Top 10 Angel defensive center fielders

[Hoops McCann]

My love for Jim Edmonds knows no bounds.  I like to call him the 'human highlight reel'.  Jimmy Ballgame is one of my all-time favorite players.  Absolutely loved watching him play CF.

[Second Base]

1. Bourjos - No other player's defense could've moved Mike Trout and Torii Hunter away from CF.

2. Devon White

3. Mike Trout

4. Torii Hunter

5. Erstad

6. Edmonds

[ABC]

Edmonds had to dive to make many catches because he lacked speed. Not exactly an elite defender.

[seenoevil]

Edited April 30, 2014 by seenoevil

[Brent Maguire]

The first CF I watched for the Angels was Erstad so I don't have a ton of knowledge on this topic but...

 

It's hard to imagine a better defender than Bourjos. The numbers speak for itself. He gets better jumps than any other player and he's great around the wall. Also has a very strong and accurate arm.

 

Trout has been much improved this year, very similar to his 2012 season. Getting good reads on almost every ball and has made better throws this year. 

[Erstad Grit]

I recall GMJ making some great catches and botching more than a few lazy fly balls, usually in the same game. 

[Erstad Grit]

Figgins was not elite but his arm was a freaking cannon and majorly underrated. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

 

Edmonds catch was amazing - I don't want to take anything away from it. So much of what makes Mays catch great is lost in the lack of great footage of it. It needs to be pointed out that the ball he caught would've landed half way up the green backdrop at the big A. It was a bomb, but the old Polo Grounds decided to put their centerfield 483 feet away from home plate.

 

 

[fan_since79]

No love for Gary Matthews Jr.? 😉

 

Most expensive catch in Angels history!

 

[Inside Pitch]

For me .... speaking strictly defense.

 

1 Bourjos

2 White

3 Pettis

4 Trout

5 Erstad

 

 

Erstad at his peak may have been better than Pettis but his body took a toll and his defense suffered with it.   Also, based on pure metrics (at that time),  Garrett Anderson's lone season in CF was one of the best defensive seasons by an Angels OFer ever, he actually won the Saber GG as a CFer that year.   Jim Edmonds was great, he was also a bit of a queen.   He dove for style points and had a rep for taking his time getting up to speed to make for a more dramatic finish.... best first step on a ball outside of Bourjos.  

 

The Angels run of CFers is pretty impressive.

[Brandon]

Nice topic. 

 

Bourjos and White are my top two.  Tough to call who is better

 

Trout's arm is better than I thought.  I had it at below average but this year he has mad a couple of nice throws that really surprised me. 

 

Erstad was fearless.  Edmonds took the best routes and got amazing jumps.  Pettis was just really really good all around.

 

those four are my next tier. 

 

I never saw Rivers. 

 

GMJr was awful.  just awful. 

 

Funny, I already knew clicking this thread I was going to write the opposite.

 

We had this thread many years back and I agree with the consensus we had that Edmonds was a sand bagger that took terrible routes and had really slow jumps on balls. He had a propensity for flair even when it wasn't necessary.

[AngelsLakersFan]

Funny, I already knew clicking this thread I was going to write the opposite.

 

We had this thread many years back and I agree with the consensus we had that Edmonds was a sand bagger that took terrible routes and had really slow jumps on balls. He had a propensity for flair even when it wasn't necessary.

 

Interesting. 

 

If Edmonds took bad routes, got slow jumps and lacked the foot speed of a true center fielder (which he clearly did) why did he ever get to play there, let alone earn a reputation for being really good?

[Brandon]

Anyone that had an Angels uniform on in the 90's could have played anywhere.

 

He made a reputation on making dramatic catches, it's perception....just like owners signing players because of homeruns. Normal catches to most were diving spectacular plays for Jim.

 

I'm not knocking him, he was my favorite Angels player when he was here, he just wasn't as good as all the diving catches.

[Angel Oracle]

1. Pettis

2. Edmonds

3. White

4. Bourjos

5. Trout

6. Erstad

7. Lynn

8. Mathews Jr

9. Hunter

10.Curtis

+1 for the top 5, except I'd flip flop Trout and Erstad for now.   Trout might still move into the top 3 eventually, but for now Pettis, Edmonds, White, Bourjos, and Erstad is the top 5. 

 

Where does Mickey Rivers rate?   Wasn't he considered someone who succeeded more from his speed than his judging of drives?

He also didn't have that much of an arm.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Adam]

DE-VO

[Inside Pitch]

Interesting. 

 

If Edmonds took bad routes, got slow jumps and lacked the foot speed of a true center fielder (which he clearly did) why did he ever get to play there, let alone earn a reputation for being really good?

 

Personally -- I think he had the best jump on a ball outside of Bourjos, and maybe it was just a case of him taking a bit to gauge how much time he had to get to a ball or how hard the ball was hit but that dude seemed to hold off and then let it rip.  I don't think he was a sandbagger, but I do think he liked the flashy stuff.   Then there was Erstad who was full tilt on everything ever hit.  I think had they let him he would have backed up 1st base from Cfer on every single.

 

We have had it really really awesome in CF for eons.

[Halofan]

Wow this list takes me way back and I have been lucky enough to watch everyone of them play and wear a Angel uni. Devon White was awesome , I thought Edmonds was awesome. Gary Pettis man that guy was so fast. Lynn kind of came in on the backside of his career. Bourjos was good on the defensive side but his bat can't compete with most on this list. And I know this thread is about defense but when you got a CF that puts all 5  tools together well, To me that is what makes them special and that is why Trout is so special to me. 

 

 I'm also in the crowd that can't believe Mickey Rivers isn't getting more love then he is. Watching that guy play was a joy. When I think of Rivers I think of Carew just watching them play the game was a treat. It was like they couldn't wait to get to the park and realized what they had was something really special. They enjoyed the game and as a fan you could see they were having fun and giving 110 percent..  I guess maybe several just didn't get the priviledge to see the man play.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Halofan

[ten ocho recon scout]

I was gonna mention GA kind of jokingly, didnt realize he was plus out there (though I remember him being better than most like to give him credit for.

And agreed on edmonds. He more than earned the nickname 'hollywood'

[NJHalo]

1. Devon White

 

everyone else

 

10. Raul Mondesi

[Tank]

You realize he caught that ball about 440 feet from home plate right?

 

and then Mays turned around and threw a strike to second base.

 

Mays catch, for me, is better than edmonds' because it came during the pressure of a world series.

[disarcina]

it seems like Doc Halo and I are on the same page on a lot of things here......not sure if that's good for either one of us. LOL!!!

[Angelfish]

I don't think anyone has said this yet. We have been extremely blessed at that position. By comparison, name the top 10 Angels defensive shortstops. Or catchers. We've had six or seven guys who would be top three for most every other franchise in the League.