15 best right fielders in MLB history

Best right fielders in MLB history No. 4: Reggie Jackson

Stats: .262/.356/.490, 563 HR, 228 SB, 1,375/2,597 BB/K, 11,418 PA, 74 bWAR

Certainly one of the most exciting players in the 1970s, Reggie Jackson was incredible at stealing the headlines, whether it was due to his discontent with his original team, the Athletics, or his role as “the straw that stirs the drink” in the New York Yankees clubhouse in the 1970s.

Jackson had a tremendous career with Arizona State University before being drafted 2nd overall by the then-Kansas City Athletics. He made a brief appearance for the A’s the year after he was drafted, hitting just .178 over 135 plate appearances. The team would move to Oakland in 1968, and they unleashed their young slugger on the league that season as well. In a year when most teams were struggling to hit (aka, the “Year of the Pitcher”), Jackson hit 29 home runs in his first full season and stole 14 bases. He would also do something that would come to define his career – lead the league in strikeouts.

The 1969 season saw the A’s slugger breakout with 47 home runs, leading the league with 123 runs and also leading the league in slugging and OPS. He made his first All-Star team that summer.

The colorful slugger would lead his team to the playoffs 5 straight seasons, winning back-to-back World Series titles, even winning the 1973 World Series MVP by hitting .310/.355/.586 as the A’s defeated the Mets in 7 games. However, with Oakland fans and even broadcasters berating Jackson for hustle/effort and A’s owner Charlie O. Finley being too cheap to pay the significant salary increase he was going to receive, Jackson headed into free agency without a return to Oakland in the plans.

Because he didn’t want to lose Jackson without any compensation, Finley orchestrated a deal to send Jackson to Baltimore for the 1976 season before his free agency. He refused to report initially and did not appear in a game for the Orioles in April.

Jackson signed with the Yankees before 1977, and he began a feud with his new manager Billy Martin immediately. The Yankees were a very good team, however, so the feud was often in headlines alongside the headline of yet another Yankee victory. Reaching the World Series in 1977, Reggie had one of the most amazing moments in World Series when he hit 3 home runs on 3 consecutive pitches in game 6 of the 1977 World Series against the Dodgers. In fact, he hit a home run on his last plate appearance in game 5, which meant he hit 4 straight home runs on four swings in that World Series. Incredible!

Many forget just how good of an overall athlete Jackson was. He was originally recruited to college for football, and he stole 20 or more bases four times, which many felt was part of the issue with the “hustle” concerns in Oakland, due to fans, announcers, and even teammates having seen Reggie show off his legs previously, so when he went at less than full effort, they would be frustrated.

Peers at the time knew he’d finish among the best right fielders in MLB history: Reggie would go on to finish his career back where it all began, spending the 1987 season with the Oakland Athletics. In his 21 seasons, he would make 14 All-Star teams, win the 1973 MVP and appear on 13 MVP ballots, and 2 Silver Sluggers. He even had his own candy bar, named the “Reggie Bar”, which came out after his 1977 World Series performance. He is also the all-time career leader in strikeouts.

Jackson was selected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1993 with 93.6% of the ballot.