Better Fielder? Edmonds or Jones?

Question

Someone said that Jones is the best CF ever. I believe that is a totally fallacy, perpetuated by the SportsCenter highlights.

But my question is who is a better CF over their career?

Jim Edmonds: 9 Gold Gloves, 8 seasons with a perfect fielding percentage, .288 career BA, 33 HR, 101 RBI career

Andrew Jones: 9 Gold Gloves, 2 seasons with a perfect fielding percentage, .265 Career BA, 34 HR, 103 RBI career numbers

I would say that Edmonds is every bit his equal at the plate and the field. And let's not forget that Jones was playing on fantastic Braves teams for the majority of his career while Jim Edmonds was not playing with teams anywhere near that good in Anaheim or STL, when he first arrived.

Of course, I think the best ever CF was Willie Mays, but that is another argument for another day.

Also, career fielding percentages for them:

Edmonds: .988
Jones: .991

Seems like the undisputed best CF ever has some stiff competition (who also never made an error playing 30 games at 1B, either)

Answer 1

Right now it's Andrew Jones but a few years back Edmonds was really something to watch. If you rate them in their best years I would have to go with Edmonds

Answer 2

Both overrated,turn regular plays into adventures.They also get more credit then they dserve,like you said,with sportscenter and ESPN News and whatever else people watch. I would say Jim Edmonds is a little better because his bat is consistent,Jones isn't. No if you want the best fielding center fielder you have to go back a long ways in time a look at Tris Speaker.His fieldeing% doesn't show it because there were not instant replays or good gloves in his time. But people said that he could catch a pop up in the infield and fly up in the air to catch a home run. Although he could not fly he was the best defensive center fielder ever. If he were playing today he would be on sportscenter all the time not Jones or Edmonds. Best all time CF ever,including hitting,is Ty Cobb.

Answer 3

The best CF ever I would have to say is Willie Mays =), but from the 2 you are trying to figure the dispute, its a tough choice...let's break it down.

Defense:
Edmonds
- good range
- always goes all out to do what he can to make the play
- count on him to make web gems on plays that deserve it
- the guy can take a beating and still make the play

Jones
- excellent range, more than Edmonds
- tends to showboat on some plays, will purposely take a slow start towards a ball so he can make the spectacular play
- will make web gems on plays that deserve it and on plays that shouldn't have needed it
- when he wants to he can catch everything

Offense:
Edmonds
- had a few good years, but inconsistent
- can count on 30HR 100RBI, but average jumps around
- injuries make him struggle, causing streaky hitting

Jones
- used to be a 30-30 threat
- had potential to be a great offensive machine, but lost that with his swing
- found a way to make his power stroke better, but struggled to make contact
- a very streaky hitter, when he's hot, he hits everything hard and far, but tends to get into fat slumps

Overall:
I would have to say Jones is the better player now as he is still going through his prime. Edmonds has been hampered by injuries for the past few years and it still continues, which makes him struggle defensively and offensively. While Jones could've been and could still be much better, he struggles all too often. Edmonds would be the best (of the 2), no questions asked, if he would and could've stayed healthy.

Answer 4

Defensively, Jones is faster, and has the ability to make difficult plays look effortless. Edmonds, while not as fast, has an uncanny ability to cover a lot of ground, and he has made more spectacular catches than any other active center fielder I've seen.

Offensively, Edmonds has better statistics in most of the more important categories, including batting average, slugging percentage and on base percentage. He averages less strikeouts and more walks per season, and tends to produce in clutch situations.

If I could have only one of them playing center field for me in their prime, it would be Edmonds.

And yes, I agree with you about Willie Mays. He was the best ever.

Answer 5

Edmonds has the offense. Jones has the defense. But i say andruw for the overall factor of power, speed, and glove. If i was building a team from scratch and i had to pick a number 1 starting center fielder in the national league. Jones is my guy. In the american league i go with Hunter.

Answer 6

No contest. Its Jones. Maybe 5 years ago, you could have argued for Edmonds, but now?? No way.

Best CF in the NL. JONES.

Guarantee the Cardinals wish they wouldnt have extended his contract and tried to find a replacement so they would be going forward instead of backing up.

Answer 7

On the quistion "Do you think the patriots have the best team this year?" you answered
No. They still have major questions on defense. Just adding Adalius Thomas and Merriwether is not going to solve them. Neither is adding an aging Seau. They particularly will have major problems against the pass, especially if Asante Samuel does not play for them. If he does, they still have big problems matching up defensively against teams like the Colts or Bolts. I still think they are instant AFC East Champs and much improved but I don't see a whole lot of dropoff for the Colts this offseason. Now, the Chargers had major turnover on their coaching staff. Yet, they are the most talented defensive team in the conference, have the best offensive player in the game and probably the best young QB in the game as well. Those people writing off the Colts just because the Patriots adding a bunch of receivers and one instant impact defensive player just don't understand the fact that even with all those new receivers, Brady is still not going to do anything more than what he has done the last three years. He is not going to be throwing for 50 TDs with the Pats going undefeated. They are going to have big problems defensively, and while the Colts won last year despite having the worst run defense in the league--and the worst defense ever for a SB champ (let's see Brady win with a crap defense and good offense)--if they stay healthy defensively and their young guys come through, I could see them repeating cuz they definitely still have the best offense in the AFC, if not the entire NFL.
..

Are you Joking? they already confirmed a week ago asante samuels was comign back. They also picked up veteran CB Tory james, and they also have Ellis Hobbs and Randal Gay. and they got Meriweather, Harrison, and a healthy eugene wilson that is easily in the top 10 back fields. And did you forget to mention they have one of the best defensive lines int he NFL? richard seymour ty warren and LB they got Thomas Bruschi Vrabel and colvin. Do you even no anything about the patriots? you obviously don't no what you are talking about when it comes to football....idiot.

Answer 8

Edmonds

Answer 9

If not the best all time, I would have to put Andruw in the top 3. Year after year he wins Gold Gloves, Sportscenter top 10 every week. Although I am a braves fan, I wouldn't say they have the best defensive outfield. Harris hasn't proven himself, and Francoeur has an amazing arm but doesn't have the defensive ability of Andruw.

Answer 10

Jones.
Put Willy Mays into the lineup today. While still probably in the top 20% of active CFs, players today are faster and stronger than they were in Mays' time.