MLB Power Rankings: The Top 10 Center Fielders in Baseball History

Who is the best center fielder of all time?

This is a question that may be tough to answer for many longtime baseball fans.

So how does one go about ranking the best of the best to ever play the game? Sure, many people would first remember how a player did at the plate, but defense may even play a even bigger role when evaluating the many great center fielders we have ever seen over the last century.

To no surprise, there are many batting champs and Gold Glove winners on this list, even one player in the top five that we have all seen play the game just last season. Who is the best though?

Could it be one of "Willie, Mickey, and the Duke?" Regardless, who it may be, all these center fielders have forever shaped the way we look at the position today.

Just like the John Fogerty song "Centerfield" says, "look at me, I can be Centerfield," let's take a look at the best center fielders of all time.

Honorable Mention: Jim Edmonds

Career stats:

.284 AVG.

393 HR

1,199 RBIs

1,250 Hits

After playing 17 seasons in the big leagues, Jim Edmonds recently announced his retirement from baseball a couple weeks ago. The four-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove center fielder helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006, the team's first since 1982.

His best season at the plate came in 2004, when Edmonds hit .301 with 42 HR and 111 RBI and finished with a 1.061 OPS in 153 games. He also finished fifth in the NL MVP voting in 2004 as well.

If there was a fly ball in center, Edmonds was definitely the guy most trusted to catch it.

Honorable Mention: Kenny Lofton

Career stats:

.299 AVG.

130 HR

781 RBIs

2,428 Hits

Throughout the 1990's, Kenny Lofton became a staple in center field for, most notably, the Cleveland Indians. Lofton's game was based on one thing: speed. The six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove center fielder stole 622 bases in his 17 big league yeas, playing for 11 different Major League teams.

Lofton holds the career record with 34 postseason stolen bases, a title that he claimed with the Tribe back in 2007. Lofton was recently inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame last season.

His best year in the Majors came in 1996 with Cleveland, when he batted .317 with 14 HR and 67 RBIs, stole 75 bases and collected 210 hits in 154 games. When it comes to Lofton, there is really only one thing missing from his long and very productive career: A World Series ring.

Even if he never took the Indians to the promised land in his 10 seasons with the team, Lofton will remain a fixture and fan favorite in Cleveland forever.

10. Billy Hamilton

Career stats:

.344 AVG

742 RBI

1,697 Runs

914 SB (3rd all time)

2,164 Hits

Probably a center fielder not many baseball fans have ever heard of, Billy Hamilton began his Hall of Fame career in 1888 and played all the way until the turn of the century in 1901.

If there was something to learn or take away from the former Philadelphia Phillies center fielder, it would be his speed, as Hamilton stole over 100 bases in three consecutive seasons during his career.

Hamilton's best season came in 1894 as a member of the Phillies, when he hit .403 with 4 HR and 90 RBI while also scoring 198 runs and finishing the season with 100 stolen bases. He was officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.

If Hamilton were to play in the Major Leagues today, knowing the full potential of his speed threat on the bases, he would definitely give Carl Crawford a run for his money.

9. Larry Doby

Career stats:

.283 AVG

253 HR

970 RBI

1,515 Hits

Longtime Indians center fielder Larry Doby probably doesn't get as much credit as he deserves throughout Major League Baseball. Despite being the second African American player to play in the big leagues (the first in the American League), Doby was a seven-time All-Star throughout his 13 year career, leading the Tribe to their last World Championship in 1948.

His best season at the plate also came in 1948, when he hit .272 with 32 HR and 126 RBI, finishing second to Yankees catcher Yogi Berra in the AL MVP voting.

It took a while to get in, but Doby was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. His No. 14 jersey number is also retired by the Indians.

8. Kirby Puckett

Career stats:

.318 AVG

207 HR

1,085 RBI

2,304 Hits

Kirby Puckett may have had some great seasons in the Majors, but his entire story is definitely a tragic one. Playing his entire 12 year career in Minnesota, Puckett not only became a fan favorite offensively, but he shined defensively in center field as well.

The 10-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner led the Twins to two of their most recent World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. Unfortunately, it would all come to an end after Dennis Martinez drilled Puckett with a fastball that broke his jaw in 1995. After going blind in his right eye shortly after, he never played another game for the rest of his life—a life that was taken too soon in 2006 after he suffered a fatal stroke.

Just looking at Puckett's No. 34 jersey number that is now retired by the Twins, many have to wonder if the Hall of Famer could have surpassed 3,000 hits if his career wasn't cut short.

7. Tris Speaker

Career stats:

.345 (5th all time)

792 2B (1st all time)

1,529 RBI

3,514 Hits (5th all time)

There is no reason to overlook this Hall of Famer, as Tris Speaker put up some quality numbers both at the plate and in the field, playing most of his career in Cleveland and Boston. 

His best season came in 1923 as a member of the Indians, when he hit .380 with 17 HR and 130 RBI, a year where he also racked in 59 doubles and finished with a 1.079 OPS.

Speaker also holds the career record with 449 outfield assists, something not many baseball fans are aware of. He also struck out only 220 times in his career, one that spanned over 10,000 at-bats.

He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 in just the second year of Hall of Fame voting.

6. Duke Snider

Career stats:

.295 AVG

407 HR

1,333 RBI

Duke Snider probably had one of the best nicknames a ballplayer could ask for playing in the Major Leagues: "The Silver Fox." Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Snider essentially became the face of the L.A. Dodgers after they moved from Brooklyn in 1958.

An eight-time All-Star, Snider helped the both the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers to two World Series Championships in 1954 and 1959. Snider also finished second in the NL MVP voting in 1955, only losing by five points to teammate Roy Campanella.

"The Silver Fox" had his best season in 1954, when he hit .341 with 40 HR and 130 RBI. He died suddenly last Sunday at 84 years old, of what is to believed of natural causes. Snider's No. 4 Dodgers jersey number (retired in 1980) will always live on.

To this day, "The Duke" is still the all time Dodgers leader with 389 HRs and 1,123 RBI.

5. Ken Griffey Jr.

Career stats:

.284 AVG

630 HR (5th all time)

1,836 RBI

2,781 Hits

If it wasn't for nagging injuries, Ken Griffey Jr. could have possibly moved down one or even two slots on this all time center field list.

Regardless, "The Kid" had one of the all around great careers any major leaguer could ask for. Spending 13 of his 22 seasons in Seattle, he debuted in the big leagues at just 19 years old and quickly became known for both his consistency both at the plate and in the field.

He played in 13 All-Star games over his long career, winning a Gold Glove in 10 consecutive years and taking home the 1997 AL MVP Award as well.

Griffey's best season came in 1997, when the sweet swingin' center fielder hit .306 with 56 HR and 147 RBI, stealing 15 bases and scoring 125 runs during the season. It's just a shame his career was, in a sense, cut short due to injury, as Griffey played over 150 games in just six of his 22 big league seasons.

Will he be a first ballot Hall of Famer? Absolutely.

4. Mickey Mantle

Career stats:

.298 AVG

536 HR

1,509 RBI

2,415 Hits

To baseball fans he is known as "The Mick." To Yankee fans, Mickey Mantle could simply be known as No. 7. No matter what he may be known by, he is an absolute legend.

A remarkable 20-time All-Star, Mantle led the Yanks to seven World Series Titles and won the AL MVP on three occasions. He won the prestigious Triple Crown in 1956, when he hit .353 with 52 HR and 130 RBI and owning a 1.164 OPS, an amazing feat considering he was only 24 at the time.

Mantle was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. While he may not be the best center fielder of all time, one could certainly make the claim that he is the best switch hitter of all time.

3. Joe DiMaggio

Career stats:

.325 AVG

361 HR

1,537 RBI

2,214 Hits

There are certain players that will forever be remembered by career stats, and then there are players who will be remembered based on a number. For lifetime Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio it was both, but make no mistake about it, the No. 56 will always be associated with "The Yankee Clipper" forever.

DiMaggio posted one of the greatest records in all of professional sports in 1941: A 56-game hitting streak. It is one record that will most likely never be broken, despite the amount of talented players that have come through over the years.

In his 13 year career in New York, "Joltin' Joe" DiMaggio was a 13-time All-Star and nine-time World Champ. He also became a real fan favorite before and after World War II.

Serving in the Air Force for three years after the 1942 season, DiMaggio still managed to come back after the war and have an excellent career. A three-time AL MVP, his No. 5 Yankee jersey was retired in 1952.

DiMaggio also put up his best numbers in 1941, hitting .357 with 30 HR and 125 RBI in 139 regular season games.

Any player who could also win over a woman like Marylin Monroe definitely tells you something.

2. Ty Cobb

Career stats:

.366 AVG (1st all time)

4,189 Hits (2nd all time)

117 HR

1,939 RBI

Baseball fans would have a tough time finding a more consistent and productive hitter like longtime Detroit Tigers center fielder Ty Cobb. Owner of the best all time career batting average at .366, Cobb claimed 11 batting titles throughout his career.

In addition to his hitting prowess, he also became one of baseball's best base stealers, finishing his career with 892 SB, good for third all time. His 1911 MVP Award was a no brainer, as he ended the season hitting .420 with 8 HR and 127 RBI while also stealing 83 bases.

Cobb was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame's First Class when he was officially elected in 1936, along with baseball greats Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.

Key stat: The Tigers center fielder hit under .320 just one time in his career.

1. Willie Mays

"Say hey," who did you expect would be the greatest center fielder of all-time?

Career stats:

.302 AVG.

660 HR (4th All time)

3,283 RBI

3,283 Hits

The greatest center fielder in the history of baseball, Willie Mays spent the majority of his big league career with the San Francisco Giants. A ridiculous 24-time All-Star and 12-time Gold Glove winner, Mays was simply the best at the position he loved.

After winning 1951 NL Rookie of the Year, Mays captured the NL MVP Award in 1954 and 1965, as he helped the Giants defeat the heavily favored Indians in the 1954 World Series.

No baseball fan will ever forget "The Catch" Mays made in Game 1 of that series, creating a highlight that still flashes across televisions to this day. His best season at the plate also came that year, when he hit .345 with 41 HR and 110 RBI, and finishing with a 1.078 OPS.

His No. 24 Giants jersey number was retired in 1972. There was simply no one better in history than the "Say Hey Kid."