New York Yankees: Top 10 First Basemen in Franchise History

Yankees all-time first baseman: 8. Joe Pepitone (1962-1969) (7.4 WAR)

One of the many first basemen on this list that was slick with the glove is Joe Pepitone. With three All-Star selections and three Gold Gloves to his name, it should be no surprise to see him on this list.

Signed by the Yankees out of high school in 1958, Pepitone spent four years in the minors before being called up at age 21 in 1962. Despite playing a lot of outfield in his first year, he became the primary first baseman in 1963, where he began to make a name for himself.

As a 22-year old, Pepitone hit 27 HR with 89 RBI, earning him his first of three straight All-Star selections. The following year, he continued to produce, hitting 28 HR with 100 RBI. He also earned his first of three Gold Glove awards.

In Pepitone’s eight years with the Yankees before getting traded to the Astros, he hit 166 HR and 541 RBI as a fixture on the Yankees during that decade following their back-to-back championships in 1961 and 1962.

Despite just missing being a part of those winning teams, Pepitone still got a taste of the World Series in 1963 and 1964, going 6-for-39 with a HR and five RBI in 11 games.

Yankees all-time first baseman: 7. Wally Pipp (1915-1925) (29.0 WAR)

Perhaps most remembered for being the guy that Lou Gehrig replaced, it was probably tough to be Wally Pipp. However, Pipp was no slouch either, serving as the Yankees starting first baseman for the better part of a decade.

Purchased by the Yankees in 1915, Pipp slotted in as the everyday first baseman early on as a 22-year old. Despite that, it didn’t take him long to find his footing, as he led the league in HR with 12 in 1916 and nine in 1917.

Pipp’s best years came later on, however. In 1921, he hit .296 with 103 RBI. He followed up well in 1922 hitting .329, before surpassing the 100 RBI mark again in 1923 and 1924. He also led the league in triples in 1924 with 19.

Before he was put on waivers by the Yankees and ultimately grabbed by the Reds, Pipp amassed 833 RBI and 1,577 hits in 11 seasons in the Bronx. He also finished in the top 14 of MVP voting twice (1922 & 1924).

In the playoffs, Pipp was just a .224 hitter in 19 games. Although his performance wasn’t spectacular in the biggest moments, he was a central part of the Yankees first World Series Championship in 1923.