clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

No. 74: Greatest seasons in Angels history: Lance Parrish, 1990

One of the best seasons by an Angels catcher

By BlakeHarris
Milwaukee Brewers v California Angels Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Lance Parrish, 1990

Stats: .268/.338/.451/.789, 24 HR, 70 RBI, 126 H, 54 R, 14 2B, 123 OPS+

Baseball Reference WAR: 4.5

FanGraphs WAR: 4.6

Combined WAR: 4.55

Lance Parrish a little more than three of his 19 big-league seasons in Anaheim with the Angels. His best came in 1990, when he was named to the All-Star team for the eighth and final time of his career. It was the only time during his tenure with the Angels he’d be named to the team. He also won a Silver Slugger Award for catcher that season, the sixth and final time he’d win that award.

His 1990 season is arguably one of the best season ever from an Angels catcher.

For the most part, Parrish struggled for a good chunk of the 1990 season. It was a two-month stretch for him that helped him be named an All-Star and really made his season stats look decent.

Through the first 14 games of the season, Parrish got off to an awful start. He was hitting .163 and had more strikeouts than base hits. Then, on April 30, he began a run where he was easily the best catcher in all of baseball. Over the course of his next 49 games, Parrish had a slash of .327/.406/.583/.990. For nearly 1⁄3 of the season he put up an OPS of nearly 1.000. He hit 12 homers, drove in 34 runs and scored 21 runs as well. In addition to being the best catcher in baseball, he was overall one of the best players in the American League and looked as if he could make a potential MVP push.

The rest of the season was then a struggle for Parrish. Over his remaining 70 games, the catcher hit .247 with an OPS of .696. He hit only 10 homers and drove in 32 runs. Though he played 20 more games than his hot stretch, he hit less homers and drove in fewer runs.

When the season wrapped up, he still had some of the best numbers among catchers, hence why he won the Silver Slugger. He finished with 24 homers and 70 RBI, along with 126 hits, numbers that not a lot of catchers put up.

Here’s where Parrish’s season ranks among Angels catchers in franchise history:

  • 24 home runs (1st)
  • .880 OPS (1st)
  • 126 hits (4th)
  • 70 RBI (4th)
  • 54 runs (6th)

Get caught up on the rest of the “All-Time Angels” lists!

More From Halos Heaven