Hall of Fame: Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran? Highest season WAR: 8.2. What the heck?

Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran were just announced as being voted into the Hall of Fame. Both were primarily center fielders.

Career:

Career OPS+:

Mantle 172

Cobb 168

Speaker 158

Mays 155

DiMaggio 155

Beltran 119

Jones 111

Complete fielding games in center:

Jones: 1579/1748=90.3%

Beltran: 1464/1917=76.3%

For some reason I had to reduce the percent of games in center from 75% to 55% to include Beltran in the query below.

https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/aVEnM

For combined seasons, since 1901, Played at least 55% of games at CF, in the regular season, requiring Wins Above Replacement (WAR) >= 60 and Home Runs >= 0 and Adjusted OPS+ >= 0 and Offensive WAR (oWAR) >= 0 and Defensive WAR (dWAR) >= -11, sorted by descending Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

Rk	Player	WAR	oWAR	dWAR	OPS+	HR	From	To	Age	G	PA	AB
1	Willie Mays	156.2	136.5	18.2	155	660	1948	1973	17-42	3005	12545	10924
2	Ty Cobb	151.4	151.6	-10.8	168	117	1905	1928	18-41	3034	13103	11440
3	Tris Speaker	135.0	125.1	2.5	158	117	1907	1928	19-40	2789	12021	10195
4	Mickey Mantle	110.3	116.3	-9.6	172	536	1951	1968	19-36	2401	9910	8102
5	Mike Trout	87.5	88.2	1.2	169	404	2011	2025	19-33	1648	7203	5967
6	Ken Griffey Jr.	83.8	84.6	2.2	136	630	1989	2010	19-40	2671	11304	9801
7	Joe DiMaggio	79.1	74.4	3.2	155	361	1936	1951	21-36	1736	7672	6821
8	Carlos Beltrán	70.0	66.6	1.9	119	435	1998	2017	21-40	2586	11031	9768
9	Kenny Lofton	68.4	58.0	15.5	107	130	1991	2007	24-40	2103	9235	8120
10	Duke Snider	66.0	70.2	-5.9	140	407	1947	1964	20-37	2143	8237	7161
11	Richie Ashburn	64.3	58.3	5.4	111	29	1948	1962	21-35	2189	9737	8365
12	Andruw Jones	62.7	39.8	24.4	111	434	1996	2012	19-35	2196	8664	7599
13	Willie Davis	60.8	47.9	11.1	106	182	1960	1979	20-39	2429	9822	9174
14	Jim Edmonds	60.4	57.2	6.4	132	393	1993	2010	23-40	2011	7980	6858

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 1/21/2026.

Andruw Jones had the lowest oWAR but highest dWAR among these 14 center fielders.

____________________________________

Season:

WAR 8.2 was chosen to include the best seasons for Beltran and Jones.

https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/b0lir

For single seasons, since 1901, Playing in the AL or NL, Played at least 75% of games at CF, in the regular season, requiring Wins Above Replacement (WAR) >= 8.2 and Offensive WAR (oWAR) >= 0 and Adjusted OPS+ >= 0 and Defensive WAR (dWAR) >= -111 and Home Runs >= 0, sorted by descending Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

BOLD means led the league.

Rk	Player	WAR	oWAR	dWAR	OPS+	HR	Season	Age	Team	Lg	G	PA	AB
1	Mickey Mantle	11.3	11.3	-0.1	221	34	1957	25	NYY	AL	144	623	474
2	Ty Cobb	11.3	10.6	0.2	209	6	1917	30	DET	AL	152	671	588
3	Mickey Mantle	11.3	10.7	0.5	210	52	1956	24	NYY	AL	150	652	533
4	Willie Mays	11.2	9.5	1.6	185	52	1965	34	SFG	NL	157	638	558
5	Willie Mays	11.0	9.0	2.0	172	47	1964	33	SFG	NL	157	665	578
6	Ty Cobb	10.7	10.2	0.1	196	8	1911	24	DET	AL	146	656	592
7	Willie Mays	10.6	9.1	1.4	175	38	1963	32	SFG	NL	157	671	596
8	Mike Trout	10.5	8.7	2.0	168	30	2012	20	LAA	AL	139	639	559
9	Ty Cobb	10.5	9.7	0.4	205	8	1910	23	DET	AL	140	598	508
10	Willie Mays	10.5	8.4	2.1	165	49	1962	31	SFG	NL	162	706	621
11	Mickey Mantle	10.5	10.6	-0.1	206	54	1961	29	NYY	AL	153	646	514
12	Willie Mays	10.5	8.4	2.0	175	41	1954	23	NYG	NL	151	641	565
13	Mike Trout	10.4	9.9	1.0	173	29	2016	24	LAA	AL	159	681	549
14	Willie Mays	10.2	8.8	1.5	165	29	1958	27	SFG	NL	152	685	600
15	Tris Speaker	10.2	9.3	0.4	190	10	1912	24	BOS	AL	153	675	580
16	Tris Speaker	10.0	8.5	1.1	178	4	1914	26	BOS	AL	158	668	571
17	Rickey Henderson	9.9	8.6	1.5	157	24	1985	26	NYY	AL	143	654	547
18	Mike Trout	9.9	9.2	1.0	198	39	2018	26	LAA	AL	140	608	471
19	Ken Griffey Jr.	9.7	6.6	3.4	154	49	1996	26	SEA	AL	140	638	545
20	Mickey Mantle	9.5	8.4	1.1	180	37	1955	23	NYY	AL	147	638	517
Rk	Player	WAR	oWAR	dWAR	OPS+	HR	Season	Age	Team	Lg	G	PA	AB
21	Willie Mays	9.5	8.0	1.4	160	29	1960	29	SFG	NL	153	669	595
22	Ty Cobb	9.5	9.9	-0.8	185	3	1915	28	DET	AL	156	701	563
23	Mike Trout	9.5	8.8	1.2	176	41	2015	23	LAA	AL	159	682	575
24	Joe DiMaggio	9.3	8.5	0.7	185	30	1941	26	NYY	AL	139	622	541
25	Willie Mays	9.2	8.8	0.4	174	51	1955	24	NYG	NL	152	670	580
26	Ty Cobb	9.2	8.9	-0.2	200	7	1912	25	DET	AL	140	610	553
27	Duke Snider	9.1	8.6	0.6	165	42	1953	26	BRO	NL	153	680	590
28	Tris Speaker	9.1	9.3	-0.5	182	17	1923	35	CLE	AL	150	695	574
29	Ken Griffey Jr.	9.1	7.6	1.9	165	56	1997	27	SEA	AL	157	704	608
30	Willie Mays	9.0	6.8	2.1	149	37	1966	35	SFG	NL	152	629	552
31	Lenny Dykstra	8.9	5.9	3.2	138	9	1990	27	PHI	NL	149	691	590
32	Fred Lynn	8.9	7.9	1.0	176	39	1979	27	BOS	AL	147	622	531
33	Ken Griffey Jr.	8.8	8.2	0.9	171	45	1993	23	SEA	AL	156	691	582
34	Willie Mays	8.7	7.3	1.4	160	40	1961	30	SFG	NL	154	659	572
35	Mickey Mantle	8.7	9.3	-0.7	188	42	1958	26	NYY	AL	150	654	519
36	Tris Speaker	8.7	8.6	-0.4	186	2	1916	28	CLE	AL	151	647	546
37	Tris Speaker	8.6	8.3	-0.1	172	8	1920	32	CLE	AL	150	674	552
38	Duke Snider	8.6	8.2	0.4	169	42	1955	28	BRO	NL	148	653	538
39	Tris Speaker	8.4	8.1	0.0	182	3	1913	25	BOS	AL	141	611	520
40	Joe DiMaggio	8.4	7.9	0.4	166	46	1937	22	NYY	AL	151	692	621
Rk	Player	WAR	oWAR	dWAR	OPS+	HR	Season	Age	Team	Lg	G	PA	AB
41	Willie Davis	8.3	4.9	3.4	110	12	1964	24	LAD	NL	157	652	613
42	Jacoby Ellsbury	8.3	7.5	1.4	146	32	2011	27	BOS	AL	158	732	660
43	Willie Mays	8.3	8.1	0.2	173	35	1957	26	NYG	NL	152	669	585
44	Joe DiMaggio	8.3	7.2	1.0	184	30	1939	24	NYY	AL	120	524	462
45	Willie McGee	8.2	7.5	0.7	147	10	1985	26	STL	NL	152	652	612
46	Carlos Beltrán	8.2	7.0	1.6	150	41	2006	29	NYM	NL	140	617	510
47	Bobby Murcer	8.2	8.1	0.1	169	33	1972	26	NYY	AL	153	654	585
48	Andruw Jones	8.2	5.9	2.7	126	36	2000	23	ATL	NL	161	729	656

Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 1/21/2026.

Multiples:

11: Mays

6: Speaker

5: Cobb, Mantle

4: Trout

3: DiMaggio, Griffey

2: Snider

In 2005 Andruw Jones led the league with 51 HR and 128 RBI; Jones had his highest OPS+: 136. He hit 434 career HR.

In 2006 Beltran hit 41 HR; OPS+ 150. He hit 435 career HR.

Beltran playoffs: 1.021 OPS in 256 PA. 16 HR.

Jones playoffs: .796 OPS in 279 PA. 10 HR.

Jim Edmunds hit 393 HR; highs 42, 42, 39. OPS+ 171, 160, 158, 149, 147, 137, 137. Career OPS+ 132.