Cleveland Indians All-Time Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

#11: Jim Thome

Beloved Indians’ slugger Jim Thome spent the biggest portion of his career in a Tribe uniform, and his legacy with the Indians is so great that the team commissioned a statue of him to stand watch in front of the ballpark. Thome’s career spanned 22 years, 13 of which were with Cleveland. His best years were in an Indians uniform, after he made his debut in 1991 at just 20 years old.

Thome was very sheltered from 1991 to 1993, never exceeding 50 games or 200 at-bats. In 1994, he finally got a chance to play in just under 100 games, and he rewarded the team with 20 home runs. From there, his home runs multiplied. By the time his first 12 years with Cleveland were over, he had 334 home runs and 927 RBIs – in addition to 997 walks.

In addition to an enormous amount of power, Thome had a very patient approach at the plate, as well. He led the league in walks three times in his career, and was in the top ten in on-base percentage 10 times. Despite being a power hitter, Thome only led the league in home runs one time – in 2003, with the Phillies. Remember, this was during the steroid era, when being a power hitter meant there was plenty of competition.

Regardless, Thome was a five-time All-Star, and even though he won the Silver Slugger award just once, he’s among Cleveland’s best hitters. He’s ranked fifth among Indians’ positions players in WAR, and first in franchise home runs and walks. He’s also second in RBIs.

Thome was definitely one of the best power hitters in Tribe history, although certainly not the most well-rounded.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #10