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.
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