Top 100 Angels: #62 Ken McMullen

The Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels have played almost 60 seasons of baseball. As the baseball world is suspended due to circumstances outside its control, it is time to look back at the history of this organization. There have been many talented players to put on the uniform, and we at Crashing the Pearly Gates wish to highlight the best who have ever represented the Angels. Without further ado, here we go!

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#62 – Ken McMullen

McMullen was a highly productive MLB player who played 16 seasons with five different MLB organizations. In 1583 career games, McMullen was both a strong hitter (104 wRC+) and defender at the hot corner (80 Total Zone Runs in his career). An Oxnard native, McMullen was drafted by the local Los Angeles Dodgers, spending two separate stints with the Dodgers. After three lackluster partial seasons in LA, McMullen found his way with the Washington Senators. In his first five full seasons with the Senators from 1965-1969, McMullen was the 25th-most valuable position player by fWAR (19.1).

Coming off a career-best 5.4-win season, McMullen was surprisingly traded to the Angels less than 20 games into the 1970 season. In a deal involving the highly-touted Rick Reichardt, McMullen was sent to Anaheim, where’d he spend the next 3 seasons of his career. His 124-game stint in 1970 with the Angels was slightly below his norms but he still produced at a league-average level. McMullen cranked it up a notch in 1971, when he bashed a career-high 21 home runs and was worth 3.5 wins. McMullen was even better in the slightly shortened strike season in 1972. In 137 games, McMullen posted a career-high 119 wRC+, was worth 3.5 WAR, and even garnered some MVP votes (26th in AL voting).

McMullen’s Angels career was short but he made the most of it. In less than 500 games, McMullen ranks as the 34th-most valuable position player by fWAR (9.7). Following the 1972 season, McMullen, along with star pitcher Andy Messersmith, was sent to the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade that sent Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, and others to the Angels.