Devon was drafted by the Angels in 1981. After two brief forays into the Majors in ’85 & ’86, White cracked the Angels’ starting line-up in 1987, hitting a career high 24 HR, stealing 32 bases, scoring 103 runs, driving in 87, and leading the league with a 2.8 Defensive WAR (4
th), while finishing 5
th in the ROY voting.
“Devo” was an outstanding outfielder, winning Gold Gloves in ’88 and ‘89 while patrolling CF for the Angels. In 1989, he tied an Angel record with
4 stolen bases in a game (
09/09/89). In the same game, he became the only Angel to ever steal second, third, and home in the same inning. He finished the year strong, with 44 stolen bases, 13 triples (T2nd), 86 runs, and a 2.1 Defensive WAR (8
th) to make the All-Star team.
After the 1990 season, White was traded to
Toronto, where he played on back-to-back World Series champions. In parts of 6 seasons with the Angels, Devo ranks among the team’s career Top Ten with:
- a 6.5 Defensive WAR (6th)
- 24 triples (T10th)
- 123 SB (T7th)
While Gary Pettis and Devon were very similar players, which one was better? They were both Gold Glove caliber centerfielders. Gary was faster, but Devo had more power. With higher stats in almost every category, White gets the nod for a spot among the 50 Greatest Angels.
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