Featuring LEWWWWW
Introducing “Twins Top Ten”
Over the past few months, I’ve been taking a weekly look at the history of each position on the diamond and figuring out who is the best of the best since the franchise moved to Minnesota. This means that only players from 1961-on will be considered, but I will be taking into account their entire tenures with the franchise for those who moved along with the team. You can find prior entries in the series linked below. Next Up: Left Fielders!
The Best Left Fielders in Twins History
Left Fielders have a reputation for being a little bit screwy. These misfits often couldn’t hack it in Center Field or the infield, so they got sent to a corner. The Twins are no exception, with characters like Lew Ford, Eddie Rosario, and the immortal Delmon Young filling out the lineup card. To determine who the top left fielders in Twins history are, I’ll be looking at a variety of criteria, including years with the team, number of games, bWAR, OPS+ (to compare different eras of baseball), home runs, stolen bases, defensive assists, defensive WAR, and accolades. All stats are for Twins years only, and in left field only; I also swapped out fielding percentage because it is even less useful in the outfield than the infield. All players considered had more appearances in left than at any other position for the team. Who are the top ten in Twins history (according to me)?
Honorable Mention
- Delmon Young (2008-2011): 4 Years – 497 Games – 1.0 bWAR – 103 OPS+ – 47 HR – 22 SB – 31 A – -5.4 dWAR
Delmon Young was definitely better in my pre-teen mind than he was in reality. He did lead the league in outfield assists two times though!
Tier 3
I’m going to separate this list into tiers because there was some real coin flips on this one. I didn’t do this for the other ones. Sue me.
10. Shannon Stewart (2003-2006)
4 Years – 333 Games – 4.9 bWAR – 102 OPS+ – 29 HR – 13 SB – 16 A – -1.2 dWAR
Stewart joined the Twins in 2003 as part of a midseason trade and led the charge for a Twins team that lit the league on fire in the final 65 games of the season on their way to a division title. The ensuing three seasons were fairly unremarkable.
9. Marty Cordova (1995-1999)
5 Years – 628 Games – 5.7 bWAR – 103 OPS+ – 79 HR – 52 SB – 37 A – -3.8 dWAR – Rookie of the Year
The last Rookie of the Year in team history did not go on to be a Hall of Famer like Tony Oliva and Rod Carew, ending up with a fairly forgettable career for some fairly forgettable Twins teams and never matching his rookie production.
8. Josh Willingham (2012-2014)
3 Years – 324 Games – 4.8 bWAR – 121 OPS+ – 61 HR – 5 SB – 14 A – -3.7 dWAR – Silver Slugger
Josh Willingham played 2.5 out of his 11 years with the Twins, but 2012 was definitely his career’s peak. Career-best batting numbers nearly across the board, and his 110 RBI mark has not been matched by a Twin since.
7. Lew Ford (2003-2007)
5 Years – 494 Games – 8.3 bWAR – 96 OPS+ – 32 HR – 47 SB – 9 A – 2.0 dWAR
Fan favorite Lew Ford was more than just a lovable goofball. His 4.5 bWAR 2004 season was one of the better seasons by any of the guys on this list. One of the only guys on this list who sports a positive dWAR, Ford curiously also has by far the least assists.
6. Dan Gladden (1987-1991)
5 Years – 644 Games – 5.7 bWAR – 90 OPS+ – 38 HR – 116 SB – 45 A – -1.4 dWAR
The Dazzle Man played a key part in some of the most iconic moments in franchise history while holding down left field for two World Series teams. He wasn’t a slugger by any means, but contributed with speed and grit.
Tier 2
5. Jacque Jones (1999-2005)
7 Years – 976 Games – 11.9 bWAR – 101 OPS+ – 132 HR – 67 SB – 28 A – -1.3 dWAR
Jacque Jones provided some pop at the top of the lineup for some good early-oughts Twins squads. Making up a third of the “Soul Patrol” outfield group with Torii Hunter and Matt Lawton also held his end of the bargain up in the field.
4. Eddie Rosario (2015-2020)
6 Years – 697 Games – 11.9 bWAR – 109 OPS+ – 119 HR – 26 SB – 40 A – -1.6 dWAR
Eddie the Enigma was a bright spot on some bad Twins teams before becoming a key contributor on a few good ones. The free-swinger was known for hitting pitches at his head 400 feet and occasional spectacular plays to go along with generally poor outfield defense.
3. Gary Ward (1979-1983)
5 Years – 417 Games – 10.6 bWAR – 115 OPS+ – 51 HR – 26 SB – 40 A – 1.2 dWAR – All-Star
Gary Ward’s run from 1982-1983 was maybe the best two-year stretch of anybody on this list. He also boasts the highest single-season outfield assists total of anybody in MLB since 1983, when he put up an incredible total of 24.
Tier 1
2. Shane Mack (1990-1994)
5 Years – 633 Games – 19.7 bWAR – 130 OPS+ – 67 HR – 71 SB – 16 A – 0.4 dWAR
I think Shane Mack might be the most underrated Twin of all time. Mack has one of the best bWAR totals per year I’ve seen since starting this series, and you almost never hear about him. Unfortunately, the 1994-1995 strike sent his career off the rails, as he ended up signing in Japan for the 1995 and 1996 seasons and wasn’t the same when he returned to MLB with the Red Sox.
1. Larry Hisle (1973-1977)
5 Years – 662 Games – 17.2 bWAR – 127 OPS+ – 87 HR – 92 SB – 31 A – -1.9 dWAR – All-Star
This was one of the toughest calls to make at the top of any of these lists. Mack and Hisle are essentially neck-and-neck, but Hisle’s superior power and speed numbers, along with the All-Star accolade, pushed him over the top. Hisle played an excellent stretch during some very mediocre Twins seasons.
What do you think? Who did I miss? Who do I overrate, and who do I underrate? Remember, your favorite outfielder that’s not here likely will be on the CF or RF list. Let me know in the comments! I’ll be back next week as we move to Center.