2002 National League Left Field Rankings imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap imagemap
SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds 38 L/L
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 SF 102 355 93 20 2 34 91 83 73 62 262 389 617 15 2
2000 SF 143 480 147 28 4 49 129 106 117 77 306 440 688 11 3
2001 SF 153 476 156 32 2 73 129 137 177 93 328 515 863 13 3
      It is fascinating to watch the power struggle in the media between those who desperately want to rehabilitate Bonds' image, and others who want to keep his name in the mud. The detractors will lose; every great player, now matter how much he is vilified, ends up looking like a good guy. Ted Williams has outlived all of the men who hated his guts, and is now a beloved legend. Do a quick search on the web on Ty Cobb, and you will find pages and pages of purple prose written about the Peach. Even Dick Allen seems to have his fans once again.
      As for Bonds' season... I don't know if it is the greatest season ever, but I think we can safely say that it is close. I never, ever, thought that I would see someone beat Babe Ruth's .847 slugging percentage from 1920. Occasionally, a player might top the .800 mark for a month, then fall back to Earth. But a full season? And Bonds didn't just beat it, he whupped it.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: Not only is Bonds the best baseball player in the world, he is the only candidate. If he keeps it up, he will easily win his fifth MVP. He should have been the All-Star Game MVP, too, but you can't win them all.
ATLANTA - Chipper Jones 30 S/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 ATL 157 567 181 41 1 45 116 110 126 94 319 441 633 25 3
2000 ATL 156 579 180 38 1 36 118 111 95 64 311 404 566 14 7
2001 ATL 159 572 189 33 5 38 113 102 98 82 330 427 605 9 10
      It appears that Mike Schmidt's reign as baseball's greatest third baseman will last a little longer. Chipper is one of the best hitters to play third base, but couldn't match Schmidt with the glove. The Braves have decided to move Jones and his big bat to the outfield.
      Of course, I seem to recall that the Phillies moved Schmidt to first base once, then moved him back to third after a year. We may yet see Jones back in the infield... but he has never been a strong defensive third baseman, and he looked very weak in the playoffs. The outfield may suit him. He is a switch-hitter who is also a Triple Crown threat, and a second MVP Award is a real possibility.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: His power stroke has taken a vacation, but otherwise Jones has enjoyed his first season in the outfield. See you in October, Chipper.
ARIZONA - Luis Gonzalez 35 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 ARI 153 614 206 45 4 26 112 111 66 63 336 403 549 9 5
2000 ARI 162 618 192 47 2 31 106 114 78 85 311 392 544 2 4
2001 ARI 162 609 198 36 7 57 128 142 100 83 325 429 688 1 1
      At the moment, he is an almost flawless player, a Triple Crown candidate who never misses a game, and who just led his team to the World Series. Gonzalez didn't start to hit until he was 32 years old, but has now had three straight wonderful seasons. How long he will last is anybody's guess.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: He slumped a bit before the All-Star break, and won't hit 57 homers again, but otherwise he remains a formidable player.
PITTSBURGH - Brian Giles 31 L/L
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 PIT 141 521 164 33 3 39 109 115 95 80 315 418 614 6 2
2000 PIT 156 559 176 37 7 35 111 123 114 69 315 432 594 6 0
2001 PIT 160 576 178 37 7 37 116 95 90 67 309 404 590 13 6
      Giles is a devastating hitter and a fine defensive player who also spends some time patrolling centre field. Do you think that the Indians would like to reconsider that trade that sent him to the Bucs? His last three seasons have been almost identical... Giles would be a star and an MVP candidate if he played in another city.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: An absolutely wonderful player, having a better season than half the guys on the All-Star team.
FLORIDA - Cliff Floyd 29 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 FLO 69 251 76 19 1 11 69 49 30 47 303 379 518 5 6
2000 FLO 121 420 126 30 0 22 75 91 50 82 300 378 529 24 3
2001 FLO 149 555 176 44 4 31 123 103 59 101 317 390 578 18 3
      A potent power/speed combination who finally stayed healthy last year. Floyd isn't quite as good as the guys ahead of him on this list, but he is younger, and I wouldn't be surprised if his best years are still ahead of him. He has always been a great talent; he just needs to stay healthy.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: Another wonderful player who does everything well, Floyd has been playing mostly in right field this season. He could be traded by the time you read this.
CHICAGO CUBS - Moises Alou 36 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 HOU
INJURED
2000 HOU 126 454 161 28 2 30 82 114 52 45 355 416 623 3 3
2001 HOU 136 513 170 31 1 27 79 108 57 57 331 396 554 5 1
      From what I have read, Alou was acquired by the Cubs to give Sammy Sosa some "protection", as if Sosa has been suffering at the plate the past four years. Alou is a terrific hitter, but he will be 36 this year, and he is injury prone. If the Cubs ever return to the World Series, I strongly doubt that Alou will be in their lineup.
CINCINNATI - Adam Dunn 22 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 A 93 313 96 16 2 11 62 44 46 64 307 409 476 21 10
2000 A 122 420 118 29 1 16 101 79 100 101 281 428 469 24 5
2000 AA-AAA 94 350 117 22 0 32 74 84 62 82 334 433 671 11 4
2001 CIN 66 244 64 18 1 19 54 43 38 74 262 371 578 4 2
      There's no denying it; this guy is an awesome young player. At age 21, Dunn hit 51 home runs last year - 32 in the minors, but also 19 with the Reds. He also hits for average, draws a huge number of walks, and is a fast baserunner. There is no reason to think that he won't become a superstar.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: Has 17 home runs and a .452 on base percentage. It's been a long time since a hitter was this good at such a young age... Eddie Mathews, perhaps?
PHILADELPHIA - Pat Burrell 25 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 AA 117 417 139 28 6 28 84 90 79 103 333 438 631 3 1
2000 AAA 43 143 42 15 1 4 31 25 32 36 294 420 497 1 1
2000 PHI 111 408 106 27 1 18 57 79 63 139 260 359 463 0 0
2001 PHI 155 539 139 29 2 27 70 89 70 162 258 346 469 2 1
      The Phillies are quietly tapping their feet and chewing on their pencils, waiting for Burrell to emerge as one of the game's top power hitters. He's got the ability, and he's still young; I think it's reasonable to expect Burrell to take a step or two forward this year, hit over .280 with 35 homers.
      If he doesn't do that, I will start to get worried. We don't need any more Ben Grieve's, thank you.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: Is having his breakout season, has 22 home runs at the break.
MILWAUKEE - Geoff Jenkins 28 L/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 MIL 135 447 140 43 3 21 70 82 35 87 313 371 564 5 1
2000 MIL 135 512 155 36 4 34 100 94 33 135 303 360 588 11 1
2001 MIL 105 397 105 21 1 20 60 63 36 120 264 334 474 4 2
      Jenkins' numbers tumbled in 2001, but injuries were a major problem for him. After the season, he had his collarbone shaved; isn't that nice? If healthy, Jenkins is a formidable power hitter; he has also hit over .300 in the past, though to be honest I always thought that he should be a .260 hitter, healthy or not. His command of the strike zone is very poor.
LOS ANGELES - Brian Jordan 35 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 ATL 153 576 163 28 4 23 100 115 51 81 283 346 465 13 8
2000 ATL 133 489 129 26 0 17 71 77 38 80 264 320 421 10 2
2001 ATL 148 560 165 32 3 25 82 97 31 88 295 334 496 3 2
      Jordan doesn't rank among the top outfielders in the league, but he's a decent veteran, combines an OK bat with a good glove.
      As I write this, the Dodgers still don't have a real centre fielder. They have also signed Dante Bichette, which means that Bichette could play left and Jordan could play centre, or Jordan could move to right and Green could play centre.
      I like that last scenario the best; Jordan, at age 35, is probably a little stretched to play centre. And while I am no great fan of Dante Bichette, anything is better than Marquis Grissom right now.
SAN DIEGO - Ray Lankford 35 L/L and Bubba Trammell 30 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
LANKFORD
1999 STL 122 422 129 32 1 15 77 63 49 110 306 380 493 14 4
2000 STL 128 392 99 16 3 26 73 65 70 148 253 367 508 5 6
2001 STL-SD 131 389 98 28 4 19 58 58 62 145 252 358 491 10 2
TRAMMELL
1999 TAM 82 283 82 19 0 14 49 39 43 37 290 384 505 0 2
2000 TAM-NYM 102 245 65 13 2 10 28 45 29 49 265 345 457 4 0
2001 SD 142 490 128 20 3 25 66 92 48 78 261 330 467 2 2
      Lankford had spent more than a decade with his original team, the Cardinals, but the relationship was turning sour. Lankford had reportedly become a problem in the clubhouse, so the Cards opted for a divorce, dealing him to the Padres for Woody Williams. It turned out to be a great deal for St. Louis, not so good for Lankford, who had to watch from the bench while Rickey Henderson broke some records.
      Rickey is gone, and Lankford gets a fresh start. But will he get more playing time? He is hopeless against left-handers; last year he hit .194 against them, and that's about what he does every year. Bubba Trammell would be more than capable in a platoon role.
HOUSTON - Daryle Ward 27 L/L
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 HOU 64 150 41 6 0 8 11 30 9 31 273 311 473 0 0
2000 HOU 119 264 68 10 2 20 36 47 15 61 258 295 538 0 0
2001 HOU 95 213 56 15 0 9 21 39 19 48 263 323 460 0 0
      For the past three seasons, Ward has been suffering from an acute case of Roberto Petagine Syndrome, unable to get any at bats in the Astros' potent lineup. It's hard to believe that he is now 27 years old, and has yet to play a ful season, but the departure of Moises Alou finally gives him a chance to play. I don't know what kind of outfielder he is, but he is capable of hitting 40 homers in a season if things break right for him.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: The Green Goblin has stolen Ward's power stroke, leaving him with only four home runs. But he hit a ball into a river a few nights ago; a good sign of things to come?
ST LOUIS - Placido Polanco 26 R/R or So Taguchi 33 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
POLANCO
1999 STL 88 220 61 9 3 1 24 19 15 24 277 321 359 1 3
2000 STL 118 323 102 12 3 5 50 39 16 26 316 347 418 4 4
2001 STL 144 564 173 26 4 3 87 38 25 43 307 342 383 12 3
      Taguchi is the latest Japanese player to make the jump to the West. Every article I've read about him calls him a "star"; last year he hit .280 with 8 homers. He's hit over .300 once (in 1994), and his career high in homers is 10. I'm not saying that he's not a fine player, I'm just saying that he's not Tuffy Rhodes.
      Polanco did a good job filling in at several positions last year. He hits .300, but doesn't walk and has no power; he's really not suited to playing left field on a regular basis.
COLORADO - Todd Hollandsworth 29 L/L and Benny Agbayani 30 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
AGBAYANI
1999 NYM 101 276 79 18 3 14 42 42 32 60 286 363 525 6 4
2000 NYM 119 350 101 19 1 15 59 60 54 68 289 391 477 5 5
2001 NYM 91 296 82 14 2 6 28 27 36 73 277 364 399 4
HOLLANDSWORTH
1999 LA 92 261 74 12 2 9 39 32 24 61 284 345 448 5 2
2000 LA-COL 137 428 115 20 0 19 81 47 41 99 269 333 449 18 7
2001 COL 33 117 43 15 1 6 21 19 8 20 368 408 667 5 0
      Agbayani's power stroke went missing; he did everything else well, but he just didn't hit home runs. He's a decent player, not a star; he has also been dealt to Colorado, where he could hit 50 homers.
      Hollandsworth is one of the weakest players to ever win the Rookie Of The Year Award. For the present... well, he's really not all that much better, unless you consider a .368 average in 33 games to be a real sign of improvement. If Larry Walker has one of his biannual injuries, Rockies fans have to be wondering about who is going to put runs on the board for this team.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: If you can hit and play the outfield, the Rockies want to talk to you.
MONTREAL - Brad Wilkerson 25 L/L
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1999 AA 138 422 99 21 3 8 66 49 88 100 235 372 355 3 5
2000 AA-AAA 129 441 130 47 3 18 93 79 87 98 295 415 537 13 8
2001 AAA 69 233 63 10 0 12 43 48 60 68 270 423 468 12 5
2001 MON 47 117 24 7 2 1 11 5 17 41 205 304 325 2 1
      Wilkerson is another young Expos prospect who looks like he will be a good hitter, starting this year. Wilkerson is an extremely patient and has some power, is probably destined to become a John Olerud-type hitter. He had a shoulder injury last season, and may not be fully recovered.
      I like Wilkerson a lot, and could perhaps rate him higher, but let's see him perform, first. Jose Canseco is also hanging around training camp, just in case Wilkerson isn't ready to play. Canseco in the outfield is always a scary proposition.
      MID-SEASON UPDATE: Wilkerson is an excellent young player, has the same skills as Brian Giles but isn't as good. Yet.
NEW YORK METS - Jay Payton 29 R/R or Joe McEwing 29 R/R
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
PAYTON
1999 AAA 38 144 56 13 2 8 27 35 12 13 389 437 674 2 2
2000 NYM 149 488 142 23 1 17 63 62 30 60 291 331 447 5 11
2001 NYM 104 361 92 16 1 8 44 34 18 52 255 298 371 4 3
MCEWING
1999 STL 152 513 141 28 4 9 65 44 41 87 275 333 398 7 4
2000 NYM 87 153 34 14 1 2 20 19 5 29 222 248 366 3 1
2001 NYM 116 283 80 17 3 8 41 30 17 57 283 342 449 8 5
      The Mets' outfield was a disaster in 2001; they have made some improvements, but left field remains a weakness. McEwing and Payton will compete for whatever at bats are available; neither is really a quality outfielder.


LEFT FIELDERS - BOTH LEAGUES
1 Barry Bonds11 Bobby Higginson21 Placido Polanco
2 Chipper Jones12 Rondell White22 Todd Hollandsworth
3 Manny Ramirez13 Pat Burrell23 Jeremy Giambi
4 Luis Gonzalez14 Geoff Jenkins24 Ben Grieve
5 Brian Giles15 Brian Jordan25 Jacques Jones
6 Cliff Floyd16 Garret Anderson26 Chuck Knoblauch
7 Moises Alou17 Carlos Lee27 Marty Cordova
8 Shannon Stewart18 Mark McLemore28 Russell Branyan
9 Adam Dunn19 Ray Lankford29 Brad Wilkerson
10 Frank Catalanotto20 Daryle Ward30 Jay Payton