The long-time reliever is the best of a mediocre bunch. Bonds won five of his seven NL MVPs with the Giants and broke pretty much every home run and walks record while wearing No. Ryan or Koufax? -- Bradford Doolittle, Stats: .267/.342/.476, 389 HR, 1,376 RBI, 2,048 H, 75.1 bWAR, What he's best known for: A lot has been left up for debate, but not this: Johnny Bench is the greatest catcher in MLB history. The 162-game average amounts to 50 home runs and 205 RBIs (to go along with a .375/.454/.746 slash line). Honorable mentions: Mike Schmidt, Don Sutton, Lou Brock. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It is true that compiling a list of greatest baseball players in history is a difficult task. -- David Schoenfield, Team(s): Boston Red Sox (1982 to 1992), New York Yankees (1993 to 1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-99), Slash line: .328/.415/.443, 118 HR, 1,014 RBI, 3,010 H, 91.4 bWAR, What he's best known for: The easiest way to sum up Boggs' legacy is "batting average" -- and all the things that go into having a lofty one. 1896 us, Died: Exceeded rookie limits during 1911 season. -- Alden Gonzalez, Team(s): Chicago White Sox (1990-2005), Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008), Toronto Blue Jays (2007-08), Stats: .301/.419/.555, 521 HR, 1,704 RBI, 2,468 H, 73.8 bWAR, Primary position: First base/designated hitter, What he's best known for: The Big Hurt combined the artistry of a singles hitter in the body of a tight end (a position he played at Auburn before switching to baseball full time) with the plate discipline of Ted Williams, making him one of the game's great all-around hitters. He still could get there, and he's the most talented player to put on No. Born: in Woonsocket, RI (Age 40-148d) Honorable mentions: Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant, Don Mattingly. Why he's here: No one else at No. Why hes here: Robinsons career started with a bang he won the 1956 NL rookie of the year award in his Age 20 season for the Reds and barely ever slowed down. in Gilmore, OH At 6 foot, 195 pounds, Foxx wasn't a giant, but he wore his jersey sleeves short to show off the biceps, made strong growing up on a farm in Maryland. vs. TBR 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, Rookie Status: inNewcomerstown,OH, Buried: He was obsessive about routine which manifested in both work habits and superstitions. 31. OnApril 22nd, 1970, Seaver struck out ten consecutive batters from the sixth inning to the final out in the ninth. March 6, 1900 Draft: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) and the Atlanta Braves in the 1st round (20th) of the 1966 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA). Alexis Daz, RHP, Reds. Why hes here: Grove didnt make his big-league debut until 1925, when he was 25 years old, but he wasted no time becoming a star he led the AL in strikeouts each of his first seven years in the majors. Why he's here: Not a lot to choose from. Babe Ruth Hank Aaron Willie Mays Cy Young Barry Bonds Walter Johnson Ty Cobb us, Died: Why hes here: Armed with a sweet swing and an unparalleled batting eye, Carew won seven AL batting titles and hit at least .330 in 10 different seasons. What he's best known for: Six years. | Praise for Chipper Jones | Frank Thomas' finds the right spot in #MLBRank | Does Shoeless Joe belong? He compiled 541 plate appearances against 18 Hall of Fame pitchers and batted .331/.371/.426. Draft: Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft from Ohio University (Athens, OH). Marichal won 191 games and rolled up a 2.57 ERA in 328 games (320 starts) during the 1960s for the Giants. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. For reference, the closest active player (Mike Trout, 82.4) does not have half of The Great Bambinos Wins Above Replacement. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Originally a pitcher with theBoston Red Sox, Ruth was 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA across the 1916 and 1918 World Series. By many metrics (including the all-important 106.8WAR), Mike Schmidt is the greatest third baseman of all time. Yankees fans loved him; non-Yankees fans grew to resent not only his success, but the idolatry directed his way. Rookie Status: September 5, 1874 Below is a list of every player drafted by the Mariners. inKansas City,MO, Buried: Cobb became thefirst ever inducteeinto the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, in a class that included Babe Ruth. Rookie Status: (Voted by BBWAA on 317/340 ballots) From 1939 to 1941, his ages 20 to 22 seasons, he won 76 games, accumulated 960 innings, posted a 2.88 ERA and finished within the top three in MVP voting all three years. He's also the guy who bet on baseball, received a lifetime ban, wrote a book titled "My Prison Without Bars," only to finally come clean. Only Joe DiMaggio (seven) had more such seasons. Honorable mentions: Billy Williams, Chase Utley, Amos Otis. Brett's frenetic, hair-on-fire playing style merged that year with a picture-perfect swing that was largely attributed to his early career collaboration with famed hitting coach Charlie Lau. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. (Age 18-346d, Honorable mentions: Luis Aparicio, Edgar Martinez, Carl Hubbell. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1937. -- David Schoenfield, Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia Athletics (1901-02, 1915-16), Cleveland Naps (1902-1914), Slash line: .338/.380/.466, 82 HR, 1,599 RBI, 3,243 H, 106.9 bWAR, What he's best known for: The fiercely competitive Lajoie was the American League's first great hitter. But I bet this is the last time there's only one Red for a long, long time. Hes not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be one day soon (he was just 23 votes shy of being part of the Class of 2016). ET at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, where 50 of the game's top Minor Leaguers will take the field together for the 24th edition of baseball's greatest prospect showcase. . Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Kris Bryant, Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard all have the potential to write Hall of Fame legacies with another. (Age 40-113d) ranked by. 11. Mel Ott played his entire 22-year career with theNew York Giantsfrom 1926 to 1947. Ripken is best-known for his Iron Man streak of 2,632 consecutive games played (Lou Gehrig previously held the record at 2,130) but he also made the All-Star team 19 times and won the 1991 AL MVP, too. Before retiring with the Phillies, Alexander won the World Series with the1926 St. Louis Cardinals. August 5, 1930 Born: Jones is the most recent of the three great center fielders who played for the Braves, the other two being Wally Berger and Dale Murphy. Since the switch, A-Rod has often been the center of controversy, but hes also won a pair of AL MVP awards and popped 342 homers in 11 seasons. (Aged63-251d) Mariners 2023 Draft signings tracker - MLB.com The Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time - Ranker Henderson broke Lou Brocks career stolen base record of 938 at the age of 32 andwent on to steal 468 more. 42 Greatest Players in Major League Baseball History vs. BSN 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER. 2,888th in major league history) But that retirement came abruptly, after a brilliant season in 1966, when Koufax was still just 30 years old and chronic arthritis in his left elbow finally became too much to bear. Do you have a blog? Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1966. Who's too high or too low? The persona sometimes overshadowed the player. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Jeter will take the rings. 10 50. Linwood Cemetery, Weston, MA, High School: Washington Irving HS (Tarrytown, NY), School: Columbia University (New York, NY), Debut: Share. | BBTN crew reacts to Harper | Schilling's postseason success | Piazza's hitting, All-Time #MLBRank: Top 10 right-handed pitchers, All-Time #MLBRank: Top 10 left-handed pitchers, Schoenfield: Koufax mythology looms large over modern lefties, Bryce Harper on which pitching great he'd like to face, Matt Wieters and Buster Posey on the greatest catcher, #MLBRank All-Star Galleries: American League | National League, Szymborski: All time AL All-Stars vs. All time NL. Though he often battled injuries, Larkin was an All-Star 12 times, won the 1995 NL MVP and hit .338 in his 17 career postseason games for Cincinnati. Henderson gave himself every opportunity to steal,reaching safely more than all but threeplayers in Major League history. rank it your way 1 2,322 votes Stan Musial Outfielder, Left fielder, First baseman 2 1,951 votes Bob Gibson Pitcher 3 2,373 votes Albert Pujols First baseman 4 1,690 votes Lou Brock us, Died: On top of that, we won three World Series titles over 22 seasons, all with theCardinals. Honorable mentions: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina, Cole Hamels. in Fresno, CA Honorable mentions: Lou Whitaker, Pee Wee Reese, Richie Ashburn, Why hes here: Jeters career was nothing short of amazing. in Madison, WI All-Time MLB Player Hitting Stat Leaders | MLB.com This was one of the easiest choices we made. Why hes here: Ryan is the greatest strikout pitcher in baseball history of course. Twitter Instagram Facebook TikTok YouTube Reddit LinkedIn. Legendary teammates -- and rivals -- highlight the next 25 stars unveiled on our all-time MLB Top 100 list. . He joined the300-win clubat the age of 30, becoming the youngest pitcher to ever do so. Vote total in. Although he was a star in the early stages of baseball, Wagner is still regarded as perhaps the greatest shortstop of all time. Clemente reached his pinnacle in 1971, when he starred with the glove and at the plate while carrying the Pirates to a World Series win over the Orioles. Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, MO, Debut: 100 Greatest Baseball Players In Baseball History WillieMays won Rookie of The Year in 1951, but an assignment to the army during the Korean War halted his baseball career. Baseball's 100 Greatest Players - Baseball Almanac He led his league in home runs in every season of that seven-year stretch and RBIs six times, totaling 105 and 429, respectively. LSU Baseball: The top all-time players in Tigers history Grove was credited with the save in theinaugural All-Star Game in 1933. Positions: Three numbers that most stick out: Gwynn played in 2,440 games and struck out three times only once. Born: Rookie Status: in Hubbard, TX Top 10 Most Famous Baseball Players of All Time January 22, 2021 Why hes here: Ruth was, without a doubt, the single most transformative player in baseball history. Cy Youngs 511 career wins certainly never will. Why he's here: The Hall of Famer wore No. Phil Niekro: 98. Born: When he joined the Yankees in 2004, he moved to third base to accommodate Derek Jeter, going on to win his lone World Series title in 2009. Jeters place among Yankees legends is secure, which is no small accomplishment for that franchise. Honorable mentions: Fergie Jenkins, Dave Winfield, Mike Piazza. vs. TEX 4 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB, Last Game: His .651 winning percentage is 24th all time. Why hes here: Eight seasons into his career with the Red Sox, Boggs owned a .352 batting average and five AL batting titles. He had more walks than strikeouts in his career, and his 1.217 OPS in 1994 is the third-highest since World War II from somebody not named Barry Bonds. November 17, 1944 Top 100 MLB players of all time - ESPN Jeter seemed only concerned with winning. September 19, 2003 (Aged92-059d) Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1939. -- David Schoenfield, Stats: .285/.348/.482, 358 HR, 1,430 RBI, 2,150 H, 59.6 bWAR, What he's best known for: Quotes, perhaps more than anyone in history. Why he's here: Raines, one of the greatest leadoff batters in baseball history (career .385 OBP hitting first in the lineup), stole 808 bases in his career. 14,198th in major league history) vs. SDP 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Rookie Status: us, Died: Or write about sports? Mickey Mantle was the center fielder on the dominantYankeesteams of the 1950s and early 1960s. (Age 35-315d) 11,326th in major league history) Rookie Status: Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY, High School: HS of Commerce (New York, NY), Debut: Hispanic Heritage Month: Roberto Clemente tops list of baseball's (Age 17-056d, vs. NYY 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: Griffey's and Martinez's first pitches: It wouldn't be an All-Star Game without a callback to greats of the past. He's overrated, he's underrated, he's beloved, he's despised. He boasted a big fastball and a devastating curveball and retired with more strikeouts than innings pitched. Robinson went on to become thefirst Black managerin the National League or American League. Rod Carew. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. His 1.124 career OPS in the postseason is tied with Babe Ruth for thehighest OPS in postseason history(min. It all came together in 1968, when Gibson posted a 1.12 ERA during the "Year of the Pitcher." August 26, 1916 1. Today, its theseventh-best win totalin baseball history. He also selfishly hung on way too long to break Ty Cobb's record (playing first base, he hit six home runs in 3,229 at-bats over his final seven seasons). Three of the best players for LSU were Ben McDonald, Eddy Furniss, and Todd Walker. Feller was a phenom who bypassed the minor leagues and debuted at 17. Barry Bonds Show entries Cy Young 5. Honorable mentions: Jimmie Foxx, Alex Rodriguez, Harmon Killebrew. Second-half preview, rankings, playoff odds for all 30 MLB teams. Why he's here: The pitcher wore No. June 2, 1941 He could seemingly place the ball wherever he pleased, most notably in the "5.5 hole" between the opposing third baseman and shortstop. 10,775th in major league history) In 1936, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a part of the inaugural first five, receiving the same vote total as Babe Ruth (215). Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1942. He was also a showman, famously commanding his infielders to sit down before striking out hitters. Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939. (Aged70-248d) Of all retired players to debut after the integration of the major leagues, Mantlescareer OPS+ is secondonly to Barry Bonds. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Make no mistake, Berra is on the short list of greatest backstops, a superstar who was at the center of 10 championship clubs for the Yankees. Why he's here: After just two seasons, the Cuban slugger has established himself as by far the best player at this number. In 1974, Aaron broke Babe Ruths fabled career home run record, hitting 755 of his own, a mark that has only been surpassed by Barry Bonds (see below). Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1937. Southview Cemetery, Atlanta, GA, High School: Allen Institute (Mobile, AL), Debut: The right-hander with the unmistakable high leg kick finished his career with a 2.89 ERA and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. Fans idolized Rose, sportswriters admired him and he was a great player, averaging 5.6 WAR from 1965 to 1976. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1982. 2,755th in major league history) No one else wore it for more than one. 49. vs. BAL 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB. (Aged75-077d) (Age 22-351d, Stanley Frank Musial was a seven-time batting champion and three-timeNational League MVP. Johannes Peter Honus Wagner won eight batting titles between 1900 and 1911. Honorable mentions: Warren Spahn, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa. 4,412th in major league history) us, Died: lex Rodrguez was thricenamed MVP once with the Rangers and twice with the Yankees. Despite not coming to the Mariners until he was 27, he still reached 3,000 hits -- 4,367 when you include his Japanese career. Now that our list of the top 100 MLB players of all time has been revealed, it's time to have some fun. in Chicago, IL David Bednar, RHP, Pirates. Ruths pitching propelled the Red Sox to three World Series titles. 2023 MLB Draft Day 3 overview and schedule - MLB.com Draft: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 4th round of the 1976 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, CA). 2023 MLB All-Star Game best moments - MLB.com What time is MLB draft? How to watch, picks order, top prospects, more Rogers Hornsby was one of the best hitters of all time. Why he's here: The long-time Yankee lefty was by far the best player who wore No. 9,131st in major league history) Why he's here: The hard-throwing Yankee has established himself as one of baseball's top relievers over the past two seasons. Why he's here: Only three players have ever worn No. On the map: The hit that "put me on the map" gave birth to "Seor Octubre" on the way to breaking baseball's most famous curse . vs. MON 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. vs. NYM 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: Data Provided By Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1936. The Kid, Teddy Ballgame, Splendid Splinter or Thumper. He won six World Series, made seven. (Age 41-268d) 54 prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. Honorable mentions: Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Jim Rice. The Major League Baseball uniform has been getting a modern makeover since the league joined forces with Nike in 2019, most (in)famously at last year's All-Star Game and the launch of the City . Are you a New York Yankees fan? in Gretna, LA Rookie Status: Ingame one, Mays made an over-the-shoulder catch that remains one of the most iconic plays in baseball history. Mike Troutnow has the highest career WAR among active players (82.4). us, Died: Why he's here: Not much to choose from, to be honest. inCarnegie,PA, Buried: He has the lowest rate of hits allowed per nine innings in history, but also ranks second in wild pitches. His 6,856 total bases are over 600 more than any other player. Speaker led the AL in doubles seven times and is the all-time leader with 792 two-baggers. Entered the majors with theCincinnati Reds, winningRookie of the Yearin 1956. Why hes here: Marichal was a stalwart in the San Francisco rotation from the moment he arrived in the big leagues he struck out 12 and threw a one-hit shutout in his debut. Bonds remains at the core of the conversation surroundingsteroid use in baseballand has consequently been kept out of the Hall of Fame. (Age 41-084d) (Aged63-327d) The ball just started moving. 12 when he signed with the rival Yankees as a free agent after the 1992 season, and thats the number he wore the final seven seasons of his Hall of Fame career. The first baseman for the New York Yankees was an incredible hitter with a career batting average of .340 and 493 home runs. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. This was an easy choice. View Honus Wagners Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1979. -- David Schoenfield, Team(s): St. Louis Cardinals (1959 to 1975), Stats: 251-174, 2.91 ERA, 3,117 SO, 3,884 1/3 IP, 89.1 bWAR, What he's best known for: There may be no athlete more synonymous with fierce competitiveness than Gibson, who once faced three batters after suffering a broken leg. -- Alden Gonzalez, Top 100 MLB players of all time: Jeter or A-Rod? 3,461st in major league history) But the Negro Leagues didn't schedule many league games, allowing players to barnstorm against semi-professional competition in order to earn a little extra money. Rookie Status: Find out more. (1,980th in major league history), Last Game: Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1936. vs. NYY 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. -- Alden Gonzalez, Team(s): Houston Colt .45s/Astros (1963 to 1971, 1980), Cincinnati Reds (1972 to 1979), San Francisco Giants (1981-82), Philadelphia Phillies (1983), Oakland Athletics (1984), Stats: .271/.392/.427, 268 HR, 1,133 RBI, 2517 H, 100.4 bWAR, What he's best known for: A younger generation may only remember Morgan as the longtime analyst on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" and not even realize he is arguably the greatest second baseman of all time. He probably should have won the MVP Award all five seasons. vs. PHA 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: -- Alden Gonzalez, Team(s): Philadelphia Athletics (1925 to 1935), Red Sox (1936 to 1942), Cubs (1942 to 1944), Phillies (1945), Stats: .325/.428/.609, 534 HR, 1,922 RBI, 2646 H, 93.1 bWAR, What he's best known for: One of the most menacing hitters in the game's history, Foxx's nickname was, simply, "Beast." In each of his first 11 seasons, Pujols hit at least .299 with 30 homers, 99 RBIs and 99 runs scored and won three NL MVP Awards. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. (Age 20-300d, Lajoie led the AL in batting average five times in his career and four times recorded the highest number of hits. Our ranking of the 100 greatest MLB players of all time comes down to the top 25. . A career third baseman, he switched to third base to accommodate for Derek Jeter uponjoining the Yankees, with whom he won his onlyWorld Series title in 2009. Like Bonds, Roger Clemens controversial 10-Year principal Hall of Fame candidacy has expired (afterpeaking at 65.2% of votes in 2022). Eck was the AL MVP and Cy Young winner in 1992 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. 13,317th in major league history) Uniform numbers hold a special place in telling the story of the sport, so we thought wed take a look at the best players (Hall of Famers in most instances) who wore each uniform number. September 12, 1972 Honorable mentions: Rickey Henderson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Barry Bonds. 37 ranking divides experts | Is Trout already a top 40 player? This list will revealthe best MLB players of all time, using statistics. (Voted by BBWAA on 409/432 ballots) Six times Berra's home run total equaled or surpassed his strikeout total. Each of them was a right-handed power hitter, and they were each tall, strong athletes.