A Brief History of Bay Area MLB First Basemen
An IBWAA writer examines the top first sackers to suit up in Oakland and San Francisco
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
. . . Both Bay Area clubs have previous locations that are part of their team history. When looking at single-season leaders, Jimmie Foxx’s incredible season in 1932 takes many of the top single-season marks for the two clubs, with the top bWAR (10.4), home runs (58), and RBI (169). The main statistic that Foxx didn’t top among first basemen in the history of both franchises is batting average, where Bill Terry’s 1930 performance hitting .401 for the New York Giants tops the list.
Leading Off
Looking at some of the top first basemen that have played in Oakland and San Francisco
By Rich Campbell
In the last few months in this space, we have looked at the best shortstops, third basemen and second basemen to have played in the Bay Area. This month we conclude the infielder portion of this series and look back at the best to ever play at first base in Oakland and San Francisco, all of whom played at least 1,000 games in the Bay Area.
The list below is based on the number of games played with the franchises. The WAR (Baseball Reference version) presented is the value accumulated by each player in their time in the A’s/Giants, not their career overall. Let’s get started:
Willie McCovey, Giants, 19 seasons, 2,256 games, 59.4WAR, 3.1 WAR per season
McCovey towers over the rest of the players on this list with his number of games played for the Giants. In addition, he was a six-time All-Star, won an MVP (1968) and Rookie of the Year (1959) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. A bonus fact that may help in a future Immaculate Grid: After a couple of seasons with the Padres, Willie Mac played 11 games for the A’s in 1976, before returning to San Francisco for his final four seasons. His OPS+ in San Francisco was 150.
Mark McGwire, A’s, 12 seasons, 1,329 games, 42.9 WAR, 3.6 WAR per season
McGwire leads Oakland first basemen in games played. He also won the Rookie of the Year (base 1987) and made 12 All-Star teams, including eight in the Green and Gold. His career WAR was 62.2, including his infamous seasons in St. Louis. He set a rookie record with 49 homers and was just the second player in MLB history to hit 30 or more homers in each of his first three seasons, joining fellow Bash Brother Jose Canseco. His OPS+ in Oakland was 155.
Brandon Belt, Giants, 12 seasons, 1,310 games, 27.6 WAR, 2.3 WAR per season
Offensively, Belt is not on the same level as McCovey and McGwire but was an important contributor to a pair of World Series-winning squads. A one-time All-Star, he exceeded 75 RBIs just once (2016) and 20 homers just once (29 in 2021), Belt’s longevity in San Francisco is noteworthy. He played in 2023 in Toronto and is still searching for a team for 2024. His OPS+ in San Francisco was 123.
J.T. Snow, Giants, 10 seasons, 1,183 games, 12.4 WAR, 1.2 WAR per season
Another longtime first baseman in Orange and Black not known for his offensive prowess, Snow's defensive bonafides include six Gold Gloves, four in San Francisco. He joined the team in 1997 after four years with the Angels (and a handful of ABS for the Yankees in 1992). Belt’s OPS+ in San Francisco was 112.
Will Clark, Giants, 8 seasons, 1,160 games, 35.8 WAR, 4.5 WAR per season
He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1986 and fifth in MVP voting the next two seasons. A six-time All-Star, including five straight trips as a Giant, Clark spent five seasons with the Rangers before winding down his career with the Orioles and Cardinals. His career WAR of 56.5 and a career batting average of .303 while slugging 284 homers make him a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. His San Francisco OPS+ was 145.
Orlando Cepeda, Giants, 9 seasons, 1,114 games, 30.3 WAR, 3.4 WAR per season
Cepeda is a Hall of Famer, inducted in 1999. His resume boasts a Rookie of the Year (1958), MVP (1967) and 11 All-Star appearances, including six consecutive years for the Giants by the time he was 26. In 1966 he was traded to St. Louis for Ray Sadecki. In 1969 he was dealt to Atlanta for Joe Torre. He finished out his career with stops in Oakland, Boston and Kansas City. His career WAR was 50.1 and his OPS in his San Francisco years was 140.
Jason Giambi, A’s, 8 seasons, 1,036 games, 28.8 WAR, 3.6 WAR per season
Giambi won an MVP in 2000 (and finished second the next year) and made five All-Star teams, including two in Oakland. He left via free agency to sign with the Yankees (just as A’s greats Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter had before him). After seven seasons in New York, he continued as a part-time player for six more seasons in Colorado and Cleveland until he was 43. His career WAR was 50.5 and his OPS in Oakland was 144.
Also Considered: Matt Olson, A’s, 6 seasons, 575 games, 18.3 WAR, 3.1 WAR per season
Olson was a great player in his time in Oakland, capturing two Gold Gloves and hitting 142 homers through his age 27 season. As so often happens with A’s stars, he left the franchise in a trade with the Braves. In his first two seasons in Atlanta he hit 88 more homers, including a league-leading 54 in 2023, when he finished fourth in NL MVP voting. His OPS+ in Oakland was 134.
Rich Campbell is a Marketing Professor at Sonoma State University by day and A’s fan by night. He has previously been a sports business contributor at Forbes.com and his academic writing has appeared in Sport Marketing Quarterly. You can find him on Twitter @RichCampbelPhD.
Timeless Trivia
The Oakland Athletics’ franchise top 10 single-season bWAR marks are taken up by three players, Jimmie Foxx, Jason Giambi, and Mark McGwire.
The San Francisco Giants’ top 10 single-season bWAR leaders for 1B includes five players. Can you name all five? Remember that this includes those who played in New York as well…