Pittsburgh Pirates Top Five Right Fielders

credit: wsj.com

5. Orlando Merced (1990-1996)

Orlando Merced did not play baseball in high school, because his school did not have a team. In fact, the only reason why the Pittsburgh Pirates even discovered him is because he happened to be friends with Luis Clemente, son of Roberto Clemente. An uncle convinced the Pirates to give Merced a look, and despite not playing baseball for six months, he managed to do enough where he was offered a contract.

While Merced was never a star, he was a solid player for the Pirates. He finished second in the 1991 Rookie of the Year balloting to Jeff Bagwell, and actually kept him from earning the honor unanimously. Overall, in his time with the Pirates, Merced posted a .283/.364/.428 batting line, hitting 65 home runs.

Defensively, Orlando Merced truly shined. A former third baseman who was originally sent to first, Merced had a tremendous throwing arm in right. While he did not rack up many outfield assists, he was not someone that was typically run on often. However, even with his limited opportunities, Merced was still a force to be reckoned with, leading National League outfielders in double plays in 1993 and 1996.

Merced may not be one of the first right fielders that one thinks of when one thinks of the Pirates, but he was a solid player nonetheless.

Next: The first three syllables are all pronounced the same