Jim Edmonds
Those eight Gold Gloves tell only half the story. Edmonds revolutionized center field defense with diving catches that became SportsCenter staples, but his peak offensive years in St. Louis made him a complete player few remember properly.
That 2004 season represents one of the most underrated campaigns of the steroid era. His 1.061 OPS ranked fourth in the National League, sandwiched between Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols. Edmonds combined 42 homers with elite defense at baseball's most demanding outfield position.
The 393 career home runs place him among the top power-hitting center fielders ever, yet his defensive wizardry overshadowed his offensive contributions. His 115 career OPS+ across 18 seasons proves he was far more than just highlight-reel catches.
Career · Batting
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | CAL | 18 | 61 | 0 | 4 | .246 | .614 | 83 |
| 1994 | CAL | 94 | 289 | 5 | 37 | .273 | .720 | 94 |
| 1995 | CAL | 141 | 558 | 33 | 107 | .290 | .888 | 118 |
| 1996 | CAL | 114 | 431 | 27 | 66 | .304 | .946 | 123 |
| 1997 | LAA | 133 | 502 | 26 | 80 | .291 | .868 | 115 |
| 1998 | LAA | 154 | 599 | 25 | 91 | .307 | .874 | 116 |
| 1999 | LAA | 55 | 204 | 5 | 23 | .250 | .766 | 98 |
| 2000 | STL | 152 | 525 | 42 | 108 | .295 | .994 | 127 |
| 2001 | STL | 150 | 500 | 30 | 110 | .304 | .974 | 128 |
| 2002 | STL | 144 | 476 | 28 | 83 | .311 | .981 | 131 |
| 2003 | STL | 137 | 447 | 39 | 89 | .275 | 1.002 | 133 |
| 2004 | STL | 153 | 498 | 42 | 111 | .301 | 1.061 | 139 |
| 2005 | STL | 142 | 467 | 29 | 89 | .263 | .918 | 123 |
| 2006 | STL | 110 | 350 | 19 | 70 | .257 | .822 | 107 |
| 2007 | STL | 117 | 365 | 12 | 53 | .252 | .728 | 96 |
| 2008 | CHC | 111 | 340 | 20 | 55 | .235 | .822 | 110 |
| 2010 | MIL | 86 | 246 | 11 | 23 | .276 | .846 | 116 |
| Career | 2011 | 6858 | 393 | 1199 | .284 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.