10 Best MLB Players of All-Time
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by user twins15
This is something I was thinking about writing for a couple of weeks now, but have just been way too busy to sit down and write it all. But I'll give it a shot here, with my list of the 10 best players ever to play in the MLB. For the purposes of this list, I'm not including Negro League players. Not because none of them could crack the list (I think it's a safe bet that a guy like Oscar Charleston would crack the top 10), but there's just too much unknown.
First, a few that just missed the cut:
- Hank Aaron - remarkably consistent with lots of longevity, I'm sure Hammerin' Hank would appear on a lot of people's top 10 lists. However, I also place a premium on 'peak' or great seasons, which wasn't really what Hank did well (his best year was in 1971, at age 37). So I drop him a little based on peak, but he was incredibly consistent and has great longevity. Oh, and I think he still has some HR record.
- Roger Clemens - In my mind, the 3rd best pitcher ever (you'll see my top 2 later). Longevity? Check. Exceptional seasons? Check. Playing in the best hitter's era ever? Check. He's second all-time in strikeouts, he's always had solid/decent control, and he is still one of the best pitchers in the league even at his age now. If you tried to argue that Roger was the best pitcher ever, I wouldn't put up too much of an argument.
- Stan Musial - Stan "The Man" was another that just missed the cut. He played over 1800 games in the OF and over 1000 games at 1B, winning the MVP 3 times. He was an OBP machine, leading the league there 6 times, and he also led the league in Slugging 6 times. Just a great, all-around player.
But enough of those that missed, let's move on to the Top 10:
10. Barry Bonds - Without a doubt, the hardest player of all to rank because of all the steroid accusations/usage and deciding when/if he was using some type of performance-enhancing drugs. If we could take all of his numbers at face value, I think Bonds would very likely be one of the top 3 players ever (and his 2001-2003 stretch the best 3-year stretch EVER in MLB history). But well, it's hard to do that because of all of the allegations. So I've put him here, at #10. At worst, he was the best player of the 90s, and the best combination of power/speed ever. He's always had a fantastic eye at the plate, and he was routinely 40 HR hitter throughout the 90s (while stealing lots of bases). Even if factoring in potential enhancers, the 2001-2004 stretch numbers are simply mind-boggling. In short, I'd put him higher than 10 rather than lower if I had to, but for now, I'll stick him here.
9. Lefty Grove - The second best pitcher of all-time. His adjusted ERA+ of 148 is 2nd all-time behind one Pedro Martinez (who, by the way, had the best peak of any pitcher ever). He didn't rack up a lot of strikeouts in comparison to other great pitchers, but he did lead the league in that category for 8 straight years. Add it all up, and Lefty is the 2nd best pitcher ever in my book, and 9th overall on my list.
8. Mickey Mantle - Mantle's another guy that's hard to rank, because he had a better peak than a guy like Willie Mays, but he doesn't have the longevity of the guys ahead of him. He was one of the best at getting on base, and he got there at a .421 clip, despite the average being a shade under .300 for his career. He also hit for lots of power, with 536 HR and a .557 SLG. Now, was he as focused on baseball as he maybe should have been, judging from so many stories/rep? Maybe not, but I'm not really qualified to answer that. I do know that when he played, he was one of the best ever.
7. Lou Gehrig - The original Iron Man usually wasn't the best player on his own team, but that's not going to keep him out of the top 10. Gehrig was an absolute hitting machine - he hit for a great average, he had a great eye that allowed him to draw walks, and he hit for power. He's 5th all-time in OBP and 3rd all-time in SLG. Not bad protection for the Babe. Sadly, his career and life was cut short by disease, but by all accounts he was a great man to go along with his great accomplishments on the field.
6. Ted Williams - By all accounts, Williams was probably the best pure hitter ever, as the .406 mark can attest to. But Teddy Ballgame is hard to rank among the other greats, in part because he lost a couple of years of his prime to the war. We know what the numbers might have looked like, but that's not the same thing as him actually doing it. Even so, the accomplishments speak for themselves - he got on base at a clip better than anyone ever to play the game (well, except Eddie Gaedel), and he hit for lots of power to go with it. Sure, he played in a hitter's park, but the numbers are hard to believe. A 1.116 career OPS? That's video-game like. Which is why if you'd put Teddy Ballgame in your top 5, well, I'd be hard-pressed to put up too much disagreement.
5. Walter Johnson - Quite simply, the Big Train is the greatest pitcher to ever take the mound. He has the high win totals (417 - 2nd all-time), the has the K totals (led the league 12 times), and his adjusted ERA+ of 146 is 3rd all-time. He threw almost 6000 innings, which is better than anyone that started their career in the 20th century. Add up the dominance with the longevity, and I'm confident in naming The Big Train the best pitcher ever, and the 5th best player of all-time.
4. Ty Cobb - By all accounts, The Georgia Peach was one of the most reprehensible players to play the game, but also one of the greatest, as I've put him here at 4. His .366 career batting average is the best ever. No, he didn't hit a lot of HR, but then again, neither did anyone else in his time (in 1909 he led the league in HR with 9). But he did hit lots of doubles and triples (2nd all-time in triples), which is why he led the league in SLG% 8 times. Great speed, great physical tools, undeniably one of the top hitters ever... it's possible that I'm underrating him here at #4. But that's where I'll leave him.
3. Honus Wagner - Like Cobb, the hitting stats for "The Flying Dutchman" will be low just because of the era he played in, but we have to get beyond that. He led the league in hitting 8 times in his career, and was also a good power hitter (led league in slugging for 6 years). Also like Cobb, Wagner was a great doubles and triples hitter. In 1908, the worst season for hitters ever, Wagner led the league in BA, OBP and SLG, as well as hits, total bases, doubles, triples, stolen bases and RBI (found here). All while playing SS. Truly one of the greatest ever.
2. Willie Mays - The "Say Hey Kid" may be remembered most for his over-the-shoulder grab deep in the Polo Grounds OF, which is fitting, because it's very likely he's the best defensive CF of all-time (and has the 12 straight GG to back it up). Offensively, he could do some things there as well, as he's still 4th all-time on the HR list with 660. A lot of his overall rate numbers are dragged down by his final few years in the league, where he obviously wasn't quite the same player anymore. But regardless, he's still got the high average and slugging, all the HR, and the defensive prowess, which leaves him at #2 of all-time on my list).
1. Babe Ruth - As if there was any doubt. Ruth was by far the greatest hitter ever, especially in relation to his peers. His adjusted OPS+ of 207 is far and away the best of all-time, 17 points ahead of #2 Ted Williams. We all know he once hit more HR than any other team in the league hit total. But if that wasn't enough proof of The Bambino being the greatest, we must also remember that he was a very good pitcher. He once led the league in ERA. He never had a losing season. Ok, he was really wild on the mound, but that's just nit-picking. Add it all up: Best hitter of all-time + above average pitcher = Greatest MLB player of all-time. Babe Ruth.
Date
Fri 07/21/06, 12:49 am EST
Oh, and in case you're interested, here's my Top 5: (5) Ty Cobb, (4) Ted Williams, (3) Willie Mays, (2) Lou Gehrig, and (1) Ruth.