Key facts: Three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, This was pretty much a no-brainer. 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. Andy Flower, with Jonty Rhodes (left), steps aside from role of assistant coach with Punjab Kings. Impossible. .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. Whiteland built a double-digit lead at the pivotal moment of the third quarter then hit just enough free throws in the game's final minute to secure a 47-45 victory over Shelbyville . 344 views, 3 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Field of Dreams Navojoa: Aguerridas Vs Buhas. -- Caple, When you look at combined value metrics like WAR or Jay Jaffe's JAWS, it might surprise you to find that after LF's all-time trinity of Williams, Bonds and Henderson, Yaz is the guy who doesn't quite rise to their level, but is far better than everyone else on this list. 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. 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. 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. All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener. 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. 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. "Charlie Hustle" was durable and one of baseball's greatest hitters. Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants ('93-2007), Honors Pirates top 5 >, Key fact: Had 39.5 bWAR with Reds (16th in franchise history), After hitting .306/.364/.530 with 29 homers and a league-leading 121 RBIs in 1976, the second of Cincinnati's consecutive World Series title seasons, Foster enjoyed his best season in 77. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers. 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. FROM. 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. As even the Cubbies discovered, you can win a World Series with a guy like this. For most of his career, Ozzie Smith was the premier defensive shortstop in baseball. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. 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. 9 in 1983, and a sculpture of Minoso was unveiled at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2004. If not for a relatively short shelf life, he might have more than one All-Star Game and two Gold Gloves on his resume. The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History. 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. In 2007, he led all shortstops in both putouts and assists. He's won six straight Gold Glove Awards, and no active pitcher has more assists (418) in his career. Rose finished with 4,256 hits and he also touched home plate with a run 2,165 times. He also appeared in 18 All-Star games, earning the honor in all but four of his Major League seasons. 2 -- Pittsburgh (1971, '79), Career stats Hard to imagine he played for seven -- count 'em, seven -- teams. 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. 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 Photo: Elsa Source: Getty Images Today we turn our attention to left fielders. Ted Williams - Boston Red Sox (1939-1942; 1946-1960) .334/.380/.535, OPS -- .915, Hits -- 2,927, HRs -- 307, RBIs -- 1,828, Simply put, one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Mike Schmidt is the only third baseman among the top 10 in Gold Gloves (second), Range Factor per nine innings (seventh) and Total Zone Runs (ninth). Montreal Expos (1979-90, 2001), Chicago White Sox ('91-95), New York Yankees ('96-98), Oakland A's ('99), Baltimore Orioles ('01), Florida Marlins ('02), Honors The White Sox retired his No. The teams are set for action with an 8 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network. Photo credit (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) 10. That three of the first four names on this list are . Yaz's greatest achievement might have been succeeding Ted Williams in left field at Fenway Park in 1961 and playing at a Hall-of-Fame level for the next 23 years. 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. Yaz excelled at playing balls off of Fenways Green Monster and for his efforts has had his #8 retired by the Boston Red Sox. As a right fielder, it drops down to .969 giving him a total average of .972. Not only as an outfielder, mind you, but at any position. 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. Barry Bonds Bill Terry Gary Matthews Gregor Blanco Jo-Jo Moore John McGraw, Leo Durocher, Monte Irvin, Whitey Lockman. Gold Glove Awards: 7 (1963, 1965, 1967-69, 1971, 1977). 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. 4 jersey will be retired. While good fielders, neither is known primarily for his defensive skills. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. Williams not only had a .344 average for his career, but he also blasted 522 home runs despite missing nearly five full seasons serving in World War II and the Korean War. (Bonds routinely sat in on the pitchers pre-game meeting where they discussed how they were going to pitch to that days opponents.) Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. Thursday brings the top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday. 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. The two-time Most Valuable Player was a natural, the first catcher to be awarded a Gold Glove in his rookie season. He won an NL batting title in 1918 en route to a career batting average of .317. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Here is our list of the 25 best outfielders of all time: 25. Dodgers top 5 >, Key fact: He is Major League Baseballs all-time home run leader, with 762, After spending the first seven years of his career with the Pirates, Bonds signed with the Giants ahead of the 1993 season and sparked the revitalization of the franchise. Some have better metrics at the position, but none come close to Willie Mays' combination of athleticism, arm strength, instincts, entertainment value and nickname. For this calculation, we use a replacement level on defense is the league average. Teams: San Diego Padres (1978-81), St. Louis Cardinals (1982-96). 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. Dude, the underappreciated superstar once gunned down a baserunner in three consecutive innings. The adequate fielding was a bonus. Statistic Description: Defensive Wins Above Replacement for position players A defensive measure of wins above replacement, but given only the defensive stats of the player and his position adjustment. His arm strength was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his day, but it was plenty strong and accurate enough. Willie is a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove award winner, and two-time MVP Award winner. He was an important force in the heart of the lineup for the World Series-winning '91 squad. -- 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 will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2017. -- Kahrl, Honors 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. Simmons remains the A's all-time leader in batting average (.356), RBIs (1,179), total bases (2,998) and extra-base hits (655). We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. This definition appears very frequently and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories: Slang/chat, popular culture. It's been a rollercoaster couple of years for N'Golo Kante at Chelsea, but there's no disputing that he's back to his very . How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players, PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. He deserves to be in the Hall of Defense at the very least. 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. " It has been 56 since he last played; nobody has passed him yet (although Barry Bonds came close). His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. His best work was done in the outfield where he earned seven Gold Glove Awards. 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. For his efforts he was the recipient of ten Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 12 All-Star Games. Tweet Email Comment Next The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooney's Insane Car Collection Related Topics Baseball A weak hitter with a great glove (see Gregor Blanco) will not play left on the prototypical good team. 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. The 18 time All Star won the World Series in 1968 and was also the AL Batting Champion in 1955. 1 overall pick in Aprils . He batted .336/.458/.677 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs to earn the first of five NL MVP Awards in San Francisco. Teams Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships The best center fielder since Willie Mays combined great instincts, a quick first step and precise routes to the ball. Which helped him earn the 1979 MVP award at age 39. This is a good formation. 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. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). Although not always earning the recognition of home run hitters or ace pitchers, excell. Baseball's Best @ 150, The Book That Counts Down the Best Players, Pitchers, And Fielders in Baseball History at the 150th Anniversary of the Major Leagues (1871-2020). Often the accounts of their plays were passed on in daily summaries of the games, while others were lost to the ages. Ivan Pudge Rodriguez is the epitome of the defensive catcher. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Richie Ashburn played the majority of his career before they awarded Gold Glove awards for elite fielders. MLB's 10 Greatest Left Fielders of All Time Marcel Smith November 26, 2008 10. Teams: Chicago Cubs (1986-1990, 2004-06), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-08), Gold Glove Awards: 18 (1990-2002, 2004-08). He led the league in putouts from a right fielder and fielding percentage five times. 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. Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. It doesnt make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated. 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. 2021 Statistics: . 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. Does ex-teammate-turned-mortal enemy Pete Rose agree with us here? Here are the ten greatest defensive midfielders of all time. 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. Only Keith Hernandez won more Gold Gloves among National Leaguers at his best position. He also ranks among the top 100 in career Total Zone Runs at second base (28th), shortstop (99th) and all positions (100th). Mike Trout FAQ Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? His #33 is retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates and he was honored as part of the first class inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. -- Caple, Still judged for his inclusion in the Black Sox scandal, and still condemned for it. He was so feared a hitter that he once was walked intentionally -- with the bases loaded. Willie Mays 24-time All-Star (second-most in MLB history) Al Kaline spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, which earned him the nickname Mr. Tiger. He is considered to be one of the greatest five tool players of all time. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. This may not look too poor except the league's outfielders are at .986 during the same time. 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. Ted Williams Carl Yastrzemski Willie Stargell Stan "The Man" Musial Luis Gonzalez Jim Rice Goose Goslin Moiss Alou Cleon Jones Gary Sheffield Mike Riley He is the all-time leader in defensive games and putouts among catchers. 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. In 2002, Bonds was walked intentionally with no one on base eight times. 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. Braun ranks in the franchises all-time top five in games, runs, hits, RBIs, extra-base hits and stolen bases, and he has been the Brewers all-time home run king since breaking Younts mark on Aug. 19, 2013 exactly 20 years after Yount went deep for the final time in his career. Ty Cobb 4. No first baseman won more Gold Gloves (11) in his career. .344/.482 (all-time leader)/.634, OPS -- 1.116, Hits -- 2,654; HRs -- 521, RBIs -- 1,839, The player Notable Astro Highlights: #25 Retired. Records are made to be broken, but MLB's all-time hit king might never lose his crown. The unquestioned best leadoff hitter of all time. "Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position. Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, '84-86), Philadelphia Phillies ('79-83), Montreal Expos ('84). 1 left fielder for each club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. Suspended forever after his age-32 season, since we don't have the back slope of his career to judge him fully, not someone I'd rank among these others. We'll run you through the top 50 below, with the likes of Javier . 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 . No, not in home runs, Sluggo, but Total Zone Runs among left fielders. For others, it's the situation. He led third basemen in assists seven times, double plays turned six times, total zone runs seven times, and range factor four times. Bench was named to fourteen All-Star Games and earned ten Gold Glove Awards in his seventeen seasons in the majors. Ken Griffey Jr. 5. 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. Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career. 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. .285/.379/.462, OPS -- .841, Hits -- 3,419, HRs -- 452, RBIs -- 1,844, Say what you want about his 3,419 hits or his 452 home runs. Matthews, too, was primarily a good hitter. The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. TO. 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado, Padres, Jays 'playing it safe' after Guerrero tweaks knee, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live', Fantasy baseball rankings, projections, strategy and cheat sheets, PitchCom-tipping: Loud device leaks Twins calls, Eflin's first start after $40M deal impresses Rays, Rangers' Leclerc to miss WBC with neck injury, Rockies' Rodgers may need surgery, '23 at risk, Rojas to withdraw from WBC, stay with Dodgers. The players on this list have been recognized as multiple time Gold Glove winners, distinguishing themselves as members to baseballs elite defensive players. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com baseball writer, Honors Yes, his legacy is deservedly controversial, but Ted Williams wasn't close to the all-around player that Bonds was. -- Kahrl, We're counting down the greatest players in baseball history. During his time with the ballclub, Keller was a five-time All-Star, four-time World Series. He also stole a record 14 bases in three World Series. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . AJ Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers. Athletics top 5 >, Mariners: Raul Ibanez (1996-2000, '04-08, '13)Key fact: Ranks among Mariners' top 10 in games, hits, homers, RBIs and runsLeft field traditionally has been a revolving door for the Mariners, but Ibanez provided some stability during his three stints with the team. Regarded as the one of the best defensive right fielders of all time thanks to a legendary arm that helped him win 12 Gold Gloves, Clemente was a notorious bad-ball hitter who hit .312 lifetime . Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007). The Ultimate Compendium for the Baseball Fan, Including All-Time Teams for Your Favorite Franchise From Yankees to Dodgers and More. 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 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. ABOUT MISSOURI. He also retired with the highest career fielding percentage and once went 95 consecutive games without committing an error. Some of the players on this list came long before Web Gems were a daily part of our national pastime. Brooks was a two time World Series Champion and was named World Series MVP in 1970. (Insider), Teams Do you want big names? Teams: Los Angeles-California Angeles (1964-69), Chicago White Sox (6970) Kansas City Royals (1971-72). 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. Braves top 5 >, Marlins: Cliff Floyd (1997-2002)Key fact: Was an All-Star in 2001, when he had 31 home runs with 103 RBIsAfter gaining valuable experience as a reserve on the 1997 World Series championship team, Floyd became a regular in '98 and blossomed into an All-Star in 2001. Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990). Thats short for Three True Outcomes, also known as walks, strikeouts and home runs. As fast as he was, somehow those stirrup socks made him look even faster. That gets you all-county in high school; you don't do that in the major leagues. 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. 2x All-Star (1980, 1985) 2x Silver-Slugger (1983 . 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).
