15 Best Right Fielders in MLB History, Ranked

Right fielders are often among the favourites for individual awards in the baseball betting markets. Required to have a good arm, right fielders are usually good athletes and tend to hit for plenty of power. 

15 Best Right Fielders in MLB History, Ranked

Who Are the Greatest Major League Baseball Right Fielders Ever?

1. Hank Aaron

No player in baseball history has more RBIs or total bases than Hank Aaron. 

He walked more times than he struck out in his career, and held the home run record until he was overtaken by Barry Bonds in 2007. With 26.2 fWAR more than any other right fielder, Aaron was an automatic selection here. 

2. Mel Ott

Aaron is the only right fielder to have amassed more fWAR than Mel Ott’s 110.1. Ott hit 511 home runs and posted a wRC+ mark of 154. 

He never won an MVP, despite leading the NL in OPS+ on five occasions.

3. Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson joins Aaron and Ott as the only right fielders with over 100 fWAR. Robinson slugged 586 home runs and stole 204 bases. 

4. Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge’s career 177 wRC+ is 12 points better than any other right fielder in MLB history. 

After hitting 52 home runs as a rookie, Judge quickly became one of the best hitters in baseball. He collected 26.2 bWAR across the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. 

5. Al Kaline

An 18-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, Al Kaline was a valuable player on both sides of the ball. He finished his career with 3,007 hits and received MVP votes in 14 different seasons. 

6. Reggie Jackson

Winner of five World Series and two World Series MVPs, Reggie Jackson more than earned the “Mr. October” nickname. 

Jackson was also a spectacular regular-season performer with 74 career bWAR and a 151 OPS+ between 1969 and 1982. 

7. Larry Walker

In the top 10 in fWAR among right fielders and with a career 141 OPS+, I had to include Larry Walker on this list. Walker led the majors in OPS in 1997 and 1999 and won seven Gold Gloves along with three batting titles. 

He was unfortunate to be named an All-Star only five times.

8. Mookie Betts

Mookie Betts is one of the best defensive right fielders in big-league history. 

Betts is also an elite hitter who won AL MVP in 2018 and has been MVP runner-up in three other seasons. He posted a 149 OPS+ between 2018 and 2024. 

9. Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper has played the vast majority of his career games in right field, so I included him on this list rather than with the first basemen. 

The left-handed slugger has a better career wRC+ than Jackson, Betts, and Walker, but he doesn’t have the overall value to rank higher than them here. 

10. Joe Jackson

Judge is the only right fielder with a better wRC+ than Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson led the AL in hits in 1912 and 1913 and registered four top 10 MVP finishes.

11. Tony Gwynn

Winner of eight batting titles and five Gold Gloves, Tony Gwynn was a brilliant right field defender and arguably the best contact hitter in the last half-century. 

Gwynn averaged only 28.8 strikeouts per 162 games. 

12. Juan Soto

Third in wRC+, Juan Soto warrants a place in these rankings despite having less than 40 fWAR for this career. Soto will break into the top seven before his career is over, and he could be a top-five right fielder if he sticks at the position long term. 

13. Dwight Evans

Much of Dwight Evans’ value came from his durability and defence. Evans only had three seasons with an OPS above .900, but he won eight Gold Gloves and played 20 seasons in the big leagues.

14. Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente is primarily remembered as an all-time great defender with a cannon of an arm and impressive range in right field. 

The Hall of Famer was also a productive hitter, posting a 147 OPS+ between 1961 and 1970. 

15. Reggie Smith

Thirteenth among all right fielders in fWAR, Reggie Smith was rarely priced among the MVP favourites on the MLB betting markets, but he enjoyed a long and productive career. 

He earned seven All-Star nods and posted a 142 OPS+ between 1968 and 1978.