Justin Upton can hit, but when he takes the field he can be a defensive liability. Big numbers? The players on this list have been recognized as multiple time Gold Glove winners, distinguishing themselves as members to baseballs elite defensive players. #Brazil squad prior a World Cup Qualifier in 1969: #CarlosAlbertoTorres #Joel #Flix # . The teams are set for action with an 8 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network. Vizquel is first all time among shortstops for games played at the position and double plays turned. Nine AL Silver Sluggers (1995, '99-06), 12-time AL All-Star ('95, '98-08), World Series MVP (2004), Career stats The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. Elegance personified on the field of play. He was the ultimate glue guy, a personal favorite of manager Casey Stengel for good reason. Hes the all-time leader. Thats right more than Ozzie Smith even. "Smooth" ranks second in TZR and 11th in Range Factor per nine innings at the position. Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1964-76), New York Yankees (1977-80), Cincinnati Reds (1979). 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. 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). 25 Greatest Outfielders in Major League Baseball History 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. -- Schoenfield, Sure, there is the PED issue. The 18 time All Star won the World Series in 1968 and was also the AL Batting Champion in 1955. New York Mets: Five best left fielders all-time in franchise history Best Fielders of All-Time - 3rd Base - Stat Geek Baseball 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. Willie Mays Mickey Mantle Ty Cobb Ken Griffey Jr. Joe DiMaggio Mike Trout 1. 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. Positions: Second base, third base, shortstop. 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. He led third basemen in assists seven times, double plays turned six times, total zone runs seven times, and range factor four times. The Tigers have won their last two games . 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. Brooks Robinson's 16 Gold Gloves are the most for a non-pitcher in MLB history. Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1974-83), New York Mets (1983-89), Cleveland Indians (1990). 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. No one did it so well for so long. His 27.4 bWAR is the most among all Indians left fielders and the 23rd highest in franchise history. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. ALL-TIME #MLBRANK, Top 100: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1, Insider analysis: 100-81 | 80-61 | 60-41 | 40-21 | 20-1, Top 10s: LHP | RHP | C | SS | 3B | 2B | 1B | LF | CF | RF, My Top 10: Kurkjian | Stark | Olney | Crasnick | Schoenfield, Stark: The perception of greatness in the Top 100, Szymborski: Who's in the future 100? Some of the players on this list came long before Web Gems were a daily part of our national pastime. The adequate fielding was a bonus. FOR ST. LOUIS: 1,298 games (1,133 starts in CF) CARDINALS STATS:.280 BA, .739 OPS, 80 HR . Yaz led all outfielders in assists seven times, total zone runs four times, and putouts as a left fielder four times. Saving a perfect game or no-hitter. Ivan Pudge Rodriguez is the epitome of the defensive catcher. 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. A career .300 hitter with over 2,700 hits, he matches his prowess at the plate with solid defensive play in the middle infield. 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). Fielding errors were a rarity in the careers of these players. Top 100 Left Fielders of All-Time - Baseball Egg JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. 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 . 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. 2 -- Philadelphia A's (1929-30), Career stats Remember, kids, head up and glove down. .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. 5) Dave Kingman. 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 Here is our list of the 25 best outfielders of all time: 25. His arm strength was a half-cut below Roberto Clemente and Rocky Colavito in his day, but it was plenty strong and accurate enough. Gold Glove Awards: 8 (1958, 1960-61, 1963-67). "The Glove" is the MLB career leader in Total Zone Runs and double plays at the position and it would take a search party to find the next in line. We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. Gil McDougald's fielding percentage and Range Factor per nine innings exceeded the league average at each of three positions. *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. AJ Pollock is one of the best left fielders in baseball right now. At the age of 29, Troy Tulowitzkistill has a long MLB career ahead of him. NFL combine results: Updates on top draft prospects' times Mays is the all-time leader in putouts in center field, fifth in assists, and second in double plays as a center fielder. 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. Long Peak = WAR in Best 7 Seasons. Who is on your list of the best defensive left fielders of all time? But despite sitting out those two seasons, he still easily ranks first among Braves left fielders in bWAR. In baseballs rich history there have been many players that have excelled in the defensive aspects of the game. Teams: Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics (1954-1958), Cleveland Indians (1958-61) Minnesota Twins (1962-64), Los Angeles-California Angels (1964), Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65). 2x All-Star (1980, 1985) 2x Silver-Slugger (1983 . For this calculation, we use a replacement level on defense is the league average. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). Who is the best left fielder in MLB? -- 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. The Top Ten Left Fielders of All-Time | Pitcher List Fantasy baseball: Which prospects have fantasy value in 2023? Their consistency over baseballs grueling calendar has allowed them to be included among the greatest defensive players of all time. Marlins top 5 >, Key fact: Caught final out of 1969 World Series, One of the engines of the 1969 Miracle Mets, Jones hit .340 in 137 games that season, starting in left field for 119 of them. Left Field JAWS Leaders | Baseball-Reference.com For some, a great grab is when a fielder reaches over the wall or does an acrobatic move. This guy didnt hit enough to play regularly (career .642 OPS), but some team always wanted Rey Sanchez. Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007). The Best Defensive Left Fielders | Elysian Fielders Notable Astro Highlights: #25 Retired. A premium defender in front of the Green Monster and another star who saw the low-scoring '60s cut into his prime seasons. 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. 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 . 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. 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. The Greatest Outfield in Baseball History .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. After winning the National League MVP in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2019, Yelich slashed just . 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. He could have won two more Gold Gloves if they had been awarded, in which case he would rank second in American League history. No Gavin Lux -- big problem. Greg Maddux is widely considered to be the greatest fielding pitcher of all-time. (2:29), All-Time #MLBRank: The 10 greatest left fielders, The greatest lineups ever? For true seamheads, this was absolutely rotten news. He did not have the career of his father, but who did? Key facts: Three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, This was pretty much a no-brainer. Twins top 5 >, White Sox: Minnie Minoso (1951-57, '60-61, '64, '76, '80), Key fact: First black player in franchise history, Minoso debuted for the White Sox on May 1, 1951, hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw against the Yankees, and was a beloved staple of the organization long after he retired. 1 left fielder for each club, as chosen by MLB.com's beat reporters. 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 Tris Speaker was one of the greatest players in baseball history. No, not in home runs, Sluggo, but Total Zone Runs among left fielders. Baseball Left Fielder - rookieroad.com Magee ranks first among Modern Era Phillies left fielders in runs (898), doubles (337), triples (127), on-base percentage (.371) and stolen bases (.387); second in hits (1,647), RBIs (885) and batting average (.299); fourth in home runs (75) and OPS (.818) and eighth in slugging percentage (.447). -- Kahrl, Teams For others, it's the situation. He won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards and eleven total for his career. 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. Minosos 41.4 bWAR sits No. How Many Good Giants Were Good Prospects? Nets overcome NBA season-high 28-point deficit to stun Celtics "Pops," of course. As even the Cubbies discovered, you can win a World Series with a guy like this. During an era with a plethora of talent at the shortstop position, Omar Vizquel was the best defensive player of them all. Part of the reason Rose would eventually break Ty Cobb's hit record was because of his incredible durability and longevity. 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. Moore was a four-time All-Star who lost three seasons at the peak of his career to serve in World War II. Astros top 5 >, Athletics: Rickey Henderson (1979-84, '89-93, '94-95, '98), Key fact: 72.7 bWAR is highest of any position player in As history, Widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter ever, Henderson had four separate stints with the A's and is the franchise's all-time leader in position-player bWAR (72.7), runs (1,270), walks (1,227) and stolen bases (867). Kante is a winner / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages. 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. The unquestioned best leadoff hitter of all time. 15 Greatest Center Fielders in MLB History - Sportscasting Greatest Catches in Baseball History | Stadium Talk This marked the first and only time a player eclipsed 50 in both homers and doubles. 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. 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. 1. Former VP of Player Personnel Gil Brandt's Top 10 Defensive Ends of All Time! And none led the league in Total Zone Runs more times (eight). -- Lauber, Was he one of the best pure hitters ever? -- 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. 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). Bill Mazeroski became a baseball icon when he hit the first World Series winning walk off home run in history. Key thoughts and analysis from Saturday's Premier League action But Bonds is among the greatest players of all time, with 762 home runs, a career OPS of 1.051. 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 was elected to the Hall of Fame in '53. Top 10 Best Center Fielders of All Time | TheRichest The 20 Greatest Athletes of all Time Baseball's All-Time Greatest Center Fielders Ranked From 1 to 100. Keith Hernandez was welcomed into Americas living rooms on Seinfeld after a solid Major League career with three teams. Baseball has had some amazing glove stories. Thanks to advanced statistics and extensive game logs, these spectacular performances have not gone forgotten. 3 -- Cincinnati (1975, '76) Philadelphia ('80), Career stats Zack Greinke is the modern Greg Maddux, only with less range, surer hands (one error per 319 innings pitched) and a superior pickoff move. -- Kahrl, Honors Midfielders may play an exclusively right back role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. 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. As a left fielder he has a .979 fielding percentage. This may not look too poor except the league's outfielders are at .986 during the same time. 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. 3. 25 Greatest Outfielders in Baseball History - Fueled by Sports However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player. "Motormouth" played so shallow in the field, he could almost shake hands with the second-base umpire. Bob Johnson, 1933-42 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. Lets also not forget how the "Little General" revolutionized the position with his hinged glove and one-handed technique. 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. Maddux was an eight-time All-Star, four time NL Cy Young winner, and racked up an impressive eighteen Gold Glove Awards. Some call him the Babe Ruth of defense. No first baseman won more Gold Gloves (11) in his career. He could beat you with a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly or with a towering home run. 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. Clementes defensive skills were virtually unparalleled, with Roberto earning 12 Golden Gloves and 15 All-Star appearances. 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. Jim Kaat is regarded as one of the greatest fielding pitchers of all time. 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). Just imagine if he hadn't lost three prime years to serve in World War II. Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants (1956, 1958), St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1965, 1969), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-68). Blue Jays top 5 >, Key fact: Only O's player to rank among top 10 in homers (209, eighth) and steals (307, first), Before he grew into a slugging center fielder, Anderson was the Orioles everyday and amply productive left fielder. 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. 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.