greatest defensive left fielders of all time

At the age of 29, Troy Tulowitzkistill has a long MLB career ahead of him. Not only was Mays the best center fielder, he might have been the best all-around player to play the game. Their consistency over baseballs grueling calendar has allowed them to be included among the greatest defensive players of all time. 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. Maybe other gamblers should have paid him to make sure the White Sox won that series. Subjectively, I would go with Yaz as the best defensive left fielder of all time. Many who have known Manny would disagree. "Smooth" ranks second in TZR and 11th in Range Factor per nine innings at the position. "Campy" had no weaknesses other than the assorted hurts that went with the position. 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. No player did so at a higher rate in the free-agent era. Overall, Holliday had a .319 average with 130 homers over six seasons with the Rockies. The teams are set for action with an 8 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network. He is regarded as the " the best defensive fielder of all time" by the former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting. Being shutout for nearly five minutes to start the third quarter Friday once again put the Golden Bears in chase mode. Seven-time NL All-Star (1981-87), NL Silver Slugger ('86), All-Star Game MVP ('87), Career stats The Grey Eagle was a legends both at the plate and in center field. During his Hall of Fame career, Kaline received 10 Gold Glove awards for his work in Right and Center field. 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. Three-time AL All-Star (1933-35), Hall of Fame ('53), Championships 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. 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. Other career achievements include over 351 OBP, 440 OPS, and 215 hits. Indeed, he turned the double play into an art form, sort of like a Mikhail Baryshnikovski in cleats. Photo credit (Getty Images) 2. 1-ranked left fielder of all time. The Definitive List of the 7 Best Left Fielders Right Now 7. Hes the all-time leader. 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. -- Kahrl, Honors All-time, I would say that you would find a consensus of 6 right fielders that stand above the crowd by most opinions - Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Mel Ott, Roberto Clemente, and Al Kaline.Of those 6, 4 (Aaron, Robinson, Clemente, and Kaline) debuted in the mid-1950's and . Teams Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Last month, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. Left Field JAWS Leaders. Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. #Brazil squad prior a World Cup Qualifier in 1969: #CarlosAlbertoTorres #Joel #Flix # . The top 100 will roll out next week. Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Yaz had better range than many center fielders and a stronger arm than some right fielders. 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. Teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1981-89), New York Yankees (1989-92). Relying on positioning and reading hitters proved inadequate to maintain the standards hed set. Roberto Clemente is a baseball legend. Join the discussion by using the #MLBRank hashtag, and follow along @BBTN and on Facebook. Some of the players on this list came long before Web Gems were a daily part of our national pastime. 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. Dangerous on the basepaths, Raines led Major League Baseball in stolen bases in 1981 and 84. The calmness with. 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. Who is the best left fielder in MLB? 1. 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. -- Lauber, Here's how good Rickey was: Even if he never stole a base he'd be a Hall of Famer. 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. 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. COLUMBUS - Scoring lulls hindered Shelbyville all season. .294/.385/.425, OPS -- .810, Hits -- 2,605, HRs -- 170, RBIs -- 980, The fact that he's one of only four players with at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 runs and 800 stolen bases proves he was far more than merely Rickey Henderson Lite. 100 Greatest Left Fielders of All-Time ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS CATCHER FIRST BASE SECOND BASE SHORTSTOP THIRD BASE LEFT FIELD CENTER FIELD RIGHT FIELD PITCHER Baseball's All-Time Greatest Left Fielders Ranked From 1 to 100 CAREER = career war Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons 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. 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. 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. Brooks Robinson's 16 Gold Gloves are the most for a non-pitcher in MLB history. Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history. He was an especially strong presence in Seattle's lineup from 2004-08, batting .291/.354/.477 with 113 home runs and 489 RBIs in 755 games. 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. -- Kahrl, Teams Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 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's won six straight Gold Glove Awards, and no active pitcher has more assists (418) in his career. Cruz is undoubtedly the best left-fielder in Astros history, and is one of the greatest Astros of All-Time. -- Kahrl, Teams 1. .334/.380/.535, OPS -- .915, Hits -- 2,927, HRs -- 307, RBIs -- 1,828, Simply put, one of the greatest hitters of his generation. Cubs top 5 >, Key fact: Is only player ever to have at least a share of the league lead in home runs seven years in a row, Simply put, Kiner is one of the greatest sluggers in the Pirates long history. Reds top 5 >, Key fact: Had 30 bWAR with D-backs, second most among position players in franchise history, The acquisition of Gonzalez from the Tigers in exchange for outfielder Karim Garcia on Dec. 28, 1998, received little attention at the time, but it would go down as one of the best trades in franchise history. We feel its important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. 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 . Saving a perfect game or no-hitter. Best Midfielders of All Time Andres Iniesta Xavi Lothar Matthaus Andrea Pirlo - One of the Best Midfielders of all Time Ryan Giggs Steven Gerrard Michael Laudrup (DEN) Paul Scholes - A Great Central Midfielder Didi Frank Lampard Joshua Kimmich - A Popular Name Among the Best Defensive Midfielders Diego Maradona - All-Time Best Midfielder Vizquel is first all time among shortstops for games played at the position and double plays turned. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007). Justin Upton can hit, but when he takes the field he can be a defensive liability. Who are the best MLB center fielders of all time? Securing a pennant or even the World Series. 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. Indians top 5 >. Although not always earning the recognition of home run hitters or ace pitchers, excell. -- 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. 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. Seven-time MVP (1990, '92-93, 2001-04), 14-time All-Star ('90, '92-98, '00-04, '07), eight Gold Gloves ('90-94, '96-98), 12 Silver Sluggers ('90-94, '96-97, '00-04), Career stats 1. Willie Mays was involved in perhaps the most iconic play in baseball history which has been dubbed The Catch, when he ran down a Vic Wertz blast in the 1954 World Series. 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. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in '53. The adequate fielding was a bonus. Hernandez also delivered the iconic Seinfeld line I am Keith Hernandez, perhaps making up for him missing out on Cooperstown. 3.4K views, 81 likes, 24 loves, 97 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from quei Clube de Barcelos: quei Clube de Barcelos - FC Porto | 19. jornada Jim Edmonds Jim Edmonds poses for a picture at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, on February 25, 2005. Barry Bonds also had a plus arm. 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. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. -- Kahrl, Teams Bench was named to fourteen All-Star Games and earned ten Gold Glove Awards in his seventeen seasons in the majors. Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. Rockies top 5 >. The. If not for a relatively short shelf life, he might have more than one All-Star Game and two Gold Gloves on his resume. While Bobby Veach has a strong case as one of the Tigers' great run producers of the Dead Ball Era, Horton's legacy as a hometown hero and clutch performer in the Tigers' 1968 World Series have secured his place in franchise history. Embed from Getty Images. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . When the last out settled into his glove a half-inning later, Jones had to leap the left-field fence to avoid a mob of Mets fans streaming onto the field. 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. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. -- 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. Richards made a different kind of impact in left. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. Clementes defensive skills were virtually unparalleled, with Roberto earning 12 Golden Gloves and 15 All-Star appearances. Theres an argument to be made that not even Yount delivered as many signature moments. In 2007, he led all shortstops in both putouts and assists. Tim Kurkjian, Eduardo Perez and Dallas Braden weigh in on who is the greatest left fielder in MLB history. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. 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. Mike Schmidt is one of the best hitting and fielding third basemen of the modern era. He was the league leader in Total Zone Runs five times. His arrival helped turn a 90-loss team into a 103-win team. Ashburn has remained one of the best Phillies center fielders of all time and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995. 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. 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. -- Schoenfield, Sure, there is the PED issue. Raines Sr. belongs in the Hall of Fame. The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. Dont bet on it. Teams: Cleveland Indians (1972-78), Texas Rangers (1979-85, 1989), Cincinnati Reds (1985-88), Houston Astros (1988). -- 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. It's hard to disagree that Charlie Keller is the greatest left fielder in Yankees history. The Tigers have won their last two games . 2 -- Philadelphia A's (1929-30), Career stats Nine AL Silver Sluggers (1995, '99-06), 12-time AL All-Star ('95, '98-08), World Series MVP (2004), Career stats Bottom line: His dWar number is skewed by misspent time in center field. Positions: Second base, third base, shortstop. Would you believe that hes the only shortstop among the top 10 in Range Factor per nine innings (sixth) and Total Zone Runs (seventh) in baseball history? Fantasy baseball: Which prospects have fantasy value in 2023? 2 -- Pittsburgh (1971, '79), Career stats Ill tell you, hes one of the great hitters Ive ever seen, said Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker. Brock was at his best in October, hitting .391 -- second only to Pepper Martin (.418) in franchise history -- with 34 hits in 21 World Series games. Hes also the all-time leader in Total Zone Runs from here to Funkstown. A weak hitter with a great glove (see Gregor Blanco) will not play left on the prototypical good team. Hard to imagine he played for seven -- count 'em, seven -- teams. 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 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. Possessing a cannon for an arm, he terrified base runners with his pick off moves and laser throws to catch runners stealing. 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. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in '16 and remains active with the organization. Barry Bonds Bill Terry Gary Matthews Gregor Blanco Jo-Jo Moore John McGraw, Leo Durocher, Monte Irvin, Whitey Lockman. 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) 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. For all of his on field accomplishments, Bonds remains an underrated defensive player. Oakland A's (1979-84, '89-93, '94-95, '98), New York Yankees ('85-89), Toronto Blue Jays ('93), San Diego Padres ('96-97, '01), Anaheim Angels ('97), New York Mets ('99-2000), Seattle Mariners ('00), Boston Red Sox ('02), Los Angeles Dodgers ('03), Honors Now heres the stat that you never hear: Over 12 seasons, Maz played 1,722 complete games (86 percent), the kind of durability (overuse?) After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . He could beat you with a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly or with a towering home run. Do you want big names? The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. 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. Bench led the league in total zone runs as a catcher six times and caught stealing percentage three times. 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. He is the last player to hit .400 in a season -- back in 1941. He was Brooklyns starting left fielder for 17 years, succeeding in both the Dead Ball and Live Ball eras. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. Top 20 Defensive Baseball Players of All Time, Why WCW's Ring Was So Different From WWE's, Explained, 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About Dusty Rhodes' Life Outside Wrestling, 5 WWE Wrestlers Who Survived Bad Gimmicks (& 5 Who Had It Define Their Careers). -- 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). The only 3 left fielders with 4 or more Gold Gloves are Barry Bonds (8), Alex Gordon (7, so far), and Yastrzemski (7). "The Wizard" is the all-time leader in dWAR. The sixtime All-Star was a two time batting champ, but his fielding statistics were truly special. Ed Delahanty Delahanty was one of the first great hitters in the game's history. Impossible. 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. PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. That gets you all-county in high school; you don't do that in the major leagues. He was so feared a hitter that he once was walked intentionally -- with the bases loaded. As his speed declined, his defense faded. SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons. Who would have bet he could do all that? Willie is a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove award winner, and two-time MVP Award winner. This Day in Giants History, February 20, 1895: John Montgomery Ward Hates the Reserve Clause, This Day in Giants History: December 3, 1960, Constructing a Team from Players Who Have Been Both Senators/Twins and Giants, Elysian Fielders Constructing a Team from Players Who Have Been Both Senators/Twins and Giants, Constructing a Team of Players Who Have Been Both Braves and Giants, Elysian Fielders The General Managers: John McGraw, 1919-32, The General Managers: John McGraw, 1902-12, Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination With Statistics. He also knew how to play the Green Monster pretty well. He is the career leader in putouts by a pitcher. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. Tweet Email Comment Next The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooney's Insane Car Collection Related Topics Baseball Mariners top 5 >, Rangers: Rusty Greer (1994-2002)Key fact: Tied for fourth in franchise history (min. "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. Truth is, few ever played the field with more flair and confidence. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. 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. Big personalities? Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career. All told, Anderson appeared in 623 games in left over his 14 seasons in Baltimore, good for second in franchise history. "Pops," of course. -- Caple, The last .400 hitter, decorated veteran, the pull hitter so great the shift couldn't stop him, Williams' legend as the patron saint of the art of hitting is unchallengeable. 4 jersey will be retired. Midfielders may play an exclusively right back role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. Photo credit (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) 10. The Man of Steal swiped an astonishing 130 bags in 1982, which remains a single-season record in the Modern Era (since 1900), and became MLB's all-time stolen-base king in '91. How Many Good Giants Were Good Prospects? Well-renowned for his passing, Gerson is often considered as one of the best passers in World Cup history. We'll run you through the top 50 below, with the likes of Javier . 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 White Sox retired his No. In addition to breaking Hank Aarons home run record, he also is the all-time leader in total zone runs from a left fielder. Known for his intensity, he won two batting titles while hitting .334 in his career and drove in 100-plus runs his first 11 seasons. 'The Progress & Freedom Fou The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History. He split time between left field and first base while in Queens . 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 . He won an NL batting title in 1918 en route to a career batting average of .317. 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). I did not see many plays where he left his feet going forward (towards . Two-time MVP (1946, '49), two Triple Crowns ('42, '47), 19-time All-Star ('40-42, '46-51, '53-60*), Hall of Fame ('66). We all know left field is a hitters position. The Washington Redskins, 2015 NFC East division champions, are ready for the playoffs. 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. His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. In 16 years with the Cardinals, he stole 888 bases, hit .297 and accumulated 41.8 bWAR. Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists. 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. Defense is why he flew into the Hall with ease on his first try (91.7%). A few had better range. Former VP of Player Personnel Gil Brandt's Top 10 Defensive Ends of All Time! Teams: Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics (1954-1958), Cleveland Indians (1958-61) Minnesota Twins (1962-64), Los Angeles-California Angels (1964), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65).