The best Angels WAR season by a right fielder in franchise history

The weakest spot position player-wise for the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 is arguably right field. Mickey Moniak had a breakout season in 2023 but struggled against left-handers, struck out at a rate far too high, and had an unsustainable .397 BAbip. Angels fans hope he can repeat his fine year, but a lot of signs suggest that won't happen.

While right field doesn't look great for 2024, that hasn't always been a weak point in the Angels lineup. In fact, one of the best players in franchise history happened to have been a right fielder.

Tim Salmon is one of the best Angels position players ever, and unsurprisingly happens to have the best season in terms of WAR for an Angels right fielder ever.

The best LA Angels WAR season from a right fielder belongs to Tim Salmon in 1995

Tim Salmon spent his entire 14-year career in an Angels uniform and was a star for most of them. He was one of the more reliable hitters the Angels have ever had, and while he wasn't great in the field, wasn't detrimental either.

After a short cup of coffee with the Angels in 1992, Salmon got his first chance to play a full season for the Angels in 1993 and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the first Angels player to do so. Since Salmon won it, only Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have accomplished that feat in an Angels uniform. Pretty impressive company.

As impressive as that rookie season was, Salmon's best season would come two years later. The Angels did miss out on the playoffs despite finishing 11 games over .500, but Salmon showed that he was a bonafide star, slashing .330/.429/.594 with 34 home runs and 105 RBI. He'd take home his first and only Silver Slugger than season, while also finishing seventh in the AL MVP balloting. Somehow Salmon was not an all-star that season (or ever), but he was very clearly one of the best hitters not only in the American League, but in all of baseball.

Salmon wound up having his best season by far in terms of bWAR, accumulating 6.6 WAR as the Angels star right fielder. His next-best season in terms of bWAR came in the aforementioned rookie season when he racked up 5.3 bWAR. When it comes to right fielders having that good of a season based on WAR, nobody comes all that close. Not even Vladimir Guerrero could hold a candle to Salmon.

Salmon is a player who deserves more local and national attention for the player he was, and for that outstanding 1995 season.