Left field—Ben Gamel, Seattle Mariners
Ben Gamel’s beard secretly hopes to someday be as glorious as Justin Turner’s beard. For now, the red-bearded left fielder in the Pacific Northwest will be content to let his beard shield him from the Seattle rain in relative anonymity. Gamel’s beard is the least recognizable of these left fielder’s beards, but it’s still a great beard that could one day be magnificent.
Two contenders for best beard on a left fielder faced each other in this year’s World Series. The Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez has a beard that can play at multiple positions, including left field, first base, second base, shortstop, and third base. It’s a versatile beard and a powerful beard, as he showed with this World Series home run.
Chris Taylor also has a versatile beard, playing games at second base, third base, shortstop, center field and left field. Taylor had a breakout season, and his beard was right there every step of the way. In the end, the Houston Astros and Marwin Gonzalez’ beard won their first World Series ever by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Taylor’s beard.
Marcell Ozuna’s beard may have to adjust to a different location next year because the new ownership of the Marlins is looking to lower their payroll. Rumor on the street is that Ozuna’s beard could be headed to Oakland, a city that had some impressive facial hair in the 1970s. With the A’s, Reggie Jackson sported a beard and mustache. It would eventually evolve into just a mustache when he became “Mr. October” with the New York Yankees.