Jared Cohen
Gerardo Parra is one of the best outfielders in major league baseball. Seeing what he did against the Dodgers on monday night just reaffirmed that. In case you missed it, check this out.
His play got me thinking, is Parra the best fielding outfielder in Diamondbacks history? Here is a list I compiled of the top 10 fielding outfielders in the teams’ history. Worth noting that hitting is not taken into consideration for this list.
10. Quinton McCracken-Diamondbacks outfielder from 2002-2005 (spent part of 2004 with Seattle): Was a utility outfielder that played all three positions. He was very reliable as his fielding percentage in seasons where he saw significant playing time was lowest in 2005 which was .975. He had only five errors during his D-backs tenure which required him to play so many different roles for the team.
9. Luis Gonzalez-Diamondbacks left fielder from 1999-2006: Gonzo is one of the best D-backs of all time but it was without a doubt more for his bat than his glove. He had a below average arm and had 25 errors in his tenure. But he was athletic and had great range. He broke in that left field wall with some great home run robs.
8. Jason Kubel-Diamondbacks outfielder from 2012-Present: Is known more for his bat than his glove but in 2012, his glove was very underrated. He had a fielding percentage of .995 in 125 games (mostly in left field) and had only one error on the season. He has only one error in 28 games this season.
7. David Dellucci-Diamondbacks outfielder from 1998-2003: Was an important utility outfielder for the D-backs from many seasons and was a fan favorite because of his bat and his glove. Was not an everyday player but when he was in, he was very reliable. Had only seven errors his entire career in Arizona.
6. Eric Byrnes-Diamondbacks outfielder from 2006-2009: He was known for laying out for fly balls and doing flips in the outfield when throwing the ball to the infield. He was exciting to watch and also had solid numbers to back him up. He never had more than five errors in a season and had a fielding percentage as high as .997 in 137 games in 2006.
5. Reggie Sanders- Diamondbacks right fielder in 2001: Had an amazing fielding percentage of .996 in 2001 including 5 assists and just one error. He also made exciting plays like robbing home runs and diving catches. That one season was enough to have him crack the top five.
4. Danny Bautista-Diamondbacks outfielder from 2000-2004: He had a laser for an arm. Had a total of 19 assists in the four seasons including eight in 2004 as the every day right fielder. That season his fielding percentage was .986
3. Chris Young-Diamondbacks center fielder from 2006-2012: Though he did not have the strongest arm, CY made up unbelievable ground in center field. he never had more than seven errors in a season and had a fielding percentage as high as .993 in 2011 playing in 155 games.
2. Gerardo Parra-Diamondbacks outfielder from 2009-Present: Gold Glove winner in 2011. Right now in 2013 his is the major league leader in outfield assists through June 10th. Not to mention he plays every outfield position and has one of the best arms in the game. Just ask new sensation Yasiel Puig.
1. Steve Finley-Diamondback center fielder from 1999-2004: Had 39 assists to just 16 errors in that time and the lowest his fielding percentage in that span was .982 in 2003 which was still among the league’s best. He covered an unbelievable amount of ground had a cannon for an arm and is not only the best outfielder in Diamondbacks history, he is one of the best in the history of the game.
