What happened to great hitting outfielders?

Top ten big boppers since World War II (since 1946) minimum 7,000 plate appearances (PA) all positions sorted by OPS+:

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Ted Williams	190	7175	1946	1960	27-41	1706	5602	1257	1905	371	38	394	1324	1526	86	513	27	1	20	152	13	6	.340	.482	.631	1.113	*7H	BOS
2	Barry Bonds	182	12606	1986	2007	21-42	2986	9847	2227	2935	601	77	762	1996	2558	688	1539	106	4	91	165	514	141	.298	.444	.607	1.051	*78H/D9	PIT-SFG
3	Mickey Mantle	172	9907	1951	1968	19-36	2401	8102	1676	2415	344	72	536	1509	1733	126	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.298	.421	.557	.977	*8397H/645	NYY
4	Mark McGwire	163	7660	1986	2001	22-37	1874	6187	1167	1626	252	6	583	1414	1317	150	1596	75	3	78	147	12	8	.263	.394	.588	.982	*3/HD59	OAK-STL
5	Albert Pujols	162	9241	2001	2014	21-34	2117	7943	1514	2519	561	16	520	1603	1115	286	906	92	1	90	297	98	38	.317	.403	.588	.991	*37D5/9H64	STL-LAA
6	Stan Musial	157	10764	1946	1963	25-42	2571	9273	1634	3046	590	133	439	1697	1373	127	624	44	16	53	216	55	31	.328	.415	.563	.978	3798H/1	STL
7	Frank Thomas	156	10075	1990	2008	22-40	2322	8199	1494	2468	495	12	521	1704	1667	168	1397	87	0	121	226	32	23	.301	.419	.555	.974	*D3/H	CHW-OAK-TOR
8	Dick Allen	156	7315	1963	1977	21-35	1749	6332	1099	1848	320	79	351	1119	894	138	1556	16	19	53	164	133	52	.292	.378	.534	.912	357/H64D8	PHI-STL-LAD-CHW-OAK
9	Willie Mays	156	12496	1951	1973	20-42	2992	10881	2062	3283	523	140	660	1903	1464	192	1526	44	13	91	251	338	103	.302	.384	.557	.941	*8H/39675	NYG-SFG-NYM
10	Hank Aaron	155	13941	1954	1976	20-42	3298	12364	2174	3771	624	98	755	2297	1402	293	1383	32	21	121	328	240	73	.305	.374	.555	.928	*9783DH/45	MLN-ATL-MIL

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/10/2015.

Barry Bonds August 25, 2006 by Kevin Rushforth via Wikimedia Commons

Six outfielders and four first basemen.  Bonds is the only outfielder who played after 1976 and Bonds didn't start until 1986.  Number one is Ted Williams even without his seasons before 1946.  All that may be part of the problem for Tim Raines reaching the Hall of Fame.  After the 1950s-1960s triumvirate of Mantle, Mays, Aaron the only outfielder to exceed them is Bonds.

To some extent the outfielders moved to the infield, which may explain part of the problem for Alan Trammell.  Top hitting SS since 1946 minimum 7,000 PA:

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Barry Larkin	116	9057	1986	2004	22-40	2180	7937	1329	2340	441	76	198	960	939	66	817	55	59	67	178	379	77	.295	.371	.444	.815	*6H/4D	CIN
2	Derek Jeter	115	12602	1995	2014	21-40	2747	11195	1923	3465	544	66	260	1311	1082	39	1840	170	97	58	287	358	97	.310	.377	.440	.817	*6/DH	NYY
3	Robin Yount	115	12249	1974	1993	18-37	2856	11008	1632	3142	583	126	251	1406	966	95	1350	48	104	123	217	271	105	.285	.342	.430	.772	*68D/7H3	MIL
4	Jim Fregosi	113	7403	1961	1978	19-36	1902	6523	844	1726	264	78	151	706	715	48	1097	32	79	53	125	76	40	.265	.338	.398	.736	*635H/D74	LAA-CAL-NYM-TEX-PIT
5	Cal Ripken	112	12883	1981	2001	20-40	3001	11551	1647	3184	603	44	431	1695	1129	107	1305	66	10	127	350	36	39	.276	.340	.447	.788	*65/DH	BAL
6	Alan Trammell	110	9376	1977	1996	19-38	2293	8288	1231	2365	412	55	185	1003	850	48	874	37	124	76	156	236	109	.285	.352	.415	.767	*6/HD5478	DET
7	Miguel Tejada	108	9205	1997	2013	23-39	2171	8434	1230	2407	468	23	307	1302	553	73	1079	122	23	71	277	85	38	.285	.336	.456	.791	*65/4HD3	OAK-HOU-SDP-BAL-SFG-KCR
8	Jay Bell	101	8525	1986	2003	20-37	2063	7398	1123	1963	394	67	195	860	853	25	1443	57	159	58	165	91	60	.265	.343	.416	.759	*64/H53D	CLE-PIT-KCR-ARI-NYM
9	Tony Fernandez	101	8793	1983	2001	21-39	2158	7911	1057	2276	414	92	94	844	690	48	784	64	67	61	161	246	138	.288	.347	.399	.746	*654H/D	TOR-SDP-NYM-CIN-NYY-CLE-MIL
10	Pee Wee Reese	101	7779	1946	1958	27-39	1779	6587	1117	1805	275	66	116	758	1015	3	737	22	137	19	161	192	45	.274	.372	.389	.760	*65/H	BRO-LAD

Trammell is number six but that's excluding position switchers and multiple time MVP Alex Rodriguez (143) and Ernie Banks (122) and MVP Jimmy Rollins (97), plus Troy Tulowitzki (125 in 4,024 PA) and Nomar Garciaparra (124 in 6,116 PA).  OK, back to outfielders.

Outfielders may have switched to the infield to some extent but except for Rodriguez they are not among the big boppers.

Other than Mike Trout (166 in 2,195 PA), Giancarlo Stanton (143 in 2,640 PA) and maybe Andrew McCutchen  there does not seem to be many current outfielders likely to move anywhere near the top ten since 1946.

Here are the top hitting outfielders since 1946:

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Ted Williams	190	7175	1946	1960	27-41	1706	5602	1257	1905	371	38	394	1324	1526	86	513	27	1	20	152	13	6	.340	.482	.631	1.113	*7H	BOS
2	Barry Bonds	182	12606	1986	2007	21-42	2986	9847	2227	2935	601	77	762	1996	2558	688	1539	106	4	91	165	514	141	.298	.444	.607	1.051	*78H/D9	PIT-SFG
3	Mickey Mantle	172	9907	1951	1968	19-36	2401	8102	1676	2415	344	72	536	1509	1733	126	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.298	.421	.557	.977	*8397H/645	NYY
4	Stan Musial	157	10764	1946	1963	25-42	2571	9273	1634	3046	590	133	439	1697	1373	127	624	44	16	53	216	55	31	.328	.415	.563	.978	3798H/1	STL
5	Willie Mays	156	12496	1951	1973	20-42	2992	10881	2062	3283	523	140	660	1903	1464	192	1526	44	13	91	251	338	103	.302	.384	.557	.941	*8H/39675	NYG-SFG-NYM
6	Hank Aaron	155	13941	1954	1976	20-42	3298	12364	2174	3771	624	98	755	2297	1402	293	1383	32	21	121	328	240	73	.305	.374	.555	.928	*9783DH/45	MLN-ATL-MIL
7	Manny Ramirez	154	9774	1993	2011	21-39	2302	8244	1544	2574	547	20	555	1831	1329	216	1813	109	2	90	243	38	33	.312	.411	.585	.996	79D/H	CLE-BOS-LAD-CHW-TBR
8	Frank Robinson	154	11742	1956	1976	20-40	2808	10006	1829	2943	528	72	586	1812	1420	218	1532	198	17	102	270	204	77	.294	.389	.537	.926	97D3H8/5	CIN-BAL-LAD-CAL-CLE
9	Willie Stargell	147	9027	1962	1982	22-42	2360	7927	1194	2232	423	55	475	1540	937	227	1936	78	9	75	143	17	16	.282	.360	.529	.889	*73H/98	PIT
10	Lance Berkman	144	7814	1999	2013	23-37	1879	6491	1146	1905	422	30	366	1234	1201	160	1300	66	1	54	147	86	48	.293	.406	.537	.943	3798D/H	HOU-NYY-STL-TEX

1950s-1960s: Williams, Mantle, Musial, Mays, Aaron, Robinson

1960s-1970s: Stargell

1990s-2000s: Bonds, Ramirez, Berkman

Top ten hitting OF 2014 (30 teams):

Rk	Player	OPS+	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Andrew McCutchen	168	2014	27	PIT	NL	146	648	548	89	172	38	6	25	83	84	8	115	10	0	6	9	18	3	.314	.410	.542	.952	*8
2	Mike Trout	167	2014	22	LAA	AL	157	705	602	115	173	39	9	36	111	83	6	184	10	0	10	6	16	2	.287	.377	.561	.939	*8/D
3	Giancarlo Stanton	161	2014	24	MIA	NL	145	638	539	89	155	31	1	37	105	94	24	170	3	0	2	16	13	1	.288	.395	.555	.950	*9/DH
4	Jose Bautista	159	2014	33	TOR	AL	155	673	553	101	158	27	0	35	103	104	11	96	9	1	6	18	6	2	.286	.403	.524	.928	*9D83/H
5	Michael Brantley	154	2014	27	CLE	AL	156	676	611	94	200	45	2	20	97	52	4	56	8	0	5	16	23	1	.327	.385	.506	.890	*78/DH
6	Yasiel Puig	145	2014	23	LAD	NL	148	640	558	92	165	37	9	16	69	67	3	124	12	2	1	7	11	7	.296	.382	.480	.863	*98/HD
7	Seth Smith	135	2014	31	SDP	NL	136	521	443	55	118	31	5	12	48	69	3	87	4	0	4	9	1	1	.266	.367	.440	.807	*79H/D
8	Jayson Werth	134	2014	35	WSN	NL	147	629	534	85	156	37	1	16	82	83	3	113	9	0	3	9	9	1	.292	.394	.455	.849	*9/HD
9	Justin Upton	132	2014	26	ATL	NL	154	641	566	77	153	34	2	29	102	60	1	171	6	0	8	10	8	4	.270	.342	.491	.833	*7/HD
10	Carlos Gomez	130	2014	28	MIL	NL	148	644	574	95	163	34	4	23	73	47	0	141	19	1	3	10	34	12	.284	.356	.477	.833	*8/HD

Top ten hitting OF 1914 (16 teams):

AL:

Rk	Player	OPS+	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Ty Cobb	190	1914	27	DET	AL	98	415	345	69	127	22	11	2	57	57		22	6	6			35	17	.368	.466	.513	.979	*8
2	Tris Speaker	177	1914	26	BOS	AL	158	667	571	101	193	46	18	4	90	77		25	7	13			42	29	.338	.423	.503	.926	*8/13
3	Sam Crawford	158	1914	34	DET	AL	157	673	582	74	183	22	26	8	104	69		31	1	22			25	16	.314	.388	.483	.871	*9
4	Shoeless Joe Jackson	156	1914	26	CLE	AL	122	513	453	61	153	22	13	3	53	41		34	5	13			22	15	.338	.399	.464	.862	*98
5	Tillie Walker	146	1914	26	SLB	AL	151	588	517	67	154	24	16	6	78	51		72	4	15			29	17	.298	.365	.441	.806	*7

NL:

Rk	Player	OPS+	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Gavvy Cravath	161	1914	33	PHI	NL	149	605	499	76	149	27	8	19	100	83		72	3	19			14		.299	.402	.499	.901	*9/7
2	Joe Connolly	158	1914	30	BSN	NL	120	468	399	64	122	28	10	9	65	49		36	8	13			12		.306	.393	.494	.886	*7/9
3	George Burns	147	1914	24	NYG	NL	154	669	561	100	170	35	10	3	60	89		53	5	14			62		.303	.403	.417	.820	*79
4	Casey Stengel	145	1914	23	BRO	NL	126	484	412	55	130	13	10	4	60	56		55	5	10			19		.316	.404	.425	.829	*9/8
5	Zack Wheat	145	1914	26	BRO	NL	145	604	533	66	170	26	9	9	89	47		50	3	19			20		.319	.377	.452	.830	*7

In both 2014 and 1914 an outfielder led his league in OPS+