Baseball is synonymous with American culture. From hot dogs to perfect games, going to an MLB game has become one of the best things to do in America. “America’s pastime” was invented before the time of the Civil War and has since staked its name into Americana. With 175 years’ worth of games being played, many great players have stepped foot on to the baseball diamond. This article will look at the greatest baseball players of all time. The greatest to ever do it – the most iconic names in the sport – and the players that make us love baseball.
You may be asking, “Luke, how did you rank these guys?” Well, let me tell you. I took their individual success, team success, legacy and overall ability to play baseball in account. That is why you will see some of the guys from before the 1900s on this list. Obviously, someone like Cap Anson was not as great of a baseball player as Willie Stargell, but taking into consideration their era, as well as a player’s ability to be an icon helps to compare eras. With that being said let’s take a look at the top 100 greatest baseball players of all time.
100 Greatest Baseball Player- Ralph Kiner – Left Fielder
Pittsburgh Pirates (1946-1953), Chicago Cubs (1953-1954), Cleveland Indians (1955)
WAR: 47.9
Fun Fact: Kiner led his league in home runs, seven years in a row. (1946-1952)
Best Trait: Hitting for Power
99 Greatest Baseball Player- Dennis Eckersley – Starting Pitcher/Relief Pitcher
Cleveland Indians (1975-1977), Boston Red Sox (1978-1984, 1998), Chicago Cubs (1984-1986), Oakland Athletics (1987-1995), Saint Louis Cardinals (1996-1997)
WAR: 62.1
Fun Fact: Eckersley is one of two pitchers to have a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career.
Best Trait: Velocity and off speed combination
98 Greatest Baseball Player- Rollie Fingers – Relief Pitcher
Oakland Athletics (1968-1976), San Diego Padres (1977-1980), Milwaukee Brewers (1981-1982, 1984-1985)
WAR: 25.6
Fun Fact: Fingers was the second relief player ever inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Best Trait: Forkball
97 Greatest Baseball Player- Gary Carter – Catcher
Montreal Expos (1974-1984, 1992), New York Mets (1985-1989), San Francisco Giants (1990), Los Angeles Dodgers (1991)
WAR: 70.1
Fun Fact: Carter was the first player to be inducted in the Hall of Fame with a plaque that shows the player as a member of the Montreal Expos.
Best Trait: Popularity
96 Greatest Baseball Player- Mike Piazza – Catcher
Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-1998), Florida Marlins (1998), New York Mets (1998-2005), San Diego Padres (2006), Oakland Athletics (2007)
WAR: 59.5
Fun Fact: Piazza was drafted as a favor from Dodger’s manager Tommy Lasorda to Piazza’s father.
Best Trait: Hitting for both contact and power
95 Greatest Baseball Player- Charlie Gehringer – Second Baseman
Detroit Tigers (1924-1942)
WAR: 83.8
Fun Fact: Gehringer was in the top 10 in MVP voting every year from 1932-1938.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
94 Greatest Baseball Player- Jeff Bagwell – First Baseman
Houston Astros (1991-2005)
WAR: 79.9
Fun Fact: Bagwell is the only player in MLB history to have six consecutive seasons of 30 HRs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs and 100 walks.
Best Trait: Hitting consistency
93 Greatest Baseball Player- Phil Niekro – Starting Pitcher
Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1964-1983, 1987), New York Yankees (1984-1985), Cleveland Indians (1986-1987), Toronto Blue Jays (1987)
WAR: 95.9
Fun Fact: Niekro’s 121 career wins by a player over the age of 40 is the most in MLB history.
Best Trait: Knuckleball
92 Greatest Baseball Player- Willie Stargell – Left Fielder/First Baseman
Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1982)
WAR: 57.5
Fun Fact: Stargell hit the most home runs in the 1970’s (296).
Best Trait: Hitting for power
91 Greatest Baseball Player- Cap Anson – First Baseman
Rockford Forest Citys (1871), Philadelphia Athletics (1872-1875), Chicago White Stockings/Colts (1876-1897)
WAR: 94.3
Fun Fact: It is believed that Anson was the first player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits.
Best Trait: Longevity
90 Greatest Baseball Player- Adrian Beltre – Third Baseman
Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Seattle Mariners (2005-2009), Boston Red Sox (2010), Texas Rangers (2011-2018)
WAR: 93.5
Fun Fact: Beltre is one of four players in MLB history to hit for the cycle three times.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
89 Greatest Baseball Player- Ozzie Smith – Shortstop
San Diego Padres (1978-1981), Saint Louis Cardinals (1982-1996)
WAR: 76.9
Fun Fact: Smith set the MLB record for most most assists, double plays and chances accepted in history.
Best Trait: Defense
88 Greatest Baseball Player- Don Drysdale – Starting Pitcher
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1956-1969)
WAR: 67.1
Fun Fact: Drysdale was known for throwing pitches inside to batters in order to keep them off of the plate. He ranks 18 on the list of pitchers with the most hit batters.
Best Trait: Intimidation
87 Greatest Baseball Player- Duke Snider – Center Fielder
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1947-1962), New York Mets (1963), San Francisco Giants (1964)
WAR: 65.9
Fun Fact: Snider had the most HRs and RBIs in the 1950’s.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
86 Greatest Baseball Player- Grover Cleveland Alexander – Starting Pitcher
Philadelphia Phillies (1911-1917, 1930), Chicago Cubs (1918-1926), Saint Louis Cardinals (1926-1929)
WAR: 119
Fun Fact: Alexander won 28 games as a rookie on the Phillies in 1911.
Best Trait: Stamina
85 Greatest Baseball Player- Felix Hernandez – Starting Pitcher
Seattle Mariners (2005-2019)
WAR: 50.2
Fun Fact: Hernandez’s perfect game was the 23rd in MLB history and the first in Seattle Mariners history.
Best Trait: Sweeping Curveball
84 Greatest Baseball Player- John Smoltz – Starting Pitcher/Relief Pitcher
Atlanta Braves (1988-1999, 2001-2008), Boston Red Sox (2009), Saint Louis Cardinals (2009)
WAR: 69
Fun Fact: Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves.
Best Trait: Resilience
83 Greatest Baseball Player- Vladimir Guerrero – Right Fielder
Montreal Expos (1996-2003), Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (2004-2009), Texas Rangers (2010), Baltimore Orioles (2011)
WAR: 59.5
Fun Fact: Noted for his batting aggressiveness, Guerrero put 1,780 balls into play on first pitches throughout his career.
Best Trait: Batting aggressiveness
82 Greatest Baseball Player- Home Run Baker – Third Baseman
Philadelphia Athletics (1908-1914), New York Yankees (1916-1919, 1921-1922)
WAR: 62.7
Fun Fact: Although his nickname is Home Run, Baker never hit more than 12 home runs in a season and finished his career with only 93.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
81 Greatest Baseball Player- Dave Winfield – Right Fielder
San Diego Padres (1973-1980), New York Yankees (1981-1988, 1990), California Angels (1990-1991), Toronto Blue Jays (1992), Minnesota Twins (1993-1994), Cleveland Indians (1995)
WAR: 64.2
Fun Fact: In 2004, ESPN named Winfield the third-best all-around athlete in any sport.
Best Trait: Versatility
80 Greatest Baseball Player- Paul Molitor – Third Baseman/Second Baseman
Milwaukee Brewers (1978-1992), Toronto Blue Jays (1993-1995), Minnesota Twins (1996-1998)
WAR: 75.7
Fun Fact: Molitor set a record for most hits in game one of the 1982 World Series, with 5.
Best Trait: Base running aggressiveness
79 Greatest Baseball Player- Derek Jeter – Shortstop
New York Yankees (1995-2014)
WAR: 71.3
Fun Fact: Jeter made the Hall of Fame on the second highest percentage (99.75%) among position players in MLB history.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
78 Greatest Baseball Player- Ivan Rodriguez – Catcher
Texas Rangers (1991-2002, 2009), Florida Marlins (2003), Detroit Tigers (2004-2008), New York Yankees (2008), Houston Astros (2009), Washington Nationals (2010-2011)
WAR: 68.7
Fun Fact: Rodriguez has the MLB record for most putouts by a catcher in history.
Best Trait: Defense
77 Greatest Baseball Player- Juan Marichal – Starting Pitcher
San Francisco Giants (1960-1973), Boston Red Sox (1974), Los Angeles Dodgers (1975)
WAR: 62.9
Fun Fact: Marichal has the most pitching wins in the 1960’s.
Best Trait: Plate control
76 Greatest Baseball Player- Roy Campanella – Catcher
Washington/Baltimore Elite Giants (1937-1945), Brooklyn Dodgers (1948-1957)
WAR: 35.6
Fun Fact: Campanella set the record for most season catching 100 games or more. (9)
Best Trait: Durability
75 Greatest Baseball Player- Carlton Fisk – Catcher
Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971-1980), Chicago White Sox (1981-1993)
WAR: 68.4
Fun Fact: Fisk holds the American League record for most seasons playing catcher. (24)
Best Trait: Durability
74 Greatest Baseball Player- Whitey Ford – Starting Pitcher
New York Yankees (1950, 1953-1967)
WAR: 57
Fun Fact: Ford has the World Series record for most consecutive scoreless innings (33.67), wins (10), games started (22), innings pitched (146) and strikeouts (94).
Best Trait: Winning
73 Greatest Baseball Player- Eddie Collins – Second Baseman
Philadelphia Athletics (1906-1914, 1927-1930), Chicago White Sox (1915-1926)
WAR: 123.9
Fun Fact: Collins is the player with the least amount of HRs (47), that is a part of the 3,000 hit club.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
72 Greatest Baseball Player- Eddie Murray – First Baseman/Designated Hitter
Baltimore Orioles (1977-1988, 1996), Los Angeles Dodgers (1989-1991, 1997), New York Mets (1992-1993), Cleveland Indians (1994-1996), Anaheim Angels (1997)
WAR: 68.6
Fun Fact: Murray set the record for most games played and assists by a first baseman in MLB history.
Best Trait: Resilience
71 Greatest Baseball Player- David Ortiz – Designated Hitter/First Baseman
Minnesota Twins (1997-2002), Boston Red Sox (2003-2016)
WAR: 55.3
Fun Fact: Ortiz has the most HRs, RBIs, and hits by a designated hitter in MLB history.
Best Trait: Clutch
70 Greatest Baseball Player- Rod Carew – Second Baseman/First Baseman
Minnesota Twins (1967-1978), California Angels (1979-1985)
WAR: 81.2
Fun Fact: Carew appeared in 18 straight All-Star games from 1967-1984.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
69 Greatest Baseball Player- Joe Jackson – Outfielder
Philadelphia Athletics (1908-1909), Cleveland Indians/Naps (1910-1915), Chicago White Sox (1915-1920)
WAR: 62.2
Fun Fact: Shoeless Joe’s batting average of .408 was the highest by a rookie in MLB history.
Best Trait: Legacy
68 Greatest Baseball Player- Nap Lajoie – Second Baseman
Philadelphia Phillies (1896-1900), Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1902, 1915-1916), Cleveland Naps (1902-1914)
WAR: 106.9
Fun Fact: The baseball team in Cleveland was once named the Naps after Lajoie.
Best Trait: Popularity
67 Greatest Baseball Player- Wade Boggs – Third Baseman
Boston Red Sox (1982-1992), New York Yankees (1993-1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-1999)
WAR: 91.4
Fun Fact: Boggs is the only player to play for the Tampa Bay Rays and have their number retired with the team
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
66 Greatest Baseball Player- Al Kaline – Right Fielder
Detroit Tigers (1953-1974)
WAR: 92.8
Fun Fact: Kaline was affiliated with the Detroit Tigers for 67 years as a player, color commentator and front office assistant.
Best Trait: Throwing Arm
65 Greatest Baseball Player- Chipper Jones – Third Baseman/Shortstop
Atlanta Braves (1993, 1995-2012)
WAR: 85.3
Fun Fact: Jones has the most career RBIs by a third baseman in MLB history.
Best Trait: Getting on-base
64 Greatest Baseball Player- Ichiro Suzuki – Rich Fielder
Orix BlueWave (1992-2000), Seattle Mariners (2001-2012, 2018-2019), New York Yankees (2012-2014), Miami Marlins (2015-2017)
WAR: 60
Fun Fact: Ichiro has the most hits by any player in professional baseball leagues around the world.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
63 Greatest Baseball Player- Frank Thomas – Designated Hitter/First Baseman
Chicago White Sox (1990-2005), Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008), Toronto Blue Jays (2007-2008)
WAR: 73.8
Fun Fact: Thomas is the only player in MLB history with seven consecutive seasons of .300 BA, 100 RBIs, 100 runs, 100 walks and 20 HRs.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
62 Greatest Baseball Player- Harmon Killebrew – Third Baseman
Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1954-1974), Kansas City Royals (1975)
WAR: 60.4
Fun Fact: Killebrew was the first of four players in MLB history to hit a home run over the left field roof in Detroit’s Tiger Stadium.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
61 Greatest Baseball Player- Willie McCovey – First Baseman
San Francisco Giants (1959-1973, 1977-1980), San Diego Padres (1974-1976), Oakland Athletics (1976)
WAR: 64.5
Fun Fact: Due to his frequency of hitting home runs into the bay, the water behind right field in San Francisco is named McCovey’s Cove.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
60 Greatest Baseball Player- Mel Ott – Right Fielder
New York Giants (1926-1947)
WAR: 110.8
Fun Fact: At 5-9, 170 lbs, Ott was the first national league player to surpass 500 home runs.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
59 Greatest Baseball Player- Eddie Mathews – Third Baseman
Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1952-1966), Houston Astros (1967), Detroit Tigers (1967-1968)
WAR: 96.1
Fun Fact: Mathews is the only player in MLB history to play on the Braves in three different cities.
Best Trait: Hitting right handed pitching
58 Greatest Baseball Player- Brooks Robinson – Third Baseman
Baltimore Orioles (1955-1977)
WAR: 78.4
Fun Fact: Robinson was one of the highest paid players of his era, becoming one of 12 players to earn more than $100,000 annually in 1971.
Best Trait: Defense
57 Greatest Baseball Player- Reggie Jackson – Right Fielder
Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1967-1975, 1987), Baltimore Orioles (1976), New York Yankees (1977-1981), California Angels (1982-1986)
WAR: 73.9
Fun Fact: Known for power hitting and clutch, Jackson has the record for most career strikeouts. (2,597)
Best Trait: Clutch
56 Greatest Baseball Player- Hank Greenberg – First Baseman/Left Fielder
Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933-1941, 1945-1946), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947)
WAR: 55.7
Fun Fact: Greenberg was the first player in MLB history to hit 25 or more home runs in a season in both the NL and AL.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
55 Greatest Baseball Player- Carl Yastrzemski – Left Fielder/First Baseman
Boston Red Sox (1961-1983)
WAR: 96.5
Fun Fact: Yastrzemski was the first American League player that was a part of the 3,000 hit club to hit 400 home runs.
Best Trait: All-around Hitting
54 Greatest Baseball Player- Jim Palmer – Starting Pitcher
Baltimore Orioles (1965-1967, 1969-1984)
WAR: 68.5
Fun Fact: Palmer never surrendered a grand slam or even back to back home runs.
Best Trait: Baseball IQ
53 Greatest Baseball Player- Manny Ramirez – Outfielder
Cleveland Indians (1993-2000), Boston Red Sox (2001-2008), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-2010), Chicago White Sox (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011), EDA Rhinos (2013)
WAR: 69.3
Fun Fact: Ramirez holds the record for most playoff home runs. (29)
Best Trait: All-around hitting
52 Greatest Baseball Player- Robin Yount – Shortstop
Milwaukee Brewers (1974-1993)
WAR: 77.3
Fun Fact: Yount is the all time Brewers leader in games, at-bats, plate appearances, runs, doubles, triples, RBIs and walks.
Best Trait: Popularity
51 Greatest Baseball Player- Tony Gwynn – Right Fielder
San Diego Padres (1982-2001)
WAR: 69.2
Fun Fact: Gwynn has 45 career games of recording four hits, that is 11 more games than he recorded more than one strikeout.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
50 Greatest Baseball Player- Ernie Banks – Shortstop
Kansas City Monarchs (1951, 1953), Chicago Cubs (1953-1971)
WAR: 67.7
Fun Fact: Banks won the first gold glove in Chicago Cubs history in 1960.
Best Trait: Popularity
49 Greatest Baseball Player- Satchel Paige – Starting Pitcher
Chattanooga Black Lookouts (1926), Birmingham Black Barons (1927-1930), Baltimore Black Sox (1930), Cleveland Cubs (1931), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-1934, 1936), Bismarck Churchills (1935), Kansas City Monarchs (1935, 1939-1947), Trujilo All-Stars (1937), New York Black Yankees (1941), Memphis Red Sox (1943), Philadelphia Stars (1946, 1950), Cleveland Indians (1948-1949), Saint Louis Browns (1951-1953), Kansas City Athletics (1965)
WAR: 51.3
Fun Fact: On numerous occasions, Paige told his fielders to sit down, knowing that he would strike out batters.
Best Trait: Longevity
48 Greatest Baseball Player- Nolan Ryan – Starting Pitcher/Relief Pitcher
New York Mets (1966, 1968-1971), California Angels (1972-1979), Houston Astros (1980-1988), Texas Rangers (1989-1993)
WAR: 81.3
Fun Fact: Ryan holds the record for both most career strikeouts and most career walks.
Best Trait: Velocity
47 Greatest Baseball Player- Mariano Rivera – Relief Pitcher
New York Yankees (1995-2013)
WAR: 56.3
Fun Fact: More people have walked on the moon (12) than people who have recorded a run (11) against Rivera in the playoffs.
Best Trait: Cutting fastball
46 Greatest Baseball Player- Tris Speaker – Center Fielder
Boston Americans/Red Sox (1907-1915), Cleveland Indians (1916-1926), Washington Senators (1927), Philadelphia Athletics (1928)
WAR: 134.2
Fun Fact: Retiring in 1928, Speaker still has the record for most doubles in a career. (792)
Best Trait: Defense
45 Greatest Baseball Player- Steve Carlton – Starting Pitcher
Saint Louis Cardinals (1965-1971), Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1986), San Francisco Giants (1986), Chicago White Sox (1986), Cleveland Indians (1987), Minnesota Twins (1987-1988)
WAR: 90.2
Fun Fact: Carlton was the first player in MLB history to win four Cy Young awards.
Best Trait: Plate control
44 Greatest Baseball Player- Yogi Berra – Catcher
New York Yankees (1946-1963), New York Mets (1965)
WAR: 59.5
Fun Fact: Berra holds the record for most championships won in baseball, ten as a player, three as a manager.
Best Trait: Winning
43 Greatest Baseball Player- Joe Morgan – Second Baseman
Houston Colt .45s/Astros (1963-1971, 1980), Cincinnati Reds (1972-1979), San Francisco Giants (1981-1982), Philadelphia (1983), Oakland Athletics (1984)
WAR: 100.4
Fun Fact: Morgan won the championship and the regular season MVP in both 1975 and 1976.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
42 Greatest Baseball Player- Cal Ripken Jr. – Shortstop
Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001)
WAR: 95.9
Fun Fact: Ripken holds the record for most consecutive starts. (2,632)
Best Trait: Durability
41 Greatest Baseball Player- Bob Feller – Starting Pitcher
Cleveland Indians (1938-1941, 1945-1956)
WAR: 63.4
Fun Fact: Feller began his career with the Indians when he was 17 years old.
Best Trait: Velocity
40 Greatest Baseball Player- Miguel Cabrera – Third Baseman/First Baseman
Florida Marlins (2003-2007), Detroit Tigers (2008-Pres)
WAR: 68.8
Fun Fact: Cabrera won the triple crown for batting in 2012, the first player to do so in 45 years.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
39 Greatest Baseball Player- Josh Gibson – Catcher
Homestead Grays (1930-1931, 1937-1939, 1942-1946), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-1936), Dregones de Ciudad Trujillo (1937), Azules de Veracruz (1940-1941)
WAR: 56.8
Fun Fact: Spending his whole career outside of the MLB, it is thought that Gibson hit around 800 home runs in his career.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
38 Greatest Baseball Player- Pete Rose – Outfielder/First Baseman/Third Baseman
Cincinnati Reds (1963-1978, 1984-1986), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-1983), Montreal Expos (1984)
WAR: 79.6
Fun Fact: Even though Rose is the all time leader in hits, he is not in the Hall of Fame due to gambling.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
37 Greatest Baseball Player- Lefty Grove – Starting Pitcher
Philadelphia Athletics (1925-1933), Boston Red Sox (1934-1941)
WAR: 106.6
Fun Fact: Grove has a career winning percentage of .680, good for eighth all time. Grove has more wins than the seven players ahead of him.
Best Trait: Stamina
36 Greatest Baseball Player- Warren Spahn – Starting Pitcher
Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1942, 1946-1964), New York Mets (1965), San Francisco Giants (1965)
WAR: 100.1
Fun Fact: Spahn has the most wins in MLB by a left-handed pitcher. (363)
Best Trait: Baseball IQ
35 Greatest Baseball Player- George Brett – Third Baseman
Kansas City Royals (1973-1993)
WAR: 88.6
Fun Fact: Brett is one of four players in MLB history with 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career batting average of .300. (The other three are Willie Mays, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron).
Best Trait: All-around hitting
34 Greatest Baseball Player- Tom Seaver – Starting Pitcher
New York Mets (1967-1977), Cincinnati Reds (1977-1982), Chicago White Sox (1984-1986), Boston Red Sox (1986)
WAR: 109.9
Fun Fact: The New York Mets changed the address of their stadium to 41 Seaver Way in 2019.
Best Trait: Curveball
33 Greatest Baseball Player- Mike Trout – Center Fielder
Los Angeles Angels (2011-Pres)
WAR: 76.1
Fun Fact: As a high schooler, Trout was already getting comparisons to Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle.
Best Trait: Athleticism
32 Greatest Baseball Player- Jimmie Foxx – First Baseman/Catcher
Philadelphia Athletics (1925-1935), Boston Red Sox (1936-1942), Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944), Philadelphia Phillies (1945)
WAR: 93.9
Fun Fact: Making a career out of first base and catcher, Foxx originally wanted to be a pitcher when he started playing professional baseball.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
31 Greatest Baseball Player- Jackie Robinson – Second Baseman/Left Fielder
Kansas City Monarchs (1945), Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1956)
WAR: 61.7
Fun Fact: Robinson was the first player in American sports history to have his jersey retired by every team in their league.
Best Trait: Resilience
30 Greatest Baseball Player- Albert Pujols – First Baseman/Designated Hitter
Saint Louis Cardinals (2001-2011), Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021), Los Angeles Dodgers (2021-Pres)
WAR: 99.5
Fun Fact: Pujols holds the record for most times grounding into a double-play. (412)
Best Trait: All-around hitting
29 Greatest Baseball Player- Christy Mathewson – Starting Pitcher
New York Giants (1900-1916), Cincinnati Reds (1916)
WAR: 106.5
Fun Fact: In 16 years during his career, Mathewson never pitched on Sunday, due to his religious beliefs.
Best Trait: Stamina
28 Greatest Baseball Player- Johnny Bench – Catcher
Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983)
WAR: 75.1
Fun Fact: Bench is the only catcher in MLB history to lead the league in home runs.
Best Trait: Strong throwing arm
27 Greatest Baseball Player- Clayton Kershaw – Starting Pitcher
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-Pres)
WAR: 70.9
Fun Fact: Kershaw was the first player to lead the MLB in ERA four years in a row. (2011-2014)
Best Trait: 12-6 Curveball
26 Greatest Baseball Player- Frank Robinson – Outfielder
Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds (1956-1965), Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971), Los Angeles Dodgers (1972), California Angels (1973-1974), Cleveland Indians (1974-1976)
WAR: 107.2
Fun Fact: Robinson is the only player to win an MVP in both the NL and AL.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
25 Greatest Baseball Player- Mike Schmidt – Third Baseman
Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1989)
WAR: 106.9
Fun Fact: Schmidt batted with his back slightly towards the pitcher in an effort to avoid being jammed on inside pitches.
Best Trait: Athleticism
24 Greatest Baseball Player- Rogers Hornsby – Second Baseman
Saint Louis Cardinals (1915-1926, 1933), New York Giants (1927), Boston Braves (1928), Chicago Cubs (1929-1932), Saint Louis Browns (1933-1937)
WAR: 126.9
Fun Fact: Hornsby is the only player in MLB history to hit 40 HRs and bat .400 in a season.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
23 Greatest Baseball Player- Randy Johnson – Starting Pitcher
Montreal Expos (1988-1989), Seattle Mariners (1989-1998), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-2008), New York Yankees (2005-2006), San Francisco Giants (2009)
WAR: 101.1
Fun Fact: At 40-years-old Johnson became the oldest player in MLB history to throw a perfect game.
Best Trait: Intimidation
22 Greatest Baseball Player- Roberto Clemente – Right Fielder
Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972)
WAR: 94.8
Fun Fact: Clemente was the first Caribbean and Latin-American player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Best Trait: Hitting for contact
21 Greatest Baseball Player- Bob Gibson – Starting Pitcher
Saint Louis Cardinals (1959-1975)
WAR: 89.1
Fun Fact: Gibson was an excellent basketball player, playing briefly for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Best Trait: Intimidation
20 Greatest Baseball Player- Alex Rodriguez – Third Baseman/Shortstop
Seattle Mariners (1994-2000), Texas Rangers (2001-2003), New York Yankees (2004-2013, 2015-2016)
WAR: 117.5
Fun Fact: Rodriguez holds the MLB record for most career grand slams. (25)
Best Trait: Hitting for power
19 Greatest Baseball Player- Roger Clemens – Starting Pitcher
Boston Red Sox (1984-1996), Toronto Blue Jays (1997-1998), New York Yankees (1999-2003, 2007), Houston Astros (2004-2006)
WAR: 139.2
Fun Fact: Clemens was the first player in MLB history to start a season 20-1.
Best Trait: Velocity
18 Greatest Baseball Player- Sandy Koufax – Starting Pitcher
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1955-1966)
WAR: 48.9
Fun Fact: At age 36, Koufax became the youngest player ever inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Best Trait: Plate control
17 Greatest Baseball Player- Cy Young – Starting Pitcher
Cleveland Spiders (1890-1898), Saint Louis Perfectos/Cardinals (1899-1900), Boston Americans/Red Sox (1901-1908), Cleveland Naps (1909-1911), Boston Rustlers (1911)
WAR: 163.6
Fun Fact: Young has the most career wins in MLB history with 511. The closest active player is 38-year-old Justin Verlander with 226.
Best Trait: Stamina
16 Greatest Baseball Player- Joe DiMaggio – Center Fielder
New York Yankees (1936-1942, 1946-1951)
WAR: 79.1
Fun Fact: Joe DiMaggio holds the record for longest consecutive hit streak with 56. That is almost a third of the current regular season schedule.
Best Trait: Popularity
15 Greatest Baseball Player- Rickey Henderson – Left Fielder
Oakland Athletics (1979-1984, 1989-1993, 1994-1995, 1998), New York Yankees (1985-1989), Toronto Blue Jays (1993), San Diego Padres (1996-1997, 2001), Anaheim Angels (1997), New York Mets (1999-2000), Seattle Mariners (2000), Boston Red Sox (2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)
WAR: 111.2
Fun Fact: Henderson is the all time leader in stolen bases (1406), the next closest is Lou Brock (938).
Best Trait: Speed
14 Greatest Baseball Player- Honus Wagner – Shortstop
Louisville Colonels (1897-1899), Pittsburg/Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-1917)
WAR: 130.8
Fun Fact: In 2021, a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $6.6 Million, making it the most expensive baseball card ever sold.
Best Trait: Speed
13 Greatest Baseball Player- Ken Griffey Jr. – Center Fielder
Seattle Mariners (1989-1999, 2009-2010), Cincinnati Reds (2000-2008), Chicago White Sox (2008)
WAR: 83.8
Fun Fact: When Michael Jordan played baseball, he asked for Ken Griffey Jr. autograph.
Best Trait: Swing
12 Greatest Baseball Player- Pedro Martinez – Starting Pitcher
Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-1993), Montreal Expos (1994-1997), Boston Red Sox (1998-2004), New York Mets (2005-2008), Philadelphia Phillies (2009)
WAR: 83.9
Fun Fact: Martinez is the only pitcher in MLB history to have 3,000 strikeouts with fewer than 3,000 innings pitched.
Best Trait: Changup
11 Greatest Baseball Player- Greg Maddux – Starting Pitcher
Chicago Cubs (1986-1992, 2004-2006), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-2008)
WAR: 106.6
Fun Fact: In Maddux’s career, he faced 20,421 batters. Only 310 hitters saw a 3-0 count and 177 of those instances were intentional walks.
Best Trait: Plate control
10 Greatest Baseball Player- Stan Musial – Right Fielder/First Baseman
Saint Louis Cardinals (1941-1944, 1946-1963)
WAR: 128.3
Fun Fact: Stan Musial has 3,630 career hits with 1,815 coming at home and 1,815 coming on the road.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
9 Greatest Baseball Player- Lou Gehrig – First Baseman
New York Yankees (1923-1939)
WAR: 114.1
Fun Fact: Gehrig was the first player in MLB history to have his jersey number (4) retired by a team.
Best Trait: Durability
8 Greatest Baseball Player- Mickey Mantle – Center Fielder
New York Yankees (1951-1968)
WAR: 110.2
Fun Fact: As a switch hitter, Mantle is the only player in MLB history to hit 150 home runs on each side of the plate.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
7 Greatest Baseball Player- Walter Johnson – Starting Pitcher
Washington Senators (1907-1927)
WAR: 164.8
Fun Fact: Johnson is the only pitcher in MLB history to record 400 wins and 3,000 strikeouts.
Best Trait: Velocity
6 Greatest Baseball Player- Ty Cobb – Center Fielder
Detroit Tigers (1905-1926)
WAR: 151
Fun Fact: In the first Hall of Fame induction year, Cobb received the highest percentage of votes, beating out Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
5 Greatest Baseball Player- Ted Williams – Left Fielder
Boston Red Sox (1939-1942, 1946-1960)
WAR: 121.9
Fun Fact: Williams is the last player to hit .400 in a season in 1941.
Best Trait: All-around hitting
4 Greatest Baseball Player- Hank Aaron – Right Fielder
Indianapolis Clowns (1952), Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-1974), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-1976)
WAR: 143.1
Fun Fact: Aaron holds the record for most All-Star appearances with 25.
Best Trait: Resilience
3 Greatest Baseball Player- Willie Mays – Center Fielder
Birmingham Black Barons (1948-1950), New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1952, 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-1973)
WAR: 156.1
Fun Fact: Mays has the record for most extra-innings home runs of all time. (22)
Best Trait: Defense
2 Greatest Baseball Player- Barry Bonds – Right Fielder
Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)
WAR: 162.7
Fun Fact: In 2004, Bonds reached base more times than he had at-bats.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
1 Greatest Baseball Player- Babe Ruth – Right Fielder/Starting Pitcher
Boston Red Sox (1914-1919), New York Yankees (1920-1934), Boston Braves (1935)
WAR: 182.5
Fun Fact: Ruth was the first player to hit 50 HRs in a season, 60 HRs in a season and 500 HRs in a career.
Best Trait: Hitting for power
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