Who are the best baseball players of all time? We’re talking about a sport that is one of the most popular sports in America and a national pastime.
The MLB is the oldest professional sports league in the world, founded in 1876. We’ve got generations worth of talent to look at and we’ve come up with the best baseball players of all time.
Let’s take a look at our top 10:
10. Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle roamed center field with the best of them during the Yankees’ dynasty of the 1950’s that won six World Series. He was a five-tool player who could hit, had hitting power, could run, field and throw.
Mantle is one one of the best baseball players of all time. He led the league in walks and runs scored five times, and in home runs four times. He won the Triple Crown in 1956 with 52 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .353 batting average.
In 1956 and 1957 Mantle won back-to-back AL MVP awards and added a third in 1962. He also owns the record for most home runs in World Series play with 18. Mantle retired with a .298 batting average, 536 home runs, 1509 RBI, 2415 hits, and an OPS of .977. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
9. Stan Musial
A first baseman and outfielder for over two decades in the MLB, Stan Musial was one of the best pure hitters in history and is one of the best baseball players of all time.
He surpassed at least .300 in each of his first 17 seasons and won seven batting titles in the process. Musial won three MVP awards, led the league in doubles eight times, and in hits six times.
Musical is second all-time in total bases, and in the top ten in multiple offensive categories. Musial was a three-time World Series champion, a 24-time All-Star and retired with 3630 hits, 475 home runs and 1591 RBI.
8. Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds is undoubtedly one of the best hitters in MLB history. There’ll always be a cloud over his accomplishments as he was a part of the steroid scandal of the 1990s. Bonds has admitted to using steroids but claims he thought he was taking flaxseed oil and arthritis cream given to him by his personal trainer.
Bonds averaged 33 home runs per season from 1987 through 1998, winning three MVP awards along the way. Bonds’ power surge increased with his alleged use of PEDs, hitting 258 home runs from 2000 through 2004, including 73 in 2001.
Seven NL MVP awards followed, as well as eight Gold Glove awards and 14 All-Star appearances. Bonds retired with 762 home runs, 1996 RBI, 2558 walks, and 2227 runs scored.
7. Walter Johnson
Known as the “Big Train”, Johnson topped our list of best pitchers of all time. He was the most dominating power pitcher of his era, leading the league in strikeouts 12 times.
He posted 11 seasons with an ERA under two and 12 seasons with at least 20 wins. Johnson won the league MVP in 1913 when he went 36-7 with an ERA of 1.14.
His 110 shutouts are a record that will likely never be broken due to the age of specialized relief pitchers. Johnson retired with 417 wins, 531 complete games, 5914 1/3 innings, and 3509 strikeouts. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
6. Lou Gehrig
The “Iron Horse” was the cog in the middle of the lineup of the tremendous Yankees’ teams of the 20’s, including “Murderer’s Row” in 1927. Younger generations may only know Gehrig from the disease named after him that took his life. Gehrig hit over .300 12 straight seasons, led the league in RBI five times and had over 100 RBI in a season 13 times.
Gehrig was often overshadowed in the power department by Babe Ruth, but he hit over 30 home runs ten times, and four times eclipsed 40 home runs.
He retired with 493 home runs, 1995 RBI, and a .340 batting average. Gehrig held the record for consecutive games played for 56 years, playing 2130 games in a row, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
5. Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb was the greatest hitter in terms of batting average in league history. He surpassed .400 three times and his lifetime batting average record of .366 has stood for nearly a century.
Cobb led the league in batting average 12 times, in hits eight times, and in stolen bases six times. In 1911, Cobb led the league in nine offensive categories including a .419 batting average, vaulting him to league MVP.
His record 4191 hits stood for 57 years until it was broken by Pete Rose in September of 1985. Cobb retired with 1944 RBI, 2245 runs scored, and 897 stolen bases. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
4. Ted Williams
A mainstay in left field for the Red Sox for two decades, WIlliams was one of the best hitters in MLB history. Known as the “Splendid Splinter”, Williams revolutionized hitting with concepts still used in hitting today.
He led the league in hitting six times, and was the last player to hit over .400 in a season, hitting .406 in 1941. Possessing a fantastic eye, Williams led the league in walks eight times. He missed three seasons while serving in World War II, cutting back on already impressive career totals.
Williams retired with the all-time best on-base percentage at .482, to go along with 521 home runs, 1839 RBI and a .344 batting average. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and remains one of the best baseball players of all time.
3. Hank Aaron
Best known for his consistent longevity and 755 home runs, Aaron was also a stand out in the field earning three Gold Glove awards. He made 24 All-Star teams and won two batting titles.
Aaron hit at least 30 home runs in a season 15 times and led the league in home runs four times. He won the MVP in 1957 after smashing 44 home runs and driving in 132.
His 715th home run in April of 1974 to break Babe Ruth’s home run record was one of the greatest moments in MLB history. Aaron retired with 3771 hits, a record 2297 RBI, 2174 runs scored, and a .305 batting average. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
2. Willie Mays
Mays covered center field like few others did, and “The Catch” in the 1954 World Series displayed his athleticism that propelled him through two decades in the MLB.
He went on to win 12 Gold Glove Awards, named to 24 All-Star teams, won Rookie of the Year in 1951, a batting title, four home run titles, and two MVP awards.
Mays also averaged 40 home runs a season from 1954 through 1966. He also led the league in stolen bases for four straight seasons from 1956 through 1959, and he remains one of the best baseball players and greatest center fielders in league history.
1. Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is the best baseball player of all time. He began his career as a great pitcher, going 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA over his first six seasons.
Known for hitting the long ball, Ruth led the league in home runs with 11 in 1918 and 29 in 1919 before really taking off.
He led the league in home runs 12 times, belting at least 40 home runs in a season 11 times, including 60 in 1927. Ruth hit at over .300 in a season 17 times, including a league-best .378 in 1924, and he won the league MVP in 1923
His slugging percentage in 41 World Series games is an unmatched .741, and he retired with 714 home runs, 2214 RBI, 2174 runs scored, and is the all-time leader with a .690 slugging percentage.
The leader of the Yankees’ dynasty during the era, he won seven World Series titles and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Leave a Reply