The Greatest Pilots (All-Time): Part 1

The Greatest Pilots (All-Time): Part 1, Position Players

By Paul Semendinger

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NOTE - I wrote this article for the IBWAA. This article appeared in their newsletter, Here's The Pitch on April 11, 2025

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The Seattle Pilots existed for only one major-league season (1969), but because that season is chronicled in Jim Bouton's famous book Ball Four, the team lives on forever in the hearts of many baseball fans.

While many of the Pilots had careers that were not all that noteworthy, there were a few players on the team who went on to have somewhat lengthy and significant careers. In this article, I will rank the top five greatest position players to have played for the Seattle Pilots.

Honorable Mention: Jim Pagliaroni (C, 1B, OF)

Jim Pagliaroni appeared in 40 games for the Pilots, batting .264. In his 11-year major league career, played with the Red Sox, Pirates, A's, and Pilots, Pags appeared in 849 games. He caught Bill Monbouquette's no-hitter and Catfish Hunter's perfect game. Overall, Pagliaroni batted .252 with 90 home runs and 326 runs batted in. He accumulated 15.8 WAR in his career.

5th Place: Mike Hegan (OF, 1B)

Mike Hegan appeared in 95 games for the Pilots and was an All-Star for them (although an injury kept him out of the game). That season, he batted .292 with 8 home runs and 37 runs batted in. Hegan clubbed the first home run in Pilots' history. In his 12-year Major League career, played with the Pilots/Brewers, Yankees, and A's, Hegan played in 966 games. He once held the record for the most consecutive errorless games (178) at first base. Overall, Hegan batted .242/53/229 and accumulated 8.3 WAR.

4th Place: Rich Rollins (3B)

Rich Rollins played 58 games for the Pilots, batting .225 with 4 home runs and 21 runs batted in. Rollins played in 1,002 games, mostly for the Minnesota Twins, in his 10-year big-league career. In 1962, Rollins was an All-Star for the American League. That year, he batted .298/16/96 and finished 8th in the American League voting for Most Valuable Player. Two years later, in 1964, Rollins led the A.L. in triples with 10. Overall, Rollins was a career .269 hitter with 77 home runs and 399 runs batted in. Rollins accumulated 11.8 WAR in his career.

3rd Place: Don Mincher (1B)

Don Mincher played in 140 games for the Pilots, batting .246 with 25 home runs (to lead the team) and 78 runs batted in (second on the team). Mincher was the only Pilot to ever appear in an All-Star Game. In his one at-bat, as a pinch-hitter, he struck out. Mincher enjoyed a 13-year big-league career spent with five different clubs. Of note, Mincher played for the original Washington Senators and then the Twins, the team the Senators became, and the second Washington Senators and then the Texas Rangers, the team the second-edition Senators became. Mincher was an All-Star for the American League in 1967 and 1969. Overall, he played in 1,400 games, batting .249/200/643 accumulating 23.1 WAR.

2nd Place: Tommy Harper (3B, 2B, OF)

No player played more games for the Pilots than Tommy Harper, who appeared 148 times in their lone season. His double on Opening Day was the first hit in the team's history. That year, Harper hit .235 with 9 homers and 31 runs batted in, but more significant were his 73 stolen bases, which led all of Major League Baseball. Harper would later lead the A.L. in steals again in 1973. While with the Reds in 1965, he led the National League in runs scored. Tommy Harper was an All-Star for the American League in 1970. Overall, Tommy Harper played in 15 big-league seasons, appearing in 1,810 games, and batting .257/146/567 with 408 stolen bases. Of all the players to ever play for the Pilots, Harper's 25.7 career WAR was the best.

1st Place: Tommy Davis (LF, 1B)

Of all the players to play for the Pilots, Tommy Davis came to the team as, and remains, their biggest star. In 1962, Davis led the National League in batting (.346), runs batted in (153), and hits (230). In 1963, he again led the N.L. in batting with a .326 mark. For the Pilots, Davis appeared in 123 games before being traded to the Houston Astros. Davis batted .271/6/80 for Seattle. In his long career, 18 seasons, Tommy Davis was a three-time All-Star. Overall, he played in 1,999 games, batting .294 with 153 home runs, 1,052 runs batted in, and 136 stolen bases. Davis spent his career with 10 different clubs, but none more than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tommy Davis accumulated 20.3 WAR across his career.

In my next article, I will rank the five greatest pitchers to have played for the Seattle Pilots.

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Paul Semendinger, Ed.D. is a retired school principal who now serves as an educational consultant and also teaches as an adjunct professor at Ramapo College. The author of a host of books, Paul gives engaging presentations, motivational talks, and has the privilege of serving as a lay minister on occasion in local churches. Paul was supposed to be the Opening Day starting pitcher for his baseball team on April 6, but the game was rained out. He is hoping to again get the nod when the season opens on April 13.