Sisler, Greenberg & Frank Thomas come to mind. So many great ones. I heard of Buck Leonard, but didn't know he played 1st Base. How about a shout out to Johnny Mize....he lost 3 prime years to WW2.
Good list. Votto didn’t age well after the video was posted; Mize likely ahead of him in top ten today. You have the 1800’s guys, Cap Anson, Roger Connor, and Dan Brouthers, but so hard to compare modern players to guys who played so long ago. Cap Anson makes my list for being top 5 in career RBI all time despite just 97 career home runs.
Great list man. And no chance, I will not argue one bit with your number one. The Iron Horse, the all-time greatest first baseman. What a legendary man.
Interesting list and no complaint about Gehrig as number one. As others have said Hank Greenberg definitely belongs on this list. His stats are fantastic especially when you consider that he missed 3 years entirely during WWII and most of two other years because of his service. Joey Votto has had a fine career and is a likely HOF inductee but compared to Hank Greenberg he clearly falls short. As much as I like Jim Thome and his 600 plus homers a comparison with Hank Greenberg shows that Greenberg’s career is superior. Sure, Thome’s counting stats are greater because he played much longer but Greenberg lost almost 5 years during his prime because of the war.
Thanks for the compliment. Hank Greenberg was a hero on and off the field. So many great ballplayers who served during WWII don’t get the recognition that they deserve because their counting stats seem to be a little short because their careers were interrupted or postponed. Even guys who played in the 50’s who were drafted into the military lose some of their prime production because of their service. Willie Mays missed most of the 1952 season and all of 1953 because he was in the army. Take those lost years into account and factor in playing much of his career in that crazy wind at Candlestick Park and you can appreciate why many consider him to be the best. Ted Williams served in two wars and lost almost five years during his prime which makes the stats he still managed to produce almost beyond comparison. If he had a better relationship with the press ,and gave a damn about it, he probably would be considered to be the best hitter of all time by more people.
You didn't put Musial in the greatest left fielders because he spent a lot of years at first. Now he doesn't show up at first? The only Cardinal greater than Puhols, except perhaps Hornsby.
I would place Stan Musial in the top 10 in the outfield all-time either in left or right field. I saw Stan play those positions as Bill White played first base. I rank Albert only behind Musial and Bob Gibson ahead of Hornsby giving more weight to power hitting among all-time Cardinals. Musial makes my all-time top 10 among all players.
Great list- I would give at least honorable mention to Brooklyn's Gil Hodges-He was not only an RBI machine,but also the best right handed first baseman I ever saw.I mention this because defense was job one in bandbox Ebbets Field.Great List nonetheless.
1. Lou Gehrig 2. Albert Pujols 3. Jimmie Foxx 4. Miguel Cabrera 5. Frank Thomas 6. Eddie Murray 7. Jeff Bagwell 8. Jim Thome 9. Willie McCovey 10. Bill Terry
I agree. He came to mind when trying to guess which players would make the list, as did Frank Thomas. Terry was the last NL player to hit .400 for a season, and served as player-mgr, taking over for John McGraw & leading the '33 Giants to a World Series Championship. I don't know much about his fielding acumen, but that's true for the others, too. Will have to read up on that aspect, as well as George Sisler--.420 comes to mind. Thanks, Gentlemen, for a stimulating discussion.
Thank-you. If Jim Thome had played in NY or LA he would be ranked much higher.🥰 Glad you remembered Willie McCovey; he is often overlooked because he played with another "Willie " with the surname of Mays.🥰@@GentrovoKolyova
Not sure Pete Rose would make it to any specific Top 10 position list as he is the only player to play 500 games in 5 different positions (including 1st base). His stats and records are incredible.
This should really be titled the “Top 10 Hitting 1st basemen of all time.” No knock against any of these players but you spoke zero about how they played one of the most difficult and nuanced positions in baseball.
@@13randydandy Well, that's a bit of a reach. Fielding percentage by a first baseman is nowhere near as important a factor in the overall value of a first baseman than ERA is to a pitcher. It's literally the pitcher's primary job to limit runs scored. A first baseman makes so many routine plays in the field that even an average first baseman usually has a high fielding percentage in relation to the rest of the team. What distinguishes most first baseman from others is how much ground they cover on ground balls and how good they are at digging out low throws from other infielders. Lots of first baseman have high fielding percentages but don't contribute all that much in the field because they're either not mobile enough or have fast enough reflexes to take hits away on grounders. But despite all that, offense is by far the primary distinguisher of value among first baseman - probably more than any other position in the game except left field. There's a reason Gehrig is still generally considered the greatest first baseman of all time, despite being an average fielder - his offensive prowess and production is simply unmatched by all his competitors.
randydandy: cmsmch, cmcmhp: Yes, sir? randydandy: That is a lucid, intelligent, well-thought-out objection. cmcmhp: Thank you, Your Honor. randydandy: [in a firm tone] Overruled. Just kidding, fair point. I Left "Your Honor" in to make the reference more clear.
@@cmsmhp Yeah, well thanks for that. The fielding percentage is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divided by the number of total chances. (putouts + assists + errors ) Each first baseman is compared only to other first baseman. Perhaps the number of Gold Gloves awarded might be a factor in determining the best ten fielders at each position. Or, am I still reaching?
Your list is interesting as for me the top two of Lou Gehrrig and Albert Puhols are the surest in ranking. Albert Puhols imakes my all-time Cards line-up and among Cardinals I rank him only behind Stan Musial and Bob Gibson ahead of Rogers Hornsby. Your picks are all very good players. My baseball memories start in the 1950s .
I'm a little surprised that you don't have Frank Thomas in here. I know he spent the majority of his career as a DH, but he'll always be a first baseman to me. Astonishing ballplayer.
I really can't believe you think Frank Thomas should be included. Not only should he NOT be included in the discussion about 1st basement, he should not be in the Hall of Fame. If a guy isn't good enough to play a position, he has NO business in the Hall of Fame.
Come on man, I like Votto, bot no way should he be on this list. Too many others that you didn't mention: Johnny Mize, Hank Greenberg, Frank Thomas, Mark Mcgwire, Harmon KIllebrew. Also, Pujols 2001-2010 the best ten year stretch by any player ever? Really? Have you never heard of Ruth, Gehrig, Hornsby, or Bonds?
I understand it's 1st base, but no consideration given to fielding? Defensively, firstbasemen handle the ball lot covering the left-hand corner, anchoring double plays. Now, the narrator knows a lot more about baseball than I ever will, so it would have been nice if he had at least given some honorable mentions to gold glove winners.
Top 10 lists should not include who was on your wall when you were 10, kid. Joey Votto? Jim Thome played 3rd in cleveland regularly for 7 years, not 1st.
Bill Terry, George Sisler, Rod Carew (played more at first base than second base). Also, Hal Chase of the NY Highlanders (later known as the Yankees) was the best first baseman of the “Dead Ball” Era.
When asked to pick his all-time all-star team, baseball legend Connie Mack, a man who actually witnessed these greats in action, chose Sisler over both Gehrig and Foxx.@@GentrovoKolyova
My guess is Sisler also stood out fielding the position. Sisler hit for high average but I also weigh home run hitting higher like I can tell is being done for this list. You gave an interesting comment on Sisler. but would also pick Gehrig and Puhols for the top two. @@dennissollars9062
Foxx, Gehrig, Pujos, Sisler, 'Stretch' McCovey. Cabrera should be #1. I'm a Tiger fan and had him pegged, after his Triple Crown season, to surpass Foxx. It didn't happen because of lack of self-discipline (to put it nicely). Best oppo power-hitter I ever saw, though. RFGA, Ph.D.
Guys who walk a lot but who have never been extraordinary RBI men are tough to evaluate. That's Joey Votto. If he had great RBI men hitting right after him he would have scored a lot more runs than he did. Without such RBI men, Votto got on base a lot but ended up stranded. In addition, with runners in scoring position but with first base open, I'm sure that Votto was walked repeatedly. Modern statistical metrics such as OPS tend to rate guys like Votto very highly since they don't make many outs. However, big RBI years are obvious by their absence in Votto's career.
You mentioned a bunch of guys ranked from 11 through 20. Of course I'll mention a few (in no particular order) : Keith Hernandez Mo Vaughn (short career) Prince Fielder (short career) Gil Hodges George Sisler Hank Greenberg Orlando Cepeda (first base and outfield) David Ortiz (mostly designated hitter) Of course I've left off a few.
What about Willie Stargell! Can’t believe he’s not on your list. He played at a time when he had to face Gibson, Koufax, Drysdale, Seaver, Carlton, Jenkins… His home ballpark wasn’t homer friendly until they built Three Rivers Stadium…. He was a major force throughout his career, especially in the 1970s. Played a key role in WS wins for the Pirates in 1971 and 1979, and numerous Division titles….
I don't follow the game anymore. Gave up on it when they expanded from 20 teams. Dh's, interleague play, wildcards, watered down pitching has killed the game. But the best I saw was Willie McCovey.
@@dougamundson6836First of all, DH is a position. Second, the Hall is filled with left fielders and first basemen who should have been designated hitters. Finally, would you make the same assertion about Jim Thome?
Some of these careers were so long ago that they have become "folklore". Who knows what really happened on a 85°F day in July in 1938 in St.Louis other than what some beat writer put in a newspaper? @@dominickmilano4858
@@petersonofleo11destroy? What are you smoking? Albert Pujols was better but just slightly. In that 10 stretch he averaged 8.19 wins above replacement per 162 games. Griffey averaged 7.54 in his 90s 10 year stretch. I wouldn’t quite label that “destroyed”. Even if you don’t really believe in WAR (which I don’t fully) let’s take a more conventional stat OPS+. Pujols OPS+ was 172 during his 00s 10 year stretch. Griffey’s was 152. Now take Griffey’s 10 straight gold gloves at a far more difficult position compared to 2 for Pujols. Take Junior’s 17 stolen bases per season over Albert’s 8. It’s really not anywhere close to “destruction”. It’s actually quite close. Griffey’s hitting numbers alone as a center fielder would put him in the hall of fame first ballot as a first baseman.
@@HT-sm9dm The fact that Pujols got more WAR than Griffey in a less valuable position than CF shows how dominant Pujols was from 2001-2010. Pujols literally averaged a triple crown his first 12 years in the league from 2001-2012. From 2001-2012 Pujols had the most HR out of anyone on the entire MLB, most rbi out of anyone on the MLB. He also had the highest batting average out of anyone of any eligible player in that period. Griffey was stealing 17 bases but getting caught 6 times. Pujols was stealing 8 bases and getting caught 3 times a season so their base stealing percentage was practically the same.
@@petersonofleo11 yeah I just don’t see it. Nobody is destroying that 10 year period from Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s. That is going way too far. Griffey was putting up first baseman stats playing center field and amazing, gold glove center field on top of that. For 10 years in a row. Plus the base stealing is not a wash because they had the same % lol. That’s not how it works. A guy stealing 3 out of 4 is not equal to a guy stealing 30 out of 40. That makes no sense. A difference of 20 OPS+ while being much faster on the base paths - that includes going first to 3rd and 2nd to home on singles - playing a much more difficult position at a much higher level (10 GGs to 2)… does not add up to being “destroyed” by Pujols. That’s hyperbole at it’s finest.
Yes, all great first basemen. Just because it wasn't considering defense only, doesn't mean it's not a legitimate list. First base is a position where the overwhelming part of ones value comes from offense. So it only makes sense that those on this list are there primarily because of their hitting prowess/offensive value.
1. Mark Grace 2. Leon Durham. 3. Frank Thomas. 4. Paul Konerko. 5. Anthony Rizzo. 6. Jose Abreu 7. Greg Walker 8. Derek Lee 9. Bill Buckner 10. Ernie Banks
What a joke of a list no Jimmie Fox, Albert Pujols, even Mark Mcgwire? But you got Anthony Rizzo, Jose Abreau, and Mark Grace as the greatest 1st basemen ever? What kinda drugs are you on? Lol no Lou Gerhig?? Please.
(1) With 5 years hindsight, Joey Votto is a good example of why you might NOT want to put current players on an "All Time" list. (2) Buck Leonard? Come on now. (3) Agree that Lou Gehrig is the Best 1st Baseman of All Time.
@@GentrovoKolyova, I understand the politics of it all. But Buck Leonard did not play MLB. So, it's not possible to compare him to men who did. Joey Votto deserves to be on this list more than Buck Leonard does.
@@GentrovoKolyova, by whom are they recognized? If the objective is to be politically correct, then maybe include in your list the best 1st baseman ever to play in the Japanese Leagues. Are the Japanese Leagues "recognized as major league now" too?
this list did a disservice when it comes to baseball history by leaving off hank greenberg in favor of joey votto if it wasnt for walks joey votto wouldnt have a .300 average he ranks on the low end of .300 hitters the last like 5 years in terms of total hits compared to hank who had 3 seasons of 200 hits as well as a total of 5 seasons of 170 + if it wasnt for world war 2 he and gehrig would stand easily at a tie for number 1 especially with his greenberg's rbi production as well as the fact he only played 12 full seasons and won 2 mvps was top 3 in voting for 4 years and was top 10 in voting 6 times literally half of his career voters thought he was a top 10 player in the league and miggy is great but he is not better than eddie murray or thome considering when thome retired he had more home runs than any other first baseman which has since been broken by pujols and miggy is nowhere near touching it and eddie murray is a great fielder as well as a great hitter he won 3 gold gloves at first compared to miggy with 0 and murray hit more homers which is even more impressive being a switch hitter
and harmon killebrew i mean these arent just debatable names these are titans, giants of the position first base to be left off he has 573 hrs votto will be lucky to reach 300
Thanks for the feedback, but saying this list did a disservice is a bit much IMO. All these baseball lists can be argued endlessly, and when one or two players get left off then not everybody is going to be happy. I certainly understand your argument here. Greenberg is one of the all-time greats, and so is Killebrew. It was a tough decision, and I encourage discussion to prove me wrong. But entirely dismissing a list based on a couple of people you don’t agree with is not the best argument. Thanks for watching, though!
@@GentrovoKolyova when you put votto in over hank greenberg and over harmon killebrew and then also rank him higher than eddie murray it is a diservice to baseball history votto will be lucky to reach half of the accomplishments of those three guys in baseball i mean you ranked him higher than a guy in eddie murray who is considered the second greatest all around switch hitter after mantle. killebrew and murray have more hits more runs more rbis more homeruns. then greenberg has more home runs more rbis more runs he has a better ops a better slugging and if it wasnt for world war 2 he would easily have more hits. All three of those names were also better fielders than joey votto all three have a better career range factor and fielding percentage than votto. the only award votto has over murray is an MVP but he has more seasons finishing top 5 than votto with 6, murray has more silver sluggers more gold gloves and more all star selections, greenberg has more MVPs and he finished top 3 more times than votto and more finishes in the top 10 then votto and played in the same era as ruth gehrig dimaggio i mean one season that he lost out the MVP race was jimmie foxx's massive 175 season, and its the same with killebrew more top fives more top tens finishes the only people who would rank votto a top 10 first baseman of all time over this guy either only look at obp or are reds fans, Don mattingly was twice the first baseman votto is votto hasnt even been the best first baseman in the league freeman goldschmidt and rizzo are all better first basemen then him
Three of your ten could play first base. The rest moved to first because they could hit & couldn't field for shit. Thome, Cabrera, Murray were awful in the field. Where is Mattingly??
I would bump off Jim Thome and Cabrera - just not enough games played at first.. and Buck Leonard.. because I dunno.. it's like with all negro league players.. PROBABLY.. but.. do we really know? And replace those three with Fred McGriff, Keith Hernandez and Will Clark in some order and move everyone else up.
There is no way Pujols is better than Gehrig. Gehrig “played” 17 years, his first season he played 13 games, his second season 10 games, his last when he was dying, 8 games. So when you look at his stats he did what he did in 14 years. Gehrig was a run producer like no one before or since. Pujols average 162 game season 37 hr 117 rbi 101 runs 178 hits 36 doubles 1 triple 72 walks 74 k’s .374 OBP .544 SLG .918 OPS 145 OPS+ 327 total bases with a .296 average Gehrig average 162 game season 37 hr 149 rbi 141 runs 204 hits 40 2B 12 3B 113 walks 59 k’s .447 OBP .632 SLG 1.080 OPS 179 OPS+ and 379 total bases with a .340 average Pujols is an all time great, but Gehrig is in a class by himself.
Arguing against Gehrig doesn't make much sense, but since you challenged me. 3 arguments for Pujols over Gehrig. 1. Pujols was significantly better than Gehrig going into their age 30 season. Is rate of decline really the best metric for judging greatness? 2. Gehrig spent most of his career on a team filled with the best hitters in the league. You can't pitch around anyone when your team is called murderers' row. Pujols 2006 has to be one of the worst teams to win the World Series. John Rodriguez (who?)was the only other .300 hitter on the team. Why did anyone throw Pujols a strike? 3. 1920s and 30s pitchers were selling used cars in the off season. Especially if you were pitching for anyone besides the Yankees. If Pujols could've spent his career batting against semi professional pitchers he might've racked up a few more WAR points.
To sum up my 3rd point, "Pitchers in Pujols day were better than pitchers in Gehrig's day." You can disagree with the point if you like, I suspect that you could come up with a rational argument to disagree with it. But your statement that "Pujols himself is a used car salesman" has NOTHING to do with my 3rd point, it has more to do with my 1st point. You seem to want to skip making a meaningful point and go straight to "Gehrig is better!" ...
@@adamandaliciagordon9646 no no what I’m saying is Pujols wouldn’t be making enough money in the 1930s to put food on the table from baseball alone. He’d also need a second job. Which would take away from his time to train and take batting practice. You can’t just transfer a 2002 Pujols into 1930. You have to give him all of the disadvantages players in that era had to incur.
1. Albert Pujols 2. Lou Gehrig 3.Jimmy Foxx 4. Hank Green berg 5. Cap Anson 6. Frank Thomas 7. Jim Thome 8. Miguel Cabrera 9. Eddie Murray 10. Willie McCovey
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Excellent choices. I think i would have included Hank Greenberg. I believe he played 1B more than he did OF.
Honorable mention: Harmon Killibrew.
Honorable mention, my a$$. 673 home runs. Not a great fielder, but not bad, either.
@@dougamundson6836 Being from Minnesota, Harmon was my hero as a kid. He hit 573 HR, not 673
Correct. Sorry about that, I guess I had fat fingers when I said that. Thanks for the correction. @@timolson9224
Killer was great maybe left off because early he played third and some left field before settling at first
Sisler, Greenberg & Frank Thomas come to mind. So many great ones. I heard of Buck Leonard, but didn't know he played 1st Base. How about a shout out to Johnny Mize....he lost 3 prime years to WW2.
Frank Thomas my a$$. He was a DH, NOT a 1st Baseman.
Good list. Votto didn’t age well after the video was posted; Mize likely ahead of him in top ten today. You have the 1800’s guys, Cap Anson, Roger Connor, and Dan Brouthers, but so hard to compare modern players to guys who played so long ago. Cap Anson makes my list for being top 5 in career RBI all time despite just 97 career home runs.
Great list man. And no chance, I will not argue one bit with your number one. The Iron Horse, the all-time greatest first baseman. What a legendary man.
Thanks!
@@GentrovoKolyova You didnt put George Sisler in there? You nuts or what?
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t He was close, but he played in a very offensive era.
Will Clark, Don Matingly, Keith Hernadez. They were pretty good too.
good but not great
I agree.Keith Hernandez and Don Mattingly were the greatest defensive first basemen.⚾🇺🇲
Lou Gehrig is not only the greatest first baseman of all time, he was also a great human being.
Interesting list and no complaint about Gehrig as number one. As others have said Hank Greenberg definitely belongs on this list. His stats are fantastic especially when you consider that he missed 3 years entirely during WWII and most of two other years because of his service. Joey Votto has had a fine career and is a likely HOF inductee but compared to Hank Greenberg he clearly falls short. As much as I like Jim Thome and his 600 plus homers a comparison with Hank Greenberg shows that Greenberg’s career is superior. Sure, Thome’s counting stats are greater because he played much longer but Greenberg lost almost 5 years during his prime because of the war.
Geez, a guy who knows baseball history. Thank You So Much.
Thanks for the compliment. Hank Greenberg was a hero on and off the field. So many great ballplayers who served during WWII don’t get the recognition that they deserve because their counting stats seem to be a little short because their careers were interrupted or postponed. Even guys who played in the 50’s who were drafted into the military lose some of their prime production because of their service. Willie Mays missed most of the 1952 season and all of 1953 because he was in the army. Take those lost years into account and factor in playing much of his career in that crazy wind at Candlestick Park and you can appreciate why many consider him to be the best. Ted Williams served in two wars and lost almost five years during his prime which makes the stats he still managed to produce almost beyond comparison. If he had a better relationship with the press ,and gave a damn about it, he probably would be considered to be the best hitter of all time by more people.
I can't see Votto, when you are the number 3 hitter in the lineup or in the clean up spot I don't think being ultra selective is a great compliment
LOU GEHRIG WAS A BEAST 170 RBI
185
163 TRIBLES
What about Don Mattingly, & Will Clark.
No
Once you listed Miggy I was satisfied.
You didn't put Musial in the greatest left fielders because he spent a lot of years at first. Now he doesn't show up at first? The only Cardinal greater than Puhols, except perhaps Hornsby.
I agree, but I still stuck with my criteria. He is in my top 5 of split position players though.
I would place Stan Musial in the top 10 in the outfield all-time either in left or right field. I saw Stan play those positions as Bill White played first base. I rank Albert only behind Musial and Bob Gibson ahead of Hornsby giving more weight to power hitting among all-time Cardinals. Musial makes my all-time top 10 among all players.
being an oldtimer when I think of Stan I think outfield
Didn't include HOF'er Hank Greenberg. Missed substantial time in the War.
You put Joey Votto ahead of Hank Greenberg and Mark McGwire. I would put Fred McGriff ahead of Joey Votto.
You forgot about Boog Powell! Just joking.
Great list- I would give at least honorable mention to Brooklyn's Gil Hodges-He was not only an RBI machine,but also the best right handed first baseman I ever saw.I mention this because defense was job one in bandbox Ebbets Field.Great List nonetheless.
Honorable mention: Tino Martinez
George Sisler.
Yup.
How the hell is Greenberg not a top three!
Not enough games.
@@GentrovoKolyovaWWII shouldn't count against him.
Votto over Greenberg is an absolute joke.
I agree...Greenberg and Sisler MUST be in such a list
1. Lou Gehrig
2. Albert Pujols
3. Jimmie Foxx
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Frank Thomas
6. Eddie Murray
7. Jeff Bagwell
8. Jim Thome
9. Willie McCovey
10. Bill Terry
LukeFREEZY 24 I love the inclusion of Bill Terry. Such a great player!
I agree. He came to mind when trying to guess which players would make the list, as did Frank Thomas. Terry was the last NL player to hit .400 for a season, and served as player-mgr, taking over for John McGraw & leading the '33 Giants to a World Series Championship. I don't know much about his fielding acumen, but that's true for the others, too. Will have to read up on that aspect, as well as George Sisler--.420 comes to mind.
Thanks, Gentlemen, for a stimulating discussion.
I agree with ALL your choices; GOOD JOB Gentrovo 🇺🇲🥰🇺🇲🥰🇺🇲🥰🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
You’re in rare company, but I thank you for your support.
Thank-you. If Jim Thome had played in NY or LA he would be ranked much higher.🥰 Glad you remembered Willie McCovey; he is often overlooked because he played with another "Willie " with the surname of Mays.🥰@@GentrovoKolyova
Lou is #1. Always.
You forgot Don Mattingly
You can compare percentages to any position on the field. How did he play first base would be the first question
In my opinion, Hank Greenberg should have made this list.
No doubt who the GOAT is, though.
I agree on both of your points.
They were good friends. Hank was just behind Lou on the record RBI record.
Eddie Murray was underrated.
agree
Not sure Pete Rose would make it to any specific Top 10 position list as he is the only player to play 500 games in 5 different positions (including 1st base). His stats and records are incredible.
I really have to agree with you.
This should really be titled the “Top 10 Hitting 1st basemen of all time.” No knock against any of these players but you spoke zero about how they played one of the most difficult and nuanced positions in baseball.
No mention of a fielding average? That's like listing the best 10 pitchers, and not mentioning the number of strikeouts, or ERA
@@13randydandy Well, that's a bit of a reach. Fielding percentage by a first baseman is nowhere near as important a factor in the overall value of a first baseman than ERA is to a pitcher. It's literally the pitcher's primary job to limit runs scored. A first baseman makes so many routine plays in the field that even an average first baseman usually has a high fielding percentage in relation to the rest of the team. What distinguishes most first baseman from others is how much ground they cover on ground balls and how good they are at digging out low throws from other infielders. Lots of first baseman have high fielding percentages but don't contribute all that much in the field because they're either not mobile enough or have fast enough reflexes to take hits away on grounders. But despite all that, offense is by far the primary distinguisher of value among first baseman - probably more than any other position in the game except left field.
There's a reason Gehrig is still generally considered the greatest first baseman of all time, despite being an average fielder - his offensive prowess and production is simply unmatched by all his competitors.
randydandy: cmsmch,
cmcmhp: Yes, sir?
randydandy: That is a lucid, intelligent, well-thought-out objection.
cmcmhp: Thank you, Your Honor.
randydandy: [in a firm tone] Overruled. Just kidding, fair point. I Left "Your Honor" in to make the reference more clear.
@@13randydandy Lol, thanks, at least I didn't strenuously object 😉
@@cmsmhp Yeah, well thanks for that. The fielding percentage is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divided by the number of total chances. (putouts + assists + errors ) Each first baseman is compared only to other first baseman. Perhaps the number of Gold Gloves awarded might be a factor in determining the best ten fielders at each position. Or, am I still reaching?
keith hernandez 10 gold gloves
Your list is interesting as for me the top two of Lou Gehrrig and Albert Puhols are the surest in ranking. Albert Puhols imakes my all-time Cards line-up and among Cardinals I rank him only behind Stan Musial and Bob Gibson ahead of Rogers Hornsby. Your picks are all very good players. My baseball memories start in the 1950s .
Where’s Harmon Killebrew?
I'm a little surprised that you don't have Frank Thomas in here. I know he spent the majority of his career as a DH, but he'll always be a first baseman to me. Astonishing ballplayer.
I really can't believe you think Frank Thomas should be included. Not only should he NOT be included in the discussion about 1st basement, he should not be in the Hall of Fame. If a guy isn't good enough to play a position, he has NO business in the Hall of Fame.
@@dougamundson6836 I hate the designated hitter as much as anyone, but penalizing the big hurt for how his team chose to use him is wrong.
You make a good point, but I still lean toward what I said earlier. @@studogable
Come on man, I like Votto, bot no way should he be on this list. Too many others that you didn't mention: Johnny Mize, Hank Greenberg, Frank Thomas, Mark Mcgwire, Harmon KIllebrew. Also, Pujols 2001-2010 the best ten year stretch by any player ever? Really? Have you never heard of Ruth, Gehrig, Hornsby, or Bonds?
Joey Voto hell no
I understand it's 1st base, but no consideration given to fielding?
Defensively, firstbasemen handle the ball lot covering the left-hand corner, anchoring double plays.
Now, the narrator knows a lot more about baseball than I ever will, so it would have been nice if he had at least given some honorable mentions to gold glove winners.
Top 10 lists should not include who was on your wall when you were 10, kid. Joey Votto? Jim Thome played 3rd in cleveland regularly for 7 years, not 1st.
Thanks for assuming that I’m that young!
Jimmie Foxx did play in a hitter's era for somw time. Defensively, Hal Chase. Overall, George Sisler. Yes, Buck Leonard does deserve it.
You missed Hank Greenberg, Cap Anson, & Harmon Killebrew! Joey Votto & Buck Leonard do not belong on this list!
100% disagree, but thanks for the feedback.
I agree about Votto and Leonard
Bill Terry, George Sisler, Rod Carew (played more at first base than second base). Also, Hal Chase of the NY Highlanders (later known as the Yankees) was the best first baseman of the “Dead Ball” Era.
GEORGE SISLER!!! BILL TERRY!!! Eddie Murray, a member of the 3,000 hits & 500 HRs clubs, should've been higher on your list.
dennis sollars Thanks for the feedback.
When asked to pick his all-time all-star team, baseball legend Connie Mack, a man who actually witnessed these greats in action, chose Sisler over both Gehrig and Foxx.@@GentrovoKolyova
My guess is Sisler also stood out fielding the position. Sisler hit for high average but I also weigh home run hitting higher like I can tell is being done for this list. You gave an interesting comment on Sisler. but would also pick Gehrig and Puhols for the top two. @@dennissollars9062
I agree Murray should have been higher.
Foxx, Gehrig, Pujos, Sisler, 'Stretch' McCovey. Cabrera should be #1. I'm a Tiger fan and had him pegged, after his Triple Crown season, to surpass Foxx. It didn't happen because of lack of self-discipline (to put it nicely). Best oppo power-hitter I ever saw, though. RFGA, Ph.D.
Great list!
Guys who walk a lot but who have never been extraordinary RBI men are tough to evaluate. That's Joey Votto. If he had great RBI men hitting right after him he would have scored a lot more runs than he did. Without such RBI men, Votto got on base a lot but ended up stranded. In addition, with runners in scoring position but with first base open, I'm sure that Votto was walked repeatedly. Modern statistical metrics such as OPS tend to rate guys like Votto very highly since they don't make many outs. However, big RBI years are obvious by their absence in Votto's career.
You mentioned a bunch of guys ranked from 11 through 20. Of course I'll mention a few (in no particular order) :
Keith Hernandez
Mo Vaughn (short career)
Prince Fielder (short career)
Gil Hodges
George Sisler
Hank Greenberg
Orlando Cepeda (first base and outfield)
David Ortiz (mostly designated hitter)
Of course I've left off a few.
What about Willie Stargell!
Can’t believe he’s not on your list. He played at a time when he had to face Gibson, Koufax, Drysdale, Seaver, Carlton, Jenkins… His home ballpark wasn’t homer friendly until they built Three Rivers Stadium….
He was a major force throughout his career, especially in the 1970s. Played a key role in WS wins for the Pirates in 1971 and 1979, and numerous Division titles….
W
I don't follow the game anymore. Gave up on it when they expanded from 20 teams. Dh's, interleague play, wildcards, watered down pitching has killed the game. But the best I saw was Willie McCovey.
I can't argue about that
where in the hell is the BIG HURT FRANK THOMAS
He was primarily a DH.
Thomas played almost 350 more games at DH than he did at first base.
Frank Thomas has NO business in this discussion. If a guy can't play a position, he shouldn't be discussed. Even for the Hall of Fame.
@@dougamundson6836First of all, DH is a position. Second, the Hall is filled with left fielders and first basemen who should have been designated hitters. Finally, would you make the same assertion about Jim Thome?
1st: I don't agree that DH is a position. A position fields. 2nd: about Thome, yes I would. I have always hated the DH. @@roberthudson1959
What about Frank Thomas?
Oh, and Rafael Palmeiro
garvey?
#alexjones #joerogan #timpool #mlb #nfl
Thank you wonderful list, but what about the fielding capabilities? Never tire of hearing that speech.
Your list is descent, however some of these guys played when none of us were alive……
Yeah so what's your point?
Some of these careers were so long ago that they have become "folklore". Who knows what really happened on a 85°F day in July in 1938 in St.Louis other than what some beat writer put in a newspaper? @@dominickmilano4858
Bill Terry and George Sisler? Come on.
Chuck Conners?
Whereabouts would Boog Powell figure on this list? 10? 20? 30?
Or willie McCovey for that matter.
Stan Musial??????????
My #2 after Gerihg
More OF time than 1B?
Musial played most of his career in LF.
Bill Terry Hank Greenberg
Keith Hernandez?
Just outside of my top ten. Excellent player!
Great fielder, but very little power.
i love albert brother.... but the best 10 year stretch belongs to ken griffey jr
Pujols numbers from 2001 to 2010 destroy Griffey Jr numbers from the 90s.
@@petersonofleo11destroy? What are you smoking? Albert Pujols was better but just slightly. In that 10 stretch he averaged 8.19 wins above replacement per 162 games. Griffey averaged 7.54 in his 90s 10 year stretch. I wouldn’t quite label that “destroyed”.
Even if you don’t really believe in WAR (which I don’t fully) let’s take a more conventional stat OPS+. Pujols OPS+ was 172 during his 00s 10 year stretch. Griffey’s was 152. Now take Griffey’s 10 straight gold gloves at a far more difficult position compared to 2 for Pujols. Take Junior’s 17 stolen bases per season over Albert’s 8.
It’s really not anywhere close to “destruction”. It’s actually quite close. Griffey’s hitting numbers alone as a center fielder would put him in the hall of fame first ballot as a first baseman.
@@HT-sm9dm The fact that Pujols got more WAR than Griffey in a less valuable position than CF shows how dominant Pujols was from 2001-2010. Pujols literally averaged a triple crown his first 12 years in the league from 2001-2012. From 2001-2012 Pujols had the most HR out of anyone on the entire MLB, most rbi out of anyone on the MLB. He also had the highest batting average out of anyone of any eligible player in that period. Griffey was stealing 17 bases but getting caught 6 times. Pujols was stealing 8 bases and getting caught 3 times a season so their base stealing percentage was practically the same.
@@petersonofleo11 yeah I just don’t see it. Nobody is destroying that 10 year period from Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s. That is going way too far. Griffey was putting up first baseman stats playing center field and amazing, gold glove center field on top of that. For 10 years in a row.
Plus the base stealing is not a wash because they had the same % lol. That’s not how it works. A guy stealing 3 out of 4 is not equal to a guy stealing 30 out of 40. That makes no sense.
A difference of 20 OPS+ while being much faster on the base paths - that includes going first to 3rd and 2nd to home on singles - playing a much more difficult position at a much higher level (10 GGs to 2)… does not add up to being “destroyed” by Pujols. That’s hyperbole at it’s finest.
@@HT-sm9dmArod and pujols first ten years are better than Griffey
Lou Gehrig is number 2
McGuire not on list?
McGuire? Are you kidding? Drugs. No more needs to be said.
Alba gu bràth (re flag in background)
A list of hitters that play 1st. Not great 1st baseman.
Yes, all great first basemen. Just because it wasn't considering defense only, doesn't mean it's not a legitimate list. First base is a position where the overwhelming part of ones value comes from offense. So it only makes sense that those on this list are there primarily because of their hitting prowess/offensive value.
I absolutley agree. @@cmsmhp
Bios
1. Mark Grace
2. Leon Durham.
3. Frank Thomas.
4. Paul Konerko.
5. Anthony Rizzo.
6. Jose Abreu
7. Greg Walker
8. Derek Lee
9. Bill Buckner
10. Ernie Banks
So no Frank Chance or Phil Cavarretta?
Dick Allen?
What a joke of a list no Jimmie Fox, Albert Pujols, even Mark Mcgwire? But you got Anthony Rizzo, Jose Abreau, and Mark Grace as the greatest 1st basemen ever? What kinda drugs are you on? Lol no Lou Gerhig?? Please.
Jeff Bagwell? Edgar Martinez? You got Bill Buckner?? YIKES
You must be a Cubs fan cuz the bias is insane
Albert is arguably the greatest right handed hitter ever and I think he is top 5 GOAT
Facts he’s gonna get to 700 homers
so what about frank chance or dick sisler or tony perez definatly better than joey votto
All those guys and dozens more.
(1) With 5 years hindsight, Joey Votto is a good example of why you might NOT want to put current players on an "All Time" list. (2) Buck Leonard? Come on now. (3) Agree that Lou Gehrig is the Best 1st Baseman of All Time.
Maybe so. No Buck Leonard? Come on now.
@@GentrovoKolyova, I understand the politics of it all. But Buck Leonard did not play MLB. So, it's not possible to compare him to men who did. Joey Votto deserves to be on this list more than Buck Leonard does.
@@henry-bo3np Not trying to be political. The Negro Leagues are recognized as a major league now. As they should have been. Thanks for the feedback!
@@GentrovoKolyova, by whom are they recognized? If the objective is to be politically correct, then maybe include in your list the best 1st baseman ever to play in the Japanese Leagues. Are the Japanese Leagues "recognized as major league now" too?
@@henry-bo3np MLB recognizes the Negro Leagues as a major league. Happened maybe a year ago or so?
Come on we all know John Kruk was the best
Go Whiz Kids!
His legendary at bat in the all-star game against Randy Johnson is totally funny!! Two all stars are having fun with each other!!
this list did a disservice when it comes to baseball history by leaving off hank greenberg in favor of joey votto if it wasnt for walks joey votto wouldnt have a .300 average he ranks on the low end of .300 hitters the last like 5 years in terms of total hits compared to hank who had 3 seasons of 200 hits as well as a total of 5 seasons of 170 + if it wasnt for world war 2 he and gehrig would stand easily at a tie for number 1 especially with his greenberg's rbi production as well as the fact he only played 12 full seasons and won 2 mvps was top 3 in voting for 4 years and was top 10 in voting 6 times literally half of his career voters thought he was a top 10 player in the league and miggy is great but he is not better than eddie murray or thome considering when thome retired he had more home runs than any other first baseman which has since been broken by pujols and miggy is nowhere near touching it and eddie murray is a great fielder as well as a great hitter he won 3 gold gloves at first compared to miggy with 0 and murray hit more homers which is even more impressive being a switch hitter
and harmon killebrew i mean these arent just debatable names these are titans, giants of the position first base to be left off he has 573 hrs votto will be lucky to reach 300
Thanks for the feedback, but saying this list did a disservice is a bit much IMO. All these baseball lists can be argued endlessly, and when one or two players get left off then not everybody is going to be happy. I certainly understand your argument here. Greenberg is one of the all-time greats, and so is Killebrew. It was a tough decision, and I encourage discussion to prove me wrong. But entirely dismissing a list based on a couple of people you don’t agree with is not the best argument. Thanks for watching, though!
@@GentrovoKolyova when you put votto in over hank greenberg and over harmon killebrew and then also rank him higher than eddie murray it is a diservice to baseball history votto will be lucky to reach half of the accomplishments of those three guys in baseball i mean you ranked him higher than a guy in eddie murray who is considered the second greatest all around switch hitter after mantle. killebrew and murray have more hits more runs more rbis more homeruns. then greenberg has more home runs more rbis more runs he has a better ops a better slugging and if it wasnt for world war 2 he would easily have more hits. All three of those names were also better fielders than joey votto all three have a better career range factor and fielding percentage than votto. the only award votto has over murray is an MVP but he has more seasons finishing top 5 than votto with 6, murray has more silver sluggers more gold gloves and more all star selections, greenberg has more MVPs and he finished top 3 more times than votto and more finishes in the top 10 then votto and played in the same era as ruth gehrig dimaggio i mean one season that he lost out the MVP race was jimmie foxx's massive 175 season, and its the same with killebrew more top fives more top tens finishes the only people who would rank votto a top 10 first baseman of all time over this guy either only look at obp or are reds fans, Don mattingly was twice the first baseman votto is votto hasnt even been the best first baseman in the league freeman goldschmidt and rizzo are all better first basemen then him
Agreed. But....Harmon Killabrew, 673 home runs.
Votto ahead of Killabrew? Really. Har, har, har. @@GentrovoKolyova
Who the hell made this list? Jeff Bagwell was a roider. And Joey Votto? Really???
Three of your ten could play first base. The rest moved to first because they could hit & couldn't field for shit. Thome, Cabrera, Murray were awful in the field. Where is Mattingly??
Mattingly is my favorite player, but he had 5 years of superior play.
Mattingly was great, but not for long enough. Pity his back gave out. This Red Sox fan enjoyed watching his prime.
Agreed, (to a point). Some of these guys played first 'cause they couldn't play anywhere else. Mattingly was not good enough long enough.
I would bump off Jim Thome and Cabrera - just not enough games played at first.. and Buck Leonard.. because I dunno.. it's like with all negro league players.. PROBABLY.. but.. do we really know? And replace those three with Fred McGriff, Keith Hernandez and Will Clark in some order and move everyone else up.
Met fan Love Keith but cmon he doesn't belong on that list,nor does Will Clark who would be next Wally Joyner?
@@thomasespositio3139 Hernandez and Clark were both way better than Wally Joyner, who was still pretty good.
Best first baseman ever is Albert pujols but it is closer than you think in my opinion
There is no way Pujols is better than Gehrig. Gehrig “played” 17 years, his first season he played 13 games, his second season 10 games, his last when he was dying, 8 games. So when you look at his stats he did what he did in 14 years. Gehrig was a run producer like no one before or since. Pujols average 162 game season
37 hr 117 rbi 101 runs 178 hits 36 doubles 1 triple 72 walks 74 k’s .374 OBP .544 SLG .918 OPS 145 OPS+ 327 total bases with a .296 average
Gehrig average 162 game season
37 hr 149 rbi 141 runs 204 hits 40 2B 12 3B 113 walks 59 k’s .447 OBP .632 SLG 1.080 OPS 179 OPS+ and 379 total bases with a .340 average
Pujols is an all time great, but Gehrig is in a class by himself.
Albert was on the juice.
You HAVE to be kidding.
As soon as you put joey votto in I quit watching
Thanks!
Arguing against Gehrig doesn't make much sense, but since you challenged me. 3 arguments for Pujols over Gehrig.
1. Pujols was significantly better than Gehrig going into their age 30 season. Is rate of decline really the best metric for judging greatness?
2. Gehrig spent most of his career on a team filled with the best hitters in the league. You can't pitch around anyone when your team is called murderers' row. Pujols 2006 has to be one of the worst teams to win the World Series. John Rodriguez (who?)was the only other .300 hitter on the team. Why did anyone throw Pujols a strike?
3. 1920s and 30s pitchers were selling used cars in the off season. Especially if you were pitching for anyone besides the Yankees. If Pujols could've spent his career batting against semi professional pitchers he might've racked up a few more WAR points.
Adam and Alicia Gordon Excellent points! Thanks for the feedback.
He on base percentage is not that high
What a an absolutely insane 3rd point. So Pujols himself wouldn’t be selling used cars in the off season? Wtf 😳🤦♂️🤦♂️
To sum up my 3rd point, "Pitchers in Pujols day were better than pitchers in Gehrig's day." You can disagree with the point if you like, I suspect that you could come up with a rational argument to disagree with it. But your statement that "Pujols himself is a used car salesman" has NOTHING to do with my 3rd point, it has more to do with my 1st point.
You seem to want to skip making a meaningful point and go straight to "Gehrig is better!" ...
@@adamandaliciagordon9646 no no what I’m saying is Pujols wouldn’t be making enough money in the 1930s to put food on the table from baseball alone. He’d also need a second job. Which would take away from his time to train and take batting practice. You can’t just transfer a 2002 Pujols into 1930. You have to give him all of the disadvantages players in that era had to incur.
think about it...gehrig hit 175 RBIs in 1927....after babe Ruth cleared the bases 60 times in front of him!
1. Albert Pujols
2. Lou Gehrig
3.Jimmy Foxx
4. Hank Green berg
5. Cap Anson
6. Frank Thomas
7. Jim Thome
8. Miguel Cabrera
9. Eddie Murray
10. Willie McCovey
Good list.
W
I would Miggy over Frank Thomas