No. 5: Washington Senators’ Buddy Lewis
Years with the Washington Senators: 1935-1941, 1945-1947, 1949 (11 Seasons)
Key Stats with the Washington Senators: 1349 G, 1563 H, 830 R, 71 HR, 607 RBI, 83 SB, 573 BB, .297 BA, 28.3 WAR, -1.3 dWAR, Two Top-25 MVP Finishes, Two Time All-Star
Buddy Lewis was a star during his time with the Senators. Though he played the same number of seasons than Michael Cuddyer, Lewis outperformed him in every statistical category outside of home runs, helping him finish in the Top-25 of MVP voting twice.
Lewis finished his career with 1,563 hits, fourteenth in team history, and a .297 batting average that ranks nineteenth. He also finished fifteenth in runs with 830 of them. Lewis also amassed 71 homers, 607 RBI, 83 stolen bases, and 573 walks, all ranked in the Top-40 in franchise history.
Lewis was also a talented defender, finishing with a -1.3 dWAR, which is a really strong mark for a rightfielder. The mark helped him finish his career with a 28.3 WAR and make two All-Star teams over his time in Washington.
Buddy Lewis was a stellar player and a team leader who left the team from 1942-1944 to fight for his country during World War II. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his time in the military and returned in 1945.
Though the team never won more than 87 games, Lewis made the team watchable during some of their last years in Washington. He was one of the most valuable in team history and he deserves his spot on this list.