever seen, but it worked. It was deceptive, and helped him be one of the hardest throwers in the game.

Walden was drafted in the 12th round of the 2006 Draft by the Angels. For him to go from that to what he'd become is very impressive.

Walden's first full season with the Angels came in 2011, and it was a magical year for this right hander. Walden posted a 2.98 ERA in 62 appearances and 60.1 innings pitched. He struck out 10 batters per nine, and allowed just three home runs all season. He was an all-star and finished seventh in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting.

While Walden's tenure with the Angels was short, he was a very effective reliever for parts of three seasons, all while wearing number 51.