5 Greatest Giants Hitters of All Time

Eight players rank ahead of Posey on the Giants’ career offensive WAR list. But considering the difficulties of playing catcher in the modern era, we found it impossible to leave off the three-time World Series winner.

Posey played 12 seasons in San Francisco and immediately became a force, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2010 while also finishing 10th in National League Most Valuable Player voting. The Giants won the World Series that year as Posey chipped in a .270 batting average with a home run, three doubles, and five RBIs in the postseason.

He didn’t just have a flash in the pan, either, as catchers sometimes do (the toll catching takes on the body often manifests itself at the plate quicker than other positions).

He won MVP honors in 2012 and the Giants again won the World Series. In 2014, he finished sixth in MVP voting and led the Giants to a third title in five years. He continued playing at an All-Star level into his final season in 2021 when he still hit over .300 and carried an OPS of almost .900.

4. Willie McCovey (1959-73; 1977-80)

The water beyond right field at Oracle Park is named after the Giants’ slugging first baseman of who played in San Francisco in four different decades.

McCovey’s best years came in the late 1960s and early '70s, peaking in 1969 when he won NL MVP honors. From 1968 to 1970, McCovey led all of baseball in slugging and OPS in all three seasons while topping the NL in RBIs and home runs twice apiece.

His 66.3 WAR over his career with the Giants ranks fourth in team history, comfortably in front No. 5 Billy Terry, but comfortably behind the top three.

MORE: Ranking the 5 Greatest Giants Pitchers Ever

3. Mel Ott (1926-1947)

Part outfielder and part third baseman, Ott is all slugger. He ranks second in Giants history in hits, runs, doubles, and total bases, while ranking No. 1 in RBIs.

He became an everyday player in the lineup in 1928 at age 19. He hit stardom the next year, racking up 42 home runs and 151 RBIs with a 1.084 OPS when he was 20. In 1934, Ott began a run that saw him make 11 straight All-Star games and finish in the top 20 of MVP voting 10 times. He retired after the 1947 season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1951.

2. Barry Bonds (1993-2007)

Baseball’s all-time WAR leader checks in second on this list. It isn’t because of the controversy or allegations, either. For our money, Bonds is the greatest baseball player of the last 50 years. Instead, Bonds falls to No. 2 because part of his legendary statistical totals came somewhere besides San Francisco.

Bonds won five MVPs with the Giants, including four straight from 2001 to 2004. In each of those seasons, he led all of baseball in on-base percentage, capping at an absurd .609 in 2004, slugging, and OPS. His 73 home runs in 2001 set the MLB single-season record turned Bonds into an icon. 

The allegations remain, clouding his status as the greatest to ever play. But for this list, he would be No. 2, anyway.

1. Willie Mays (1951-1972)

Some baseball historians would argue that Mays is the greatest outfielder in the history of baseball. They may not be wrong.

A 24-time All-Star who won two MVPs, 12 Gold Gloves, and the 1954 World Series, Mays’ 156.2 career WAR ranks fifth all-time, just 6.6 points behind Bonds. The difference is that Mays racked up 154.6 of those WAR points in New York and San Francisco. 

Mays ranks sixth in baseball history with 660 home runs, seventh with 2,068 runs, and 12th with 1,909 RBIs. His 24 ASGs are tied for second behind Hank Aaron’s 25, and his 12 Gold Gloves tie for the most by an outfielder (Roberto Clemente), as well.

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