The top 8 Reds right fielders since 1900

Since I already went through this exercise with the shortstop position in my last post, in honor of Zack Cozart, I figured I'd do the same positional rundown for Jay Bruce.

At first glance, it might seem like RF has not been a particularly productive position in Cincinnati.  If you go to baseball-reference.com and enter a query stipulating that the players must have spent at least 50% of their time at a given position, and earned at least 30 WAR, you get the list below: 

C - Bench and Lombardi
1B - Perez, Votto, Klu, McCormick
2B - Morgan (plus BP and Frey have accumulated 29 WAR each)
3B - Groh
SS - Larkin and Concepcion
LF - Foster
CF - Pinson, Roush, and Davis
RF - no one

But this leaves out two ENORMOUS names in Reds history - Pete Rose (#1 all-time in Reds WAR with 77.7) and Frank Robinson (#4 all-time, with 63.8).  Both of them switched positions frequently during their careers, so they aren't really "attached" to a given position.  I think the most fair thing to do is to include them in this discussion, but only count the seasons when they played most of the time in RF.

Wins Above Replacement

1) Frank Robinson - 29.4 total, earned during 1961, 1962, 1964 and 1965 (his seasons predominantly in RF with Reds)

2) Ken Griffey, Sr. - 25.3 (mostly during his first stint with the team from 1973 to 1981)

3) Pete Rose - 22 total, earned during 1968-1971 (his seasons in RF with Reds)

4) Reggie Sanders - 21.4 (1991-1998)

5) Ival Goodman - 21.4 (1935-1942)

6) Curt Walker - 18.8 (1924-1930)

7) Jay Bruce - 16.1 (2008-2016)

8) Wally Post - 15.8 (during two stints in the '50s and '60s)


Conclusion:

Griffey Sr. is the best among the full-time right fielders, but Robinson and Rose put up big numbers in only four years.

Bruce fits nicely into the next tier, which are hard to really separate.  Sanders, Goodman, and Post especially are well-respected in Reds history, and I believe Bruce deserves a place in the Reds Hall as well.  I'm almost 100% certain he'll make it.

Unlike at the shortstop position, where Cozart simply hasn't had enough time to accumulate WAR, Bruce has actually played with the Reds as long (or longer) as anyone else on the list.  His counting stats are impressive, but it's his lack of ability to get on base (career OBP .319) and his defensive deterioration that have held down his WAR.  Nevertheless, he is an all-time Red.  Given more time, he probably would've gotten very close to Bench for most HRs (he had 233, Bench had 389).  And he was one of the most likeable Reds in recent memory as well.  So long, Jay.  

Top ten seasons of Cincinnati Reds right fielders

The last of positions 2 through 9...leaving only the pitching seasons to analyze next. The glory decade for right field was most definitely the 1960s.

1) Frank Robinson, 1962. Like Barry Larkin's 1996 season, his post-MVP year was better. This season ranks first among all Red RF seasons in WAR (8.5), runs (led the league), doubles (led the league), OPS (led the league) and slugging (led the league). Second in HR, BA and OBP.

2) Frank Robinson, 1961. His NL MVP season. 7.6 WAR, led the league in slugging and OPS. Both stats rank second to his 1962 season.

3) Pete Rose, 1969. 6.9 WAR. First among all Red RF seasons in batting average, hits and OBP. Led the league in runs scored and batting average. Won a Gold Glove.

The best of the rest:
4) Reggie Sanders, 1995. 6.7 WAR. Finished sixth in MVP voting.
5) Frank Robinson, 1964. 7.6 WAR. 4th in MVP voting.
6) Dave Parker, 1985. 2nd in MVP voting. Led the league in doubles and RBI.
7) Wally Post, 1955. 5.3 WAR. First among Red RF seasons in HR.
8) Pete Rose, 1970. Won a Gold Glove, finished 7th in MVP voting.
9) Babe Herman, 1932. 5.5 WAR. Led the league in triples.
10) Ken Griffey, 1976. Batted .336 for the World Series champs.

Others worth mentioning:
Harry Heilmann, 1930
Pete Rose, 1968
Ival Goodman, 1938 and 1939
Frank Robinson, 1965
Sam Crawford, 1901 and 1902