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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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Larry Walker, Colorado Rockies
Larry Walker, Colorado Rockies (Photo by Jon Soohoo/Getty Images) /

Best right fielders in MLB history No. 7: Larry Walker

Stats: .313/.400/.565, 383 HR, 230 SB, 913/1,231 BB/K, 8,030 PA, 72.7 bWAR

Ineligible for the draft as a Canadian at the time, Larry Walker signed out of high school with the Montreal Expos, and by the time he made his debut in 1989, he was considered to be part of a new wave of Expos that were going to lead to a resurgence of the Expos.

In 1990, in his first full season, Walker flashed his incredible athleticism, hitting 19 home runs and stealing 21 bases. He would grow each season with Montreal as a hitter, but those years in Montreal absolutely destroyed his body, and he was never quite the guy that he could have been.

After 1994, when the Expos made a run at leading all of baseball with the best record while Walker slashed .322/.394/.587, Montreal let their dynamic outfielder walk away in free agency. Free of the injurious Montreal turf, though not its after-effects, Walker took off with the Rockies, hitting 36 home runs in his first season with the Rockies.

After a year of struggling with injuries in 1996, Walker had his career year in 1997. He hit .366/.452/.720, leading the league with 49 home runs and 409 total bases, his OBP and SLG also leading the league. What many miss is just how well-rounded his contributions were for the Rockies that season, hitting 46 doubles, scoring 143 runs, driving in 130 runs, and stealing 33 bases.

Sadly, 1997 would be Walker’s only season of his career with over 150 games played, which is just incredible to consider that he put up the numbers he did playing often with 20-30 games missed each season.

Many doubt his numbers due to Coors Field and its notorious hitting environment, but Walker posted a 141 OPS+ over his career. Larry Walker is a rare member of the career .300/.400/.500 club, players who had career slash lines with at least those levels – only 16 players who have achieved that in their careers. However, Walker has the same OPS+ as Chipper Jones, and no one ever questions the validity of his numbers or suggests they were environmentally enhanced.

Before the turf took it away, Larry Walker was among the best defensive right fielders, making plays that only were equaled by Andruw Jones in center field over the last 35 years. His incredible arm remained in Colorado, and he still could cover plenty of ground (and one needs to cover incredible ground to handle Colorado’s outfield), but he didn’t have that elite acceleration and first-step speed that he once did, which is a shame as many don’t remember Walker for the defensive wizard he was in right field.

Walker was part of five All-Star teams, and he won seven Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and the 1997 MVP while also appearing on 8 MVP ballots overall. He’s been on eight Hall of Fame ballots, with 34.1% support in the most recent season, but with only two more ballots to make up 41% to get the 75% he needs to be elected, it’s feasible Walker may have to be enshrined by the Veteran’s Committee.

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