The best Angels player to wear number 16

Number 16 has been a popular choice for Los Angeles Angels players. Mickey Moniak wears it right now and Brandon Marsh wore it before him. Jack Howell had a couple of nice seasons in the late-80's wearing number 16 and Huston Street had a 40-save season wearing number 16. Even Jim Fregosi wore it for a year although he's more known for another number.

Even with there being 29 players to wear number 16, there's one clear best player.

Garret Anderson is the best player to wear number 16 in Angels history

Garret Anderson wore number 16 during the entirety of his 15-year Angels tenure. Anderson broke out in the 1995 season and finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting despite only playing in 105 games. This is because he hit .321 with 16 home runs in just 400 plate appearances.

Anderson would be a high-average hitter for each of his first four full seasons but lacked the power you might've expected from a 6'3 corner outfielder. The power finally arrived in the 1999 season when he hit 21 home runs. From 1999-2003 he averaged 28 home runs and 112 RBI per season while slashing .300/.327/.509 in 794 games during that five-year span.

Anderson's best season fittingly came in 2002. He had a .306/.332/.539 slash line with 29 home runs and 123 RBI in 158 games played. He led the league with 56 doubles and had a 127 OPS+. He was an all-star, won a Silver Slugger, and finished fourth in the AL MVP balloting. He was worth 5.1 bWAR that season which was a career-best.

Anderson wasn't only great in the regular season, he was a key piece of the Angels' postseason run that 2002 season. Anderson hit .300 over the entire postseason and hit a crucial three-run double in Game 7 of the World Series against the Giants. That gave the Angels a 4-1 lead. 4-1 was the final score. Anderson drove in six runs that series and 13 in the postseason in just 16 games played. Exactly what you want from a cleanup hitter.

Anderson ranks eighth in Angels history among position players in bWAR, fourth in batting, second in runs, and third in home runs. He's the franchise leader in games played, hits, doubles, RBI, and total bases. He's one of the best outfielders the Angels have ever had and is the best player to ever wear number 16.