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. Thats how confident the former prep school track-basketball star was in his speed, quickness and ups. More so than any position I've reviewed so far, the right fielders are affected by the 1970 timeline cutoff. David Ortiz insists on calling him "Mr. Williams," Big Papi's nod to the greatest hitter who ever lived. March 03, 2023 9:51 AM. Jim Edmonds Jim Edmonds poses for a picture at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on February 25, 2005. .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. Which helped him earn the 1979 MVP award at age 39. Mizzou Meets LSU in Season's Final Road Game 2021 Statistics: . Top 100 Left Fielders of All-Time - Baseball Egg It seems reasonable to require greater longevity than 23 innings when trying to identify the greatest outfield in major-league history. 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. Being shutout for nearly five minutes to start the third quarter Friday once again put the Golden Bears in chase mode. Here is our list of the 25 best outfielders of all time: 25. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and had his #12 retired by the Toronto Blue Jays. Tris Speaker was one of the greatest players in baseball history. He is also the all-time career leader in assists as a shortstop and total zone runs. Eddie Rosario - Minnesota Twins Age 27 The 27-year old Rosario has been a steady 30+ doubles / 20+ home runs guy for the last. Add to that his limitless joy in playing anywhere that would play him at the end. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990). Barry Bonds also had a plus arm. 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 . His #20 is retired by the Phillies and he was inducted as a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1995. At the age of 29, Troy Tulowitzkistill has a long MLB career ahead of him. Mike Trout FAQ Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? A premium defender in front of the Green Monster and another star who saw the low-scoring '60s cut into his prime seasons. In 1982 when he was the second oldest player in the Major Leagues, he won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Photo credit (Getty Images) 2. Teams: Los Angeles-California Angeles (1964-69), Chicago White Sox (6970) Kansas City Royals (1971-72). Three-time AL All-Star (1933-35), Hall of Fame ('53), Championships 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). The adequate fielding was a bonus. In addition to breaking Hank Aarons home run record, he also is the all-time leader in total zone runs from a left fielder. The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. 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. The 18 time All Star won the World Series in 1968 and was also the AL Batting Champion in 1955. The 7 Best Left Fielders in MLB Right Now - beIN SPORTS USA And time ran out on their season. Yaz won the Triple Crown and AL MVP in 1967. Is there a more fundamentally correct baseball player out there? 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. But he stole 1,406 of them, the most ever, and scored the most runs in MLB history. In baseball, the left fielder is a defensive position that is responsible for covering the left third of the outfield. 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. Brooks Robinson made a living off of amazing plays at third base. Some of the players on this list have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and are considered among the games greatest players. No one did it so well for so long. Some call him the Babe Ruth of defense. Justin Upton can hit, but when he takes the field he can be a defensive liability. 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. The 25 best defensive midfielders in world football - ranked - 90min Robinson is 3rd all-time in fielding percentage among third baseman. 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. 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. No Gavin Lux -- big problem. A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. 9. He led second basemen in assists eight times and putouts five times. 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. In 2002, Bonds was walked intentionally with no one on base eight times. 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 Pudge was named as an All-Star fourteen times and earned thirteen Gold Glove Awards. All told, Anderson appeared in 623 games in left over his 14 seasons in Baltimore, good for second in franchise history. Teams: Cleveland Indians (1972-78), Texas Rangers (1979-85, 1989), Cincinnati Reds (1985-88), Houston Astros (1988). Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career. Andy Flower, with Jonty Rhodes (left), steps aside from role of assistant coach with Punjab Kings. Ty Cobb 4. Dave Winfield also won 7, but 5 of his were when he was playing primarily right field. On Opening Day in 2010, the southpaw made a kick save on a shot up the middle, quickly ran down the ball in foul territory then executed a no-look, between-the-legs, glove-handed flip to first base for the out, the most insane, off-the-charts play by a pitcher in the history of history. Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. The Tigers have won their last two games . The Grey Eagle was a legends both at the plate and in center field. "The Great One" would be the first player who we would pay to watch play defense. Defensive WAR shows as much. Bench led the league in total zone runs as a catcher six times and caught stealing percentage three times. Elegance personified on the field of play. Subjectively, I would go with Yaz as the best defensive left fielder of all time. He is the last player to hit .400 in a season -- back in 1941. Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-73). Dont bet on it. Best MLB Defensive Players of All Time | Stadium Talk Williams ended his MLB career with 426 homers, 434 doubles, 2,711 hits and a .290/.361/.492 slash line. 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. Bottom line: His dWar number is skewed by misspent time in center field. 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. 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. He. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Simmons hit .334 for his career and batted .390 one season. He made up for a relatively weak throwing arm with a very quick release and a patented spin move down the left field line to hold runners to a single. No argument here. He's won six straight Gold Glove Awards, and no active pitcher has more assists (418) in his career. Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. 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. 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. Check out Gil's full list here! 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. Ted Williams - Boston Red Sox (1939-1942; 1946-1960) 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. Yet its hard to deny Johnny Bench's combination of strength, athleticism, smarts and leadership behind the plate. Indeed, he turned the double play into an art form, sort of like a Mikhail Baryshnikovski in cleats. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. Richie Ashburn played the majority of his career before they awarded Gold Glove awards for elite fielders. Thats short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. that almost certainly lessened his performance. 4 jersey will be retired. 5) Dave Kingman. Baseball Left Fielder - rookieroad.com 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. AJ Pollock is one of the best left fielders in baseball right now. Bell also ranks fifth in Range Factor per nine innings (3.18) overall. If not for a tragic auto accident that ended his career prematurely, the three-time Most Valuable Player likely would have become the first black manager in the major leagues. Nine AL Silver Sluggers (1995, '99-06), 12-time AL All-Star ('95, '98-08), World Series MVP (2004), Career stats So before defense becomes extinct altogether and it's too late, lets pay homage to the best glovemen at each position in baseball history. Minosos 41.4 bWAR sits No. Willie Mays 24-time All-Star (second-most in MLB history) He is considered to be one of the greatest five tool players of all time. And Williams never posted a .609 OBP. He played more games in his career than anyone else by more than an entire season. 297/.355/.536 with 21 home runs, 69 RBIs, 30 walks, .892 OPS, 137 OPS+, three defensive runs saved, zero outs above average and a 3.0 fWAR. But despite sitting out those two seasons, he still easily ranks first among Braves left fielders in bWAR. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. 2x All-Star (1980, 1985) 2x Silver-Slugger (1983 . 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. 20+ Best Midfielders of All Time in the Soccer World - Mental Hiking 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. It is the most memorable part of a legacy that saw Jones hit .291 with 93 homers and 91 steals over 12 years as a Met. 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. 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. RANK. White Sox top 5 >, Key fact: Only Angels player to record at least 2,000 hits with the club, With his smooth left-handed swing, Anderson set numerous club records during his time with the Angels, including the most hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), doubles (489), RBIs (1,292) and runs scored (1,024). As even the Cubbies discovered, you can win a World Series with a guy like this. Some had stronger arms. Ted Williams is one of the greatest hitters in MLB history. -- Lauber, Here's how good Rickey was: Even if he never stole a base he'd be a Hall of Famer. His defensive skills were so highly regarded that his glove was known as the place where triples go to die. The three-time World Series champion was named MVP in 1912 and won the batting title in 1916. For some, a great grab is when a fielder reaches over the wall or does an acrobatic move. 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. Richards made a different kind of impact in left. 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. Teams: Tampa Bay Rays (2006-14), Oakland Athletics (2015), Kansas City Royals (2015), Chicago Cubs (2016-19), Positions: Second base, shortstop, outfield. The Best Defensive Left Fielders | Elysian Fielders The only 3 left fielders with 4 or more Gold Gloves are Barry Bonds (8), Alex Gordon (7, so far), and Yastrzemski (7). Hard to imagine he played for seven -- count 'em, seven -- teams. -- Caple, Barry Bonds the young player was the game's greatest in his day; Barry Bonds the older man was the most feared slugger ever. Moore was a four-time All-Star who lost three seasons at the peak of his career to serve in World War II. This is a good formation. Honorable Mention: Rickey Henderson (29.7 fWAR) and Bobby Murcer (27.1 fWAR) The Yankees have a rich history of impactful center fielders. He won one MVP award and probably should have won three. Ranking MLB's all-time best left fielders - sports.yahoo.com 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. -- 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. Here are some other contenders. We'll run you through the top 50 below, with the likes of Javier . His was known for his trademark tumbling skills which dazzled fans young and old. He notched an impressive 283 wins and 2,461 strikeouts in his career along with a career ERA of 3.45. In itself, that's a testament to his greatness. Thatd be Sweet Swinging Billy Williams, who won the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year Award, made six All-Star teams, picked up a batting title (72), finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP twice and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. COLUMBUS - Scoring lulls hindered Shelbyville all season. Mariners top 5 > Rangers: Rusty Greer (1994-2002) He was elected to the Hall of Fame in '53. That three of the first four names on this list are . Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1956, 1958), St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1965, 1969), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-68). The Definitive List of the 7 Best Left Fielders Right Now 7. Right field really does have it all. Frank White also is 10th in double plays turned. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. The two-time Most Valuable Player was a natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove in his rookie season. Possessing a cannon for an arm, he terrified base runners with his pick off moves and laser throws to catch runners stealing. Philadelphia A's (1908-09), Cleveland Naps ('10-14), Cleveland Indians ('15), Chicago White Sox ('15-20), Career stats 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. Weve been examining the best three-year peaks of defensive play by Giant players, as measured by baseball-reference.coms rfield. The Washington Redskins, 2015 NFC East division champions, are ready for the playoffs. No player did so at a higher rate in the free-agent era. Just imagine if he hadn't lost three prime years to serve in World War II. 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. Last month, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I did not see many plays where he left his feet going forward (towards . -- Kahrl, Who's the greatest left fielder of all-time? 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. Don't think so. The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. Yaz excelled at playing balls off of Fenways Green Monster and for his efforts has had his #8 retired by the Boston Red Sox. A. 10-time AL All-Star (1980, '82-88, '90-91), AL Gold Glove ('81), three AL Silver Sluggers ('81, '85, '90), AL MVP ('90), Hall of Fame (2009), Championships Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. MLB's 10 Greatest Left Fielders of All Time - Bleacher Report Seven-time NL All-Star (1981-87), NL Silver Slugger ('86), All-Star Game MVP ('87), Career stats Top 20 Defensive Baseball Players of All Time - TheSportster He batted .336/.458/.677 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs to earn the first of five NL MVP Awards in San Francisco. Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. 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. -- 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 also stole a record 14 bases in three World Series. 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. All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener. Thanks to advanced statistics and extensive game logs, these spectacular performances have not gone forgotten. Bottom line: On Opening Day in 2010, the southpaw made a kick save on a shot up the middle, quickly ran down the ball in foul territory then executed a no-look, between-the-legs, glove-handed flip to first base for the out, the most insane, off-the-charts play by a pitcher in the history of history. Age During 2022 Season: 34. N'Golo Kante. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. The top 100 will roll out next week. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. AJ Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers. What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? The year after, he hit 40 homers with 120 RBIs, leading the NL. SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons. He ranks third in Gold Gloves and fourth in Total Zone Runs among shortstops. His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. At 35, Alex Gordon is a good bet to rank second when all is said and done. -- Caple, Still judged for his inclusion in the Black Sox scandal, and still condemned for it. That leaves half or just under half from his long peak (seven best seasons), short peak (three best seasons), and prime (five best consecutive seasons). Defense is why he flew into the Hall with ease on his first try (91.7%). Crawford stole 50 or more bases in five seasons with the Rays, including 60 in 2009, which is still a franchise record. Top-10 Pinch Hitters in MLB History - The Grueling Truth Maybe other gamblers should have paid him to make sure the White Sox won that series. He deserves to be in the Hall of Defense at the very least. Known as "Pudge" because of his size and attitude, hes the all-time leader in Gold Gloves and swag at the position. His untimely death while on a humanitarian aid trip to Nicaragua came after a baseball career during which his feats on the baseball diamond matched up to his generosity off of it. Rose finished with 4,256 hits and he also touched home plate with a run 2,165 times. Slowpitch | Aguerridas Vs Buhas | Aguerridas Vs Buhas | By Field of Rockies top 5 >. Positions: Second base, third base, shortstop. Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? Padres top 5 >, Rockies: Matt Holliday (2004-08, 18)Key fact: Led NL in average (.340), RBIs (137), hits (216) and total bases (386) in 2007Rockies fans will argue until the end of time that Holliday's 2007 performance -- a .340/.405/.607 slash line with 46 home runs and league-leading totals in hits (216), doubles (50) and total bases (386) -- should have netted him the NL MVP Award. He is the all-time leader in assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. 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. Top 10 MLB left fielders for 2022 season - Audacy Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships New York Mets: Five best left fielders all-time in franchise history Tweet Email Comment Next The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooney's Insane Car Collection Related Topics Baseball His defensive skills earned him the nickname The Wizard of Oz. During his 19 year career he appeared in 15 All-Star Games and earned 13 Gold Glove Awards. Yaz led all outfielders in assists seven times, total zone runs four times, and putouts as a left fielder four times. But nobody was a more complete package than this gold standard at the hot corner. 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. -- 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. He led outfielders in assists five times and led right fielders in fewest errors committed seven times. 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. Do you want big names? Rays top 5 >, Key fact: His 121.9 fWAR ranks second in AL history to Babe Ruth, The Red Sox have three Hall of Famers at the head of their left-field class, but Williams easily stands out as the most dominant player in team history. FROM. 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) Top 10 Defensive Ends of All Time! | NFL Highlights - YouTube Remember, kids, head up and glove down. Top 100 Center Fielders of All-Time - Baseball Egg 5. Today we turn our attention to left fielders. "Charlie Hustle" was durable and one of baseball's greatest hitters. 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. theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from Saturday's slate of action in England's top flight.Foden bouncing back in a big wayTroubled by his ankle and out . 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. *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. Career stats 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. He was Brooklyns starting left fielder for 17 years, succeeding in both the Dead Ball and Live Ball eras.