Welcome back to another MLB top 15 position video and today we’ll be talking about some of the greatest right fielders to ever play the game. Right field is the farthest position from third base, usually meaning the right fielder needs to have an extremely powerful arm. Oftentimes, that’s not the only thing powerful about a right-fielder, as many of the greatest hitters of all time played the majority of their games as the position. On today’s Top 15, every single player is in the Hall of Fame. To be eligible for the list, a player has to be retired, has to have played in at least 1,000 games in right field and it had to be the position they played more than any other. But before getting into the Top 15, I have 5 quick honorable mentions.
Sammy Sosa
Sosa is 10th all time with 2,015 games played in right field and is 1st all time with 576 home runs as a right-fielder. The 1998 MVP hit over 60 home runs in a season 3 times, also a record. However, it’s hard to tell how good he would’ve been without the ‘roids. Sosa was below average defensively, although he did have a strong arm with 127 career assists. His career WAR of 58.6 is relatively low compared to other great right-fielders. But, he definitely deserves a mention for his insane peak.
Gary Sheffield
9-time All Star Gary Sheffield began his career as a shortstop and third baseman, but settled into right-field in 1994 with the Florida Marlins. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game, consistently hitting near .300 with big power. Sheffield had exceptional bat speed and impressive plate discipline. He retired with 509 home runs, a .394 on-base percentage and a .907 OPS. His 60.5 WAR ranks 19th among right-fielders
Dwight Evans
One of my top Hall of Fame snubs of all time, Dwight Evans barely missed out on the Top 15. He brought an incredible combination of power, patience and elite defense to the ballpark every night. Evans won 8 Gold Gloves, led the league in walks 3 times, and hit at least 20 home runs in 11 separate seasons. He retired with a .370 on-base percentage and 385 home runs. He is a borderline Hall of Famer with his bat alone, but the 8 Gold Gloves should definitely have put him over the top.
Vladmir Guerrero
Although he finished his career as a full-time DH, Guerrero played 1,605 games as a right-fielder with one of the most powerful arms in the game. But his main skillset was definitely his bat, and Guerrero had elite hand eye coordination that allowed him to put wood on the ball no matter where the pitch was thrown. He consistently hit well over .300 with power, crushing 449 career bombs. Guerrero made 9 All Star teams, won 8 Silver Sluggers, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Dave Parker
“The Cobra” was one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball and also had a rocket for an arm. He won an MVP, 3 Gold Gloves, an All Star Game MVP, two World Series Rings and back-to-back batting titles. He was a key member of the Pirates championship team in 1979, hitting .333 in the NLCS and .345 in the World Series. He had 2,700 hits and 143 outfield assists in his career. Parker was just recently elected to the Hall of Fame, but sadly he also passed away in June. Rest in Peace Cobra.
Now, let’s jump into the Top 15...
15. Ichiro Suzuki
The fact that Ichiro comes in at the bottom of this list tells you just how good these players are. Ichiro came over to the United States after a stellar 9 year career in Japan, making his MLB debut at age 27. He had a season for the ages, winning the Rookie of the Year and MVP, hitting .350 with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases. It was just the beginning for Ichiro, who played in 19 separate seasons in the big leagues, leading the league in hits 7 times, and he made 10 straight All Star Games while winning 10 straight Gold Glove Awards. He reached 3,000 hits with a .311 career average. Who knows what career records he could’ve broken had he started his career back in 1992 when he began his pro career in Japan. But regardless, Ichiro is one of the greatest right-fielders to ever play the game.
14. Andre Dawson
The Hawk, Andre Dawson, played center-field for the first few years of his career with the Expos, but moved to right in 1984, where he played for the rest of his career. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game from the beginning, as he won the Rookie of the Year in 1977 and after signing with the Cubs in 1987, became one of the best in the game. That year, he won the MVP with 49 bombs and 137 RBIs. He was also a fantastic fielder and won 8 total Gold Gloves, half of them as a right-fielder. He ended his career with 438 home runs, 2,774 hits, and an .806 OPS. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010.
13. Larry Walker
5-Time All Star Larry Walker could pretty much do it all. He obviously had big power, and hit 383 career home runs. He led the league in his MVP season of 1997 with 49 bombs. He could also hit for average like few others, leading the league in batting average 3 times, maxing out with a .379 mark in 1999. He also had a great eye, worked consistent walks, and was an elite fielder, winning 7 Gold Gloves. He retired with 150 career assists, 20th on the All Time list for right-fielders. He was even a great baserunner, with 11 seasons of double-digit steals including 33 in 1997. He stole 230 career bases, hit .313 and retired with a .965 OPS. Few players helped their teams win ballgames like the legendary Larry Walker, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
12. Dave Winfield
Up next is the 7-time Gold Glover and 6-Time Silver Slugger, Dave Winfield, whose reign of terror against pitchers began in 1977 when he made his first of 12 straight All Star Teams. That year, he crushed 25 homers and began a streak of 15 seasons, with the exception of the strike shortened 1981, in which he would crush at least 19 bombs. He drove in at least 100 runs 8 times and finished in the Top 10 for the MVP 7 times, although he never won the award. But he had incredible longevity, playing for 22 seasons. He was an impact player even later in his career, crushing 2 home runs in the 1992 ALCS for the Blue Jays, helping them reach and eventually win the World Series. He retired with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001.
11. Sam Crawford
The legendary Sam Crawford was the best fielding and throwing right-fielder in the game during his time and he retired with an insane 191 assists, 5th all time. The speedy right-fielder played for 19 years and set all types of MLB records, many which still stand today. He led the league in triples 6 times, and RBIs 3 times, surpassing 100 6 times in his career. He even had pop for his era, crushing a league leading 16 home runs in 1901, an incredibly high number for the dead ball era. He was also a prolific basestealer, stealing at least 20 bases 9 times, with a maximum of 42 in 1912. Crawford, to this day, has an MLB record 309 triples, a record that may stand forever, as a player would need to average 16 triples a year for 20 years to break it, and no one has hit 16 triples in a season since Jose Reyes in 2011. I would say Crawford’s record is safe.
10. Harry Heilmann
Moving into the Top 10, we have one of the most overlooked players in MLB history because he played alongside Ty Cobb for a decade, Harry Heilmann, AKA Slug, was one of the best hitters in the game during his time. He is currently 15th all time with a .342 career batting average and he won four batting titles during his career, once topping .400 with a .403 mark in 1923. He also had solid power for his time, hitting double digit bombs 9 times, including 21 homers in 1922. On July 8th, 1921, he hit a home run over the centerfield wall in Detroit that, according to reports at the time, “actually made the patrons gasp in astonishment.” It was reported to have traveled 610 feet, certainly an exaggeration. Detroit’s grounds keeper said it was closer to around 500 feet. Heilmann was also a great fielder and certainly would’ve won some Gold Gloves if they existed back then. He had 175 career assists, 11th all time among right-fielders. Heilmann never won an MVP, competing with the likes of Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Walter Johnson, but he finished in the Top 5 four times. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1952.
9. Paul Waner
Another forgotten superstar of the late 20’s and early 30’s, Paul Waner AKA Big Poison was an immediate sensation for the Pirates in 1926 when he hit .336 with a league leading 22 triples his rookie year. He followed that up with an MVP season in which he hit .380 with 131 RBIs. He continued to hit well over .300 nearly ever season, and he hit double-digit triples for 10 straight years. Waner was known as one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball, with amazing speed and an extremely strong and accurate arm that led to 238 right-field assists, 3rd in the history of the game and a National League record to this day. He threw out at least 15 runners in 8 separate seasons. He became the 7th member of the 3,000 hit club and retired with 3,152 hits. He had a .333 career batting average and .401 on-base percentage. His 191 triples are 10th all time and his 605 doubles are 14th. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1952.
8. Tony Gwynn
Next up, we have one the greatest hitters to ever live, Padres legend Tony Gwynn. The Padres knew he was a pure hitter with solid potential when they took the local kid in the 3rd round out of San Diego State in 1981, but they had no idea just how good he would become. Gwynn immediately tore up the minor leagues, hitting .462 in Double-A, forcing a call up by 1982. He quickly became a regular in the Padres lineup, and led the league in 1984 with a .351 average and 213 hits, finishing 3rd for the MVP. He continued to rake his entire career, making 15 All Star Teams, winning 8 batting titles, and he also played excellent defense in right-field, taking home 5 Gold Glove Awards. He led the league in hits in 7 separate seasons and in batting average 8 separate seasons, finishing his career with 3,141 hits and a .338 career batting average. He was easily elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2007.
7. Reggie Jackson
A powerful slugger with a flair for the dramatic, Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, crushed 563 home runs in his illustrious career and that doesn’t count his 18 postseason bombs, many extremely dramatic, including 3 in one World Series game. He began his career with the A’s and made his first of 14 All Star teams in 1969, a season in which he hit 47 home runs with an OPS over 1.000. Jackson hit .310 with a home run in the 1973 World Series, helping the A’s take home the championship. He followed up with another solid World Series performance in ‘74, helping his team win back to back championships. He did the same for the New York Yankees and was unstoppable in both the 1977 and 1978 fall classics. In ‘77, he hit .450 with 5 bombs then in ‘78, hit .391 with 2 bombs and 8 RBIs. Jackson had a flamboyant personality and often crashed with his managers, most notably Billy Martin. He wasn’t the best defender and did strike out a lot, but it was all worth it for his incredible power and ability to come through when it counted. Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
6. Al Kaline
Coming in at #6 is Al Kaline, who played 22 years in the big leagues, accumulating over 3,000 hits with 399 homers and a .297 batting average. He was a force at the plate since his rookie year and in 1955, he led the league with a .340 batting average while crushing 27 homers with 102 RBIs. He hit over .300 in 9 separate seasons, consistently hitting between around 20-29 homers. He had a good eye and worked 1,277 walks, resulting in a .376 on-base percentage. He was also one of most exceptional defenders in the game, retiring with a .987 fielding percentage and 146 assists. From the inception of the Gold Glove in 1957, he won one in ten out of eleven seasons. He would’ve likely won at least 2 or 3 more if they existed earlier in his career. In 1968, Kaline hit .379 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs in the World Series, helping his Tigers win it all. Kaline retired as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1980.
5. Roberto Clemente
Now we move into the Top 5 for some of the most decorated and legendary ballplayers of all time, and they all played right field. At #5 is the Great One, Roberto Clemente, whose career was tragically cut short on December 31st, 1972 when he perished in a plane crash attempting to deliver aid packages to Nicaragua, which was affected by a massive Earthquake. When he died, Clemente was already a baseball legend, having played for 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an absolute superstar offensively and defensively. He had his breakout season in 1960 when he hit .314 with 16 homers, making his first of 15 All Star Teams, but the next year, he was even better, leading the league with a .351 average. He won 4 batting titles in his career, and finished in the Top 10 for MVP 8 times, winning the Award in 1966. As a defender, Clemente was absolutely stellar, possibly the greatest defensive right-fielder ever. He had a cannon for an arm and was ridiculously accurate as well. He had 256 career assists, second in the history of the game for a right-fielder. He was also known for spectacular catches, many times leaping or sliding to catch balls that seemed uncatchable. Clemente was simply was one of the best to ever play the game, and when he died, he had exactly 3,000 hits, a .317 batting average and 12 Gold Gloves. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 in a Special Election.
4. Frank Robinson
Next up is Frank Robinson, who lit up the league out of nowhere in his rookie year of 1956 with Cincinnati, hitting .290 with 38 bombs and a league leading 122 runs. He unanimously won the Rookie of the Year Award and continued to crush the baseball for 21 years, hitting at least 30 home runs 11 times while hitting for average. He led the league in OPS in 4 separate seasons, each eclipsing the 1.000 mark. In 1961, he won his first MVP, still with the Reds, by hitting .323 with 37 bombs, and a league leading .611 slugging percentage. He won another MVP in 1966, his first year with Baltimore, in a season for the ages – Robinson won the Triple Crown, hitting .316 with 122 RBIs and a career high 49 home runs. Robinson ended his career with 586 bombs and a .294 average and he also became the first black manager in MLB history in 1975, but he was also still a player, and went deep in his first at bat as manager. Robinson was also an elite defender and he won a Gold Glove in 1958, and he even stole over 200 bases in his career. He got his plaque in the Hall of Fame in 1982.
3. Mel Ott
During the 1930’s the best power hitter in the National League hands down was New York Giants right-fielder Mel Ott. He led the league in homers 6 times and was also one of the most patient hitters in the game, leading the league in walks 6 times and on-base percentage four times. He played for 22 years, all for the Giants, and retired with 511 home runs, 2,876 hits, 1,708 walks and a .304 batting average. He was an elite defender with an insane arm, retiring with 235 assists, still 4th in MLB history for a right-fielder. He made the first All Star Team in 1934 and went on to make a total of 11, and got MVP votes in 13 seasons, but never won the award. He might be the greatest MLB player of all time who played while the MVP award existed, and never actually won it. In 1942, he led the league in WAR, runs, home runs, walks, and OPS, but finished 3rd for the MVP behind Enos Slaughter and pitcher Mort Cooper. Ott is still 20th all time in career WAR with a 111 WAR, higher than Mickey Mantle. Ott was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.
2. Hank Aaron
Hammerin’ Hank Aaron needs no introduction. He was simply a once-in-a-lifetime generational talent who put together an insanely impressive career in which he made an MLB record 25 All Star teams, 13 Top 10 MVP seasons, 3,771 hits and at the time he retired an MLB record 755 home runs. Aaron was elite from day one with the Milwaukee Braves, and he won his MVP award in his 4th season, 1957, when he hit .322 with 44 home runs and 132 RBIs. He was incredibly consistent, year after year, crushing at least 20 home runs a year for an absolutely crazy 20 straight seasons, and he usually hit well over 30. Aaron was a 5-tool talent who could defend, throw, hit for power, hit for average and run – he stole over 20 bases in 6 separate seasons and retired with 179 right-field assists, 9th in the history of the game. He had a .305 career average, 2,227 RBIs and still holds the MLB record with 6,856 total bases, a record that may never be touched. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.
1. Babe Ruth
But at #1 has to be the greatest of all time, Babe Ruth, who played 1,128 games in right field. No player ever separated himself more from his peers than Ruth, who started his career as a pitcher, and he was elite, winning 23 games in 1916 with a league leading 1.75 ERA. But he was too good of a hitter to be a pitcher, and in 1919, he moved to the outfield full time and put up numbers no one ever thought possible before. Ruth smashed an MLB record 29 home runs with 113 RBIs, and he was just getting started. In 1920, he broke his own record with 54 homers, then broke it again in 1921 with 59. His offensive numbers dwarved those of every other player, and he also hit for average, hitting well over .300 nearly every season, maxing out an an incredible .393 mark in 1923, the year he won the MVP award. At that time, players were only allowed to win one MVP. Had that not been the case, Ruth could’ve won as many as 10 MVPs. Earlier in his career, Ruth had speed and was an above-average defender, but as he focused more on hitting and gained weight, his defensive skills declined. Still, Ruth’s offensive numbers more than made up for it and he ended his career with 714 home runs and a .342 batting average. To this day, Babe Ruth holds the MLB record for career slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and WAR. He is 3rd all time in walks, 3rd in home runs, and even 13th in batting average. And he has to come in at #1 as the greatest right-fielder, and let’s be honest, compared to his peers, the greatest MLB player of all time.
And that is going to do it for today’s video ranking the greatest right-fielders in MLB history; let me know your thoughts down below. I hope you enjoyed the video; if so check out the playlist above which has my entire series, ranking every position in the game; I still have a few more to go, look forward to my ranking of the greatest left-fielders coming up next. Until then, enjoy the playlist and we’ll talk to you in the next one.