Over the next two weeks, amNewYork Metro will be asking you, the readers, to help piece together Major League Baseball’s all-time starting lineup by voting who you think is the very best player at each position.
Each day, you will be given a list of 10 players per position where you can choose one (1) option.
Those looking to vote can submit their choices in several ways:
- Leave your choice under the corresponding article on amNewYork Metro’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
- Send your vote via email to sports editor Joe Pantorno at joseph.pantorno@metro.us
- Reach out to Pantorno on Twitter @JoePantorno
In our second installment, we take a look at 10 of the top first basemen in MLB history, which includes a blend of legendary Hall of Famers and some surprising stars who aren’t enshrined in Cooperstown.
You can check out and vote for our starting pitchers here.
To get to our list of first basemen, we first had to institute guidelines for the players in question to meet. They were much more lenient compared to those we set forth for the starting-pitching ballot, but selective enough to give us a starting point.
First basemen up for consideration had to play between 1871-2019 and play at least 1,000 games in their career with 70% of them coming at the position.
It left us with 144 first basemen in question whose stats were then picked apart based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR), batting average, on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), home runs, hits, and RBI.
Averaging their ranks within each statistic, an average number was deciphered. The lower the average number is, the better their standing.
Players with additional individual accolades, positive defensive metrics, and postseason successes were given an additional boost — allowing us to come to a list of 10 players that are considered the very best at their position.
Without further ado, here is today’s ballot for you to vote on, in alphabetical order:
Cap Anson
Years active: 1872-1892
Teams: Rockford Forest Citys (National Association), Philadelphia Athletics (NA), Chicago White Stockings (modern-day Cubs)
Stats: 94.3 WAR, .334 batting average, .841 OPS, 3,435 hits (7th all-time), 97 home runs, 2,075 RBI (4th all-time)
AMNY average: 25.3
Accolades: First man ever to record 3,000 hits, 4x batting title, 8x RBI champion, Hall of Fame
Jeff Bagwell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYhp632zdr0
Years active: 1991-2005
Team: Houston Astros
Stats: 79.9 WAR, .297 BA, .948 OPS, 2,314 hits, 449 HR, 1,529 RBI
AMNY average: 13.3
Accolades: 1991 Rookie of the Year, 1994 NL MVP, 4x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, Hall of Fame
Jimmie Foxx
Years active: 1925-1945
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (AL), Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies
Stats: 93.9 WAR, .325 BA, 1.038 OPS (5th all-time), 2,646 hits, 534 HR (19th all-time), 1,922 RBI (10th all-time)
AMNY average: 4
Accolades: 3x AL MVP, 1933 AL Triple Crown winner, 9x All-Star, 2x batting title, 2x World Series, 3 seasons of 160+ RBI, Hall of Fame
Lou Gehrig
Years active: 1923-1939
Team: New York Yankees
Stats: 114.1 WAR (13th all-time), .340 BA (16th all-time), 1.080 OPS (3rd all-time), 2,721 hits, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI (7th all-time)
AMNY average: 3.16
Accolades: 2x AL MVP, 1934 AL Triple Crown winner, 7x All-Star, 1x batting title, 6x World Series, 185 RBI in 1931 (2nd all-time), 4 seasons of 166+ RBI, played in 2,130 consecutive games, Hall of Fame
Hank Greenberg
Years active: 1930-1941, 1945-1947
Team: Detroit Tigers
Stats: 55.7 WAR, .313 BA, 1.017 OPS (6th all-time), 1,628 hits, 331 HR, 1,274 RBI
AMNY average: 23.66
Accolades: 2x AL MVP, 5x All-Star, 184 RBI in 1937 (3rd all-time), 58 HR in 1938, Lost three seasons (1942-44) due to military service, Hall of Fame
Todd Helton
Years active: 1997-2013
Team: Colorado Rockies
Stats: 61.8 WAR, .316 BA, .953 OPS (18th all-time), 2,519 hits, 369 HR, 1,406 RBI
AMNY average: 11.3
Accolades: 5x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 4x Silver Slugger, 1x batting title, batted .372 in 2000
Willie McCovey
Years active: 1959-1980
Team: San Francisco Giants
Stats: 64.5 WAR, .270 BA, .889 OPS, 2,211 hits, 521 HR, 1,555 RBI
AMNY average: 26.5
Accolades: 1959 NL Rookie of the Year, 1969 NL MVP, 6x All-Star, 1966 All-Star Game MVP, 6-straight seasons of 30+ HR, Hall of Fame
Fred McGriff
Years active: 1986-2004
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Chicago Cubs
Stats: 52.6 WAR, .284 BA, .886 OPS, 2,490 hits, 493 HR, 1,550 RBI
AMNY average: 20.5
Accolades: 5x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 1x World Series, 1994 All-Star Game MVP
Johnny Mize
Years active: 1936-1942, 1946-1953
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, New York Yankees
Stats: 71.3 WAR, .312 BA, .959 OPS (16th all-time), 2,011 hits, 359 HR, 1,337 RBI
AMNY average: 23.66
Accolades: 10x All-Star, 1x batting title, 5x World Series, Lost three seasons (1943-45) due to military service, Hall of Fame
Eddie Murray
Years active: 1977-1997
Teams: Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Anaheim Angels
Stats: 68.7 WAR, .287 BA, .836 OPS, 3,255 hits (13th all-time), 504 HR, 1,917 RBI (11th all-time)
AMNY average: 19.16
Accolades: 1977 Rookie of the Year, 8x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, 1x World Series, Hall of Fame
Those looking to vote can submit their choices in several ways:
-
- Leave your choice under the corresponding article on amNewYork Metro’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
- Send your vote via email to sports editor Joe Pantorno at joseph.pantorno@metro.us
- Reach out to Pantorno on Twitter @JoePantorno
