#36 Fred Lynn, OF (1981-1984)

In 1981, the former MVP was traded to the Angels with Steve Renko in exchange for Jim Dorsey, Joe Rudi, and Frank Tanana. His first season in Anaheim was a flop, despite his reputation-based selection to the All-Star team. In 1982, however, Lynn joined with fellow MVPs Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, and Don Baylor to lead the Halos to the AL West title. Lynn batted .299 with 89 runs, 21 homers, 86 RBI, and a .517 SLG%, to once again be named an All-Star. He also made a spectacular catch down the stretch, smashing through the outfield wall while hanging onto the ball, to end the inning and save the game. He caught fire in the 1982 ALCS, batting .611 (6^th, single LCS; 4^th, single PS), a .650 OB% (8^th, single LCS; 7^th, single PS) with 4 runs, 5 RBI, and a 1.539 OPS to win ALCS MVP honors despite playing for the losing team. With more plate appearances, those numbers would have made him the Angels’ all-time leader in postseason BA, OB%, SLG%, and OPS. In any case, over the course of his career, those numbers have placed him among the ML career postseason (PS) leaders with: a .517 BA (3^rd, career LCS), a .548 OB% (4^th, career LCS), a 1.273 OPS (7^th, career LCS), and a .407 BA (5^th, career PS).

In 1983, Fred not only made the All-Star team, but won the game’s MVP award after belting the first grand slam in All-Star history. He put up solid number in both ’83 & ’84 before signing with Baltimore as a free agent following the ’84 season. After 4 years with the Angels, Lynn ranks among the team’s career Top Ten with:

- a .464 SLG% (9^th)

- a .822 OPS (9^th)

- a .619 offensive win % (4^th)