MLB: Top 30 leadoff hitters of all-time
When most people think of the greatest leadoff hitters of all-time, they think first of great base stealers that not only got on base, but helped put themselves into scoring position by swiping a bag before being driven home by those in the heart of the order.
He’s certainly not your typical leadoff hitter (he had just 24 career stolen bases, after all), but Wade Boggs hit .321/.413/.428 in 3,714 plate appearances atop the lineup.
Overall, Boggs was a .328/.415/.443 hitter in 18 Major League seasons and finished his career with 3,010 hits. He won five AL batting titles, each time hitting .357 or better, and also led the Majors in on-base percentage six times thanks not only to his ability to hit the ball to all fields, but also for his keen knowledge of the strike zone and patience.
Never considered a slugger (he had only 118 career home runs), Boggs was still highly respected as a dangerous hitter and led the American League in intentional walks from 1987 to 1992. An 11-time All-Star (and elected ten times as a starter at third base), Boggs also won eight Sliver Slugger Awards and two Gold Gloves.
Overall, Boggs ranks 42nd in MLB history in Wins Above Replacement (91.1 according to Baseball-Reference.com), 33rd all-time in Offensive WAR (80.6), 19th in singles (2,253), 20th in doubles (578) and 26th in walks (1,412).
A World Champion with the Yankees in 1996, Boggs was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
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