Mark Teixeira
Teixeira's defensive wizardry gets overshadowed by the home run total, but those five Gold Gloves tell the real story. He was arguably the best fielding first baseman of his generation, combining smooth hands with surprising range that helped anchor multiple contenders' infields.
The switch-hitting slugger peaked right before joining the Yankees, posting a .962 OPS in his lone Atlanta season. That 2008 campaign showcased his complete skill set — 33 homers, a .308 average, and elite defense that made him the prize of that winter's free agent market.
His 409 career homers represent steady, reliable power rather than breathtaking peaks. Teixeira was the prototypical modern first baseman: patient at the plate, dangerous from both sides, and defensively excellent. The Yankees got exactly what they paid for during his injury-shortened but productive Bronx tenure.
Career · Batting
14 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | TEX | 146 | 529 | 26 | 84 | .259 | .811 | 107 |
| 2004 | TEX | 145 | 545 | 38 | 112 | .281 | .929 | 122 |
| 2005 | TEX | 162 | 644 | 43 | 144 | .301 | .954 | 127 |
| 2006 | TEX | 162 | 628 | 33 | 110 | .282 | .886 | 115 |
| 2007 | TEX | 132 | 494 | 30 | 105 | .306 | .963 | 127 |
| 2008 | ATL | 157 | 574 | 33 | 121 | .308 | .962 | 128 |
| 2009 | NYY | 156 | 609 | 39 | 122 | .292 | .948 | 126 |
| 2010 | NYY | 158 | 601 | 33 | 108 | .256 | .846 | 116 |
| 2011 | NYY | 156 | 589 | 39 | 111 | .248 | .835 | 116 |
| 2012 | NYY | 123 | 451 | 24 | 84 | .251 | .807 | 111 |
| 2013 | NYY | 15 | 53 | 3 | 12 | .151 | .609 | 85 |
| 2014 | NYY | 123 | 440 | 22 | 62 | .216 | .711 | 102 |
| 2015 | NYY | 111 | 392 | 31 | 79 | .255 | .906 | 126 |
| 2016 | NYY | 116 | 387 | 15 | 44 | .204 | .654 | 88 |
| Career | 1862 | 6936 | 409 | 1298 | .268 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.