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Jim Fregosi, 1963
Stats: .287/.325/.422/.748, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 170 H, 29 2B, 114 OPS+, .329 wOBA, 111 wRC+
Awards: MVP (23rd)
Baseball Reference WAR: 4.3
FanGraphs WAR: 3.9
Combined WAR: 4.1
While with the Angels, Jim Fregosi was a six-time All-Star and received MVP votes in eight consecutive seasons. Though his 1963 campaign wasn’t his best while with the Angels, it was the season that helped put him on the map.
Through his first two seasons, Fregosi appeared in only 69 games and had only 202 at-bats. He did hit .282, but there wasn’t a big enough sample size as to how good of a player he could be. Then, in 1963, he finally got his chance.
Fregosi appeared in 154 games for the Angels. Although he hit all over the lineup, he primarily hit in the No. 2 spot, 92 games to be exact. His second most appearances came in the No. 8 spot, where he spent 26 games there.
Oddly enough, Fregosi was a much better hitter on the road than at home. Away from Angel Stadium, he hit .315 with an OPS of .824, whereas at home he hit only .257 with a .666 OPS. The best stretch of his season came in August and September, where he was one of the hottest hitters in baseball.
Entering August, he was hitting only .261 with an OPS of .698. From August 7 through September 28, Fregosi hit .352/.383/.500/.883. He was able to raise his batting average 26 points and his OPS 50 points.