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. Ted Williams Boston Red Sox With Red Sox: 19 seasons Best season: 1941 (10.4 WAR, .406/.553/.735, 37 homers, MVP runner-up) Sorry, Barry. Baseball has had some amazing glove stories. Yaz had better range than many center fielders and a stronger arm than some right fielders. Note: All stats are through the 2019 MLB season. A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. 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. The best outfielder of the 1980s decade combined excellent range and a bazooka arm that rivaled the best ever (read: Roberto Clemente). FOR ST. LOUIS: 1,298 games (1,133 starts in CF) CARDINALS STATS:.280 BA, .739 OPS, 80 HR . Do you want big names? Brooks Robinson made a living off of amazing plays at third base. As fast as he was, somehow those stirrup socks made him look even faster. 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. Without the award, the evidence for Ashburns defensive greatness relies on his defensive statistics, which were virtually unparalleled during his 15-year career. 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. Willie Mays 2. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever midfielders, Tardelli was the cornerstone of Juventus' successful side of the late 70s and early 80s, winning five Scudettos during his time in Turin. The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases. Ivan Pudge Rodriguez is the epitome of the defensive catcher. Rodriguez led catchers in caught stealing percentage for eight consecutive seasons and is the career leader in total zone runs among catchers. We've already tackled catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops. He notched an impressive 283 wins and 2,461 strikeouts in his career along with a career ERA of 3.45. 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. He also retired with the highest career fielding percentage and once went 95 consecutive games without committing an error. Age During 2022 Season: 34. Ashburn has remained one of the best Phillies center fielders of all time and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995. Key facts: Three-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, This was pretty much a no-brainer. In 1983 he left to play for San Diego and made two All-Star games as a Padre and led San Diego to their first ever pennant in 1984. FROM. He was world champion with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 and a part of the Amazin' Mets of 1986. Ben Zobrist also spent time at shortstop and right field in his career. He is the career leader in putouts by a pitcher. Hernandez also delivered the iconic Seinfeld line I am Keith Hernandez, perhaps making up for him missing out on Cooperstown. But he stole 1,406 of them, the most ever, and scored the most runs in MLB history. .334/.380/.535, OPS -- .915, Hits -- 2,927, HRs -- 307, RBIs -- 1,828, Simply put, one of the greatest hitters of his generation. But nobody was a more complete package than this gold standard at the hot corner. Fielding errors were a rarity in the careers of these players. The only 3 left fielders with 4 or more Gold Gloves are Barry Bonds (8), Alex Gordon (7, so far), and Yastrzemski (7). He is the all-time leader among third basemen in games played, putouts, assists, double plays turned, and total zone runs. SHORT PEAK = WAR in Best 3 Seasons. 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. 9. Photo credit (Getty Images) 2. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 as a first ballot member. .356/.423/.517, OPS -- .940, Hits -- 1,772, HRs -- 54, RBIs -- 785, None other than Babe Ruth said Jackson was "the greatest natural hitter I ever saw." Maddux had his #31 retired by both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. Now guess whos second to Robinson in career Total Zone Runs at the position. 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. 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. 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. Before Barry Bonds became a controversial, divisive figure, before he was conserving energy in left field, he was a tremendously talented five-tool player. Tris Speaker was one of the greatest players in baseball history. Minosos 41.4 bWAR sits No. "Smooth" ranks second in TZR and 11th in Range Factor per nine innings at the position. 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. Over on Ranker, football fans have cast their votes to list the greatest defender of all-time, with over 135,000 votes cast. Al Kaline spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, which earned him the nickname Mr. Tiger. Indeed, he turned the double play into an art form, sort of like a Mikhail Baryshnikovski in cleats. 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. -- 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. The Say Hey Kid is a living baseball treasure. 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. 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. 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. In 2002, Bonds was walked intentionally with no one on base eight times. 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). 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. 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. Anyone who believes this guy was one-dimensional doesnt know Michael Jack Schmidt. 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). He did not have the career of his father, but who did? He batted .336/.458/.677 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs to earn the first of five NL MVP Awards in San Francisco. Bottom line: This guy never played a postseason game, so unlike Brooks Robinson in the 1970 World Series, Buddy Bell never had a chance to showcase his skills in front of a national audience. One of the five greatest left-handed hitters in MLB history, "Stan the Man" helped the Cardinals to win World Series titles in 1942, 1944 and 1946. How great does a career .228 hitter have to be to play regularly for 10 seasons? *Honorable mentions - Ernst Ocwirk, Sergio Busquests, Edgar Davids, Dunga, Diego Simeone, Graeme Souness, Didier Deschamps. 1. 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. 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. Yankees top 5 >, Key fact: Is the only player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in a single season, Belle may not have left Cleveland on the greatest terms, but theres no denying the contributions that he made to the club during its run in the 1990s. He committed the fewest errors by a pitcher twice, range factor per nine innings twice, and assists once. He also stole a record 14 bases in three World Series. Who's the greatest left fielder of all-time? And time ran out on their season. Some of the players on this list have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and are considered among the games greatest players. Next up are left fielders. He posted a .609 OBP one year. Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. Jim Kaat is regarded as one of the greatest fielding pitchers of all time. Rose finished with 4,256 hits and he also touched home plate with a run 2,165 times. Indians top 5 >. Matthews, too, was primarily a good hitter. Kante is a winner / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages. 1-ranked left fielder of all time. .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. Someday, Gordons No. PRIME = WAR in 5 Best Consecutive Seasons. CAREER = career war. Gordons 98 outfield assists are tied for the most in MLB since 2010. 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. 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 . MLB's 10 Greatest Left Fielders of All Time Marcel Smith November 26, 2008 10. -- Kahrl, Teams Often the accounts of their plays were passed on in daily summaries of the games, while others were lost to the ages. 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. 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). 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