Ranking Vladimir Guerrero and the best Angels’ hitters of all-time
By Jason Reed
3. OF/DH Brian Downing
- .271 BA, 222 HR, 846 RBI, 889 R, 220.4 Off
Was Brian Downing a more gifted and talented hitter than Vladimir Guerrero? Quite frankly, no, he was not. However, Downing deserves the nod due to his sheer longevity with the then California Angels. Downing played 13 years with the Angels from 1978 to 1990. Downing’s 1661 games played is the third-most in an Angels’ uniform.
That does not mean that Downing was not a good hitter, however. Dowing produced 13 solid seasons with the Angels, and for a good stretch, could have been considered all-star level. Although he only was selected to one MLB All-Star Game, Downing slugged 19 or more home runs in seven straight seasons from 1982 to 1988.
Consistency is the perfect term to describe Downing’s performance as an Angel. Downing averaged a 16.95 Off throughout his 13 years with the California Angels, good enough to be slightly above average. Throughout his long career in Anaheim, Downing ranks:
- Third in home runs. RBIs, Runs, Doubles, Games Played — you get the picture.
Again, as you can even tell by his rankings among the best to do it for the Angels, Downing is consistent. With all of that consistency and production, it is hard to argue Downing as the third-best hitter in Angels history.