greatest defensive left fielders of all time greatest defensive left fielders of all time

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. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. that almost certainly lessened his performance. Fernando Redondo. Bill Mazeroski became a baseball icon when he hit the first World Series winning walk off home run in history. "Mad Dog" dominated the Gold Glove Award for not one but two decades. Does ex-teammate-turned-mortal enemy Pete Rose agree with us here? He committed the fewest errors by a pitcher twice, range factor per nine innings twice, and assists once. Teams: Los Angeles-California Angeles (1964-69), Chicago White Sox (6970) Kansas City Royals (1971-72). He earned two of the best nicknames in baseball history because of his prowess with the glove, the Human Vacuum Cleaner and Mr. 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. 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. Paul Blair's home run thievery in the final game of the 1966 World Series sweep was one of the greatest plays ever in postseason play, but because it came in the pre-YouTube days, it was never recognized as such. While good fielders, neither is known primarily for his defensive skills. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Remember, kids, head up and glove down. The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. 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 18 time All Star won the World Series in 1968 and was also the AL Batting Champion in 1955. I did not see many plays where he left his feet going forward (towards . But despite sitting out those two seasons, he still easily ranks first among Braves left fielders in bWAR. 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. During his time with the ballclub, Keller was a five-time All-Star, four-time World Series. But I wouldn't put him in the top 100 players. The Ultimate Compendium for the Baseball Fan, Including All-Time Teams for Your Favorite Franchise From Yankees to Dodgers and More. He played more games in his career than anyone else by more than an entire season. But nobody was a more complete package than this gold standard at the hot corner. 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. Midfielders may play an exclusively right back role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. The year after, he hit 40 homers with 120 RBIs, leading the NL. He also ranks among the top 100 in career Total Zone Runs at second base (28th), shortstop (99th) and all positions (100th). Listen Now. 1. He became the first Tiger to earn a $100,000 salary. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. .303/.375/.409, OPS -- .784, Hits -- 4,256 (all-time leader), HRs - 160, RBIs -- 1,314, Games -- 3,562 (all-time leader), At-bats -- 14,053 (all-time leader), The epitome of a hustler, on the field and off. 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. I dont think you can be any better a hitter than Ryan Braun. Brewers top 5 >, While Stan Musial played all over the outfield and could be included at any of the three positions, were going to rank him with the right fielders in a few weeks. 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 was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 as a first ballot member. No player not even Mantle dominated on his level for the '50s and '60s when he roamed center for the Giants and racked up two MVP awards, four home run titles, four stolen base titles, and one batting title. And he pulled it off in only eight seasons as a regular. Elegance personified on the field of play. (2:29), All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest left fielders, The greatest lineups ever? Truth is, few ever played the field with more flair and confidence. 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. "The Curacao Kid" ranks second in Total Zone Runs (253) in baseball history. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate. 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. His lifetime OPS was 1.116, which would be a career season for nearly any other player. He is the all-time leader in assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. Al Kaline spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, which earned him the nickname Mr. Tiger. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron. Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1956, 1958), St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1965, 1969), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-68). -- Lauber, Was he one of the best pure hitters ever? He ranks third in Gold Gloves and fourth in Total Zone Runs among shortstops. 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. Ty Cobb 4. Defense is why he flew into the Hall with ease on his first try (91.7%). -- Schoenfield, Charlie Hustle played at least 500 games games in five positions, but he was always best at the plate. Justin Upton can hit, but when he takes the field he can be a defensive liability. The sixtime All-Star was a two time batting champ, but his fielding statistics were truly special. Is there a more fundamentally correct baseball player out there? This is a good formation. PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. 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. Willie is a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove award winner, and two-time MVP Award winner. Seven-time NL All-Star (1981-87), NL Silver Slugger ('86), All-Star Game MVP ('87), Career stats Ashburn has remained one of the best Phillies center fielders of all time and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995. 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) Mariners top 5 > Rangers: Rusty Greer (1994-2002) -- Kahrl, Honors News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com baseball writer, Honors 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. Mays is the all-time career leaders in putouts by an outfielder and games played by a center fielder. -- 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.' 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. By the way, he ranked among the top five in assists in 15 consecutive seasons, five of them as the league leader, and his pickoff move was just plain filthy. Bell still sits among the all-time franchise greats, ranking seventh in games played (1,181), fifth in hits (1,284), sixth in home runs (202) and fourth in RBIs (740), and he is one of just seven players to have their name unveiled on the Blue Jays Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre. Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. - http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap30000008159. Matthews, too, was primarily a good hitter. 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. 344 views, 3 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Field of Dreams Navojoa: Aguerridas Vs Buhas He led that 1968 team in batting average, home runs and OPS, earning one of his four All-Star selections in the process. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here.. Moore was a four-time All-Star who lost three seasons at the peak of his career to serve in World War II. 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. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only, and fans were able to participate in Twitter polls to vote for their favorites. How Many Good Giants Were Good Prospects? 344 views, 3 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Field of Dreams Navojoa: Aguerridas Vs Buhas. -- Schoenfield, It isn't easy taking the place of Ted Williams, but Yaz did a pretty good job, winning three batting titles and making 18 All-Star teams. The calmness with. 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. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. He won one MVP award and probably should have won three. Mizzou owns a 21-8 record during the 2023-24 season with an 9-7 mark in SEC play. This week, we bring you the top 10 at each position, starting in the outfield. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. Although he played only 1,027 games during his nine-year career, Greer ranks 10th in franchise history with 1,166 hits. Wheat was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1959. SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons. 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). 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. Some might put an asterisk next to his name, but the performance was the best ever at left field or power production. Right field really does have it all. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer, Simmons hit .334 for his career and batted .390 one season. Mike Trout FAQ Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? The Washington Redskins, 2015 NFC East division champions, are ready for the playoffs. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. TO. He could beat you with a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly or with a towering home run. 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. 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. "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. 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. We all know left field is a hitters position. Phillies top 5 >, Key facts: Won the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award and the 2011 NL MVP Award, From a statistical standpoint, only two players have generated more value to the Brewers than Braun, and both (Robin Yount and Paul Molitor) are in the Hall of Fame. He led second basemen in assists eight times and putouts five times. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. Career stats 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. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990). -- Caple, Still judged for his inclusion in the Black Sox scandal, and still condemned for it. 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. Arozarena and Meadows split left field duties almost evenly in 2021 and that duo should take on the majority of starts there again this season. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. How We Ranked Baseballs Greatest Players, PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. The best left fielder of the millennium ranks behind only Barry Bonds and Carl Yastrzemski on the career Total Zone Runs list. Not only was Mays the best center fielder, he might have been the best all-around player to play the game. 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. Dave Kingman had two separate stints with the Mets, navigating the Shea Stadium grass from 1975-1977 and 1981-1983. His 253 hits with the A's in 1925 remains the single-season Major League record for a right-handed batter. Cleveland Indians (1993-2000), Boston Red Sox ('01-08), Los Angeles Dodgers ('08-10), Chicago White Sox ('10), Tampa Bay Rays ('11), Honors Their consistency over baseballs grueling calendar has allowed them to be included among the greatest defensive players of all time. Who would have bet he could do all that? Some had stronger arms. Here are the ten greatest defensive midfielders of all time. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). He was the ultimate glue guy, a personal favorite of manager Casey Stengel for good reason. Yaz led all outfielders in assists seven times, total zone runs four times, and putouts as a left fielder four times. *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. Robinson was also recognized as an 18-time All-Star and 16-time Gold Glove Award Winner. Carty stood as one of the best outfielders of his era, and fans showed their respect for his game when they used write-in votes to elect him to the NLs starting lineup in the 1970 All-Star Game. 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 . N'Golo Kante. Jorginho is a technically gifted defensive midfielder who prefers playing as a focal point and controlling the tempo of play. This is, quite simply, an amazing list of power, defensive prowess, great arms, speed and high averages. Seven-time All-Star ('64-66, '71-73, '78), World Series MVP (1979), MVP ('79), Hall of Fame ('88), Championships His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. Mike Schmidt is one of the best hitting and fielding third basemen of the modern era. 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 the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times. 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. Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, '84-86), Philadelphia Phillies ('79-83), Montreal Expos ('84). -- 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. 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. 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. Fantasy baseball: Which prospects have fantasy value in 2023? At 35, Alex Gordon is a good bet to rank second when all is said and done. Andy Flower, with Jonty Rhodes (left), steps aside from role of assistant coach with Punjab Kings. -- 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.