Ranking the 5 best catchers in Angels history

The Los Angeles Angels made a trade with the Phillies sending Brandon Marsh to Philadelphia in exchange for Logan O'Hoppe. O'Hoppe is the Angels' top prospect and is their catcher of the future as of now. The hope is he makes the Opening Day roster and starts most of the games behind the plate.

If O'Hoppe is who he's projected to be, he might end up being the greatest catcher in Angels' history. The Halos haven't had much in regard to great catchers but there are some memorable names to reminisce about.

Yesterday we looked at the greatest pitchers in Angels history. Today we look at their battery mates. Who do you think the five best catchers are in Angels history?

5) Best catchers in Angels history: Brian Downing

Brian Downing is a hard player to rank. He spent 13 of his 20 seasons as an Angel but he only had two seasons being a full-time catcher with another two seeing him play part-time at the position. He then was moved to the outfield. I will only be taking his catcher stats into account, he's obviously one of the greatest players in Angels' history.

Downing began his career with the White Sox but was traded to the Angels prior to the 1978 season. He was a pretty solid catcher who developed into a much better player with the Angels.

His first year wasn't anything special but he really blossomed into something special in the 1979 campaign. That season he slashed .326/.418/.462 with 12 home runs and 75 RBI. He had a 142 OPS+, was an all-star, and finished 14th in the AL MVP balloting.

That season he had a 5.6 bWAR which is unbelievable for a catcher especially. He caught 129 games that season and had one of the best seasons an Angels catcher has ever had.

The following couple of seasons he dealt with injury and saw more time in the outfield. He ended up being a full-time left fielder and DH by the 1982 campaign, and that's where his power really started to show. He's one of the best players in Angels' history.

Downing's 1979 campaign is the biggest reason he's on this list. Someone like Lance Parrish or even Jeff Mathis for his defense could be added here, but I went with Downing.

4) Best catchers in Angels history: Mike Napoli

Mike Napoli's stint with the Angels was relatively short, but he was one of the best offensive catchers in franchise history while he was here. He came up as a full-time catcher but started to see more at-bats at first base and DH towards the end of his Angels tenure. Despite that, he should be on this list.

Napoli wasn't ever known as a great defender behind the plate, but his bat was so good he had to be in the lineup. He had a 109 OPS+ in his first two seasons and showed immediate power, hitting 26 home runs in those seasons despite only playing in 174. That's slightly above a full season.

Napoli's real breakout came in the 2008 campaign. He played in only 78 games but he slashed .273/.374/.586 with 20 home runs and 49 RBI. That's a 41-home run pace in a full 162-game season. That along with a .960 OPS is just absurd for a catcher.

The following season, Napoli continued to rake as he slashed .272/.350/.492 with 20 home runs and 56 RBI. He did this in 114 games. He had a 120 OPS+ in what was another outstanding season for this slugger.

Napoli hit 75 of his 92 home runs as an Angel while serving as the catcher. That's the most in franchise history. He wasn't there for very long, but he sure made an impact offensively.

He was then traded after hitting 26 home runs to Toronto. We don't need to talk about who came back in return.

3) Best catchers in Angels history: Buck Rodgers

Buck Rodgers was one of the first catchers the Angels ever had. While he only played in 16 games in the inaugural 1961 season, he played in 155 games the following campaign. He was really good from the get-go.

In the 1962 season, he slashed .255/.309/.372 with six home runs and 61 RBI. That production isn't great, but back in the day for a catcher to have that kind of impact offensively was rare. So rare, that he received MVP votes, finishing 26th on the balloting, and finishing as the runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting behind the winner Tom Tresh.

Rodgers, like most catchers, in that era, was known for his defense. He was dependable and reliable behind the plate. You knew what you'd get from him, which was really all you could ask for.

Rodgers is on this list because of his incredible longevity. He caught the second-most games in franchise history with 861 appearances as the club's backstop. He spent his entire nine-year career as an Angel, averaging 104 games played. That number is affected a lot because he only played in 16 games in his first year and 18 games in his final year. If you take those seasons out he averaged 128 games played.

Rodgers wasn't much of a threat at the plate but the impact he had behind it is remembered by Angels fans who were fortunate to see him play.

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.