15 Best Left Fielders in MLB History, Ranked

Left field was the primary position of many inner-circle Hall of Famers. 

A wide range of skill sets have excelled at the position, from all-time great sluggers to masterful contact hitters and elite defensive speedsters.

15 Best Left Fielders in MLB History, Ranked

Who Are the Greatest Major League Baseball Left Fielders Ever?

1. Barry Bonds

A seven-time MVP and eight-time Gold Glove winner, Barry Bonds is the best left fielder in MLB history. Bonds leads all players in bWAR, holds the home run record, and had the most dominant offensive peak ever seen from a big-league player. 

He might never make the Hall of Fame due to steroid allegations, but I’m very comfortable putting Bonds in the top spot here. 

2. Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is a close second to Bonds in these rankings. 

Ruth is the career leader in OPS+ and led the majors in OPS on six occasions. He has more overall WAR than Bonds, but that’s due to his value as a pitcher early in his career.

3. Ted Williams

Ted Williams is second to Ruth in wRC+ among left fielders. Williams slugged 521 home runs and won six batting titles, but his numbers would have been even better if he hadn’t missed three of his peak years for military service.

4. Rickey Henderson

A former MVP, a 10-time All-Star, and the career leader in stolen bases, I had to include Rickey Henderson in the top four left fielders in MLB history. 

Henderson is best remembered for his electrifying speed on the basepaths, but he was an elite hitter too, with over 3,000 hits and 297 home runs. 

5. Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski is fifth in fWAR among left fielders. Yaz had a brilliant eye, resulting in six seasons with 100-plus walks, and he was named an All-Star on 18 occasions. 

6. Ed Delahanty

Ed Delahanty led the majors in OPS four times in his 16-year career.

Only five left fielders in MLB history have posted more fWAR than Delahanty, who averaged 229 hits and 40.2 stolen bases per 162 games. 

7. Tim Raines

Sheer longevity earned Tim Raines seventh place in my rankings. Raines played in 23 big-league seasons, posting 69.4 bWAR for his career and a 139 OPS+ across his seven-year peak. 

8. Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell had a long, highly productive peak with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Between 1966 and 1978, Stargell had 49.4 bWAR and a 155 OPS+. He averaged 35.8 home runs per 162 games across that period.

9. Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez had an eight-year streak where he finished in the top nine in AL MVP voting. From 1995 to 2009, Ramirez had a 1.010 OPS and averaged 40.8 home runs per 162 games. 

10. Fred Clarke

Playing primarily in the dead-ball era, Fred Clarke rarely hit home runs, yet his career numbers were strong. Only six left fielders in MLB history have posted more fWAR. 

11. Ralph Kiner

The Pittsburgh Pirates were outsiders in World Series odds during Ralph Kiner’s peak years in the 1940s, so he never played a postseason game. 

Kiner’s career was also only 10 years long, so he amassed less WAR than most players on this list. His peak was very impressive, however, with 6.1 bWAR per season between 1947 and 1953. 

12. Jesse Burkett

Jesse Burkett had a career .338 batting average. He was one of the best hitters in the big leagues between 1893 and 1901, with a 150 OPS+ during that period.

13. Minnie Minoso

Fourth in MVP voting in his first full MLB season, Minnie Minoso had three more fourth-place finishes in his career. Between 1951 and 1960, Minoso was worth 5.5 bWAR per 162 games. 

14. Luis Gonzalez

A five-time All-Star, Luis Gonzalez was a late bloomer with his peak coming between his age-31 and age-37 seasons. He was an All-Star on four occasions and finished third place in NL MVP voting in 2001. 

15. Matt Holliday

One of the baseball betting favourites for MVP at his peak, Matt Holliday tallied seven All-Star selections and won four Silver Sluggers. Between 2006 and 2013, he had a 143 OPS+ and averaged 29.7 home runs per 162 games.