Cleveland Indians All-Time Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

Ranking the Top 20 Hitters in Cleveland Indians History:

Last week, we ranked the top ten pitchers in Cleveland Indians’ history. This week, we take a look at the top 20 hitters in the franchise, from the powerful sluggers of the 90s to the speedy stolen base machines of earlier decades.

There are many ways that players can make themselves into one of the greatest hitters of all time. Some of the names on this list are renowned for their consistency over long careers, while other had only short stints as an Indian that happened to be among the best performances of all-time.

One question that came up while putting this list together was how, if the Indians have so many outstanding hitters and so many terrific pitchers, they can have so few World Series Championships. The reality is that while the Tribe has had some of the best players in baseball history, they’ve rarely had great pitching staffs and great hitters at the same time. The few times that they have – such as the late 1940s – they did win a World Championship. It’s mind-boggling to look at the talent that has been amassed and, for lack of a better word, squandered by the Indians over the years.

Without further adieu – or any additional lamenting over the missed chances the Tribe has had – let’s get to that top 20 list:

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #20

#20: Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel might seem like an odd place to start the list, given that he’s more well-known for his outstanding defense than a solid bat. However, Vizquel’s longevity with the team helped him find his way onto plenty of offensive leaderboards as well.

His 1,616 hits rank seventh in Tribe history, and he’s sixth in runs scored, with 906. He also ranks eight in doubles (288), tenth in walks (612) and second in stolen bases (279). Sure, Vizquel earned those numbers by having 6,542 plate appearances with the Tribe, but that’s why he’s penalized to 20th place on the list. (For the record, his plate appearances rank sixth all-time in Indians history.)

Vizquel was a three-time All-Star and an 11-time Gold Glove winner, which can be explained by the fact that his career 28.4 Defensive WAR ranks 10th all-time in baseball history. But he had his moments on the other side of the ball, as well. In 1999, Vizquel ranked sixth in the league in batting average after hitting .333.

While he might not be the most prolific hitter on this list, Vizquel hit .283/.352/.379 during his eleven seasons with Cleveland, giving his best years to the Tribe.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #19

#18: Rocky Colavito

The so-called Curse of Rocky Colavito has allegedly plagued the Cleveland Indians for decades, but in 1955, the young outfielder made his debut with the Tribe under much more pleasant circumstances. He quickly became a fan favorite, batting .272/.365/.534 with 129 home runs in four full seasons with the Tribe.

In 1959, Colavito made his first All-Star team, but he was traded away to the Detroit Tigers in what is widely regarded as one of the worst deals in history. In his two seasons before the trade, Colavito had came in third and fourth in the MVP voting, respectively, and he had ranked in the top ten in WAR.

Colavito was the best hitter on the Indians’ roster at the time, hitting the second-most home runs in the AL in 1958, with 41, and leading the league with 42 homers in 1959.

Colavito’s first stint with the Indians ended prematurely thanks to the trade, but he was eventually dealt back to the Indians in 1965. After a pair of All-Star seasons, the Indians send him to the White Sox in mid-1967. In 1965, he lead the league with 108 RBIs, making him as valuable as ever, but he quickly fell off after that. The latter years of his career were much rougher, and in 1968, he retired after just 14 seasons in the big leagues.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #17

#17: Carlos Baerga

Carlos Baerga was one of the Indians most consistent hitters during the early 1990s. From 1990 to 1995, he batted .305/.345/.454 and hit 93 home runs, in addition to swiping 47 bases and knocking in 505 runs.

Baerga’s stint in Cleveland was by far the best of his career as an everyday player, although he posted better averages as a part-time player with the Diamondbacks towards the end of his career.

Surrounded by players like Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez, Baerga could have easily gotten away with less production. Instead, he was not just one of the best-hitting Indians of all time, but one of the top-hitting second basemen in the history of the game. Second base is a notoriously weak offensive position, given that defense is key in the middle infield, but Baerga was an exception to that rule.

Baerga was a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, all with the Cleveland Indians. He finished his career with a .291 average, 134 total home runs, and 774 RBIs. Considering that the majority of those numbers came in his early years with Cleveland, it’s incredible to think about how effective he was for some of the Tribe’s best teams.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #16

#16: Andre Thornton

Andre Thornton began his 14-year career with the Chicago Cubs, before being traded to the Montreal Expos in 1976. After just a partial season in Canada, the Expos dealt Thornton to the Cleveland Indians before the 1977 season.

With Cleveland, Thornton played the final ten years of his career. He hit just .254 during that time, but he also crushed 253 home runs and knocked in 895 RBIs as the team’s first baseman and (later) designated hitter.

Thornton’s best seasons came in 1982 and 1984, when he had All-Star seasons for the Tribe. In 1982, he hit 32 home runs and batted .273, and in 1984, he had 33 home runs and a .271 average.

Thorton was certainly one of the best early power hitter in Tribe history, and the Indians were lucky to get him in what was regarded as a terrible trade for the Expos. At the end of his career, he had racked up 1,342 hits, 876 walks, and even 48 stolen bases in addition to his home runs.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #15

#15: Ken Keltner

Ken Keltner is best remembered for being the defensive player who stopped Joe DiMaggio‘s record-setting 56-game hitting streak with some fantastic defensive moves at third base. Keltner is a little-discussed player in Tribe history, but he actually inspired sabermetrician Bill James to come up with the so-called “Keltner List” – a 15-question guide that is used to determine whether borderline Hall of Fame candidates are worthy of selection.

Keltner himself is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he did get some consideration for the honor. Although his career lasted just 13 years – not including a year interruption for his United States Navy service in 1945 – Keltner managed to put up some impressive numbers. He spent nearly his entire career with Cleveland, excluding 32 at-bats with the Boston Red Sox in 1950.

In his career with the Tribe, Keltner hit .276/.337/.441, including 163 home runs and 39 stolen bases. He was a seven-time All-Star for the Tribe, including in their 1948 World Championship season, and he received at least a few MVP votes in five separate seasons.

Keltner’s defense was probably more widely regarded than his offense, but that only speaks to just how good he was with a glove. His power and ability to walk make him one of the best hitters in Tribe history, even if he didn’t necessarily make the Hall of Fame cut.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #14

#14: Hal Trosky

Hal Trosky was another player with a short career, cut short by a migraine condition that caused him to skip entire seasons while he sought treatment. He made his debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1933, going 13-for-47 in a September callup. In 1934, Trosky lead the league in games played, with 154, and repeated the feat the following season.

The Indians’ team captain received MVP votes in four seasons, his career on-base plus slugging percentage is ranked 68th in baseball history. In 1936, Trosky led the league in extra-base hits, marking just one of seven seasons in which he was in the top ten in that category.

Unlikely many other players on this list, Trosky wasn’t a speed demon or a pure power bat. He rarely led the league in any category, but consistently succeeded in all areas. In nine years with the Indians, Trosky posted a .313/.379/.551 line, including 216 home runs and 911 RBIs. While he never stole many bases – just 21 in his career – he excelled at hitting well enough to give up him 287 doubles and 53 triples during his time with the Tribe.

Trosky was never a Hall of Fame candidate, but his consistency during his years with the Indians earned him the respect and loyalty of his teammates, and should earn him a place in the memory of Tribe fans as well.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #13

#13: Albert Belle

Who could forget Tribe slugger Albert Belle? It might be a travesty to have him so far back on the list, but keep in mind that the Indians are a long and extremely good franchise – even if they lack the World Series Championships to back that up. Belle was one of the best players in his ERA, but it’s hard to make the case that he was the best in Tribe history.

He was, however, one of the best. From 1993 to 1997, Belle was tabbed as an All-Star in all five seasons. Three times, he lead the league in RBIs, once in doubles, and one in home runs. Although he never won an MVP award, he was voted for in six of his seasons, and was the runner up in 1995 – the same year that he received the Major League Player of the Year Award.

Belle won five Silver Slugger Awards, and twice led the league in slugging percentage. In 1995, he had an astronomical .690 slugging percentage, and in 1998, he posted a league-leading OPS of 1.055.

The Tribe would certainly not have been the same without Belle in the 90s, both for his on-field performance and his off-field antics, which provided much amusement for both media and fans.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #12

#12: Al Rosen

The year before the Indians won their last World Series Championship, Al Rosen made his debut. Although he rarely played in his first three seasons, by 1950, he was a key part of the Tribe’s lineup. After serving in the United States Navy for four years during World War II, Rosen was finally able to begin his baseball career. He spent all of 1948 in the minors before finally joining the team just in time to win a World Series ring.

Rosen spent ten years with the Tribe, and finished his career with a .285/.384/.495 line. He hit 192 home runs, and led the league in homers twice. He also led the league in RBIs two seasons as well, including his MVP season in 1953. That year, he was the league’s best in not just home runs and RBIs, but WAR, OPS, runs, adjusted batting wins, and runs created. It was truly a season for the ages.

Rosen only played baseball for ten years, with his career first delayed by military service and then cut short by nagging injuries. He retired after the 1956 season, at age 32, but not before logging plenty of records. In his rookie season in 1950, Rosen hit 37 home runs and posted a .948 OPS – some of the best offensive numbers ever among Indians rookies.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #11

#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

#10: Elmer Flick

Elmer Flick made his debut in 1898 with the Philadelphia Phillies. After the debut of the American League, Flick jumped ship and headed to the Phildelphia Athletics, but much like fellow outfielder Nap Lajoie, an injunction banned him from playing in Pennsylvania because he had left the Phillies for the A’s. Because of that, Cleveland lucked out and picked up another excellent player.

Flick lead the American League in batting average and OPS in 1905, posting a .308/.383/.462 line. The following season, he racked up 700 plate appearances – a league-high total. That year, he scored 98 runs and had an astonishing 22 triples, leading the league in both categories.

Flick was a below-average power hitter, even for the deadball era. He had just 19 home runs during his nine year run with Cleveland. However, he made up for it with his speed, swiping 207 bags for the Naps and leading the league in stolen bases twice during his career.

After finishing his career with a .313/.389/.445 line, Flick was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1963 by the Veteran’s Committee.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #9

#9: Kenny Lofton

The speedy Kenny Lofton certainly isn’t on this list for his power-hitting abilities, but that didn’t stop him from pushing out plenty of home run hitters on the Tribe’s leaderboards. Lofton is ranked fourth in career WAR amongst position players, third in runs scored (975), ninth in hits (1,512), and of course, first in stolen bases with 452.

Lofton began his career in Houston, but found himself in a Cleveland uniform after just one season. From 1992 to 2001, he patrolled the outfield for the Indians in all but one season, and was selected as an All-Star six times. In five straight seasons, he led the league in steals, swiping 54 or more bases from 1992 to 1996, including a career-high 75 in the final year of that streak.

Following the 1996 season, he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves, but when he reached free agency at the end of the year he immediately re-signed with the Tribe. Lofton received MVP votes in four seasons the the Indians, as well as winning four Gold Glove Awards.

In 1994, he led the league in WAR, at 7.2. His career WAR of 68.2 is ranked 115th all-time, which doesn’t sound like much until considering a) just how many players Major League Baseball has had, and b) Lofton’s game relied almost entirely on speed.

At the end of his 17-year career, Lofton had a .299/.372/.423 line, as well as 622 stolen bases and a surprising 130 home runs. He had scored 1528 runs. Despite these numbers, Lofton did not even make it past the first ballot of Hall of Fame eligibility – much to his very public dismay.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #8

#8: Manny Ramirez

Outfielder Manny Ramirez is another 90s player who dominates the Indians leaderboards. He’s ranked 10th in offensive WAR, at 33.6, amongst Tribe hitters. He also has the fourth-best on-base percentage (.407), the highest slugging percentage (.592) and the third-most home runs (236).

Ramirez debuted with the Indians in 1993, spending the first eight years of his career with the Indians. Much like Belle, Ramirez had a reputation for being wild and unpredictable when it came to off-field antics, and had he not been such a good power hitter, teams would have likely treated him much as the Cleveland Browns treat Johnny Manziel today.

Although Ramirez was a four-time All-Star with the Indians, he was selected in all eight seasons with the Boston Red Sox. However, the slugger had equally good tenures with both times. He hit .313/.407/.592 for the Tribe, and .312/.411/.588 with the Red Sox.

Ramirez’s home run power was, like Thome’s, only league-leading in one season because of the era in which he played. However, he finished his career with 555 homers, 236 of which came in an Indians uniform, and that makes him one of the best hitters in Tribe history.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #7

#7: Joe Sewell

Indians infielder Joe Sewell played 14 seasons in the major leagues, and of those, 11 of them were spent with the Tribe. In his final three years, he played for the New York Yankees before retiring at the age of 34.

Sewell was a consistent, high-average hitter for Cleveland throughout his career, finishing with a .320/.398/.425 average. He made his debut in 1920, and proceeded to work his way onto the all-time franchise leaderboards. Sewell is seventh in career WAR amongst Indians’ position players, ninth in batting average, and eighth in on-base percentage. He’s also fourth in hits and doubles, with 1800 and 375, respectively.

In 1977, Sewell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee, thanks to a combination of offensive and defensive prowess. He consistently was in the top ten in a variety of offensive categories, including leading the league in doubles in 1924.

Sewell is talked about less than many of the remaining names on this list, but there’s little doubt that he’s one of the best in Indians history.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #6

#6: Lou Boudreau

Lou Boudreau was selected to an All-Star Squad seven times, after beginning his Indians career in 1938. He was a huge part of the 1948 Championship team, hitting .355/.453/.534 that year and winning the MVP as well as the Major League Player of the Year Award. In thirteen seasons with the Tribe, Boudreau established himself as one of the best hitters in the franchise, including leading the league in batting average in 1944.

Lou Boudreau is third in career WAR among Indians position players, having earned a 61.7 WAR during his time with the team. That is just under two times the career WAR of Bill Bradley, the number 10 player on that list – to put how superior he was in perspective.

Boudreau’s high WAR comes in part because of his solid defense, but also because he’s sixth in Tribe history in hits (1,706), fifth in doubles (367) and third in walks (766).  Aside from being in the Indians’ record books, Boudrea led the league in doubles three times, as well as twice in WAR. His 63 career WAR is 150th in baseball history – no small feat.

In 1970, Boudreau was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 77.3 percent of the vote, after a appearing on the ballot many times.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #5

#5: Joe Jackson

Shoeless Joe Jackson is best known for his fateful role in the Black Sox Scandal, which is why he’s not in the Hall of Fame, and is often left out of discussions about the greatest athletes of all time. But prior to being dealt to the White Sox, Jackson was a superstar for the Indians.

After making his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908, a 22-year-old Jackson was dealt to the Naps for the 1910 season. In 1912, he led the league in hits and triples, and in 1913, he led in hits and doubles.

Shoeless Joe was a man of many talents. Although his career lasted 13 years, his time with the Indians was the most memorable in terms of on-field performance. In six years with the Indians, he swiped 138 bases and hit 24 home runs, as well as hitting 937 hits. His final line as an Indian was .375/.441/.542, and had he not ended his career with the Black Sox Scandal, he might have gone on to be one of the best players in the history of the game.

Despite playing only six years with the Indians, Jackson holds the franchise record for batting average, is ranked second in on-base percentage, and is tied for fifth place in slugging percentage. This gives him the second-highest OPS of any Indians player, behind only Manny Ramirez. It’s disappointing that he’ll never be able to get the credit he deserves for incredible performances he turned in as a member of the Tribe.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #4

#4: Larry Doby

Although Jackie Robinson gets all of the recognition, Larry Doby was instrumental in breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, too. Doby was the first African-American player to debut in the American League, and he did so in July of 1947 with the Cleveland Indians.

Doby was a seven-time All-Star, selected in each season from 1949 to 1955 during his time with the Indians. He led the AL in home runs twice – in 1952 and 1954 – and led the league in RBIs once in 1954. Although his major league career only spanned 13 seasons thanks to segregation, Doby was in the top-ten in WAR eight times, and led the league in OPS in 1950.

It’s hard to speak of Doby in terms of pure hitting ability – his character as someone who fought racism and hatred without receiving the attention and recognition of Robinson is far more interesting and important. However, from a purely numbers standpoint, Doby is one of the best players in the game to pick up a bat, and had he not spent the earliest parts of his career in the Negro League, he might easily have been in the 3000 hits club, or hit any number of other memorable milestones.

As it stands, Doby’s 253 home runs make him one of the best power hitters of his era, and he was traded multiple times by teams hoping to capitalize on his strength. Doby’s number 14 was retired by the Indians as a tribute to both his talent and the sacrifices he made, and he was finally elected into the Hall of Fame in 1998 by the Veteran’s Committee. The fact that it took so long to add him to the Hall of Fame is a disgrace to the game, because he is a very deserving player who changed the game of baseball as fans today know it.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #3

#3: Earl Averill

The Cleveland Indians retired Earl Averill’s number 3 in 1975 – the same year the veteran was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, just eight years before his death. Averill had insisted on being elected to the Hall before he died, publicly stating that his wishes had been for his estate to turn down the honor if he was elected posthumously. That would probably have been a fair punishment for the slight.

Averill began his career with a bang – hitting a home run in his first Major League at-bat when he debuted on Opening Day in 1929.

Although Averill never played on a Championship team with the Tribe – or even a very good team – he consistently set records himself. He was 27 years old when he debuted with the Tribe, and holds the franchise record for runs scored (1,154), triples (121), and RBIs (1,084). He also is ranked third in hits (1,902) and doubles (377) behind only Nap Lajoie and Tris Speaker, and fourth in home runs (226) and walks (725).

Averill was a six-time All-Star with a career batting average of .318, and he spent all but three seasons of his career with the Indians. He reached the World Series during one of his two seasons with the Detroit Tigers in 1939, but the team did not win a Championship – making him one of the best players in the history of the game without a World Series ring.

Although he rarely finished first in any category, he was consistently in the top-ten for almost every offensive criteria. It’s not impossible to make the case that Averill was the best hitter in Indians’ history, but at least on this list, he falls just short of that title.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #2

#2: Nap Lajoie

Infielder Nap Lajoie made his debut before the Indians even existed, playing for the Philadelphia Phillies beginning in 1896. In 1901, he made his way to the Philadelphia Athletics, where he had one of the most impressive seasons of all time: .426/.463/.643, with 125 RBIs, 14 home runs, 232 hits, and 48 doubles. Lajoie must have forgot that he was playing in the deadball era. That season, he won the Triple Crown, leading the league in average, home runs and RBIs.

The following season, Lajoie was dealt to the Indians after legal issues following his jump from the National League to the newly-minted American League forced him to stop playing in the state of Pennsylvania. The team, which was then called the Cleveland Bronchos, had been on the verge of a move thanks to low attendance and unprofitability in Cleveland, but Lajoie saved the franchise. He continued to put up such impressive numbers that by the end of the season, the team changed its name to the Cleveland Napoleons, or “Naps”.

During his lengthy career, Lajoie led the league in batting average five times, including each season from 1901-1904. He also led the league in RBIs three times, as well as three times in OPS. Lajoie only led the league in WAR one year – 1906 – but he was in the top ten in eight of his 21 seasons, and his 107.4 career WAR is ranked 23rd all-time amongst major leaguers.

By the end of his career, Lajoie had logged 657 doubles, 163 triples, and 82 home runs – as well as 380 stolen bases, and 3242 hits. His election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 was well-deserved, and his place in Indians history will never be forgotten.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #1

#1: Tris Speaker

Tris Speaker. The player-manager of the Cleveland Indians from 1916 to 1926 is one of the most fabled baseball players of the last century. After a pair of World Championships with the Boston Red Sox, Speaker was dealt to the Cleveland Indians. By 1920, he had led the Indians to a Championship of their own.

So what makes Speaker the number one hitter on this list? For starters, he holds the major league record with 792 career doubles (as well as a record 449 career outfield assists, if defensive prowess were to be taken into consideration). In his first season with the Tribe, Speaker led the league in batting average, and in 1923, he led in RBIs. This all happened after his 1912 MVP season, when he lead the league with 10 home runs in the deadball era.

At the end of his career, Speaker could boast a .345 lifetime average – but his numbers with the Indians were even better: .354/.444/.520, with 155 stolen bases, 73 home runs and 886 RBIs in 1519 games. He also had 3514 career hits.

Speaker led the league in WAR three times, and placed in the top ten every season from 1909 to 1926. He was an eight-time AL leader in doubles, and was at the top of the list in defensive categories nearly every season as well. After his retirement, he returned to the Indians organization and helped instruct many of the other names on this list – including Larry Doby – on both their defense and offense.

In 1937, Speaker was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the voters on his second ballot – a much deserved honor for the man who might easily be the best hitter in Indians history.

Next: Top 10 All-Time Pitchers

Think we missed someone? Tell us who you think the franchise’s best hitters are in the comments below.