greatest defensive left fielders of all time
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. Here is the No. He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in '16 and remains active with the organization. Smith led the National League in fielding percentage among shortstops eight times, double plays turned five times, and range factor seven times. 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. Note: All stats are through the 2019 MLB season. He also ranks among the top 100 in career Total Zone Runs at second base (28th), shortstop (99th) and all positions (100th). Regardless, he makes everybody's short list of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time. His 253 hits with the A's in 1925 remains the single-season Major League record for a right-handed batter. It seems reasonable to require greater longevity than 23 innings when trying to identify the greatest outfield in major-league history. -- Lauber, You know the quote: Williams once supposedly said, "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived.' But he posted a .291/.357/.387 slash line across seven seasons, and he still ranks in the franchise's top five in batting average, runs, position-player WAR, hits, triples and stolen bases. -- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN.com senior writer, For as much as we dwell on the video-arcade numbers from his final 10 seasons, sometimes we don't make enough of what he did in his first 12: .288/.408/.551, 374 HR, 417 SB, three NL MVP awards. His best work was done in the outfield where he earned seven Gold Glove Awards. Over his 11 seasons in Cincinnati, Foster went to five All-Star Games and was the team's biggest power threat during the Big Red Machine years. More so than any position I've reviewed so far, the right fielders are affected by the 1970 timeline cutoff. He spent his entire 18-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies where he was chosen as an All-Star twelve times and won ten Gold Glove Awards. 2 -- Pittsburgh (1971, '79), Career stats Ozzie Smith is generally regarded as the greatest defensive player of all time. Keller compiled an AL-best .922 OPS in 1943, then missed most of the next two seasons while serving in the United States Merchant Marines. Add to that his limitless joy in playing anywhere that would play him at the end. Embed from Getty Images. His #20 is retired by the Phillies and he was inducted as a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1995. 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. Blue Jays top 5 >, Key fact: Only O's player to rank among top 10 in homers (209, eighth) and steals (307, first), Before he grew into a slugging center fielder, Anderson was the Orioles everyday and amply productive left fielder. Known as "Pudge" because of his size and attitude, hes the all-time leader in Gold Gloves and swag at the position. He is the all-time leader in defensive games and putouts among catchers. "The Cat" was nearly as quick as he was strong no catcher had a higher caught stealing percentage in MLB history and his ability to call games and handle pitchers was widely known. No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on each player's career with that franchise. FROM. -- Caple, Still judged for his inclusion in the Black Sox scandal, and still condemned for it. Who's the greatest left fielder of all-time? Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. Barry Bonds also had a plus arm. That three of the first four names on this list are . He is the last player to hit .400 in a season -- back in 1941. His arrival helped turn a 90-loss team into a 103-win team. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. Ted Williams Carl Yastrzemski Willie Stargell Stan "The Man" Musial Luis Gonzalez Jim Rice Goose Goslin Moiss Alou Cleon Jones Gary Sheffield Mike Riley -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com baseball writer, Honors .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." And time ran out on their season. Gordons 98 outfield assists are tied for the most in MLB since 2010. The adequate fielding was a bonus. "Charlie Hustle" was durable and one of baseball's greatest hitters. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990). 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. Hes also the all-time leader in Total Zone Runs from here to Funkstown. 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). He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 as a first ballot member. This team boasts a potent offense capable of thriving in postseason football.Success on that side of the ball is being inspired by record-setting playmakers. All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener. He also leads the club in total steals (409), as well as hits (1,480), batting average (.296) and triples (105). Subjectively, I would go with Yaz as the best defensive left fielder of all time. He also stole a record 14 bases in three World Series. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1964-76), New York Yankees (1977-80), Cincinnati Reds (1979). Quick and agile Ichiro could get to balls and set-up as quickly as anyone. The sixtime All-Star was a two time batting champ, but his fielding statistics were truly special. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. The calmness with. The top 100 will roll out next week. But despite sitting out those two seasons, he still easily ranks first among Braves left fielders in bWAR. Oakland A's (1979-84, '89-93, '94-95, '98), New York Yankees ('85-89), Toronto Blue Jays ('93), San Diego Padres ('96-97, '01), Anaheim Angels ('97), New York Mets ('99-2000), Seattle Mariners ('00), Boston Red Sox ('02), Los Angeles Dodgers ('03), Honors Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and tight end Jordan Reed are dominating defenses.Their dominance keyed the 38-24 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles that . Because range was a valuable commodity at spacious Tiger Stadium, Al Kaline spent nearly 20 percent of his time in center field. Some might put an asterisk next to his name, but the performance was the best ever at left field or power production. He also played the Green Monster at Fenway Pahk like it was his rec room wall. 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. 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. Robinson is 3rd all-time in fielding percentage among third baseman. -- Schoenfield, Charlie Hustle played at least 500 games games in five positions, but he was always best at the plate. Baseball has had some amazing glove stories. Former VP of Player Personnel Gil Brandt's Top 10 Defensive Ends of All Time! The Washington Redskins, 2015 NFC East division champions, are ready for the playoffs. 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. Bell also ranks fifth in Range Factor per nine innings (3.18) overall. Tweet Email Comment Next The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooney's Insane Car Collection Related Topics Baseball -- Caple, "Manny being Manny" wasn't merely the clownish contemporary riff on a Ruthian theme, his raw stats also wouldn't look out of place among the greats in whites-only era between the wars, even acknowledging his late-career suspensions for PEDs. Teams: Chicago Cubs (1991-97), New York Yankees (1997, 2005), San Francisco Giants (1998), Kansas City Royals (1999-2001), Atlanta Braves (2001), Boston Red Sox (2002), New York Mets (2003), Seattle Mariners (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004). He led the league in putouts from a right fielder and fielding percentage five times. Pingback: Elysian Fielders The Best Defensive Right Fielders, (c) Copyright 2013-15 ElysianFielders.com, This Day in Giants History: September 25, 1986, Elysian Fielders The Best Defensive Right Fielders, This Day in Giants History, February 27, 1962: Saran Wrap for Candlestick Park. But I wouldn't put him in the top 100 players. Teams: Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics (1954-1958), Cleveland Indians (1958-61) Minnesota Twins (1962-64), Los Angeles-California Angels (1964), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65). 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 Mickey Mantle 3. To put it simply, Royals coach Rusty Kuntz said, he is the gold standard of left fielders in baseball. Royals top 5 >, Key facts: Four-time All-Star; led 1968 World Series champion Tigers in average, homers and OPS, This is the only position where the Tigers don't have a Hall of Famer to consider, and it makes for an interesting debate. For most of his career, Ozzie Smith was the premier defensive shortstop in baseball. In Pirates history, only Willie Stargell -- whom we ranked as the Bucs best first baseman of all time -- has hit more home runs (475) than Kiners 301, and only six Pirates have driven in more runs than his 801. Mays is the all-time leader in putouts in center field, fifth in assists, and second in double plays as a center fielder. CAREER = career war. Honorable Mention: Rickey Henderson (29.7 fWAR) and Bobby Murcer (27.1 fWAR) The Yankees have a rich history of impactful center fielders. Joe DiMaggio 6. So before defense becomes extinct altogether and it's too late, lets pay homage to the best glovemen at each position in baseball history. The teams are set for action with an 8 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network. Mike Trout FAQ Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? No one did it so well for so long. D-backs top 5 >, Key fact: Is the Dodgers franchise leader in hits, doubles, triples and total bases, Wheat was a rookie more than 110 years ago, and hes still the Dodgers franchise leader in career hits (2,804), doubles (464), triples (171) and total bases (4,003). 3.4K views, 81 likes, 24 loves, 97 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from quei Clube de Barcelos: quei Clube de Barcelos - FC Porto | 19. jornada Teams: San Diego Padres (1978-81), St. Louis Cardinals (1982-96). Some call him the Babe Ruth of defense. 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. He could beat you with a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly or with a towering home run. Thats how confident the former prep school track-basketball star was in his speed, quickness and ups. When "Little Louie" led the new wave of Hispanic players in the bigs, the position went from 33 1/3 to 78 rpm in terms of athleticism and entertainment value. Richards made a different kind of impact in left. -- Lauber, Here's how good Rickey was: Even if he never stole a base he'd be a Hall of Famer. He is the all-time leader in assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 - July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. But he stole 1,406 of them, the most ever, and scored the most runs in MLB history. Despite these statistical shortcomings, we do know that he finished first among shortstops in fielding percentage four times, had the best range factor for shortstops four times, and led shortstops in putouts twice. A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. 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 . Photo: Elsa Source: Getty Images Many who have known Manny would disagree. He played nearly 1,500 games in the field with nine different teams. In his 16 year career, he had. He won an NL batting title in 1918 en route to a career batting average of .317. 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. Richards would depart before the Padres 1984 run to the NL pennant. He led outfielders in assists five times and led right fielders in fewest errors committed seven times. Bench was named to fourteen All-Star Games and earned ten Gold Glove Awards in his seventeen seasons in the majors. Truth is, few ever played the field with more flair and confidence. And without further ado, our list of the greatest defensive outfielders of all time, sorted by era: Tris Speaker (1907-1928) Ty Cobb (1905-1928) Fielder Jones (1896-1908) 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. I explained my methodology here, and weve previously looked at catchers, first-, second and third basemen, and shortstops. He deserves to be in the Hall of Defense at the very least. Last month, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. 2 -- Oakland (1989), Toronto ('93), Career stats 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. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. Honors In baseball, the left fielder is a defensive position that is responsible for covering the left third of the outfield. Matthews, too, was primarily a good hitter. 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. Being shutout for nearly five minutes to start the third quarter Friday once again put the Golden Bears in chase mode. His career, you may have heard, was cut a little short after all. 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. His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. Here are the ultimate left field rankings. The Flying Dutchman also has his visage on the most expensive baseball card of all time. The Big Puma ranks fourth in franchise history in games played; second in homers (326); third in runs scored (1,008), RBIs (1,090), doubles (375) and extra-base hits (727); and fifth in total hits (1,548). -- Lauber, Another left fielder with PED issues, Manny hit .312 with 555 home runs. He is the all-time leader among third basemen in games played, putouts, assists, double plays turned, and total zone runs. Garvey was as an All-Star for the NL in eight straight seasons and while with the Dodgers would win four pennants and a World Series in 1981. Notable Astro Highlights: #25 Retired. Midfielders may play an exclusively right back role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. 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. (2:29), All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest left fielders, The greatest lineups ever? Minosos 41.4 bWAR sits No. Yes, his legacy is deservedly controversial, but Ted Williams wasn't close to the all-around player that Bonds was. Some had stronger arms. March 03, 2023 9:51 AM. Fernando Redondo. Among Cardinals who were primarily left fielders, Brock is No. 1. Dude, the underappreciated superstar once gunned down a baserunner in three consecutive innings. The six-time All-Star led the NL in homers every year from 1946-52, and he hit 35 or more homers every season from 47-53. Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career. 1. Winner of the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, multiple Serie A titles and domestic cups, Andrea Pirlo is one of the most decorated midfielders in European football history. Crawford stole 50 or more bases in five seasons with the Rays, including 60 in 2009, which is still a franchise record. How Many Good Giants Were Good Prospects? Dangerous on the basepaths, Raines led Major League Baseball in stolen bases in 1981 and 84. .334/.380/.535, OPS -- .915, Hits -- 2,927, HRs -- 307, RBIs -- 1,828, Simply put, one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Some of the players on this list have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and are considered among the games greatest players. A few had better range. "The Wizard" is the all-time leader in dWAR. He won one MVP award and probably should have won three. While good fielders, neither is known primarily for his defensive skills. His eight grand slams are also the most in franchise history, as are his 10 RBIs in a single game against the Yankees on Aug. 21, 2007. Al Kaline spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, which earned him the nickname Mr. Tiger. 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. How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players, PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. Key fact: Bell was the first Blue Jays player to win the AL MVP Award (1987), Bell starred for the Blue Jays through the mid- and late 1980s, earning the first MVP Award in club history in 1987. Anyone who believes this guy was one-dimensional doesnt know Michael Jack Schmidt. The son of an amateur catcher could single-handedly shut down run games. 4 jersey will be retired. Barry Bonds is Major League Baseball's all-time home run leader and the only player to win more than three MVP awards he ended up with seven but is that enough to declare the infamous,. In ranking the top 25, many great players were left off the list including Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Jim Rice, Al Simmons, Duke Snider, Dave Winfield, Lou Brock and others. A premium defender in front of the Green Monster and another star who saw the low-scoring '60s cut into his prime seasons. Without that, he'd be far beyond 500 career home runs, and get far more credit on this list. 2021 Statistics: . Jorginho is a technically gifted defensive midfielder who prefers playing as a focal point and controlling the tempo of play. He is also the all-time career leader in assists as a shortstop and total zone runs. .279/.401/.419, OPS -- .820, Hits -- 3,055, HRs -- 297, RBIs -- 1,115, Runs -- 2,295 (all-time leader), SB -- 1,406 (all-time leader), "Rickey being Rickey" was a sight to behold. Yankees top 5 >, Key fact: Is the only player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in a single season, Belle may not have left Cleveland on the greatest terms, but theres no denying the contributions that he made to the club during its run in the 1990s. As a left fielder he has a .979 fielding percentage. He led all left fielders in range factor per game five times, assists six times, and is the all-time leader in putouts by a left fielder. Impossible. Thats short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. Right field really does have it all. 2x All-Star (1980, 1985) 2x Silver-Slugger (1983 . He led third basemen in assists seven times, double plays turned six times, total zone runs seven times, and range factor four times. His arm strength was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his day, but it was plenty strong and accurate enough. Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons. And Williams never posted a .609 OBP. We've already tackled catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops. 1. -- Lauber, Was he one of the best pure hitters ever? If only the world had seen more of Jackson, whose association with the Black Sox scandal cut short his career at age 32. 100 Greatest Left Fielders of All-Time ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS CATCHER FIRST BASE SECOND BASE SHORTSTOP THIRD BASE LEFT FIELD CENTER FIELD RIGHT FIELD PITCHER Baseball's All-Time Greatest Left Fielders Ranked From 1 to 100 CAREER = career war Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons Teams: Texas Rangers (1991-2002, 2009), Florida Marlins (2003), Detroit Tigers (2004-08), New York Yankees (2008), Houston Astros (2009), Washington (2010-11), Gold Glove Awards: 13 (1992-2001, 2004, 2006-07). 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. He was the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times. The best left fielder of the millennium ranks behind only Barry Bonds and Carl Yastrzemski on the career Total Zone Runs list. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, '84-86), Philadelphia Phillies ('79-83), Montreal Expos ('84). Just imagine if he hadn't lost three prime years to serve in World War II. 100 Greatest Center Fielders of All-Time May 15, 2019 4 Comments Updated 12/29/2022 Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. Mizzou owns a 21-8 record during the 2023-24 season with an 9-7 mark in SEC play. He led all outfielders in putouts nine times, range factor per game ten times, and assists three times. Baseball's best left field players include some amazing legends of the game, with names like Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Carl Yastrzemski. Who would have bet he could do all that? He played more games in his career than anyone else by more than an entire season. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. Key facts: Three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, This was pretty much a no-brainer. "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. Do you want big names? BOSTON (AP) Mikal Bridges was considered a defensive star and complementary offensive player in Phoenix before abruptly having his five-year run there ended when he was shipped to Brooklyn as . He spent the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers among other teams, but a one year stint with the Florida Marlins earned him a World Series title in 2003. Indeed, he turned the double play into an art form, sort of like a Mikhail Baryshnikovski in cleats. RANK. 344 views, 3 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Field of Dreams Navojoa: Aguerridas Vs Buhas For all of his on field accomplishments, Bonds remains an underrated defensive player. For true seamheads, this was absolutely rotten news. The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. 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. When the last out settled into his glove a half-inning later, Jones had to leap the left-field fence to avoid a mob of Mets fans streaming onto the field. .298/.444/.607, OPS -- 1.051, Hits -- 2,935; HRs -- 762 (all-time leader), RBIs -- 1,996; BBs -- 2,558 (all-time leader); IBBs -- 688 (all-time leader), He is, after Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, the greatest hitter ever. 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. He could have won two more Gold Gloves if they had been awarded, in which case he would rank second in American League history. Hes the all-time leader. Mike Schmidt is one of the best hitting and fielding third basemen of the modern era. He won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards and eleven total for his career. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. The Grey Eagle was a member of the second ever Baseball Hall of Fame class and still holds the records for career outfield assists and doubles. Forgot how much ground he covered in his pre-roids days, didnt you? COLUMBUS - Scoring lulls hindered Shelbyville all season. In the 2017 season, this valuable moveable piece was among the Total Zone Runs leaders at second base and left field. The best center fielder since Willie Mays combined great instincts, a quick first step and precise routes to the ball. Dave Winfield also won 7, but 5 of his were when he was playing primarily right field. He earned two of the best nicknames in baseball history because of his prowess with the glove, the Human Vacuum Cleaner and Mr. Mariners top 5 >, Rangers: Rusty Greer (1994-2002)Key fact: Tied for fourth in franchise history (min. He won eleven Gold Glove Awards and was named 1979 NL MVP. "Mad Dog" dominated the Gold Glove Award for not one but two decades. 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.