Ranking the 5 most valuable Angels players from the 2023 season

2) Brandon Drury

With Mike Trout missing half of the season, Brandon Drury was pretty clearly the Angels second-best position player. He came to Anaheim with fairly lofty expectations after hitting 28 home runs and winning a Silver Slugger in 2022, and boy, did he meet them.

He got off to a bit of a slow start, but once he got going in that late-April Oakland series when he went berserk, there was no stopping him. Well, except for his injury.

Drury wound up slashing .262/.306/.497 with 26 home runs and 83 RBI in 125 games played for the Angels this past season. His .803 OPS rivaled last season's mark of .813 when he took home a Silver Slugger, and his 114 OPS+ was quite impressive as well. Drury was one of few Angels players actually able to hit in the clutch, putting up an .866 OPS with runners in scoring position.

In addition to his strong bat, Drury was better than advertised in the field at second base and was able to fill in when needed at first base as well. He might not have taken home a Silver Slugger this season, but was one of the better second basemen in the American League this past season. He more than lived up to expectations, and remains a key piece for this team heading into 2024.