Ranking the 5 best catchers in Angels history

2) Best catchers in Angels history: Bengie Molina

When talking about Molina's who catch, Yadier Molina is a guy who comes up a lot. His brother, Bengie Molina, was not too bad in his own right.

Bengie, much like his brother, was known as a glove-first catcher. He was one of the best defensive catchers in baseball when he played.

Molina had limited appearances when he first came up in the 1998-1999 seasons but ended up being the full-time catcher in the 2000 campaign.

He'd slash .281/.318/.421 with 14 home runs and 71 RBI that season and he even finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year balloting. This was one of his best offensive seasons as an Angel.

2002 was Bengie's second season getting more than 100 starts behind the plate. He played in 122 games but struggled mightily offensively, hitting just five home runs and posting a 58 OPS+. He did, however, win a Gold Glove and his defense was the sole reason he was getting a majority of the reps behind the plate.

What Angels fans remember most, was Molina being the guy behind the plate in the 2002 World Series. How could he not be on this list? Molina ended up being a crucial piece to the championship puzzle that season both offensively and defensively.

Molina had two hits in three at-bats in the Halos' Game 7 victory against the Giants including a big double that helped wipe away an early Giants lead. He ended up recording six hits in 21 at-bats that series, not too shabby for an offensive liability during the regular season.

Molina was a great postseason performer as an Angel and in the 2005 season, he had a series to remember against the Yankees in the ALDS. He had eight hits in 18 at-bats with three home runs and five RBI to help them win that series.

Bengie would end up winning his second consecutive Gold Glove behind the plate in the 2003 season. That was probably his best all-around season as he hit .281 with 14 homers and a 96 OPS+. His 1.7 bWAR was the second-best mark in his eight seasons as an Angel.

Overall, Molina would slash .273/.309/.397 with 65 home runs and 362 RBI in eight seasons as an Angel. The 65 home runs are the second most an Angels catcher has hit. That combined with his defense and his success as a winner with the franchise solidifies his spot as the second-best catcher in Angels history.