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15 best right fielders in MLB history

By Benjamin Chase

NEW YORK, NY - 1953: Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella poses for a photograph in 1953 in the Polo Grounds in New York City. (Photo Reproduction by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - 1953: Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella poses for a photograph in 1953 in the Polo Grounds in New York City. (Photo Reproduction by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) /
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These are the 15 best right fielders in MLB history

As part of a series we will cover here at Call to the Pen on MLB history, today we will look at the 15 best right fielders in MLB history.

We will cover all of MLB history, not just the first 100 years or the last 50 years, and this is not a consensus of all Call to the Pen authors and editors. The list is built on no single statistic, but weight have been given to Baseball Reference’s WAR (bWAR), Jay Jaffe’s “JAWS” statistic, a player’s offensive and defensive reputation, and more.

One big note in consideration for this list:  players needed to spend two-thirds of their career playing time in right field to qualify for this list. Many will wonder where Babe Ruth is on this list specifically. While legend often has Babe Ruth as a right fielder, he actually split his career outfield games nearly equal between the two corners, with 1,130 games in right field and 1,048 in left field.

With his time on the mound, center field, and first base in his career, even if lowering the requirements to 50 percent, Ruth wouldn’t qualify for this list. He’s just an all-time great everywhere. We are looking specifically at players you associate with the position.

Editor’s note: Kurt Mensching contributed to an edit of this article. 

Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal Expos
Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal Expos (Photo by John Reid III/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Best right fielders in MLB history No. 15: Vladimir Guerrero

.318/.379/.553, 449 HR, 181 SB, 737/985 BB/K, 9,059 PA, 59.4 bWAR

Entering the Hall of Fame in 2018, Vladimir Guerrero was known for his ability to make loud contact on balls that no one else would likely even swing at, and his dynamic arm from right field.

Originally entering the league in 1997 to a Montreal Expos team that had just finished tearing down a dynamic young core that led the team to the brink of contention in 1994, Vlad was immediately an impact player, hitting .302 over 90 games with 11 home runs in 1997.

His first full season produced a .324/.371/.589 line with 38 home runs, but he was just tapping into his incredible raw athleticism. That season would start a streak of 11 straight seasons hitting at least .300 with at least 25 home runs, even through injuries and other issues that plagued him over his career.

The unforgiving surface in Montreal that had once robbed Andre Dawson of some of the most dynamic defensive ability in center field in the National League in the early 1980s also took its toll on Guerrero. After finishing one home run short of joining the exclusive 40/40 club in 2002, he was limited to just 112 games in 2003 and chose to leave Montreal when he became a free agent after that season.

He would play very well for Anaheim in the outfield for a couple of seasons, but his defensive abilities faded fast. Per Baseball Reference’s dWAR, he was a negative value defender all but his second season with the Angels, though some of his 2004 season can be explained as he was coming back from his injuries of 2003.

Unlike Heilmann, Guerrero benefitted from the exposure of the television era as he was able to be elected to nine All-Star games, winning the 2004 AL MVP and appearing in 12 MVP votes, and winning eight Silver Slugger awards. He was elected to the Hall of Fame this year in his second year on the ballot.

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