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First base in the 21st century MLB has traditionally been a premium power position manned by some of the game’s biggest sluggers (both literally and statistically), e.g. Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Howard, etc. In addition to these aforementioned MVP winners, Carlos Delgado and Mark Teixeira also stand out from the past two decades as consistently excellent, yet perhaps sometimes underrated big boppers at the first base position – in their respective primes, each was a near-lock to hit 30+ home runs and drive in 100+ runs per year. Moreover, both played the majority of their careers in the AL and finished up their playing days in the bright spotlight of New York – with similar career profiles, it is an interesting profile in comparison to make:
Who was better – Carlos Delgado or Mark Teixeira?
The Beginning
Coming from very disparate backgrounds, Delgado and Teixeira took very different routes to MLB, i.e. international free agent vs. college baseball star/top draft pick; moreover, whereas the former took a few years to find his footing at the big league level, the latter was an immediate star.
A native of Puerto Rico, Delgado grew up playing baseball and was vigorously scouted as a teenager, ultimately signing with the Toronto Blue Jays at age 16. Originally a catcher before moving to the outfield and finally settling into first base, he gradually developed in Toronto’s farm system, eventually rising to become USA Today Minor League Player of the Year in 1992. A September 1993 call-up, Delgado played sporadically in 1994 and 1995 before becoming an everyday player in 1996; he responded by hitting .270 with 25 home runs, 92 runs batted in, 68 runs scored, a .353 on-base percentage, and a .490 slugging percentage, good for a 112 OPS+ (which measures on-base percentage plus slugging vs. a league-wide average set at 100).
In contrast, Teixeira grew up playing baseball in Maryland and was originally drafted out of high school in the ninth round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. However, he instead opted to play college baseball at Georgia Tech, where he won a slew of awards, including Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Baseball Player of the Year, Baseball America College Player of the Year, and the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate baseball player of the year; subsequently, he was drafted fifth overall in the 2001 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers (right after high school teammate Gavin Floyd at #4 to the Philadelphia Phillies). Unlike many players who spend numerous years in the minors, Teixeira only spent one season at Double-A Tulsa before making his major league debut in 2003 – as a rookie, he hit .259 with 26 home runs, 84 runs batted in, 66 runs scored, a .331 on-base percentage, and a .480 slugging percentage (102 OPS+) to finish fifth for AL Rookie of the Year.
Career Comparison
For around a decade apiece in the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, Delgado and Teixeira were two of the league’s most consistent slugging first baseman, each putting up monster numbers year in and year out (i.e. 30+ home runs and 100+ runs batted in), yet remaining somewhat underrated/underappreciated by fans and the media alike.
Firmly entrenched as Toronto’s everyday first baseman, Delgado was consistently one of the top sluggers in the AL – starting in 1997 (30 home runs and 91 runs batted in, though with a .262 batting average), he would hit 30+ home runs as a Blue Jay for eight consecutive seasons. Moreover, he began a streak of six straight years with 30+ home runs and 100+ runs batted in with a 1998 campaign that saw him hit .292 with 38 home runs, 115 runs batted in, 94 runs scored, a .385 on-base percentage, and a .592 slugging percentage (151 OPS+); this was followed by back to 40+ home run and Silver Slugger seasons:
- 1999: .272 batting average with a career-high 44 home runs, 134 runs batted in, 113 runs scored, a .377 on-base percentage and a .571 slugging percentage (138 OPS+)
- 2000: career-best .344 batting average (including a career-high and league-high 57 doubles) with 41 home runs, 137 runs batted in, 115 runs scored, and career-highs of a .470 on-base percentage and a .664 slugging percentage (181 OPS+); earned first All-Star selection and finished fourth for AL MVP
As the 2000s rolled around, Delgado continued to produce at a high level, with near-identical seasons in 2001 (.279 batting average with 39 home runs, 102 runs batted in, and 102 runs scored) and 2002 (.277 batting average with 33 home runs, 108 runs batted in, and 103 runs scored). Then, in 2003, he had arguably the best year of his career: with a .302 batting average, 42 home runs (including becoming just the 15th player in MLB history to hit 4 home runs in a game), a league-leading and career-high 145 runs batted in, a career-high 117 runs scored, a .426 on-base percentage, and a .593 slugging percentage (161 OPS+), Delgado was not only an All-Star once again, but won his third Silver Slugger, and finished second for AL MVP to Alex Rodriguez. Following a final season with Toronto in 2004 (in which he slumped to a .269 batting average, but still had 32 home runs and 99 runs batted in), he became a free agent and perhaps surprisingly, signed with the Florida Marlins.
In his first season with Florida in 2005, Delgado remained an elite slugger, hitting .301 with 33 home runs, 115 runs batted in, 81 runs scored, a .399 on-base percentage, and a .582 slugging percentage, good for a 161 OPS+ and a sixth-place NL MVP showing. However, after just one season, the small-market Marlins traded him to the division rival New York Mets for Mike Jacobs, Yusmeiro Petit, and Grant Psomas. As a member of the Mets, Delgado did not miss a beat hitting in the middle of a lineup that also included sluggers Carlos Beltran and David Wright, going .265 with 38 home runs, 114 runs batted in, 89 runs scored, a .361 on-base percentage, and a .548 slugging percentage (131 OPS+). Though he slumped in 2007, Delgado bounced back in 2008 with one last great season: .271 batting average with 38 home runs, 115 runs batted in, 96 runs scored, a .353 on-base percentage, and a .518 slugging percentage (128 OPS+), finishing ninth for MVP. Following an injury-plagued 2009 season at age 37 that saw him limited to just 26 games played, Delgado never played again in MLB, officially retiring in 2011 having set a slew of Blue Jays career hitting records, including doubles, home runs, runs batted in, and runs scored.
From the get-go, Teixeira was consistently among the league’s top sluggers. In just his second season, he improved to hitting .281 with 38 home runs, 112 runs batted in, 101 runs scored, a .370 on-base percentage, and a .560 slugging percentage (131 OPS+), winning a Silver Slugger and marking the first of eight straight years with 30+ home runs and 100+ runs batted in. As an encore, Teixeira arguably had a career year with the Rangers in 2005: .301 batting average with a career-high 43 home runs and 144 runs batted in (a record for a switch-hitter), 112 runs scored, a .379 on-base percentage and a career-best .575 slugging percentage, good for a 144 OPS+, his first All-Star selection, another Silver Slugger, his first Gold Glove, and a seventh-place AL MVP finish. Following another Gold Glove season in 2006, due to a contract stalemate, he was traded midway through the 2007 season to the Atlanta Braves with Ron Mahay in a blockbuster deal for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz, and Beau Jones – across Texas and Atlanta, he still hit .300+ (.306) while slugging 30 home runs and driving in 105 runs.
Teixeira’s time in Atlanta was short-lived, however – midway through the 2008 campaign, he traded back to the AL West, this time to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek; despite splitting his time once again between two teams, he had another standout year, hitting .308 with 33 home runs, 121 runs batted in, 102 runs scored, a career-high .410 on-base percentage, and a .552 slugging percentage (152 OPS+). As a pending free agent, he only ended up spending that half-season with the Angels, opting to sign a massive long-term contract with the New York Yankees in 2009; given his preferred #23 was already retired in honor of his childhood idol Don Mattingly, Teixeira would wear a new number (#25) in pinstripes. With a new contract in hand, Teixeira paid immediate dividends for the Yankees: .292 batting average with league-highs of 39 home runs and 122 runs batted in (also a career-best mark), 103 runs scored, a .383 on-base percentage, and a .565 slugging percentage, good for a 141 OPS+, a second All-Star selection, a third Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, and second in the AL MVP race to Joe Mauer.
Early on in his Yankees career, Teixeira remained a top-notch run producer, following up on his near-MVP season with back-to-back seasons of 30+ home runs and 100+ runs batted in 2010 (33 home runs and 108 runs batted in, plus a league-best 113 runs scored) and 2011 (39 home runs and 111 runs batted) and another Gold Glove. However, his batting average dipped to the .250 range, where it would largely remain for the rest of his career; after falling to the worst offensive production since his rookie year in 2012 (although he did win a fifth and final Gold Glove), Teixeira missed most of the 2013 season with a wrist injury and was never quite the same player. Some highlights included a final All-Star season in 2015 (31 home runs), as well as becoming just the fifth switch-hitter in baseball history with 400 career home runs, joining Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, Beltran, and Chipper Jones before he announced his retirement at age 36 following the 2016 season.
Though Delgado played three additional MLB seasons in comparison to Teixeira (17 to 14), the game differential is only around a season’s worth of games – while it is natural that the former has the offensive edge just about every counting category, Delgado also posted better ratios, i.e. higher batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS+. This also generally carries over to the number of “great” seasons each player posted: Delgado racked up more 30+ and 40+ home run seasons (11x to 8x and 3x to 1x, respectively) and years with 100+ runs batted in (9 to 8), with both hitting .300+ 3x and scoring 100+ runs 5x. On the flip side however, Teixeira was the more decorated player, earning more All-Star selections (3 to 2) and Gold Gloves (5 to none) with three Silver Sluggers apiece. Interestingly, when you look at Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Delgado’s offensive superiority is mitigated by Teixeira’s stellar fielding, thus giving the latter the career edge at 50.6 vs. 44.4. Taking into account each player’s career numbers and achievements, both seem like borderline Hall of Fame candidates – unfortunately, Delgado received just 3.8% of the vote in his first year of eligibility in 2015 (vs. the threshold of 5% to remain on the ballot) and will now have to await the Veterans Committee, whereas Teixeira is first eligible in 2022.
Regular Season Statistics
| Carlos Delgado | Player | Mark Teixeira |
| 17 (1993-2009) | Seasons | 14 (2003-2016) |
| 2,035 | Games Played | 1,862 |
| 7,283 | At-Bats | 6,936 |
| 2,038 | Hits | 1,862 |
| 1,241 | Runs | 1,099 |
| 473 | Home Runs | 409 |
| 1,512 | Runs Batted In | 1,298 |
| 1,109 | Walks | 918 |
| 14 | Stolen Bases | 26 |
| .280 | Batting Average | .268 |
| .383 | On-Base Percentage | .360 |
| .546 | Slugging Percentage | .509 |
| 138 | OPS+ | 126 |
| 44.4 | Wins Above Replacement | 50.6 |
| 2x | All-Star Games | 3x |
| – | MVP | – |
| – | World Series Titles | 1x |
| 3x Silver Slugger | Other Awards | 5x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger |
| – | Hall of Fame Induction | – |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Though both first basemen were immensely productive in the regular season, the playoffs were a different story altogether – on one hand, Delgado barely sniffed the postseason, while on the other hand, Teixeira consistently struggled in October and November games.
Across his long MLB career, Delgado only appeared once in the playoffs – in his first season with the Mets in 2006, he helped guide the team to the NLCS before falling in seven games to Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals; for his part, Delgado was excellent, hitting .429 (6 hits in 14 at-bats) in the NLDS and then, .304 (7 hits in 23 at-bats) in the NLCS with 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 runs batted in, 6 walks, and 5 runs scored. Additionally, though he did not play in the 1993 World Series in his early Toronto days, he nevertheless received a ring in the team’s second straight championship run.
In contrast, Teixeira made five straight playoff appearances in the prime of his career from 2008 to 2012 (1x Angels and 4x Yankees). Following an ALDS exit in his lone half-season with the Angels (during which he hit .467), he was part of the 2009 Yankees squad that beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in the World Series; however, individually, he had a putrid postseason, hitting .167, .222, and .136 in the ALDS, ALCS, and World Series, respectively. Over the next three postseasons, Teixeira continued to struggle mightily and overall for his career, hit just .222 in the playoffs.
Playoff Statistics
| Carlos Delgado | Player | Mark Teixeira |
| 10 | Games Played | 40 |
| 37 | At-Bats | 153 |
| 13 | Hits | 34 |
| 8 | Runs | 21 |
| 4 | Home Runs | 3 |
| 11 | Runs Batted In | 14 |
| 6 | Walks | 24 |
| – | Stolen Bases | 1 |
| .351 | Batting Average | .222 |
| .442 | On-Base Percentage | .339 |
| .757 | Slugging Percentage | .320 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; for the most part, Delgado and Teixeira remained healthy and generally productive well into the twilight of their careers (which coincidentally both took place in New York for the Mets and Yankees, respectively). For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Carlos Delgado | Player | Mark Teixeira |
| 1998-2006, 2008 | Decade of Dominance | 2004-2012, 2015 |
| 1,497 | Games Played | 1,462 |
| 5,422 | At-Bats | 5,527 |
| 1,560 | Hits | 1,543 |
| 984 | Runs | 929 |
| 378 | Home Runs | 343 |
| 1,184 | Runs Batted In | 1,096 |
| 891 | Walks | 761 |
| 9 | Stolen Bases | 22 |
| .288 | Batting Average | .279 |
| .397 | On-Base Percentage | .372 |
| .570 | Slugging Percentage | .533 |
| 41.3 | Wins Above Replacement | 48.4 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Similar to their overall careers, Delgado has the slight edge in just about every offensive category when normalizing across their decades of dominance; yet once again, Teixeira produced higher WAR during this span thanks in large part to his superior glove at first base.
My Thoughts
When I was playing fantasy baseball in the 2000s, having Carlos Delgado and/or Mark Teixeira on my team meant steady plug-and-play production at the first base position. In real life baseball, Delgado in my view was the slightly better offensive force, both at his peak and over the full duration of his career; offense is only part of actual baseball, though, and when you factor in the glove, Teixeira’s Gold Glove-caliber defense gives him the edge in career WAR. However, unlike a premium defensive position like catcher or shortstop, I do not believe that Teixeira’s better glove outweighs Delgado’s better bat in terms of overall value as a first baseman. As a result, when it comes to the Hall of Fame, in the same way that Delgado received very little support for Cooperstown, I likewise do not see Teixeira as a Hall of Famer – both were outstanding players of their generation, but just a notch below the truly transcendent, Hall of Fame worthy first basemen, e.g. Pujols and Cabrera.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Carlos Delgado
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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