Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, '84-86), Philadelphia Phillies ('79-83), Montreal Expos ('84). Vizquel is first all time among shortstops for games played at the position and double plays turned. More so than any position I've reviewed so far, the right fielders are affected by the 1970 timeline cutoff. Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. Yaz led all outfielders in assists seven times, total zone runs four times, and putouts as a left fielder four times. Cruz is undoubtedly the best left-fielder in Astros history, and is one of the greatest Astros of All-Time. Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-73). Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. The four time All-Star has played his entire career with the Colorado Rockies where he has won two Gold Glove Awards and three Fielding Bible Awards. Best Fielders of All-Time - 3rd Base - Stat Geek Baseball He was an important force in the heart of the lineup for the World Series-winning '91 squad. -- Kahrl, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. Career Leaders & Records for Defensive WAR - Baseball-Reference.com Cardinals top 5 >, Key fact: Had 4,262 total bases with Cubs, second to only Ernie Banks in club history, There is no debate over who should be the Cubs No. Ted Williams is one of the greatest hitters in MLB history. Jim Kaat is regarded as one of the greatest fielding pitchers of all time. Some of the players on this list have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and are considered among the games greatest players. Before he was the first baseman on the Giants pennant-winning teams of 1951 and 1954, Whitey Lockman was an outfielder, and a good one, too, but by 1951 Leo Durocher had him trade positions with Monte Irvin. Twins top 5 >, White Sox: Minnie Minoso (1951-57, '60-61, '64, '76, '80), Key fact: First black player in franchise history, Minoso debuted for the White Sox on May 1, 1951, hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw against the Yankees, and was a beloved staple of the organization long after he retired. Now heres the stat that you never hear: Over 12 seasons, Maz played 1,722 complete games (86 percent), the kind of durability (overuse?) Others are not included in those categories, but excelled in the defensive aspects of the game to such an extent that their inclusion was necessary. Top 10 MLB left fielders for 2022 season - Audacy In 1977, he set what was then a rookie record with 56 stolen bases, and he batted .290 en route to a third-place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He also played the Green Monster at Fenway Pahk like it was his rec room wall. He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in '16 and remains active with the organization. He also had a .992 OPS over 29 postseason games with Houston. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. He won an NL batting title in 1918 en route to a career batting average of .317. -- Lauber, Pops hit 475 home runs but as produtive as he was, Pops was known for his team leadership. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. Mariners top 5 >, Rangers: Rusty Greer (1994-2002)Key fact: Tied for fourth in franchise history (min. Who would be on your list of the best defensive right fielders of all time? Tigers top 5 >, Key fact: His 132 wRC+ is the highest among primary left fielders in club history, In five seasons with the Twins, Mack provided an effective and consistent combination of power, average, on-base ability and speed while playing all three outfield spots, good for a .309/.375/.479 slash line with 67 homers, 119 doubles, 24 triples and 71 stolen bases and a 17.9 fWAR in Minnesota. Which helped him earn the 1979 MVP award at age 39. Slowpitch | Aguerridas Vs Buhas | Aguerridas Vs Buhas | By Field of Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships He was so feared a hitter that he once was walked intentionally -- with the bases loaded. In 1983 he left to play for San Diego and made two All-Star games as a Padre and led San Diego to their first ever pennant in 1984. He was the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times. abbreviation for safety in football - aboutray16-eiga.com Left field is located down the third baseline when viewing the field from home plate. Fielding errors were a rarity in the careers of these players. Top-10 Pinch Hitters in MLB History - The Grueling Truth Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. Philadelphia A's (1908-09), Cleveland Naps ('10-14), Cleveland Indians ('15), Chicago White Sox ('15-20), Career stats And Williams never posted a .609 OBP. That makes this category as good a place as any to highlight Anderson, who earned three All-Star nods for his dynamic combination of power and speed. Today we turn our attention to left fielders. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers. Ill tell you, hes one of the great hitters Ive ever seen, said Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. Orioles top 5 >, Key fact: Had four All-Star selections with Rays, the most in franchise history, In his nine seasons with Tampa Bay, Crawford displayed the athleticism and talent that made him a coveted three-sport athlete and a highly regarded prospect. Roberto Alomar was a fixture on the Toronto Blue Jays World Series winning teams and would go on to have an impact on several other exciting teams. The calmness with. As opposed to the puss arm who couldnt throw out Sid Bream with the 1992 NLCS on the line. 1. Richards made a different kind of impact in left. (2:29). Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. In his 16 year career, he had. The level of offensive talent at his position meant he was only selected to three All-Star Games, but Vizquel retired as the all-time leader in hits by a Venezuelan. Statistic Description: Defensive Wins Above Replacement for position players A defensive measure of wins above replacement, but given only the defensive stats of the player and his position adjustment. Top 20 Defensive Baseball Players of All Time, Why WCW's Ring Was So Different From WWE's, Explained, 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About Dusty Rhodes' Life Outside Wrestling, 5 WWE Wrestlers Who Survived Bad Gimmicks (& 5 Who Had It Define Their Careers). ALL-TIME #MLBRANK, Top 100: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1, Insider analysis: 100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1, Top 10s: LHP | RHP | C | SS | 3B | 2B | 1B | LF | CF | RF, My Top 10: Kurkjian | Stark | Olney | Crasnick | Schoenfield, Stark: The perception of greatness in the Top 100, Szymborski: Who's in the future 100? 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. NFL combine results: Updates on top draft prospects' times Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons. Andruw Jones is one of the best defensive outfielders ever; so why We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. Being shutout for nearly five minutes to start the third quarter Friday once again put the Golden Bears in chase mode. He also appeared in 18 All-Star games, earning the honor in all but four of his Major League seasons. They are without question among the greatest baseball players of all time, contributing to their respective teams while carving out their own Major League Baseball legacy. Do you want big names? Baseball's Best @ 150, The Book That Counts Down the Best Players, Pitchers, And Fielders in Baseball History at the 150th Anniversary of the Major Leagues (1871-2020). These impressive fielding statistics earned him eight Gold Gloves when combined with his hitting statistics earned him seven NL MVP Awards and fourteen All-Star appearances. But with the Rays' best defensive alignment being Arozarena in left, Kevin Kiermaier in center field, and Margot in right field, Meadows figures to see a lot more at-bats as the designated hitter. And he pulled it off in only eight seasons as a regular. Pirates top 5 >, Key fact: Had 39.5 bWAR with Reds (16th in franchise history), After hitting .306/.364/.530 with 29 homers and a league-leading 121 RBIs in 1976, the second of Cincinnati's consecutive World Series title seasons, Foster enjoyed his best season in 77. Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. No one did it so well for so long. Here's how WBC offenses stack up with MLB's best, Las Vegas prepared to give A's 'better opportunity', Female minor league manager shadows Lovullo, Paxton (hamstring) unlikely for start of season, Jays' Guerrero to miss WBC with inflamed knee, Rangers, LHP Smith agree to 1-year, $1.5M deal, 7 Cubs combine for 1st spring no-no since 2017, Scherzer tries to test pitch clock limits, gets balk. The differences seen in baseball across different eras are significant, and television and radio were not always available to document the miraculous plays of major leaguers on a daily basis. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in '53. Add to that his limitless joy in playing anywhere that would play him at the end. A five-time All-Star, "King Kong" Keller completed his Yankees career with a slash line of .286/.410/.518, slugging 184 homers with 723 RBIs in 1,066 games. He posted a .609 OBP one year. Arozarena and Meadows split left field duties almost evenly in 2021 and that duo should take on the majority of starts there again this season. Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) is another modern metric that considers multiple factors to determine how many runs the player saved through his direct defensive contributions. Baseball Left Fielder - rookieroad.com This is a good formation. Raines Sr. belongs in the Hall of Fame. His pitching credentials are some of the greatest of his era with 355 career wins, a 3.16 career ERA, and 3,371 career strikeouts. Among Cardinals who were primarily left fielders, Brock is No. All-time, I would say that you would find a consensus of 6 right fielders that stand above the crowd by most opinions - Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Mel Ott, Roberto Clemente, and Al Kaline.Of those 6, 4 (Aaron, Robinson, Clemente, and Kaline) debuted in the mid-1950's and . He also knew how to play the Green Monster pretty well. Teams Al Kaline spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, which earned him the nickname Mr. Tiger. Left Field JAWS Leaders | Baseball-Reference.com Red Sox top 5 >, Key fact: Career 152 OPS+ ranks 27th all time, Though overshadowed somewhat on rosters packed with Hall of Fame talent, Keller was a feared slugger and solid fielder on three Yankees championship clubs (1939, 41 and 43), compiling an eye-popping career OPS+ of 152 that ranks 27th all-time. He committed the fewest errors by a pitcher twice, range factor per nine innings twice, and assists once. Who's the greatest left fielder of all-time? Sure, he probably was. Well-renowned for his passing, Gerson is often considered as one of the best passers in World Cup history. He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 by the Veterans Committee. Bonds spent the final 15 seasons of his career with the Giants, hitting .312/.477/.666 with 586 home runs 1,440 RBIs over 1,976 games. The 18 time All Star won the World Series in 1968 and was also the AL Batting Champion in 1955. -- Kahrl, Teams Having helped lead the Rangers to three division titles in four years (1996-99) with a .315/.398/.502 batting line and 80 home runs, Greer gets the edge. Not only as an outfielder, mind you, but at any position. Rookie of the Year (1963), 17-time All-Star ('65, '67-71, '73-82, '85), MVP ('73), World Series MVP ('75), two Gold Gloves ('69, '70), Silver Slugger ('81), Championships The Flying Dutchman also has his visage on the most expensive baseball card of all time. He led that 1968 team in batting average, home runs and OPS, earning one of his four All-Star selections in the process. -- Lauber, The numbers defy sense. -- Caple, "Pops" was a legend long before his last great season in '79, but the high-mound '60s muted his greatness: He slugged .491 in his 20s before they lowered the mound, then .555 afterward in 1969-1979. For some, a great grab is when a fielder reaches over the wall or does an acrobatic move. Williams not only had a .344 average for his career, but he also blasted 522 home runs despite missing nearly five full seasons serving in World War II and the Korean War. He led the American League in fielding percentage as a second basemen four times, assists twice, and committed the fewest errors as a second baseman twice. 25 Greatest First Basemen in Baseball History - Fueled by Sports Bobby Knoop and Bill Mazeroski are the only second basemen to lead the league in Total Zone Runs, Range Factor per nine innings and double plays turned as many as four times each. Try this great: second in career Defensive WAR, third in Total Zone Runs and third in Range Factor per nine innings on the all-time list. Best Defensive Outfielders of All Time | All MLB Eras | Center, Right .356/.423/.517, OPS -- .940, Hits -- 1,772, HRs -- 54, RBIs -- 785, None other than Babe Ruth said Jackson was "the greatest natural hitter I ever saw." Best Midfielders of All Time Andres Iniesta Xavi Lothar Matthaus Andrea Pirlo - One of the Best Midfielders of all Time Ryan Giggs Steven Gerrard Michael Laudrup (DEN) Paul Scholes - A Great Central Midfielder Didi Frank Lampard Joshua Kimmich - A Popular Name Among the Best Defensive Midfielders Diego Maradona - All-Time Best Midfielder His 5 All-Star appearances may not be as spectacular as other members of the list, but he led the league assists as a first baseman 5 times, fielding percentage twice, and putouts four times. The. Astros top 5 >, Athletics: Rickey Henderson (1979-84, '89-93, '94-95, '98), Key fact: 72.7 bWAR is highest of any position player in As history, Widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter ever, Henderson had four separate stints with the A's and is the franchise's all-time leader in position-player bWAR (72.7), runs (1,270), walks (1,227) and stolen bases (867). -- Caple, In the conversation because he was the NL's answer to Rickey Henderson and arguably the greatest player in Expos history, he was also one of the players robbed of his best opportunities to star in a bigger market by the owners' collusion conspiracy of the '80s. Brooks Robinson made a living off of amazing plays at third base. The Definitive List of the 7 Best Left Fielders Right Now 7. Elite center fielders for the Cardinals - STLtoday.com Some call him the Babe Ruth of defense. But I wouldn't put him in the top 100 players. SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons. Teams: Los Angeles-California Angeles (1964-69), Chicago White Sox (6970) Kansas City Royals (1971-72). Relying on positioning and reading hitters proved inadequate to maintain the standards hed set. Brooks was a two time World Series Champion and was named World Series MVP in 1970. Willie Mays Mickey Mantle Ty Cobb Ken Griffey Jr. Joe DiMaggio Mike Trout 1. He played nearly 1,500 games in the field with nine different teams. Baseball's best left field players include some amazing legends of the game, with names like Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Carl Yastrzemski.