No player not even Mantle dominated on his level for the '50s and '60s when he roamed center for the Giants and racked up two MVP awards, four home run titles, four stolen base titles, and one batting title. Record-Breaking Playmakers Give Washington Redskins a Playoff-Ready Ibanez leads all Mariners left fielders and ranks among the franchise's overall top 10 in games (1,110), hits (1,077), homers (156), doubles (216), extra-base hits (392), RBIs (612), runs (540), walks (367) and slugging percentage (.466). And time ran out on their season. He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 by the Veterans Committee. Best Defensive Outfielders of All Time | All MLB Eras | Center, Right It's hard to disagree that Charlie Keller is the greatest left fielder in Yankees history. The sixtime All-Star was a two time batting champ, but his fielding statistics were truly special. Best all time left fielder for every MLB team - MLB.com Baseball Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time By Paul Ladewski, updated on December 5, 2022 Old-Time Baseball Photos / Facebook TTO has done more to hurt defense than Daniel Murphy ever could on his worst day. Pudge was named as an All-Star fourteen times and earned thirteen Gold Glove Awards. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. The Best Players of the Last 50 Years - Part VIII - Left Fielders Defensive WAR shows as much. Dangerous on the basepaths, Raines led Major League Baseball in stolen bases in 1981 and 84. Without the award, the evidence for Ashburns defensive greatness relies on his defensive statistics, which were virtually unparalleled during his 15-year career. The Greatest Outfield in Baseball History Tweet Email Comment Next The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooney's Insane Car Collection Related Topics Baseball 1. Indians top 5 >. As central midfielders often go across boundaries, with mobility and passing ability, they are often referred to as deep-lying midfielders, play-makers, box-to-box midfielders, or holding midfielders. Seven-time NL All-Star (1981-87), NL Silver Slugger ('86), All-Star Game MVP ('87), Career stats 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. Dude, the underappreciated superstar once gunned down a baserunner in three consecutive innings. Listen Now. 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. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Is there a more fundamentally correct baseball player out there? -- Kahrl, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. His defensive contribution to his teams were so significant that he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2001 and had his #9 retired by the Pirates despite underwhelming stats at the plate. He also played the Green Monster at Fenway Pahk like it was his rec room wall. Mays, who finished with 660 HR, 3,283 hits, and 12 Gold Gloves, was the best of the three and the greatest center fielder of all time. Philadelphia A's (1924-32, '40-41, '44), Chicago White Sox ('33-35), Detroit Tigers ('36), Washington Senators ('37-38), Boston Bees ('39), Cincinnati Reds ('39), Boston Red Sox ('43), Honors Key facts: Three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, This was pretty much a no-brainer. The Top Ten Left Fielders of All-Time | Pitcher List Fielding errors were a rarity in the careers of these players. That three of the first four names on this list are . -- Kahrl, Who's the greatest left fielder of all-time? The players on this list have been recognized as multiple time Gold Glove winners, distinguishing themselves as members to baseballs elite defensive players. Top 6 Best MLB Center Fielders of All Time - rookieroad.com Rockies top 5 >. Rangers top 5 >, Braves: Rico Carty (1963-72)Key fact: Ranks first among Braves left fielders in bWAR (23.2)Nearly 50 years after Carty played his final game for Atlanta, theres still reason to wonder how great his career might have been had he not missed 1968 with tuberculosis and '71 with a fractured right knee cap. Big numbers? Schmidt was a three time NL MVP and was the 1980 World Series MVP, where he led the Phillies to victory. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Who would be on your list of the best defensive right fielders of all time? -- Schoenfield, Sure, there is the PED issue. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. He also won the 1986 NL batting title, earned a Silver Slugger Award that year and was named to seven consecutive All-Star teams. Well-renowned for his passing, Gerson is often considered as one of the best passers in World Cup history. 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). -- Schoenfield, It isn't easy taking the place of Ted Williams, but Yaz did a pretty good job, winning three batting titles and making 18 All-Star teams. 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. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1964-76), New York Yankees (1977-80), Cincinnati Reds (1979). But at his peak, he was excellent, a guy who could get on base, would play wherever his team needed him (he was a regular second base, left field, right field, third base and first base) and rarely missed a game. He batted .336/.458/.677 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs to earn the first of five NL MVP Awards in San Francisco. He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in '16 and remains active with the organization. When he was the runner-up for the AL MVP Award in 1995, he led the AL with 121 runs scored and 126 RBIs and led the Majors with 50 homers, 52 doubles and a .690 slugging percentage. Check out Gil's full list here! Overall, Holliday had a .319 average with 130 homers over six seasons with the Rockies. The criteria were a combination of Gold Glove Awards (since 1957) and metrics such as Defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR), Total Zone Runs (an estimate of runs saved in the field) and Range Factor per nine innings with an assist from YouTube on occasion. Cruz is undoubtedly the best left-fielder in Astros history, and is one of the greatest Astros of All-Time. Top 25 best midfielders in the world 2023 - Global ranking -- Schoenfield, Not only the all-time leader in stolen bases (and the single season record holder as well), Rickey also holds the record for most career runs (2,295). The year after, he hit 40 homers with 120 RBIs, leading the NL. This definition appears very frequently and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories: Slang/chat, popular culture. His #1 is retired by the St. Louis Cardinals and he's a Hall of Famer who helped win a World Series title in 1982. And runs, are the most important stat in baseball. Possessing a cannon for an arm, he terrified base runners with his pick off moves and laser throws to catch runners stealing. 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. Bill Russell - Wikipedia He led all outfielders in putouts nine times, range factor per game ten times, and assists three times. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). 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. Here are some other contenders. Ed Delahanty Delahanty was one of the first great hitters in the game's history. Answer (1 of 21): The first player that comes to mind would be Suzuki Ichiro, who could throw seeds all the way to the third-base bag from rightfield. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. He could have won two more Gold Gloves if they had been awarded, in which case he would rank second in American League history. Ichiro Suzuki Ichiro was the 2001 MVP, an All-Star 10 times, a Gold Glove winner 10 times, the winner of three Silver Slugger awards, and a batting title winner twice. Left field has been the position of some of baseball's greatest players, including Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Carl Yastrzemski, and Frank Robinson, and was one of the primary positions on a . In 1966, the National League All-Star team fielded a lineup with arguably the greatest outfield ever to appear in a baseball game: Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Hank Aaron. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Reds top 5 >, Key fact: Had 30 bWAR with D-backs, second most among position players in franchise history, The acquisition of Gonzalez from the Tigers in exchange for outfielder Karim Garcia on Dec. 28, 1998, received little attention at the time, but it would go down as one of the best trades in franchise history. Bob Johnson, 1933-42 Not only as an outfielder, mind you, but at any position. Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Matthews, too, was primarily a good hitter. 1. He won one MVP award and probably should have won three. Teams: Atlanta Braves (1996-2007), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010), New York Yankees (2011-12). March 03, 2023 9:51 AM. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. The Missouri men's basketball team is set for its final true road game of the 2022-23 season with a contest at LSU on Wednesday. He led that 1968 team in batting average, home runs and OPS, earning one of his four All-Star selections in the process. To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value. Willie is a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove award winner, and two-time MVP Award winner. Ranking the 9 greatest left fielders in MLB history - Audacy But nobody was a more complete package than this gold standard at the hot corner. Ted Williams Boston Red Sox With Red Sox: 19 seasons Best season: 1941 (10.4 WAR, .406/.553/.735, 37 homers, MVP runner-up) Sorry, Barry. What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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 will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2017. (Insider), Teams 2 -- Pittsburgh (1971, '79), Career stats OK, weve got your crazy right here. Embed from Getty Images. His 254 assists are the most by an outfielder in the live ball era, which is nutso when you consider that, once word got around, a runner would almost rather have a lobotomy than risk embarrassment by his legendary arm. His great first step, speed and knowledge of the tendencies of his own teams pitchers and opposing hitters allowed him to get to everything hit his way. He was world champion with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 and a part of the Amazin' Mets of 1986. Because range was a valuable commodity at spacious Tiger Stadium, Al Kaline spent nearly 20 percent of his time in center field. Mizzou owns a 21-8 record during the 2023-24 season with an 9-7 mark in SEC play. Yaz led all outfielders in assists seven times, total zone runs four times, and putouts as a left fielder four times. At 35, Alex Gordon is a good bet to rank second when all is said and done. .312/.411/.585, OPS -- .996, Hits -- 2,574, HRs -- 555, RBIs -- 1,831, Charlie Manuel often says that to know Manny is to understand him. Some of the players on this list came long before Web Gems were a daily part of our national pastime. He also stole a record 14 bases in three World Series. Age During 2022 Season: 34. Although he played only 1,027 games during his nine-year career, Greer ranks 10th in franchise history with 1,166 hits. The ten time All-Star, eight time Gold Glove, led all second basemen in double plays turned for eight consecutive years from 1960 to 1967. Who are the best center fielders of all time? A ranked list Teams: Cleveland Indians (1972-78), Texas Rangers (1979-85, 1989), Cincinnati Reds (1985-88), Houston Astros (1988). And Bill White almost certainly would have one more (1956) if the award had been in existence. Some might put an asterisk next to his name, but the performance was the best ever at left field or power production. Barry Bonds also had a plus arm. 2022 Positional Power Rankings: Left Field | FanGraphs Baseball Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. "The Great One" would be the first player who we would pay to watch play defense. He was Brooklyns starting left fielder for 17 years, succeeding in both the Dead Ball and Live Ball eras. (2:29), All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest left fielders, The greatest lineups ever? We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. 3 -- Cincinnati (1975, '76) Philadelphia ('80), Career stats He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 as a first ballot member. Mets top 5 >, Key fact: Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, Raines accomplishments go far beyond his standing among the franchises left fielders. 9. The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. 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. In his 16 year career, he had. -- Lauber, Here's how good Rickey was: Even if he never stole a base he'd be a Hall of Famer. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and had his #12 retired by the Toronto Blue Jays. Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. -- Lauber, The numbers defy sense. Some have better metrics at the position, but none come close to Willie Mays' combination of athleticism, arm strength, instincts, entertainment value and nickname. He led the league in putouts from a right fielder and fielding percentage five times. Teams: Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics (1954-1958), Cleveland Indians (1958-61) Minnesota Twins (1962-64), Los Angeles-California Angels (1964), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65). The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. Ted Williams - Boston Red Sox (1939-1942; 1946-1960) This Day in Giants History, February 20, 1895: John Montgomery Ward Hates the Reserve Clause, This Day in Giants History: December 3, 1960, Constructing a Team from Players Who Have Been Both Senators/Twins and Giants, Elysian Fielders Constructing a Team from Players Who Have Been Both Senators/Twins and Giants, Constructing a Team of Players Who Have Been Both Braves and Giants, Elysian Fielders The General Managers: John McGraw, 1919-32, The General Managers: John McGraw, 1902-12, Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination With Statistics. Giants top 5 >, Padres: Gene Richards (1977-83)Key fact: Ranks among Padres' top five in average, hits, runs, triples, steals and position-player WARHistorically, the Padres outfield thump has come from right field. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever midfielders, Tardelli was the cornerstone of Juventus' successful side of the late 70s and early 80s, winning five Scudettos during his time in Turin. One of the five greatest left-handed hitters in MLB history, "Stan the Man" helped the Cardinals to win World Series titles in 1942, 1944 and 1946. WSVX News - Shelby County Post 1 overall pick in Aprils . -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Simmons hit .334 for his career and batted .390 one season. 18-time All-Star ('63, '65-79, '82-83), All-Star Game MVP ('70), MVP (1967), Triple Crown ('67), seven Gold Gloves ('63, '65, '67-69, '71, '77), Hall of Fame ('89), Career stats Thanks to advanced statistics and extensive game logs, these spectacular performances have not gone forgotten. .303/.375/.409, OPS -- .784, Hits -- 4,256 (all-time leader), HRs - 160, RBIs -- 1,314, Games -- 3,562 (all-time leader), At-bats -- 14,053 (all-time leader), The epitome of a hustler, on the field and off. He blew open Game 2 of the NL Championship Series with a late two-run homer, hit a key leadoff double in the eighth inning of World Series Game 5, then scored the go-ahead run in the Mets title-clinching 5-3 victory. I explained my methodology here, and weve previously looked at catchers, first-, second and third basemen, and shortstops. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. Theres an argument to be made that not even Yount delivered as many signature moments. Andruw Jones is one of the best defensive outfielders ever; so why 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. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1965-81), Los Angeles Dodgers (1982). The son of an amateur catcher could single-handedly shut down run games. He is the all-time leader in assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. The top five Yankees center fielders of all time, by WAR Baseball Left Fielder - rookieroad.com This marked the first and only time a player eclipsed 50 in both homers and doubles. He also had a .992 OPS over 29 postseason games with Houston. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . This list includes some of the best to ever play the game, including such Major League Baseball legends as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson. Don't think so. Securing a pennant or even the World Series. Now heres the stat that you never hear: Over 12 seasons, Maz played 1,722 complete games (86 percent), the kind of durability (overuse?) He also appeared in 18 All-Star games, earning the honor in all but four of his Major League seasons. Bill Mazeroski became a baseball icon when he hit the first World Series winning walk off home run in history. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter, A star on the World Series-winning 1929 and '30 Philadelphia A's, they called him "Bucketfoot Al" because of his batting stance. Nine AL Silver Sluggers (1995, '99-06), 12-time AL All-Star ('95, '98-08), World Series MVP (2004), Career stats This may not look too poor except the league's outfielders are at .986 during the same time. "The Glove" is the MLB career leader in Total Zone Runs and double plays at the position and it would take a search party to find the next in line. 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. Today we turn our attention to left fielders. More so than any position I've reviewed so far, the right fielders are affected by the 1970 timeline cutoff. See, the career leader in Total Zone Runs at the position had a certain mystique about him, an unmatched flair and grace and passion that set him apart from the rest. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. He was the ultimate glue guy, a personal favorite of manager Casey Stengel for good reason. PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. 10 greatest midfielders of all time - Sportskeeda Just imagine if he hadn't lost three prime years to serve in World War II. He did not have the career of his father, but who did? Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. Consistency, discipline, and work ethic are essential traits for a player to earn the coveted Gold Glove Award, awarded to elite fielders at the end of each season. Known for his intensity, he won two batting titles while hitting .334 in his career and drove in 100-plus runs his first 11 seasons. The Best Players of the Last 50 Years - Part IX - Right Fielders The Flying Dutchman also has his visage on the most expensive baseball card of all time. The MLB now awards the Roberto Clemente Award annually to the player with outstanding baseball skills combined with personal involvement in community work. Yelich had -6 defensive runs saved in his first season as a primary left fielder in 2020, though that's far from the biggest concern of the Brewers. Bottom line: Roberto Alomar and his record 10 Gold Gloves originally were in this spot, but this Royals lifer got the final nod because of his impressive career metrics. 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. This is, quite simply, an amazing list of power, defensive prowess, great arms, speed and high averages. Wheat was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1959. 5) Dave Kingman. In itself, that's a testament to his greatness. Bench was named to fourteen All-Star Games and earned ten Gold Glove Awards in his seventeen seasons in the majors. The Ultimate Compendium for the Baseball Fan, Including All-Time Teams for Your Favorite Franchise From Yankees to Dodgers and More. Related:Worst MLB Defensive Players l Greatest Baseball Players. During his Hall of Fame career, Kaline received 10 Gold Glove awards for his work in Right and Center field. The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. The Washington Redskins, 2015 NFC East division champions, are ready for the playoffs. He won eleven Gold Glove Awards and was named 1979 NL MVP. Marlins top 5 >, Key fact: Caught final out of 1969 World Series, One of the engines of the 1969 Miracle Mets, Jones hit .340 in 137 games that season, starting in left field for 119 of them. 1 among White Sox left fielders and ranks fifth overall behind Hall of Famers Luke Appling, Frank Thomas, Eddie Collins and Nellie Fox. -- Jim Caple, ESPN.com senior writer, Another whites-only era star, you can acknowledge that and then enjoy his being the Hall of Famer who never did stop putting his foot in the bucket at bat, as well as the key role he played as a guy with tremendous plate coverage starring for Connie Mack's last A's dynasty in 1929-31. He deserves to be in the Hall of Defense at the very least. 1-ranked left fielder of all time. Does ex-teammate-turned-mortal enemy Pete Rose agree with us here? The 25 best defensive midfielders in world football - ranked - 90min Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. Moore was installed as the Giants' leadoff hitter by Bill Terry in one of his first acts after taking over for John McGraw in 1932. Bottom line: This guy never played a postseason game, so unlike Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series, Buddy Bell never had a chance to showcase his skills in front of a national audience. Roberto Clemente is a baseball legend. MLB's 10 Greatest Left Fielders of All Time - Bleacher Report He was elected to the Hall of Fame in '53. Smith led the National League in fielding percentage among shortstops eight times, double plays turned five times, and range factor seven times. 300 games) with a .305 AVG.The Rangers have three worthy candidates for the title of best left fielder in club history: Greer, Frank Howard and Al Oliver. Widely considered to be the greatest catcher in the history of baseball, Johnny Bench was a key member of the Big Red Machine teams that won four National League pennants and two World Series titles. Ashburn has remained one of the best Phillies center fielders of all time and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995. -- Schoenfield, Charlie Hustle played at least 500 games games in five positions, but he was always best at the plate. Dave Kingman had two separate stints with the Mets, navigating the Shea Stadium grass from 1975-1977 and 1981-1983. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites. 'The Progress & Freedom Fou Over on Ranker, football fans have cast their votes to list the greatest defender of all-time, with over 135,000 votes cast.
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