"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. 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. 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. He led that 1968 team in batting average, home runs and OPS, earning one of his four All-Star selections in the process. Although not always earning the recognition of home run hitters or ace pitchers, excell. Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. 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. -- Kahrl, Teams -- 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. -- Schoenfield, Sure, there is the PED issue. For most of his career, Ozzie Smith was the premier defensive shortstop in baseball. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. As opposed to the puss arm who couldnt throw out Sid Bream with the 1992 NLCS on the line. 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. Honors So before defense becomes extinct altogether and it's too late, lets pay homage to the best glovemen at each position in baseball history. In the 2019 season, 35 percent of all plate appearances ended in one of the three, a recent trend that meant even fewer balls in the field of play, which meant fewer chances for a highlight-reel play that could make the hairs on our arms stand at attention. Photo: Elsa Source: Getty Images 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. 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. -- 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. 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. Securing a pennant or even the World Series. He earned two of the best nicknames in baseball history because of his prowess with the glove, the Human Vacuum Cleaner and Mr. 3. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. Vizquel is first all time among shortstops for games played at the position and double plays turned. The Phillies Jimmy Rollins took that home, but the Rockies vanquished the Phils in the NL Division Series -- and Holliday went on to earn NLCS MVP honors. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and had his #12 retired by the Toronto Blue Jays. Defense is why he flew into the Hall with ease on his first try (91.7%). Richards would depart before the Padres 1984 run to the NL pennant. 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 A seven-time NL MVP, 14-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, Bonds holds Major League Baseballs all-time records for home runs (762) and walks (2,558) and is the only player to hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases. "The Wizard" is the all-time leader in dWAR. 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. 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. The two-time Most Valuable Player was a natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove in his rookie season. As fast as he was, somehow those stirrup socks made him look even faster. He did not have the career of his father, but who did? 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. 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. We all know left field is a hitters position. Brooks Robinson's 16 Gold Gloves are the most for a non-pitcher in MLB history. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. He was an important force in the heart of the lineup for the World Series-winning '91 squad. The. Maybe other gamblers should have paid him to make sure the White Sox won that series. Positions: Shortstop, second base, third base. In Jo-Jo Moore and Gary Matthews we see the conventional wisdom about left field come to the fore. AJ Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers. 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. Yaz won the Triple Crown and AL MVP in 1967. He became the first Tiger to earn a $100,000 salary. 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. FROM. Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . Notable Astro Highlights: #25 Retired. As even the Cubbies discovered, you can win a World Series with a guy like this. 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. Eddie Rosario - Minnesota Twins Age 27 The 27-year old Rosario has been a steady 30+ doubles / 20+ home runs guy for the last. -- Kahrl, Teams Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. Teams: Kansas City Royals (2004-10), Milwaukee Brewers (2011-12), Los Angeles Angels (2012), Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-15), Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-19), Houston Astros (2019-present). March 03, 2023 9:51 AM. 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. "Pops," of course. Not only was Mays the best center fielder, he might have been the best all-around player to play the game. Bell also ranks fifth in Range Factor per nine innings (3.18) overall. 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 Other career achievements include over 351 OBP, 440 OPS, and 215 hits. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Center Fielders Ranked From 1 to 100. But they still have some very meaningful football left to play on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefsand next week when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit FirstEnergy Stadium.If theTennessee Titanssomehow win their next two games, two losses by the Browns would secure them the No. As a left fielder he has a .979 fielding percentage. Which helped him earn the 1979 MVP award at age 39. "Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position. Among Cardinals who were primarily left fielders, Brock is No. His 253 hits with the A's in 1925 remains the single-season Major League record for a right-handed batter. The on-field portion of the NFL scouting combine rolls on with Day 2 of the action gearing up Friday as special teams players and defensive backs get set for measurements, testing and on-field drills. "Mad Dog" dominated the Gold Glove Award for not one but two decades. Tris Speaker was one of the greatest players in baseball history. In 2002, Bonds was walked intentionally with no one on base eight times. "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. Moore was a four-time All-Star who lost three seasons at the peak of his career to serve in World War II. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. Possessing a cannon for an arm, he terrified base runners with his pick off moves and laser throws to catch runners stealing. 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. The calmness with. The Puerto Rican flash was ahead of his time, what with his sweeping glove motions and one-handed technique, which were no-nos in his day. 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). "Charlie Hustle" was durable and one of baseball's greatest hitters. 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. .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. Crawford stole 50 or more bases in five seasons with the Rays, including 60 in 2009, which is still a franchise record. Truth is, few ever played the field with more flair and confidence. Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1964-76), New York Yankees (1977-80), Cincinnati Reds (1979). Although not always earning the recognition of home run hitters or ace pitchers, excelling in the defensive elements of baseball is crucial to teams winning baseball games. And Williams never posted a .609 OBP. He is considered to be one of the greatest five tool players of all time. that almost certainly lessened his performance. Raines Sr. belongs in the Hall of Fame. No, not in home runs, Sluggo, but Total Zone Runs among left fielders. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches while quarterback Patrick Mahomes warms up before the Chiefs take on the New England Patriots on Monday, October 5, 2020, at . Nationals top 5 >, Key fact: Hit .331/.445/.507 with 110 runs and 123 RBIs in 1910, Were considering Modern Era players (1900 and later), so Hall of Famers Ed Delahanty and Billy Hamilton aren't included in these rankings. In the 2017 season, this valuable moveable piece was among the Total Zone Runs leaders at second base and left field. Overall, Holliday had a .319 average with 130 homers over six seasons with the Rockies. Too bad he wasn't able to play longer because he finished just 73 hits shy of 3,000. Now heres the stat that you never hear: Over 12 seasons, Maz played 1,722 complete games (86 percent), the kind of durability (overuse?) 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. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron. Age During 2022 Season: 34. Hernandez also delivered the iconic Seinfeld line I am Keith Hernandez, perhaps making up for him missing out on Cooperstown. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. Zack Greinke is the modern Greg Maddux, only with less range, surer hands (one error per 319 innings pitched) and a superior pickoff move. Honorable Mention: Rickey Henderson (29.7 fWAR) and Bobby Murcer (27.1 fWAR) The Yankees have a rich history of impactful center fielders. 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. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). Carl Yastrzemskiplayed three different positions for the Boston Red Sox during his 22-year career. Is there a more fundamentally correct baseball player out there? 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. I did not see many plays where he left his feet going forward (towards . He has led all shortstops in double plays turned three times and is the active leader among shortstops in range factor, fielding percentage, and total zone runs. Here's a list of my top ten defensive left fielders, these guy's all had speed, a powerful arm & knew how to read the ball both off the bat & off the wall. Many who have known Manny would disagree. OK, weve got your crazy right here. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Simmons hit .334 for his career and batted .390 one season. -- 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. -- Kahrl, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 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. Note: All stats are through the 2019 MLB season. 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. The White Sox retired his No. Now guess whos second to Robinson in career Total Zone Runs at the position. In his 16 year career, he had. Teams: Atlanta Braves (1996-2007), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010), New York Yankees (2011-12). Two-time MVP (1946, '49), two Triple Crowns ('42, '47), 19-time All-Star ('40-42, '46-51, '53-60*), Hall of Fame ('66). 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. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . -- Kahrl, Teams Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. He is the all-time leader among third basemen in games played, putouts, assists, double plays turned, and total zone runs. 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. Quick and agile Ichiro could get to balls and set-up as quickly as anyone. 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. But I wouldn't put him in the top 100 players. Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in '16 and remains active with the organization. For this calculation, we use a replacement level on defense is the league average. 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. He split time between left field and first base while in Queens . We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. And he pulled it off in only eight seasons as a regular. Teams He's also on the short list of Total Zone Runs (fourth), Range Factor per nine innings (fifth) and jaws dropped (many) in major league history. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. The Grey Eagle was a legends both at the plate and in center field. Defensive WAR shows as much. Even if only half of the 18 were based on merit he ranked first in Total Zone Runs 13 times and fielding percentage three times the result would be difficult to ignore. Frank White also is 10th in double plays turned. Teams: Cleveland Indians (1972-78), Texas Rangers (1979-85, 1989), Cincinnati Reds (1985-88), Houston Astros (1988). RANK. That year, Foster posted a .320/.382/.620 slash line with a club-record -- and Major League-leading -- 52 homers and 149 RBIs, winning NL MVP honors.