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Best all-time center fielders in MLB history

By Bobby Mueller

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a fly ball to deep center during the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. The Mariners defeated the Angels 8-5. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a fly ball to deep center during the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on July 29, 2018 in Anaheim, California. The Mariners defeated the Angels 8-5. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /
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best all-time center fielders
8 Oct 1995: Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners puts one in the air at the King Dome in Seattle, Washington during the game against the New York Yankees. The Mariners defeated the Yankees 6-5. /

Best All-Time Center Fielders #6: Ken Griffey, Jr.

“As long as I have fun playing, the stats will take care of themselves.”—Ken Griffey, Jr.

In the history of baseball, only 15 players were more valuable than Ken Griffey, Jr. through the age of 30. “The Kid” was the number one overall pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 1987 MLB June Amateur Draft and was playing in the Kingdome two years later. He had a good rookie year, but finished third behind pitchers Gregg Olson and Tom Gordon in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

In his second year, Griffey began a streak of 11 straight all-star selections and won the first of 10 straight Gold Glove Awards. In these early years, Griffey regularly hit over .300 with good on-base and slugging percentages and was impressive in the field, but he wasn’t the big home run hitter he would become.

The home run swing took hold in 1993, when Griffey hit 45 and led the AL in total bases. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, he led the AL with 40 big flies and finished second in AL MVP voting to Frank Thomas. Those 40 home runs came in just 111 games. If he had finished out the year on that same pace, he would have hit 58.

Griffey looked to have taken his game to another level, but an injury-shortened 1995 season delayed his ascension to peak Griffey. Of course, he returned from that 1995 injury in mid-August to help the Mariners come from 12.5 games back to catch the California Angels for the AL West title. In the first postseason in franchise history, Griffey had 16 hits in 11 games. Five of those 16 hits were home runs.

The best two seasons of Griffey career came in 1996 and 1997, when he hit a combined 105 home runs and averaged more than nine wins above replacement per season. In the 1997 season, he led the AL in runs, homers, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases and finally won the AL MVP Award.

He led the league in home runs the next two seasons also, hitting 56 and 48 in his last two seasons with the Mariners. After a trade to Cincinnati, which he requested, Griffey hit 40 in his first year the Queen City. This would be his best year with the Reds and the last great year of his career. After being worth 76.2 WAR (Baseball-Reference) through the age of 30, he was worth just 7.6 WAR from age 31 on.

Young Griffey was one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Middle-aged and old Griffey became a one-dimensional home run hitter who struggled defensively and was limited most years by injuries. His rightful place is in the top six among the best center fielders of all-time, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mike Trout move past him at some point.

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