Best right fielders in MLB history No. 2: Roberto Clemente
Stats: .317/.359/.475, 240 HR, 83 SB, 621/1,230 BB/K, 10,211 PA, 94.5 bWAR
Many people believe that because he is often revered with the most-impressive outfield arm in the history of the game that Roberto Clemente was also a power hitter, but that was not the case, as Clemente was a very controlled, attacking hitter. He achieved 40 doubles just once in his life and led the league in an extra-base category just once in his career, leading the majors in triples in 1969 with 12.
What made Roberto so special and earned him a top-two ranking among the best right fielders in MLB history was his incredible grace playing the position that portended an absolutely explosive right arm that could cut down even the greatest runners. He would seemingly glide to catch balls that he had no business reaching, but he wouldn’t just catch them, he would catch them in position to throw quickly and accurately back into the field and nail a runner.
Clemente was originally a Brooklyn Dodgers farmhand, and Branch Rickey was actually a big reason that the move was made as Rickey knew that the Dodgers had stashed Clemente in their minor league system when he took over with the Pirates. Clemente was drafted as a Rule 5 draft pick under the Rule 5 rules at that time in November of 1954.
His first season in 1955 was nothing to write home about, but he showed glimpses, hitting 11 triples and flashing incredible defense. At 21 in 1956, Clemente hit .311. It would be 5 years later, in 1960, when Clemente’s bat skills would take off, becoming a perennial threat for the batting title.
In 1960, Clemente made his first All-Star team, hitting .314/.357/.458. He would go on to win the batting title in 1961, the first of four batting titles for Clemente. He led the league in hits twice, but in general, he was hitting for a very good average, missing 5-15 games per season due to his incredibly aggressive play in the outfield.
The way that Jackie Robinson is viewed in the African-American community for breaking barriers in the game, Clemente is viewed as doing the same for Latin-American dark-skinned players. He was incredibly outspoken about what he believed was injustice due to language barriers many Latin ballplayers faced.
It was his off-field leadership in providing baseball opportunities throughout Latin America that led to him playing each winter in his native Puerto Rico. When after the 1972 season, one of Puerto Rico’s opponents that year, Nicaragua suffered a massive earthquake in their country, no one was surprised that Clemente spearheaded a group to take aid to the country.
The plane Clemente was on to deliver supplies to Nicaragua was drastically overweight and crashed just after takeoff. All five men on board perished. Due to the circumstances of his death, Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973.
While he was 37 when he passed, Clemente was still in his hitting prime, able to make consistent contact. Some believed he had at least 3-5 years left of productive career when he perished, thinking he could eclipse 3,500 hits and perhaps even challenged 4,000. That lost time is part of why he edges Ott for the #2 spot in our countdown of the best all-time right fielders.