Joel's MLB Franchise Top 10: Arizona Diamondbacks

This will be the first in my new series running down who I feel are the top 10 players to play for each MLB franchise.

I've decided to start with the shortest-tenured team and work my way up, so the Rays will be next, then the Marlins and Rockies, and so on.

For what a brief history they have had, the Diamondbacks have managed to win a World Series, five Cy Young awards, and a whole lot of games.

They are in a rebuilding mode now, but there have still been some very good players to play for them in their brief existence (1998-now).

This is simply my opinion, and I have included the players' statistics in their time with the team, as well as where those numbers rank in terms of the franchise in an attempt to back up my selections.

Being that I am a Cubs fan and not a Diamondbacks fan, I look forward to hearing what Diamondbacks fans, as well as fans of other teams, would consider their top 10.

So with that, we will start with the honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention

SP Miguel Batista: 40-34, 3.99 ERA, 454 Ks

RP Matt Mantei: 178 Games, 74 Saves, 11.5 K/9

1B Chad Tracy: .280 BA, 78 HR, 318 RBI

3B Mark Reynolds: .257 BA, 89 HR, 261 RBI, 556 Ks

OF Eric Byrnes: .261 BA, 61 HR, 216 RBI, 88 SB

No. 10: Tony Womack (1999-2003)

BA: .269
OBP: .314
SLG: .362
H: 677 (third)
HR: 21
RBI: 200
R: 392 (third)
SB: 182 (first)

Womack is by far the best leadoff hitter the team has had thus far, and he played a solid second base as well in his time with the club.

He led the NL in steals with 72 in 1999 and then in triples the following season with 14, as he displayed his blazing speed atop the Diamondbacks lineup.

No. 9: Byung-Hyun Kim (1999-2003)

Appearances: 245 (second)
Saves: 70 (third)
ERA: 3.43
ERA+: 136
WHIP: 1.204
Ks: 383
K/9: 10.6
1x All-Star

While he will forever be remembered for his back-to-back meltdowns against the Yankees that almost cost the team a World Series, Kim was by far one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in his time with the team.

In 2000, his first full season with the team, he posted an astounding 111 Ks in just 70.2 innings, good for 14.1 K/9.

The 2002 season was definitely his best though, as he had a line of 8-3, 36 saves, 2.04 ERA, 92 Ks. He also made his only All-Star appearance that season.

No. 8: Jay Bell (1998-2002)

BA: .263
OBP: .355 (fourth)
SLG: .458 (fifth)
H: 573 (seventh)
HR: 91 (fourth)
RBI: 304 (fifth)
R: 360 (fourth)
1x All-Star

Bell, the first of only two original Diamondbacks on my list, was 32 and seemed to be winding down a stellar career when he erupted for a 38 HR, 112 RBI season in 1999 as he made the All-Star team and garnered some MVP consideration.

He is still among the franchise leaders in most offensive categories, despite the fact that he only played a little over four seasons with the team.

No. 7: Jose Valverde (2003-2007)

Appearances: 253 (first)
Saves: 98 (first)
ERA: 3.29
ERA+: 141
WHIP: 1.173
Ks: 331
K/9: 11.5
1x All-Star

Valverde, despite his inconsistency, was and still is one of the most feared closers in all of baseball, as he can really light up the radar gun.

He led the National League with 47 saves in 2007 and finished sixth in Cy Young voting and 14th in MVP voting that season.

Aside from being the franchise leader in saves, he also stepped up in the postseason, with a save and six strikeouts in just three innings in the NLDS against the Cubs in 2007.

No. 6: Matt Williams (1998-2003)

BA: .278 (eighth)
OBP: .327
SLG: .471 (fourth)
H: 629 (fifth)
HR: 99 (third)
RBI: 381 (third)
R: 317 (sixth)
1x All-Star

Despite his injury problems, Williams still had a little something left in the tank when he came to the Diamondbacks, and once he managed to play a full season he proved it.

With a .303 BA, 35 HR, 142 RBI season in 1999, Williams registered the best stat line in team history this side of Luis Gonzalez and finished third in MVP voting that season.

No. 5: Steve Finley (1999-2004)

BA: .278 (seventh)
OBP: .351 (fifth)
SLG: .500 (third)
H: 847 (second)
HR: 153 (second)
RBI: 479 (second)
R: 491 (second)
SB: 70 (third)
1x All-Star
3x Gold Glove

Finley kept his play an extremely high level well into his late 30s with the Diamondbacks, and because of that he is second in virtually every offensive statistic on the career charts.

He started his Diamondbacks career with a pair of 30-plus HR seasons, a pair of Gold Gloves, and an All-Star appearance as he played one of the best center fields in all of baseball while providing some punch in the middle of the order.

No. 4: Brandon Webb (2003-2009)

Wins: 87 (second)
Losses: 62 (second)
Win Percentage: .584 (third)
ERA: 3.27 (third)
ERA+: 142 (third)
WHIP: 1.239 (third)
Ks: 1065 (second)
K/9: 7.3 (third)
3x All-Star
1x Cy Young

After Webb followed up a solid 10-9 rookie season by leading the National League with 16 losses the following season, he looked to be little more than a flash in the pan.

However, he's gone 70-37 since then, leaving little doubt that he is among the game's best. During that stretch he led the league in wins twice and innings pitched once.

He won the Cy Young in 2006 with a 16-8 record and then followed that up with back-to-back second place finishes after he put up records of 18-10 and 22-7.

No. 3: Curt Schilling (2000-2003)

Wins: 58 (third)
Losses: 28 (seventh)
Win Percentage: .674 (first)
ERA: 3.14 (second)
ERA+: 148 (second)
WHIP: 1.036 (first)
Ks: 875 (third)
K/9: 10.1 (second)
2x All-Star

With the best career winning percentage in team history, Schilling cemented his place in team history and is one of the best No. 2 pitchers in baseball history in his time following Randy Johnson in the rotation.

His 4-0, 1.13 ERA, 56 Ks, 48 IP, 6 Starts line in the 2002 playoffs was nothing short of astonishing as he and Johnson carried the team throughout the playoffs.

He was a whopping 45-13 in 2001 and 2002 as he finished second in the Cy Young both seasons to Johnson.

No. 2: Luis Gonzalez (1999-2006)

BA: .298 (first)
OBP: .391 (first)
SLG: .529 (first)
H: 1337 (first)
HR: 224 (first)
RBI: 774 (first)
R: 780 (first)
SB: 32 (seventh)
5x All-Star
1x Silver Slugger

Gonzalez is hands down the best offensive player in Diamondbacks history, as he took his career to a whole other level once he joined the team in 1999.

It all culminated in an incredible .323 BA, 57 HR, 142 RBI season in 2001 that earned him a Silver Slugger, All-Star appearance, and third place MVP finish.

Gonzalez was one of the most feared hitters in the game during his time in Arizona, and he would be No. 1 on this list if it were not for a certain gigantic left-hander that could absolutely chuck.

No. 1: Randy Johnson (1999-2004)

Wins: 118 (first)
Losses: 62 (first)
Win Percentage: .656 (second)
ERA: 2.83 (first)
ERA+: 164 (first)
WHIP: 1.068 (second)
Ks: 2077 (first)
K/9: 11.5 (first)
5x All-Star
4x Cy Young Winner

What can you say about Johnson's time in Arizona? He won four Cy Young awards, one Wins title, four ERA titles, five Strikeout titles, and perhaps most importantly, a World Series MVP.

Johnson went 3-0, 1.04 ERA, 19 Ks, 17.1 IP in two starts and a huge Game Seven relief appearance during the 2001 World Series, as he and Curt Schilling willed the team to victory, winning five of the seven games themselves.

Add in a perfect game on national TV, and Johnson is, and will be for the foreseeable future, the best player in Diamondbacks history.