MLB: Top 30 leadoff hitters of all-time
Brett Butler. 8. player. 71. . 1981-1997. Braves, Indians, Dodgers, Giants, Mets
An underrated player both today and during his career, Brett Butler is certainly one of the best leadoff hitters of all-time.
A career .290/.377/.376 hitter across 17 Major League seasons with five clubs, the left-handed outfielder made just one All-Star team – in 1991. That season, Butler led the National League with 730 plate appearances, 112 runs scored and 108 walks in 161 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit a solid .296/.401/.343 and got one base more times than anyone else in the National League (291). Despite only hitting 13 doubles, two home runs and collecting 38 RBI, he finished seventh in voting for the NL MVP.
Overall, Butler was an ideal leadoff hitter and spent 1,845 games atop the order. He had 2,375 career hits, 1,129 walks and scored 1,359 runs, all of which rank in the top 125 in Major League history.
Arguably the best bunter ever, especially when it came to bunting for a base hit, Butler was also a triples machine. He had 131 career triples, which ranks in the top 100 all-time, led his league on four occasions, led the Majors twice and collected double-digit triples five times throughout his career.
Butler also put that great speed to use stealing bases. He stole 558 bags in his career, which ranks 25th in Major League history, and his speed also came in handy defensively. Butler flashed terrific range in center and though he never won a Gold Glove, Butler led his league in fielding percentage three times, including the 1991 and 1993 seasons in which he was perfect.
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