MLB

Top 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

by
Luke Reimer
February 3, 2022

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.

100Greatest 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

99Greatest 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

98Greatest 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

97Greatest 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

96Greatest 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

95Greatest 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

94Greatest 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

93Greatest 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

92Greatest 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

91Greatest 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

90Greatest 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

89Greatest 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

88Greatest 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

87Greatest 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

86Greatest 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

85Greatest 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

84Greatest 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

83Greatest 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

82Greatest 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

81Greatest 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

80Greatest 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

79Greatest 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

78Greatest 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

77Greatest 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

76Greatest 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

75Greatest 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

74Greatest 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

73Greatest 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

72Greatest 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

Building the greatest all-time Boston Red Sox team and lineup with the best players in the franchise's history. — Credit: Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox

71Greatest 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

70Greatest 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

69Greatest 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

68Greatest 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

67Greatest 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

66Greatest 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

65Greatest 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

64Greatest 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

63Greatest 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

62Greatest 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

61Greatest 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

60Greatest 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

59Greatest 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

58Greatest 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

57Greatest 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

Credit: Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images

56Greatest 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

55Greatest 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

54Greatest 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

53Greatest 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

52Greatest 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

51Greatest 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

50Greatest 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

49Greatest 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

48Greatest 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

47Greatest 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

46Greatest 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

45Greatest 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

44Greatest 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

43Greatest 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

baltimore orioles history — Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY Sports

42Greatest 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

41Greatest 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

40Greatest 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

39Greatest 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

38Greatest 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

37Greatest 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

36Greatest 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

35Greatest 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

34Greatest 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

Mike Trout Greatest Baseball Player of all time — Credit: Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

33Greatest 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

32Greatest 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

31Greatest 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

30Greatest 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

29Greatest 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

28Greatest 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

27Greatest 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

26Greatest 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

25Greatest 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

24Greatest 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

23Greatest 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

22Greatest 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

21Greatest 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

20Greatest 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

Credit: 1988 SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images

19Greatest 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

18Greatest 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

17Greatest 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

16Greatest 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

15Greatest 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

14Greatest 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

13Greatest 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

12Greatest 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

Credit: Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images

11Greatest 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

10Greatest 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

9Greatest 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

8Greatest 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

7Greatest 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

6Greatest 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