My top 10 Right-Handed Hitters of all-time.

[redban]

Here's my list for top 10 right-handed hitters of all-time.

Please tell me what you think, as well as post your own top 10:

10) Vladimir Guerrero


Peak seasons = 1998 - 2007 (1508 G)
.327 / .394 / .586 / .980 / 35 HR / 114 RBI / 69 K / 100 R / 151 OPS+

Best season = 2002
161 G / 206 hits / 39 HR / 111 RBI / 40 SB / .336 BA / .417 / 1.010

9) Hank Greenberg


Peak seasons = 1934 - 1946 ( 1151 G)
.321 / .417 / .631 / 1.048 / 29 HR / 112 RBI / 70 SO / 165 OPS+

* Hank Greenberg missed 4 years for WWII - 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944. He was aged 30-33 in that time span.

Best season = 1940
.340 / .433 / .670 / 1.103 / 41 HR / 150 RBI / 50 2B / 195 Hits / 171 OPS+

8) Honus Wagner


Peak seasons = 1899 - 1911 (1819 G)
.347 / .413 / .501 / .914 / 44 SB / 167 OPS+

Best season = 1908
.358 / .415 / . 542 / .957 / 109 RBI / 201 hits / 100 R / 39 2B / 19 3B / 53 SB / 205 OPS+

7) Jimmie Foxx


Peak seasons = 1929 - 1941 (1898 G)
.332 / .438 / .634 / 1.072 / 39 HR / 134 RBI / 101 BB / 169 OPS+

* Foxx missed 1943 and 1944 (aged 35 and 36) to WWII, but he was done by then.

Best season = 1932
154 G / 151 R / 213 Hits / 58 HR / 169 RBI / .364 / .469 / .749 / 1.218 / 205 OPS+

6) Frank Thomas


Peak seasons = 1991 - 1997 (1016 G)
.330 / .452 / .604 / 1.056 / 36 HR / 118 RBI / 107 R / 182 OPS+

Best season = 1994
.353 / .487 / .729 / 1.217 / 38 HR / 101 RBI / 106 R / 109 BB / 211 OPS+

5) Hank Aaron


Peak seasons = 1955 - 1973 (2842 G)
.312 / .380 / .574 / .955 / 37 HR / 109 RBI / 105 R / 161 OPS+

Best season = 1959
.355 / .401 / .636 / 1.037 / 39 HR / 123 RBI / 223 Hits / 116 R / 181 OPS+

4) Joe DiMaggio


Peak seasons = 1937 - 1950 (1482 G)
.329 / .406 / .590 / .996 / 29 HR / 122 RBI / 27 K / 161+ OPS

* Missed 43', 44', and 45' (Ages 28-30) to WWII.

Best season = 1939
.381 / .448 / .671 / 1.119 / 30 HR / 126 RBI / 183 OPS+

3) Mike Piazza


Peak seasons = 1993 - 2002 (1372 G)
.322 / .389 / .579 / .969 / 35 HR / 107 RBI / 154 OPS+

Best season = 1997
.362 / .431 / .638 / 1.070 / 40 HR / 124 RBI / 201 Hits / 104 R / 185 OPS+

2) Albert Pujols


Peak seasons = 2001 - 2010 (1558 G)
.331 / .426 / .624 / 1.050 / 41 HR / 123 RBI / 190 Hits / 119 R / 65 K / 172 OPS+

Best season = 2009
.327 / .443 / .658 / 1.101 / 47 HR / 135 RBI / 115 BB / 64 K / 189 OPS+

1) Rogers Hornsby



Peak seasons = 1920 - 1929 (1430 G)
.382 / .460 / .637 / 1.096 / 25 HR / 115 RBI / 208 hits / 188 OPS+

Best season = 1925
39 HR / 143 RBI / .403 / .489 / .756 / 1.245 / 209 OPS+


Honorable mentions: Al Kaline, Roberto Clemente, Jeff Bagwell, Edgar Martinez, Nap Lajoie, Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Willie Mays

[Sirmudgeon]

Neat list, with pix and all! Maybe I'm too close to the Thomas/Pujols/Guerrero/Piazza era, and it's just a knee-jerk negative reaction to seeing them ahead of Mays and Robinson. I'd also have A-Rod in at least the HM list. I think you have Bagwell and Martinez a little too high. And Schmidt's inclusion may bring up Killebrew, but we're splitting hairs. It's a fine collection of legends, nice presentation. Thanks.

[willshad]

This is great..just wondering what criteria you are using to determine the rankings. Are you going by peak performance, best individual season, or career hitting value? Are you considering position? Where's Manny Ramirez? A-rod? Mcqwire? Or are you totally leaving off the roiders on purpose?

[Matthew C.]

This is great..just wondering what criteria you are using to determine the rankings. Are you going by peak performance, best individual season, or career hitting value? Are you considering position? Where's Manny Ramirez? A-rod? Mcqwire? Or are you totally leaving off the roiders on purpose?

I am sure he excluding known users; there is no way they both miss the list otherwise.

[dominik]

This is great..just wondering what criteria you are using to determine the rankings. Are you going by peak performance, best individual season, or career hitting value? Are you considering position? Where's Manny Ramirez? A-rod? Mcqwire? Or are you totally leaving off the roiders on purpose?

I guess that he doesn't list steroid users. otherwise it would be a joke to have guerrero ahead of those 3.

[BigRon]

Uh, no Willie Mays? Sorry, but Willie was Aaron's equal as a hitter.

[redban]

Looking back at the list, I've realized that I left someone out - Harry Heilmann.

From 1921 - 1927, he averaged a 167 OPS+.

He should have been in honorable mentions category.

This is great..just wondering what criteria you are using to determine the rankings. Are you going by peak performance, best individual season, or career hitting value? Are you considering position? Where's Manny Ramirez? A-rod? Mcqwire? Or are you totally leaving off the roiders on purpose?

I intentionally left out the known-users. Only Manny Ramirez and Mark McGwire would have made the list though.

Rodriguez and Sheffield (who I have at about the same as a hitter) would have been in the honorable mentions.

[Los Bravos]

Uh, no Willie Mays? Sorry, but Willie was Aaron's equal as a hitter.

And they should both be above Mike Piazza.

[willshad]

And they should both be above Mike Piazza.

That depends whether you are going by career value, or peak value. Or if you are adjusting for position. During his peak, Piazza was at least as good a hitter as Aaron or Mays was during their respective peaks. Actually all 3 are almost identical...all were .320- .350 hitters with a medium amount of walks, and 40+ home run power. Piazza played in more of a hitter's era, but he also got killed by his home stadiums. His relative rates are also lower than they should be, because he is being compared to juiced up hitters. I say if you put all three guys in the same time and place, they have similar numbers, with Piazza being a bit better in his prime years. If you make any kind of adjustment for position, Piazza pulls ahead easily. He should not be ahead of Foxx, though, or Frank Thomas.

[Sirmudgeon]

Good call on Heilmann. Guess you've gotta have Ramirez in with the HMs, at least. I agree with Piazza being up there- his inside-out drives to right-center were memorable. The only swing as unique from the right side, to my befuddled recall, is Jack Clark tomahawking low inside pitches to deepest LF on a line. The ball looked as if it were actually scalded, as it looked like it must have emerged lopsided from Piazza's signature swing. Can't say I agree on McGwire (or Sosa, for that matter)- both deserve mention, neither in the Top 10.

This is such a good idea, with the cards and all- I wonder if you could do that second ten the same way? I do enjoy these all-time comparisons, your inclusion of pix in your rankings makes this effort ineffably cool. Thanks again, Redban.

[dominik]

Mays must be in that list.

[Senor Octobre]

I'd replace Piazza/Greenberg/Guerrero with Mays/F. Robinson/Ramirez and then do a bit of shuffling.

[geezer]

What about Al Simmons?

[KCGHOST]

Really impressive the way you posted this with the pics and such. Really disagree about Vlad, Greenberg, and Piazza. DiMaggio only makes it if you decide to give him credit for missed years. Seems at time you took in to account positional value (Piazza) and other times you didn't (Wagner).

[Sirmudgeon]

What about Al Simmons?

Ooh, yeah, can't believe I forgot him.

[redban]

I wonder if Miguel Cabrera can make this list now.

As of today = 1438 G / .317 / .394 / .556 / 150 OPS+ / 296 HR

[pheasant]

This is a great list. Nice work.

I think go with the following for top 5:

Hornsby
Pujols
Piazza
Thomas
Dimaggio

[brett]

Looking back at the list, I've realized that I left someone out - Harry Heilmann.

From 1921 - 1927, he averaged a 167 OPS+, with 5 consecutive top 10 MVP finishes in that stretch.

He should have been in honorable mentions category.



I intentionally left out the known-users. Only Manny Ramirez and Mark McGwire would have made the list though.

Rodriguez and Sheffield (who I have at about the same as a hitter) would have been in the honorable mentions.

In addition to Heilmann, I'd have to promote Ed Delahanty.

At one point at least, I think there were 10 guys who played at least some in 20th century with 5000 at bats (or who would could have gone 0-fer to 5000 in the case of J. Jackson) who had a .300/.400/.500 line:
Ruth
Williams
Gehrig
Musial
Cobb
Delahanty
Heilmann
Speaker
Joe Jackson
and Hornsby

Oh, might want to consider Al Simmons too.

[JR Hart]

Nice presentation, but you can't just pick and chose your steroid users. Guererro, Thomas, Pujols, and especially Piazza have to viewed with extreme suspicion. Also Mays should be on your list. Piazza is way too high. Good job giving Joe D love.

[BondsOverBabe]

Modern players only(post Jackie Robinson) my top 10 pure hitters would be something like

1.Manny
2.Thomas
3.Pujols
4.Robinson
5.Mays
6.McGuire
7.Schmidt
8.Aaron
9.A-Rod
10.Piazza

[BigRon]

Integrating peak performance and career lines:

1. Rogers Hornsby
2. Wilie Mays, almost in a dead heat with
3. Hank Aaron
4. Honus Wagner
5. Jimmie Foxx
6. Joe DiMaggio, if given some war credit
7. Albert Pujols- probably will move up several spots in the next couple of years if healthy
8. Frank Thomas- looked like he'd be in top 3 for a while
9. Frank Robinson- close to Mays, Aaron, just faded a bit faster
10. Alex Rodriguez

Numerous other outstanding candidates- some of them, in no particular order:

Schmidt, Lajoie, Piazza, MRamirez, Greenberg, Delahanty, and yes, McGwire.

[BondsOverBabe]

Integrating peak performance and career lines:

1. Rogers Hornsby
2. Wilie Mays, almost in a dead heat with
3. Hank Aaron
4. Honus Wagner
5. Jimmie Foxx
6. Joe DiMaggio, if given some war credit
7. Albert Pujols- probably will move up several spots in the next couple of years if healthy
8. Frank Thomas- looked like he'd be in top 3 for a while
9. Frank Robinson- close to Mays, Aaron, just faded a bit faster
10. Alex Rodriguez

Numerous other outstanding candidates- some of them, in no particular order:

Schmidt, Lajoie, Piazza, MRamirez, Greenberg, Delahanty, and yes, McGwire.

Manny not in the top 5 is wrong

[BigRon]

Manny not in the top 5 is wrong

Gee, thanks for correcting me. I'll resist the impulse to say something really snarky. Who, in your wisdom, would you replace?

[BondsOverBabe]

Gee, thanks for correcting me. I'll resist the impulse to say something really snarky. Who, in your wisdom, would you replace?

A-Rod
Aaron
Dimaggio
Pujols
Robinson

[BigRon]

Allright, against my better judgement I'll play along. My top 5 were
1. Hornsby
2. Mays
3. Aaron
4. Wagner
5. Foxx

Which of THESE 5 would you replace with MRamirez- and why?