It's no secret that Billy Eppler likes defense.
Since taking over as the Angels' general manager, Eppler has made a concerted effort to upgrade the club's defense, beginning with the acquisition of shortstop Andrelton Simmons from the Braves in November 2015. The following winter, Eppler added two other defensively oriented players in catcher Martin Maldonado and second baseman Danny Espinosa.
With Simmons and Maldonado anchoring the infield and Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun patrolling the outfield, the Angels fielded one of the strongest defensive units in the Majors in 2017, ranking third with a 23.