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. All you need to know about his defensive prowess can be seen on one epic play in the 1954 World Series opener. 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. -- 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. He also helped the Red Sox to their first world series title in 86 years. The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. Smith led the National League in fielding percentage among shortstops eight times, double plays turned five times, and range factor seven times. Carl Yastrzemskiplayed three different positions for the Boston Red Sox during his 22-year career. Next up are left fielders. In addition to breaking Hank Aarons home run record, he also is the all-time leader in total zone runs from a left fielder. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1989 and no Cincinnati Red will ever wear his #5 again. 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. -- Caple, Teams Bill Mazeroski became a baseball icon when he hit the first World Series winning walk off home run in history. Some had stronger arms. 4 jersey will be retired. 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). Other career achievements include over 351 OBP, 440 OPS, and 215 hits. He won eleven Gold Glove Awards and was named 1979 NL MVP. Nine AL Silver Sluggers (1995, '99-06), 12-time AL All-Star ('95, '98-08), World Series MVP (2004), Career stats He led second basemen in assists eight times and putouts five times. The only 3 left fielders with 4 or more Gold Gloves are Barry Bonds (8), Alex Gordon (7, so far), and Yastrzemski (7). 5) Dave Kingman. Jesse Barfield ranks 16th in Total Zone Runs at any position. Raines Sr. belongs in the Hall of Fame. Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Baseball has had some amazing glove stories. 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. 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). Ted Williams Carl Yastrzemski Willie Stargell Stan "The Man" Musial Luis Gonzalez Jim Rice Goose Goslin Moiss Alou Cleon Jones Gary Sheffield Mike Riley In itself, that's a testament to his greatness. Moore was a four-time All-Star who lost three seasons at the peak of his career to serve in World War II. That makes this category as good a place as any to highlight Anderson, who earned three All-Star nods for his dynamic combination of power and speed. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1981-89), New York Yankees (1989-92). Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. -- Schoenfield, The last player to hit .400, Teddy Ballgame batted .334 with 521 home runs despite missing five seasons while serving in two wars And when he homered in his last at-bat, there went the greatest hitter who ever lived. 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. -- Kahrl, Honors His was known for his trademark tumbling skills which dazzled fans young and old. He did not have the career of his father, but who did? Generally, a players Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. The 20 Greatest Athletes of all Time He is also the all-time career leader in assists as a shortstop and total zone runs. 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. 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) .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. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. Worthy of this list as well as the Hall of Fame. 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. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Center Fielders Ranked From 1 to 100. Justin Upton can hit, but when he takes the field he can be a defensive liability. - http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap30000008159. He was a 16-time Gold Glove winner and was a three time All-Star. His #6 was retired by the Detroit Tigers and in 1980 he was enshrined in Cooperstown as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. Willie Mays 2. 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. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. How Many Good Giants Were Good Prospects? News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. It seems reasonable to require greater longevity than 23 innings when trying to identify the greatest outfield in major-league history. Crawford stole 50 or more bases in five seasons with the Rays, including 60 in 2009, which is still a franchise record. Right field really does have it all. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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. He also played the Green Monster at Fenway Pahk like it was his rec room wall. (2:29). "Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position. In the 2017 season, this valuable moveable piece was among the Total Zone Runs leaders at second base and left field. ABOUT MISSOURI. His lifetime OPS was 1.116, which would be a career season for nearly any other player. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers. 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. As his speed declined, his defense faded. -- Kahrl, Teams 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. Which helped him earn the 1979 MVP award at age 39. Big personalities? Hes also the all-time leader in Total Zone Runs from here to Funkstown. And time ran out on their season. 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. Ichiro Suzuki Ichiro was the 2001 MVP, an All-Star 10 times, a Gold Glove winner 10 times, the winner of three Silver Slugger awards, and a batting title winner twice. 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. The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. As a right fielder, it drops down to .969 giving him a total average of .972. Ted Williams - Boston Red Sox (1939-1942; 1946-1960) Honors Listen Now. He played nearly 1,500 games in the field with nine different teams. .312/.411/.585, OPS -- .996, Hits -- 2,574, HRs -- 555, RBIs -- 1,831, Charlie Manuel often says that to know Manny is to understand him. 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. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. 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 . 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, not in home runs, Sluggo, but Total Zone Runs among left fielders. Saving a perfect game or no-hitter. He led all pitchers in assists in eleven seasons, range factor among pitchers fourteen times, and had three seasons in which he did not commit an error. Mike Schmidt is one of the best hitting and fielding third basemen of the modern era. Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. Do you want big names? COLUMBUS - Scoring lulls hindered Shelbyville all season. 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. Thanks to advanced statistics and extensive game logs, these spectacular performances have not gone forgotten. 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. 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. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). Notable Astro Highlights: #25 Retired. Possessing a cannon for an arm, he terrified base runners with his pick off moves and laser throws to catch runners stealing. He also had a .992 OPS over 29 postseason games with Houston. When he was the runner-up for the AL MVP Award in 1995, he led the AL with 121 runs scored and 126 RBIs and led the Majors with 50 homers, 52 doubles and a .690 slugging percentage. Defense is why he flew into the Hall with ease on his first try (91.7%). The adequate fielding was a bonus. Only Keith Hernandez won more Gold Gloves among National Leaguers at his best position. 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. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. (2:29) Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. 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. -- 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. It's hard to disagree that Charlie Keller is the greatest left fielder in Yankees history. FROM. Relying on positioning and reading hitters proved inadequate to maintain the standards hed set. A career .630 OPS dwarfed his excellence in the field. He led that 1968 team in batting average, home runs and OPS, earning one of his four All-Star selections in the process. If not for a relatively short shelf life, he might have more than one All-Star Game and two Gold Gloves on his resume. Today we turn our attention to left fielders. The Definitive List of the 7 Best Left Fielders Right Now 7. -- Schoenfield, Not only the all-time leader in stolen bases (and the single season record holder as well), Rickey also holds the record for most career runs (2,295). 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, The best leadoff man in the history of the game, Rickey was a joy to watch: the deep crouch at the plate, the coiled spring taking his lead at first base, the swagger. Because range was a valuable commodity at spacious Tiger Stadium, Al Kaline spent nearly 20 percent of his time in center field. 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. 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. Left field has been the position of some of baseball's greatest players, including Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Carl Yastrzemski, and Frank Robinson, and was one of the primary positions on a . A career .300 hitter with over 2,700 hits, he matches his prowess at the plate with solid defensive play in the middle infield. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. 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. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. 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). -- 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.' -- Schoenfield, Sure, there is the PED issue. 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. 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. 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. .282/.360/.529, OPS -- .889, Hits -- 2,232, HRs -- 475, RBIs -- 1,540, The most feared slugger on the "We Are Family" Pirates? He is the career leader in putouts by a pitcher. This definition appears very frequently and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories: Slang/chat, popular culture. Left field is located down the third baseline when viewing the field from home plate. Wheat was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1959. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. He is the all-time leader in assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. During his time with the ballclub, Keller was a five-time All-Star, four-time World Series. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 as a first ballot member. Forgot how much ground he covered in his pre-roids days, didnt you? Related:Worst MLB Defensive Players l Greatest Baseball Players. *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. Bench led the league in total zone runs as a catcher six times and caught stealing percentage three times. And Bill White almost certainly would have one more (1956) if the award had been in existence. Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. NAME. He. He will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2017. Indians top 5 >. 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.
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