Ranking the 5 most valuable Angels players from the 2023 season

The 2023 season was not a kind one to the Los Angeles Angels, as the team finished with a 73-89 record for the second year in a row. The team was five games over .500 before the trade deadline, and immediately collapsed after making big win-now trades.

As awful as the season was, there were still some standout performances from individual players that deserve recognition. These were the five most valiuable Angels form the 2023 season.

5) Mike Trout

Yes, injuries played a huge role once again. MIke Trout played in just 82 games this past season, appearing in only one game after fracturing his hamate bone. It's extremely frustrating to see Trout continue to deal with these injury woes.

In addition to the lack of games played. Trout saw his stats take a hit. He slashed .263/.367/.490 with 18 home runs and 44 RBI in 362 plate appearances. Yes, he was still getting on base at a high level and hitting for a solid amount of power, but he didn't look like MIke Trout for much of when he played.

His .858 OPS and 131 OPS+ were career lows by far, excluding the first 40 games he played in his career back in 2011. He had just two stolen bases, was struggling to hit fastballs, and failed numerous times to come through in big spots.

All of the negatives are true, but Trout still put up star numbers when he was on the field. He was an all-star by merit, and was absolutely a reason the Angels stayed afloat for as long as they did. No, he didn't play like the Trout of old, but he was still quite good.

Additionally, Trout ranked second on the Angels in bWAR. He might have only played half the season, but he was very clearly one of the best players on this team. The games missed lowered his status on this list, but hopefully next season he can find a way to avoid the lengthy IL stint and move towards the top of this kind of list.