Oakland Athletics All-Time Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

Ranking the Top 20 Hitters in A’s History: From Philadelphia to the Oakland Athletics

Who were the best hitters in A’s history? Swingin’ A’s ranks the top 20 of all time, starting with Danny Murphy:

#20: Danny Murphy

Danny Murphy made his debut before the American League was born, playing in 1900 for the New York Giants. By 1902, he had jumped leagues to the Philadelphia Athletics, where he found instant success as one of the best hitters to ever swing a bat for the A’s.

Altogether, Murphy spent the best 12 years of his 16 year career with the Athletics. In that time, he amassed 185 stolen bases and 40 home runs – not bad for the deadball era. With the A’s, he hit .336/.407/.743.

In addition to plenty of single-season records, Murphy’s longevity with the team helped him become a franchise top-ten player in many areas. Notably, he’s ranked eighth in hits (1,489) and doubles (279), and he leads the franchise with 102 triples in his career.

Murphy is often forgotten in the history books, simply because he’s not a Hall of Famer, but he had five seasons in which he was a top-ten position player in WAR, and six in which he was in the top ten in OPS. He certainly deserves some recognition for those accomplishments.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #19

#18: Eric Chavez

Eric Chavez and his six Gold Gloves are more well known for defense than offense. However, Chavez had his share of success at the plate, most notably in 2002 when he won the Silver Slugger Award.

In three of Chavez’s seasons with the A’s, he was in the top ten in doubles, and in 2004, he led the league with 95 walks. Again, most of his success was as a defender, so while he might be the most beloved player in history, he only finds himself ranked 18th on the All-Time list of hitters.

In terms of franchise records, Chavez’s lengthy tenure with the A’s is his friend. His 282 doubles rank seventh among A’s players, as do his 787 RBIs. The stellar third baseman had time to rack up those numbers during a 13 year career with Oakland, beginning with his debut in 1998. In 2011, he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees and also spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks before retiring in 2014.

Chavez is certainly one of the greatest players in Athletics history, if only because so few of them have played as many years with the A’s as he has, but defense was definitely his specialty.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #17

#17: Carney Lansford

Carney Lansford was a hit machine for the Oakland Athletics. He had 1,317 hits in his career with the team, tied for tenth in franchise history. He was named an All-Star only once, in 1988, but it was the Championship 1989 season in which he truly excelled. That year, he hit .336/.398/.405 in 148 games, stealing 37 bases along the way.

Lansford was an excellent player for the A’s, usually batting second behind the speedy Rickey Henderson. He led the league in average in 1981, when he received a Silver Slugger Award for his success at the plate. Surprisingly, his .336 average in 1989 was only good enough for second place.

Lansford played first and third base for the Oakland Athletics, beginning in 1983. He started his career with the California Angels, debuting in 1978 before being dealt to first the Boston Red Sox, and then the A’s.

By the time he retired in 1992, Lansford had racked up some impressive career numbers: 2074 hits, 332 doubles, 151 home runs and 224 stolen bases. He had a lifetime average of .290/.343/.411, with his best years occurring in an A’s uniform.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #16

#16: Miguel Tejada

Shortstop and third baseman Miguel Tejada debuted as an Oakland Athletic in 1997, batting just .202 in 26 games. Over the next seven years, he turned himself into a star athlete for the A’s, including his 2002 season.

In that year, Tejada made his first All-Star Game as he hit .308/.354/.508 and played in all 162 games. He won the MVP Award as he hit 34 home runs and knocked in 131 RBIs, making himself an invaluable part of that year’s Athletics squad.

After his time in Oakland, Tejada signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles, where he continued his All-Star success. He had three outstanding seasons with the O’s before getting dealt to Houston in 2008, and he also spent time with the Padres, Giants and Royals.

Tejada finished his major league career, presumably, in 2013. He was a six-time All-Star with a final career line of .285/.336/.456. Although he isn’t found on many franchise leaderboards, this can be attributed to his short time as an Athletic, rather than any offensive failing on his part.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #15

#15: Nap Lajoie

Nap Lajoie‘s time with the Philadelphia A’s was short, but his 1901 season was so great that it’s impossible to leave it off this list. Lajoie made his professional debut in 1896, when “The Frenchman” got his start with the Philadelphia Phillies. After the American League was established, Lajoie jumped ship in 1901 and headed across town to the AL Athletics.

In 1901, Lajoie played in 131 games and led the league in nearly every category: 141 runs, 232 hits, 48 doubles, 14 home runs, and 125 RBIs. The only categories in which he did not lead where triples (14) and stolen bases (27). He also had the highest line of any player, at .426/.463/.643 – an astonishing 1.106 OPS.

In 1902, after just one game, the Athletics dealt him to the Cleveland Indians franchise – where he would play the next 13 years of his career as one of the greatest players of all time. No, this wasn’t some early version of moneyball, or proof that the Athletics have always been cheap. After so many of their players jumped ship for the American League, the National League Phillies tried to take legal action. The result was an injunction that meant Lajoie and his teammates couldn’t play in the state of Pennsylvania.

Consequently, Lajoie spent his best years with the Indians, who at the time were called the Cleveland Naps in honor of their captain and fan-favorite – Lajoie. Although he returned to the A’s in 1915 and 1916, he was in his 40s at that point and was hardly the .338/.389/.452 career player he had been in the past. Had it not been for the Phillies’ injunction, he could have been the greatest player in A’s history.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #14

#14: Mickey Cochrane

In 1925, Mickey Cochrane made his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics, batting .331/.397/.448 in his rookie season. At just 22 years old, he had 139 hits and six home runs in 134 games.

In his career, Cochrane almost never led the league in any offensive category. He played 13 years in the major leagues, including nine with the Athletics and four with the Detroit Tigers. During that time, he led the league in OBP once, in 1933, and made the All-Star Team twice as a Tiger.

Despite that, Cochrane finished his career a .320/.419/.478 hitter, with his numbers in Philadelphia being slightly better than in Detroit. He also had 119 career home runs, 830 RBIs, and 64 stolen bases.

Cochrane also had two MVP seasons: 1928 and 1934. In 1928, he finished the year with a .295 average and .859 OPS, while his 1934 season with the Tigers ended with a .320/.428/.412 line. His legacy as one of the historically great players was cemented in 1947, when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #13

#13: Jason Giambi

Given his ties to PEDs, Jason Giambi might be a controversial name to have on an all-time hitters list. However, his contributions to the early 2000s teams are part of what made them so great, and it would be impossible to leave him off a list celebrating the best hitters of the franchise.

Giambi made his debut in 1995, hitting just .256 with 6 home runs in 54 games. The following season, he hit 20 home runs – and didn’t drop below that mark until he hit just 12 in an injury-shortened 2004 season with the Yankees.

Giambi was a five-time All-Star, including twice with the A’s. He never led the league in home runs (steroid era problems) but he did lead in on-base percentage three times in his career, as well as four times in walks and once in doubles. In 2001, he led the league in WAR. Giambi’s value came not just in his ability to hit for power, but like many great sluggers, in his ability to take walks – and inspire pitchers to be cautious enough to walk him in the first place.

After the 2014 season, Giambi retired following a two-year stint with the Cleveland Indians, during which time he became the oldest player to hit a walkoff home run – twice. This capped a storied career that included winning the 2000 MVP and Hutch Awards, as well as being the MVP runner-up in 2001, and the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2005.

Because of his ties to PEDs, Giambi will likely never be voted into the Hall of Fame even if the writers believe he is worthy, but his legacy as a hitter should be fondly remembered by A’s fans.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #12

#12: Bert Campaneris

Bert Campaneris got his start with the Kansas City Athletics in 1964, when he hit .257/.306/.375 in 67 games. His first All-Star season came after the team moved to Oakland in 1968, and he repeated the feat four more times with the A’s, as well as once more in Texas.

Campaneris led the league in stolen bases four times, from 1965 to 1968, and he led the league in hits in that 1968 season as well, with 177. The A’s scrappy shortstop was both speedy and smart on the basepaths, which helped to be in the top ten in WAR for position players four times during his career. In 13 years with the Athletics, swiped 566 total bases.

Much like Eric Chavez, who was mentioned earlier, Campaneris was best known for his defensive prowess. While he was ranked highly in Offensive WAR twice, he made the top ten in Defensive WAR nine times, and his career number of 20.8 is 44th all-time among players from any team.

Campaneris did not get elected to the Hall of Fame, falling off the ballot after just one try, but plenty of great players aren’t good enough to have that particular honor bestowed upon them. He might not be one of the best hitters in baseball history, but for the A’s, he was a key part of their lineup.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #11

#11: Sal Bando

Third baseman Sal Bando was a four-time All-Star for the Oakland Athletics, after making his debut in 1966, two years before the team left Kansas City. He led the league in games played four times, including three years in which he played all 162 games.

In 1973, Bando had the best Offensive WAR in the game, at 7.2. His defense was not nearly as good as his offense, but throughout his career, he amassed a 61.4 total career war – 166th all-time, and 112th among position players.

Bando was a well-rounded player, with a mix of on-base ability and power. His career, which spanned 16 seasons, began with 11 years in Oakland and ended with five years as a Milwakuee Brewer. During his time in Oakland, he averaged just .255/.359/.418, but he also swiped 60 bases, knocked in 796 runs, walked 792 times, and crushed 192 home runs.

When the A’s dynasty teams of the early 70s made their Championships run, Bando was always a key part of their success. Without him, the team would have looked much differently.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #10

#10: Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson‘s career with the Philadelphia Athletics began in 1933. He was one of the first true power hitters, striking fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers throughout his career. In his rookie season, he hit 21 home runs and posted a .290 average for the A’s.

Johnson went on to play ten years in a Philadelphia uniform, before spending one season with the Senators and two with the Boston Red Sox. During his ten years with the Athletics, he hit .298/.395/.520, with 252 home runs and 104o RBIs. When he retired at age 39 after in the 1945 season, he had 2051 total hits.

A seven-time All-Star, Johnson was not elected to the Hall of Fame despite being the kind of player who received MVP votes in six of his 13 seasons. For the majority of his career, he was a top-ten player in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, leading the AL in OPS in 1944, just before retirement. In fact, his career .899 OPS is ranked 64th all-time.

Johnson might not be the most exciting name on the list, but he was one of the greatest early sluggers in the game.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #9

#9: Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco is another named tied to PEDs. He’s also a named tied to making outlandish, sometimes insane statements on social media, which has cast a bit of a shadow on his career. However, when it came to his time as one of the “Bash Brothers” in Oakland, Canseco was untouchable.

Beginning in 1985, when he hit .302 in his debut year, Canseco seemed special. The following season, he won the Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to the first of six career All-Star Games. In his career, he took home four Silver Slugger Awards, as well as the 1988 MVP Award.

Aside from being a decorated player, Canseco was also a powerful slugger. His MVP season came after he nearly won the Triple Crown, leading the league in home runs (42) and RBIs (124), but falling short with a ninth-place finish in batting average (.307). Regardless, he repeated his feat of leading the league in homers three seasons later, in 1991, when he hit 44 of them.

In 1992, Canseco was dealt to the Texas Rangers, and he spent time with several other teams – including a brief return to Oakland in 1997. When all was said and done, he had played 17 years in the league and hit 462 home runs. Canseco may only be remembered now for the crazy things he says online, but at one time, he was one of the greatest hitters in the game.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #8

#8: Harry Davis

Harry Davis played for a variety of National League teams and took a year off from baseball before finally settling in with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. He played there until he retired in 1917, with the exception of the 1912 season, which he spent in Cleveland. Davis was a dynamic hitter, leading the league in doubles three times, and four times in home runs.

By the end of his first stint with the A’s in 1911, he was 37 years old. He headed to Cleveland to take a job as a manager, but did not like it there, and he returned to the Athletics for a similar role. In his second stint with the A’s, he went 10-for-28 in five seasons, which was actually impressively good for how rarely he played.

Altogether, Davis finished his A’s career with a .279/.337/.408 line, having hit 69 home runs in the deadball era. He also stole 223 bases, making him a player with a variety of skills.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #7

#7: Mark McGwire

Everyone knows Mark McGwire has the same problems as Jose Canseco and Jason Giambi – ties to PEDs that, to many fans and voters, nullify a player’s chances at Hall of Fame status. However, McGwire has the best chance of any of them to receive enough votes to make it into the Hall.

After debuting in 1986, McGwire won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1987. He was a 12-time All-Star, in almost every season from 1987 to 2000, and he took home three Silver Slugger Awards.

Fans of baseball in general, not just A’s fans, learned of McGwire during the great home run chase of the 90s, when he hammered 70 home runs in 1998 and 65 home runs the following season. Those were the third and fourth times, respectively, that he led the league in homers in an era where everyone was a power hitter.

McGwire finished his career with a .260/.380/.551 line with the A’s, having hit 363 home runs. However, it’s the 583 career home runs that he hit during his 16-year tenure as a major leaguer that really make him perhaps the most memorable power hitter of all time.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #6

#6: Home Run Baker

Home Run Baker is one of the many players who contributed to the Philadelphia Athletics’ three World Series wins. The three-time World Champion never played a game at any other position except third base, but it was his offense that truly impressed people.

Baker led the league in home runs for four straight years, and posted a career average of .307. In four seasons, Baker received MVP votes, although he never actually won the award. As one of the very few sluggers that existed in the deadball era, the left-handed Baker had a very prominent 13-year career, including seven years with the A’s.

Baker stole 235 bases and averaged 10 home run per year during his time in the big leagues. After establishing himself as power-hitting slugger in Philadelphia, Baker headed to the New York Yankees, where he continued to have success. He was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955, after being selected by the Veteran’s Committee.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #5

#5: Reggie Jackson

Outfielder Reggie Jackson was known affectionately by fans as “Mr. October”, because he had a knack for hitting well in the postseason. Both with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees, Jackson found success defensively and offensively at all times of the season. He spent time with the Orioles and Angels as well, but was mostly known for his time in the Green and Gold as well as the Pinstripes.

After being the second overall draft pick in 1966, Jackson debuted just a year later in an Athletics’ uniform. He played his first season in Kansas City, then spent the rest of his A’s year in Oakland.

Jackson helped the A’s win five consecutive AL West divisional pennants, three consecutive AL pennants, and two consecutive AL World Series titles. During his ten seasons in an Athletics uniform, Jackson hit .262 and posted a .851 OPS. He was also a 14-time All-Star, including six times with the A’s, and the winner of the AL MVP in 1973.

In 2004, the A’s retired Jackson’s number 9 in a ceremony at the Coliseum, and the Yankees have retired his number 44 as well. By the time he retired as an Athletic in 1987, Jackson had five World Series rings, two World Series MVP Awards, and a pair of Silver Slugger Awards. He had led the league in home runs four times, as well as once in RBIs, nearly winning a Triple Crown.

Jackson was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, receiving 93.6 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility in 1993.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #4

#4: Al Simmons

Born Aloysius Szymanski, Al Simmons holds the franchise record in batting average, at .356 during his 12 seasons with the Philadelphia A’s. In three of those seasons – 1940, 1941 and 1944 – Simmons was at the end of a twenty year career, so the majority of his counting stats with the Athletics come from the first nine years of his career.

Despite never being an All-Star with the Athletics, Simmons made three All-Star appearances for the Chicago White Sox after being sold to Chicago following the 1932 season. He had a career that included a pair of World Series Championships with the A’s, in 1929 and 1930.

Simmons led the American league in batting average in 1930 and again in 1931 – after leading the league in RBIs in 1929. That 1930 season was widely regarded as his best as a player, when he hit .381/.423/.708 with 36 home run, 165 RBIs and 152 runs scored. He also stole nine bases and struck out just 34 times all season.

Simmons holds plenty of other franchise records, including the single-season hits record. He’s one of the best hitters baseball has ever seen.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #3

#3: Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins is a name that appears at the top of nearly every historical countdown. He played for the Philadelphia A’s from 1906 to 1914, before returning as a player-coach from 1927 to 1930. When Collins joined the A’s in 1906, he was still a student a Columbia University. Back in the early 1900s, few major leaguers attended college of any kind, let alone went to an Ivy League school. He tried to start his major league career without disrupting his collegiate eligibility by playing under a fake last name, but the University took notice.

Collins, while rumored to have not always been beloved by his teammates due to his superior education, was certainly admired for his intelligence on the field. He had two six-steal games in the month of September 1912, setting a major league record. He was also a four-time stolen base leader who was in the league’s top-ten in batting average every season from 1909 to 1916, and again from 1920 to 1926.

With a .333 career batting average, Collins is ranked 27th all-time among hitters. His 123.9 career WAR is ranked 13th in history, after he was in the league’s top ten in WAR 10 times in his career.

In 1914, Collins took home AL MVP honors, after posting a .344/.452/.904 line for the A’s. It wasn’t even the best year of his career – just one of many great seasons in Collin’s 25 seasons with the A’s and Chicago White Sox.

After his return to the A’s in 1927, Collins coached more than he played, appearing in just 12 total plate appearances in his final two seasons. However, his legacy with the Athletics was firmly cemented in the first nine years of his career, when he helped them win three World Series titles in four seasons.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #2

#2: Jimmie Foxx

The Philadelphia Athletics found Jimmie Foxx in 1925, when he was just 17 years old. He barely saw any playing time at all during the first three years of his career, totaling just 191 plate appearances. However, things begain to take off for him in 1928, and by the following season, he was the A’s everyday first baseman.

Foxx led the league in home runs four times in his career, starting in 1932 when he was only 24 years old. He was a nine-time All-Star, earning a selection each season from 1933 to 1941, including three years with the A’s. Before the 1936 season, Connie Mack sold Foxx’s contract to the Boston Red Sox, where he would play for the next six seasons.

Foxx was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1951, appearing on nearly 80 percent of ballots. If he had been left off, it would have been a travesty. In addition to his many All-Star appearances, Foxx was a three-time MVP, twice with the Athletics. He won the batting title in each of those seasons, and also won the Triple Crown in his 1933 MVP season – leading the league in homers, average and RBIs.

Throughout his two-decade long career, Foxx left behind a fascinating legacy. He was the second player in history to hit 500 home runs, and the youngest player to do so before Alex Rodriguez broke that particular record. Foxx led the league in RBIs and on-base percentage three times each, as well as five times in slugging percentage and four times in home runs. By the end of his career, he had his 534 homers – 18th all-time in history.

Foxx was truly one of the great power hitters, in an era long before power hitters were as common as they are today.

Next: Top 20 A's Hitters: #1

#1: Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson might not have been the most prolific power hitter on this list, or the player most likely to have the highest average. However, Henderson’s unique blend of power, extreme speed and consistency make him the most valuable hitter in Athletics’ history.

Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 on his first ballot, after a career that included 10 All-Star selections and the 1990 American League MVP Award, as well as winning the 1989 ALCS MVP. He led the league in WAR in 1985, and his 110.9 career WAR is ranked 19th All-Time.

While Henderson had a top-ten batting average three times, it was his ability to walk and steal that truly set him apart. From 1980 to 1999, he only fell out of the AL’s top ten in on-base percentage three times, including leading the league in 1990. He led the league in steals 12 times in his career, and was only out of the top ten one time between 1979 and 2001. Henderson holds the single-season record for swiped bags, with 130 in 1982, as well as the lifetime records for runs (2295) and stolen bases (1406).

During 14 seasons with Oakland, Henderson hit .299/.409/.430, including 167 home runs. He holds more records, including being a member of the 3000 hit club and having more leadoff home runs (81) than any other player. While his defense was highly regarded, too, his impressive offensive totals are probably why the A’s felt compelled to retired his number 24 in 2009, the most recent number in the franchise to have been retired.

In addition to Oakland, Henderson spent time with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox and Dodgers, so he was quite the well-traveled player. One of his World Championships came with the A’s in 1989, while the other came with the Blue Jays in 1993. Henderson also won a Gold Glove Award and a trio of Silver Slugger Awards during his career, making him truly one of the greatest athletes to ever play in Major League Baseball history.

Next: Bullpen Improvements Key to Future

Did we leave someone out? Let us know who you think the A’s Top 20 hitters are in the comments below.