Ranking The Top 10 Giants Of All-Time: Position-by-Position
By zacklosel
Obviously, there are many Giants Legends who could just as easily have been placed on this list.
For example:
Gaylord Perry is one of the franchise’s most accomplished former arms, and has the accolades and seasons to prove it. Why isn’t he on the list? Well besides only having one slot for a pitcher, the main reason is the fact that Mathewson is tied for third among starting pitchers in all-time wins (373). And while Perry did have an extremely good career as a pitcher, he started off very slow, despite the raw stuff he brought to the club, and eventual eye-popping seasons he did have while in San Francisco.
Mathewson, on the other hand, was consistent from the start, and has a World Series title under his belt. And unfortunately for Perry, he didn’t win the Cy Young he has in his pocket when he was with the Giants.
However, when ranking them, there was one consistent category; one constant theme that boosted these players above their counterparts. What is it, you ask?
Well, as you’ll notice, six of the ten players listed are Hall of Famers; the rest either have Hall of Fame numbers and its just a matter of time before they get in, or they are just starting their impressive career (Posey). But what separates them from the rest?
Most of these Giants Legends are Hall of Fame inductees. More importantly, though, not only do a few of them lead their respective positions in some of the most important categories within franchise history, but they do so rather in all of baseball; Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds, and Jeff Kent all lead their respective positions in home runs, but they also either lead or are at the top of many other of Major League Baseball’s major statistical categories, such as walks, hits, RBI, ERA, and wins.
And that’s the definition of elite.
Topping out at 54, the Giants lead Major League Baseball with the most Hall of Fame inductees of any other franchise in league history. If you want a safe bet, always bet on the Giants.