Era’s best designated hitters
Frank Thomas also played first base, but he attained his fame as a DH
The Hall of Fame lists Frank Thomas as a first baseman. And yes, he did play 971 games at first during his 19-year career.
But Thomas was really a designated hitter, spending 1,310 games at that position. My rankings, in fact, show him to be the best DH in the entire Modern Era, the period from 1961 through 2022.
Thomas won back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in the American League in 1993 and 1994. He topped the era’s designated hitters in several career categories, including slugging percentage (.555), ratio of bases per out (1.058), and runs generated per 500 plate appearances (133).
I’ve been rating the Modern Era’s best players at each position in Thursday installments since the beginning of July.
Today’s rankings encompass the 30 players who made at least 2,500 plate appearances and spent at least 40 percent of that time as designated hitters between 1961 and 2022. The DH wasn’t added to the game in 1973, and it was confined to the American League until 2022, so the pool isn’t nearly as deep as those for other positions. (We examined 186 center fielders and 163 right fielders on the past two Thursdays.)
Each player’s entire record was factored into the formula, even those stats accumulated at other positions, such as Thomas’s 971 games as a first baseman. (Click here to learn more about the 10-part rating formula.) The top-rated designated hitter was assigned a score of 1,000 points, while the scores for all other DHs were determined by their relative performances.
Frank Thomas starred for the Chicago White Sox between 1990 and 2006, then wrapped up his career with brief stints in Toronto and Oakland. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
The next three players in the DH standings have also been enshrined in Cooperstown. No. 2 Edgar Martinez spent all 18 of his seasons with the Seattle Mariners. No. 3 Paul Molitor divided his 21 years among three clubs, playing the majority with the Milwaukee Brewers. No. 4 David Ortiz started his career with the Minnesota Twins, though he attained stardom with the Boston Red Sox.
Rounding out the top five is Jose Canseco, who never received serious Hall of Fame consideration. He played for the Oakland Athletiocs and six other teams.
Follow these links to see the previously issued rankings of the Modern Era’s catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, left fielders, center fielders, and right fielders.
Statistical breakdowns for the era’s five preeminent designated hitters can be found below, followed by a list of the subsequent 15.
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1. Frank Thomas (1990-2008)
Score: 1,000 points
WAR: 73.8 total, 3.7 per 500 PA, -22.5 defensive
Averages: .301 BA, .555 SLG, 1.058 BPO
Scoring: 2,677 R generated, 133 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,322 G, 2,468 H
Notes: Thomas not only won the aforementioned pair of Most Valuable Player trophies, but he also finished among the top 10 vote-getters in seven other MVP races. He blasted more than 30 home runs in nine different seasons, finishing with a career HR total of 521. He also won the American League’s batting title in 1997 with a .347 average.
2. Edgar Martinez (1987-2004)
Score: 957 points
WAR: 68.4 total, 3.9 per 500 PA, -9.0 defensive
Averages: .312 BA, .515 SLG, .991 BPO
Scoring: 2,171 R generated, 125 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,055 G, 2,247 H
Notes: Martinez was somewhat isolated in Seattle, which kept him from gaining his fair share of publicity. That was true even after he won AL batting crowns in 1992 (.343) and 1995 (.356). He also topped the league in on-base percentage in three seasons, doubles on two occasions, and runs batted in (145) in 2000.
3. Paul Molitor (1978-1998)
Score: 877 points
WAR: 75.7 total, 3.1 per 500 PA, -6.9 defensive
Averages: .306 BA, .448 SLG, .831 BPO
Scoring: 2,855 R generated, 117 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,683 G, 3,319 H
Notes: Molitor was the runner-up to Lou Whitaker in balloting for the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1978, but his career ledger easily surpassed Whitaker’s. Molitor finished with 3,319 hits, putting him 11th on the all-time list. He led the AL in hits and runs scored three times apiece.
4. David Ortiz (1997-2016)
Score: 849 points
WAR: 55.3 total, 2.7 per 500 PA, -20.9 defensive
Averages: .286 BA, .552 SLG, .958 BPO
Scoring: 2,646 R generated, 131 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,408 G, 2,472 H
Notes: Ortiz never won an MVP trophy, though he ranked among the top six candidates in six different seasons. He launched 54 homers in 2006, more than 40 on two other occasions, and 541 over his career. The latter figure is the 17th-biggest in baseball history. Ortiz left the game on a high note, leading the AL with 127 RBIs at age 40 in 2016.
5. Jose Canseco (1985-2001)
Score: 666 points
WAR: 42.4 total, 2.6 per 500 PA, -13.8 defensive
Averages: .266 BA, .515 SLG, .887 BPO
Scoring: 2,131 R generated, 131 per 500 PA
Totals: 1,887 G, 1,877 H
Notes: Canseco admitted that he used steroids during his major-league career, effectively barring himself from Cooperstown. It’s not clear if he would have been inducted, anyway. Most experts rate him below Hall of Fame caliber. He did top the American League in home runs in 1988 and 1991, winning the Most Valuable Player Award in the former year.
Next 15
6. Nelson Cruz (2005-2022)
7. Harold Baines (1980-2001)
8. Mike Sweeney (1995-2010)
9. (tie) Chili Davis (1981-1999)
9. (tie) Victor Martinez (2002-2018)
11. Rico Carty (1963-1979)
12. Travis Hafner (2002-2013)
13. Hal McRae (1968-1987)
14. Hideki Matsui (2003-2012)
15. Don Baylor (1970-1988)
16. Andre Thornton (1973-1987)
17. Oscar Gamble (1969-1985)
18. Mike Easler (1973-1987)
19. Cliff Johnson (1972-1986)
20. Brad Fullmer (1997-2004)