Best right-handed hitters of all time?

[TomBodet]

Gotta put Heilman up there someplace.

[JR Hart]

For just right handed batting, nothing more, here's my top 50.

1. Rogers Hornsby
2. Hank Aaron
3. Joe DiMaggio
4 Jimmie Foxx
5 Hank Greenberg
6 Willie Mays
7 Frank Thomas
8 Albert Pujols
9 Alex Rodriguez
10 Honus Wagner
11 Manny Ramirez
12 Nap Lajoie
13 Albert Belle
14 Frank Robinson
15 Jeff Bagwell
16 Ed Delahanty
17 Mike Piazza
18 Cap Anson
19 Al Simmons
20 Ralph Kiner
21 Vladimir Guerrero
22 Harry Heilmann
23 Miguel Cabrerra
24 Mike Schmidt
25 Mark McGwire
26 Edgar Martinez
27 Dick Allen
28 Gary Sheffield
29 Sammy Sosa
30 Harmon Killebrew
31 Ernie Banks
32 Juan Gonzalez
33 Orlando Cepeda
34 Jackie Robinson
35 Dale Murphy
36 Ryan Braun
37 Jack Clark
38 Jim Rice
39 Kiki Cuyler
40 Roberto Clemente
41 Paul Molitor
42 Kirby Puckett
43 Al Kaline
44 Derek Jeter
45 Dave Winfield
46 Andre Dawson
47 Roy Campenella
48 Joe Medwick
49 Robin Yount
50 Rocky Colivito

[Sultan_1895-1948]

why are right handed hitters in general not as good? 1 in every 9 people is left handed, so there's 8 times the talent pool of righties to choose from right?


anywho

Rogers Hornsby
Josh Gibson
Jimmie Foxx
Hank Aaron
Willie Mays
Joe Dimaggio
Alex Rodriguez (climbing season by season)
Vlad Guerrero (with SB's I rate him above Manny)
Manny Ramirez
Hank Greenberg

give Pujols a few years and he'll be on the list


today on the radio I was hearing people say Manny was the best right handed hitter they had seen in the last 40-50 years. not sure if I can agree on that.

Best power - Foxx
All-around hitter - DiMaggio, Aaron, Pujols, Thomas
Best average - Hornsby

[SHOELESSJOE3]

why are right handed hitters in general not as good? 1 in every 9 people is left handed, so there's 8 times the talent pool of righties to choose from right?

I get what you mean but I would change that..........not as good to... why is it RH batters don't hit as well as LH batters.
I think most know the number one reason, historically far more RH pitchers in the game. RH hittters face picthers pitching from the same side they bat from more often that way than LH batters do.
We do know that battesr overall will hit better against pitchers pitching from the opposite side they are batting from.
I pointed out on another thread that only one RH batter hit for .325 in the last 76 years. No other RH batter has even hit for .320 or better in the last 76 years, Pujols active and looks good at this time.

Also the LH batter is a step closer to first base, more chance of beating out the infield hit. I don't think it's that much of an advantage.
Game situation, runner on first and first baseman holding on the runner, leaves a hole for the LH batter to hit one though. Sure so can a RH batter do the same but has to tailor his swing to hit to the opposite field.
No mystery.

[pheasant]

Top righties:
1. Albert Pujols
2. Frank Thomas
3. Rogers Hornsby
4. Hank Aaron
5. Willie Mays
6. Jimmie Foxx
7. Jeff Bagwell
8. Mike Piazza
9. Albert Belle
10. Joe Dimaggio

Note: Mike Piazza might have had the most talent. Unfortunately,catching ruined his rate stats and durability. Piazza's .340 avg and .600+ slugging pct on the road during his 10 year peak is the most amazing run by a righty ever, when adjusting for league quality. Piazza might deserve to be as high as 3rd on this list. But I dropped him to 8th due to his lack of durability and lack of walks.

My adjustments for league quality have the last 20 years dominating this list. My list for lefties would be more equally distributed among eras.

[Nimrod]

Here are the two top RH hitters ever according to Teddy Ballgame.

[Dude Paskert]

Here are the two top RH hitters ever according to Teddy Ballgame.

I love photos like this...
"Hey, nice bat, Jimmie."
"Thanks Raj, think it's made out of wood but I haven't had it analyzed."
"Looks like some ball marks there?"
"Yeah, I use it to hit baseballs when I'm not scratching my back with it."
"Did you ever use the thin end to hit the ball?"
"Yeah, man did my hands hurt!"
"Sam Breadon once had a really creative suggestion for where I could put one of these, but I don't think it was physically possible."

Guess it gave the guys something to look at when they were forced to pose for photogs and didn't really have much to talk about. In this case, it probably saved Rajah getting the full force of Beast's 80 proof breath.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

There is a video of Hornsby taking batting practice and commenting.
Stand back in the box, gives me a longer look at the ball, watch the ball, not the pitcher's motion... "I try to hit through the box using the pitcher as a target'. He then hits a hard grounder...............off the pitcher's ankle

That .358, in any home park (also .358 on the road), in any era, that is some career batting average............ and a RH batter to boot.

[Nimrod]

According to one source I read,Hornsby`s penchant for smashing the ball up the middle led to the use of the protective screen put in front of the pitcher during BP.In his "Line-up For Yesterday" alphabet poem,Odgen Nash has for H:"H is for Hornsby;When pitching to Rog-The pitcher would pitch-Then the pitcher would dodge"!Love how Hornsby has to read every word he says in that video from a cue card.Great clip though.