The Colorado Rockies drafted Chone Figgins, but before he made it to the Majors, he was traded to the Angels, which worked to his benefit.

Figgins made it to the bigs in 2002, playing a small role in the Angels' World Series Championship. Playing mainly at Third, Figgins was a regular starter in 2004, and through the rest of the decade, he was one of the top base-stealers in Baseball.  Figgins swiped at least 30 bases annually from 2004 to 2009 for the Angels, including a league-leading 62 in 2005.  He did not bring much power but did spray the ball often, collecting 1,045 Hits for the Halos, and was the league leader in Walks in 2009.  Figgins was an All-Star that year, the only time he would be, which was his final season in Los Angeles, as he left for Seattle as a Free Agent at season's end.

You didn't need a name or number on the back of Dean Chance’s jersey to know it was him who was pitching.  After obtaining the sign from his catcher, Chance rotated his body so that his back and head were looking towards second.  It worked for him, as one year, he was considered the best on the mound.

Chance debuted in the Majors in 1961 and made the starting rotation the following season, where he was third in Rookie of the Year voting with a respectable 14-10 record with a 2.96 ERA.  Chance slipped a bit in 1963, but he came back with a monster 1964, which was so good that it earned him not only a top-twenty rank on this list but the Cy Young Award.  The right-hander led the AL in Wins (20), ERA (1.65), Shutouts (11), Innings Pitched (278.1), ERA+ (200), and FIP (2.39), with a fifth-place finish in MVP voting.

Chance could not repeat what he did in 1964 but was still solid over the next two seasons before being traded to Minnesota.  With the Angels, Chance had 74 Wins against 66 Losses with a 2.83 ERA.  The organization inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dubbed "K-Rod," Francisco Rodriguez established himself as a top reliever when he was a rookie and barely one at that.  

Rodriguez was called up in September of 2002, and due to injuries, he was given a vital role in the Angels' postseason, where he had 11 appearances, won five Games, and had a sub 1.000 WHIP in all three of Anaheim’s series.  The Angels won the World Series, and it is hard to imagine this happening without Rodriguez.

Proving his performance was no fluke, Rodriguez was a set-up man in 2003 before moving to the closer's role in 2004.  K-Rod was an All-Star in 2004 and would lead the American League in Saves in both 2005 & 2006.   Rodriguez went back to the All-Star Game in 2007 and 2008, with the Venezuelan recording a then-record 62 Saves.  He won the 2006 and 2008 Rolaids Reliever of the Year, and he finished in the top four in Cy Young voting three times.  Rodriguez left the Halos after the 2008 Season for the New York Mets as a Free Agent.

As an Angel, Rodriguez compiled 208 Saves with a 2.35 ERA.  

Howie Kendrick was one of the most highly touted prospects in the early 2000s, and while it can be argued that he did not live up to the hype, it can’t be disputed that his long career is the envy of most who ever made it to the Majors.

The Angels nabbed Kendrick with their 2002 First Round Pick, and he made the roster in 2006, predominantly playing at Second.  Kendrick was not a defensive star, but he was versatile and often played at First or in Leftfield when needed. Offensively, Kendrick got into a groove, never batting lower than .279 in a season and showing moderate power with at least ten Home Runs three times.  Kendrick would also make the All-Star Game in 2011.

Kendrick was traded to the cross-town Dodgers in 2015 and would later win the World Series as a member of the Washington Nationals in 2019.  As an Angel, Kendrick collected 1,204 Hits with a Batting Average of .292.