There’s nothing like the crack of a bat. There is nothing like the smell of freshly cut grass. Inebriated fan clings to a massive beer only a few inches away from you while munching on Cracker Jack.
The American national pastime, baseball, is one of the best things about summer. Because baseball has a long history and has remained relatively consistent for decades, it has taken on a special place in the American zeitgeist—it’s quite possible that your great-great-grandfather could easily follow a modern game if he was magically plowed into the stadium.
It is easier to compare players from much different eras because football has such a long and consistent history than other sports, and that is what I will be doing here. Let’s see what happens!
Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson debuted in the Major Leagues at the age of 19 in July 1900. He was a teenager at the time who grew into one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
The 6-foot-1 Mathewson led the National League five times in strikeouts, ERA, and wins. An unforgettable career included two no-hitters for Mathewson, a member of the MLB All-Century Team.
Roger Clemens
As a pro pitcher for 24 years, Roger Clemens won a record seven Cy Young Awards in the American and National Leagues, as well as throwing 4,672 strikeouts. He was the third most successful pitcher of all time.
The Boston Red Sox selected him as the league MVP in 1986 for his 24-4 record, 2.48 earned run average, and 238 strikeouts. In addition, several opposing batters were using steroids at the time, which resulted in offensive statistics skyrocketing. Is there a reason he isn’t higher? As for Clemens’ accomplishments, they aren’t quite as impressive as they appear, since it is likely that he took steroids himself.
Additionally, he’s probably the one baseball player I’ve hated most during my baseball fandom, which is why he deserves a place on this list but can’t move up any further, lest I hurl my keyboard out of the window. Subjectivity is a great thing!
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Johnny Bench
Baseball’s greatest catcher is Johnny Bench. A 14-time All-Star selection, 10 Gold Glove Awards, two NL MVP awards, and two World Series championships were among Bench’s many achievements with the Cincinnati Reds.
At a time when catching was rare, he not only brought stellar play at catcher, but also stellar play behind the dish. MLB has never seen a better catcher than Bench.
Roberto Clemente
Clemente was not only a great baseball player, he was a great person as well. As a player who hits .834 on the season, 240 home runs, and 1,305 RBI, there’s a reason the Roberto Clemente Award is presented to the baseball player who represents the sport the best.
Baseball and life legend Clemente passed away far too soon.
Honus Wagner
The rare 1909–11 T206 Wagner card produced by the American Tobacco Company is probably the most important baseball card in history about Honus Wagner. In a sale, it can fetch upwards of $2 million, but if it featured just a run-of-the-mill player instead of one of the greatest who ever stepped on a baseball diamond, its value would be significantly lower.
“ Flying Dutchman” (good minds came up with these good nicknames back then) led the National League in batting average eight times during his career and retired with a career batting average of .328 despite playing in the offense-killing “dead-ball era.” When he retired in 1917, he led the major leagues with 3,420 hits, 643 doubles, 252 triples, and 1,732 runs batted in.
Among thousands of players who had played the game up to that time, Wagner was one of the five players selected for the inaugural class of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
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Ted Williams
The greatest pure hitter of all time, Ted Williams is often referred to as “the greatest pure hitter who ever lived.” In spite of missing almost five full seasons of his prime to military service, his lifetime on-base percentage is .482, and he ranks in the top 20 in total runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, and walks. He also had an uncanny eye, which allowed him to post the last major-league batting average of .400 (.406 in 1941), making him an ideal candidate for the nickname ‘The Splendid Splinter.
The Boston Red Sox legend led the AL six times in batting average, eight times in slugging percentage, and twelve times in on-base percentage during his 19-year career. He has also been called the best fisherman and fighter pilot of all time, in addition to being the best hitter ever.
His public image was notoriously prickly, despite all the accolades. According to renowned author John Updike, God does not answer letters after a home run in Williams’ final career at bat.
Mike Schmidt
One of the greatest players in baseball history, Mike Schmidt, played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies. In his tenure with the Phillies, he earned 12 All-Star selections and three NL MVP awards.
Schmidt’s heroic efforts contributed to Philadelphia’s victory in the 1980 World Series, which was more valuable to him and his team than any personal accolade.
Roger Hornsby
The St. Louis Cardinals have been fortunate to have had Roger Hornsby as one of their best players. In 13 steals, Hornsby slashed .359, .427, and .568 with St. Louis from 1915-26. During his time with the Cardinals, he also recorded 143 triples.
Also, Horsnby won the Triple Crown twice, won NL MVP twice, and won NL batting champ seven times. The World Series was won by him in 1926, as well.
Stan Musial
As one of the best players in history as well as an excellent citizen, “Stan the Man” ranks high on this list. It is impossible to imagine a city more inextricably linked with sports icons than St. Louis, where he spent the majority of his 22-year career with the city’s Cardinals franchise.
With a lifetime batting average of .331 and three World Series titles (1942, 1944, and 1946), Stan Musial is one of the greatest players in baseball history. Musial, a 41-year-old who started in the Cardinals’ outfield, struck out just 46 times (in 505 plate appearances) during his highest single-season strikeout total.
His hitting was so consistent that opponents often gave up, as noted by pitcher Carl Erskine: “I’ve been able to get my best pitch to Stan by backing him up at third.”
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Ty Cobb
This might be the largest drop-off in humanity ever recorded in a list item. Ty Cobb was the evil troll under the bridge who threw boulders at passing children if Musial was the fairy-tale prince when it came to behavior.
Although Cobb was an unrepentant racist who sharpened his spikes regularly to maximize the injury potential of opponents on hard slides and fought a fan in the stands, he was still a superb player whose lifetime batting average (.366) ranks highest in baseball history.
During his 24-year career, he led the American League (AL) in batting average 12 times, but he was no merely a singles hitter, as he regularly led the league in slugging percentage (a measure of power production).
As well as his batting average record (1911, .420; 1912, .409; and 1922, .401), he also retired in 1928 as the all-time lead in hits (4,189), runs scored (2,246), and stolen bases (892), all records that were only broken in the late 20th or early 21st century.
Walter Johnson
For decades, Walter Johnson dominated pitching with his flame-throwing abilities. As a result of his greatness, he topped the league in strikeouts 12 times during his 21-year career in the AL. He threw 110 career complete-game shutouts for the Washington Senators, which remains the biggest record in major-league history.
As of this writing, Clayton Kershaw has 15 over eight and a half seasons, making him the current active leader. A winner of the Chalmers Award in 1913, he won 36 games with an ERA of 1.14 and a WHIP of 0.78 (walks and hits per inning pitched; a WHIP below 1.00 is considered stellar).
He won 36 games in 1913 and won the Chalmers Award. His second MVP award came in 1924, when the Senators won their first World Series. In his career, Johnson struck out 3,509 batters and won 417 games, which were second only to Cy Young’s 511.
Lou Gehrig
Due to ALS, “Iron Horse” didn’t have the chance to further cement his position as one of the best baseball players of all time. It’s enough that he accomplished everything before that and gave his iconic speech.
If not for ALS, Gehrig’s longest MLB playing streak (2,130) would never have been broken by Cal Ripken, Jr., a six-time World Series champion. He had the highest RBI average in MLB history with 149 per 162 games, paired with Babe Ruth.
Barry Bonds
Yes, I understand. The man who earned the third spot on this list was cantankerous and preening, almost certainly steroid-using, and not exactly someone who deserves the benefit of the doubt. The steroid era and the alleged illegitimacy of it are often associated with Barry Bonds in the eyes of many baseball fans.
Even so, he had an all-time high 2,558 career walks and an impressive .444 lifetime on-base percentage before he allegedly began juicing, and steroids wouldn’t have affected those achievements. Steroids have a mysterious effect on baseball players, and it’s impossible to determine their precise impact on them.
In summary, Bonds accumulated incredible stats: 762 home runs (including 73 in 2001), seven career MVP awards, and 688 intentional walks, a staggering number, and more than double the amount Bonds gave the player with the second most all-time. Bonds’ unparalleled fear of opposing pitchers is a striking testament to his extraordinary career.
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Hank Aaron
A tremendous power hitter, Hank Aaron has often been referred to as simply the Home Run King for a generation. He has hit 755 homers during his career, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.
In addition to his legendary power, he also had a .305 batting average and won three Gold Gloves for his outfield skills. He batted in 2,297 runs and totaled 6,856 bases during his career.
With 21 straight All-Star Game selections and at least 30 home runs in 15 seasons, Aaron was a consistently great player. His 1976 achievements included the second most hits (3,771) and runs scored (2,174) in major-league history, in addition to his standing records.
Babe Ruth
There’s no doubt about it. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and decades before advanced training regimens produced athletes that appeared to be athletes, Ruth played among an artificially limited pool of talent.
However, Ruth was such an outstanding player that these qualifications don’t matter to him. Upon his arrival in the majors, the dead-ball era came to an end. It was a 27-homer season when he entered the major leagues in 1914. 59 dingers were produced within seven years, and he eventually recorded 60 dingers in 1927, a personal record. A total of 12 times, he led the American League in home runs.
The gap between his career slugging percentage and second place is larger than that between second place and ninth place because he was such a prodigious power hitter. His early years were also marked by his excellent pitching, with a 1.75 ERA and 29 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings in two World Seriess. I guess you might as well dominate the game in all aspects if you are dominating the game as much as the Babe did, don’t you?
Additionally, Ruth’s off-field celebrity and on-field accomplishments made him the first transcendent American sports star, regularly grabbing headlines across the country.
Baseball gained its prominence in the national consciousness during his time with the storied New York Yankees teams of the 1920s. Besides being one of the greatest players of all time, Ruth was also one of the most important.
Bob Gibson
As a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Bob Gibson was simply amazing. Among the 19 players with at least 3,000 strikeouts in baseball history, he is one of the few.
Among the only pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts and a sub-3 ERA, Pedro Martinez, Walter Johnson, and Tom Seaver are also part of an even more exclusive club. The fact that Gibson has a career ERA of 1.89 in the playoffs does not make him one of the greatest baseball players of all time; he is also a two-time World Series champion.
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Tom Seaver
The memory of Tom Seaver, aka Tom Terrific, will live on forever in the hearts of New York Mets fans. In his career, Seaver won just one World Series, but he was selected for 12 All-Star games and won three NL Cy Young awards. With 98.84% of Hall of Fame voters voting him first ballot, Seaver is tied with Nolan Ryan for the sixth-most strikeouts in history and the sixth-most shutouts in history.
Josh Gibson
The best baseball player of all time, Josh Gibson, never got the chance to play in the major leagues. Many of his peers regarded Gibson as equal to Babe Ruth in terms of his batting average (.366), and many of his peers compared him to Ty Cobb.
There’s no question that Gibson is one of the top baseball players of all time, no matter how his numbers in the Negro Leagues aren’t often held in the same regard as those in MLB.
Alex Rodriguez
Even though Alex Rodriguez is one of baseball’s most hatred players ever, he must also be regarded as a legend. During his career, Rodriguez was selected for 14 All-Star games and edged out the exclusive 3000/700/220 club by only four home runs.
Though Rodriguez’s legacy is tinged with steroids, he still holds the record for the fourth-most RBIs in baseball history (2,086).
Frank Robinson
Over the course of two decades, Frank Robinson put fear into pitchers’ eyes by delivering absolute pain to baseballs. He became one of the greatest outfielders of all time after signing with the Cincinnati Reds for $3,500 in 1953.
He was selected as an All-Star 14 times and won the Triple Crown (1966), along with the NL MVP award in 1962, the AL MVP in 1961, and the World Series MVP in 1966. It was Robinson’s first managerial role in MLB history as well.
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Albert Pujols
As one of the famous baseball players today, Albert Pujols finished his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.
A career-high 700 home runs were achieved by Pujols in the 2022 season, a recognition he certainly deserves as a future Hall of Famer. With 2,218 RBIs and 686 doubles in his career, Pujols retired as baseball’s second-most RBIs and third-most NL MVP.
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio hit more home runs than anyone in MLB history. In his entire career, the centerfielder played for the New York Yankees and made each one memorable.
It was an easy choice to vote him onto the MLB All-Century Team, given his 13-time All-Star status, nine World Series titles, and three AL MVP awards. It’s no surprise many, including Marilyn Monroe, regarded DiMaggio as one of the best Yankees ever, due to his 56-game hitting streak.
Mickey Mantle
A member of the Yankees dynasty, Mickey Mantle was nicknamed “The Commerce Comet”. His seven World Series titles and 20 All-Star selections rank him among the most accomplished players in baseball history.
As an AL home run leader four times (1955, 1956, 1958, 1960), he won the 1956 Triple Crown and was the member of the 1955 American League All-Star team. A total of 18 home runs were hit by him during the World Series.
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Willie Mays
It is not necessary to perform mental gymnastics to justify Willie Mays’s place on this list, as opposed to his godson Bonds (whose father, Bobby, used to be Willie Mays’s teammate from 1968 to 1972).
The outstanding play in the outfield of Mays, which included 3,283 hits, 660 home runs, and 1,903 runs batted in, led many observers to refer to him as the greatest all-around player in baseball history and earned him 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1957–68). Among Mays’s most iconic moments (and those of baseball history), his over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track during a tied 1954 World Series game helped the New York Giants win the game and, eventually, the championship.
This was one of the most iconic moments of Mays’ career. The 20-time All-Star and two-time MVP (1954 and 1965) had only one title in his career, but his reputation was never damaged by a relative lack of team success.
Rickey Henderson
The all-time greats list might not include Rickey Henderson as one of its most underrated players. Players who stole 70 or more bases are largely a thing of the past in MLB, as Henderson did seven times during his career.
In terms of steals, he holds the all-time record with 1,406, surpassing Joe Morgan’s (689) and Kenny Lofton’s (622). It is impossible for anyone to match Henderson’s career or single-season records in runs scored (2,295) and lead-off home runs (81).
Greg Maddux
A four-year stretch like Greg Maddux’s, aka “Mad Dog”, has rarely been seen before. Throughout 946.2 innings from 1992 to 1995, the 6-foot right-hander compiled a 1.98 ERA and 0.953 WHIP.
Additionally, he won the Gold Glove Award 18 times for his play at his position. Furthermore, a shutout under 100 pitches was dubbed ‘Maddux’ by the baseball world. It would be foolish not to include Maddux in any list of all-time MLB rotations.
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Mike Trout
The Los Angeles Angels might have built a playoff-caliber team around Mike Trout, making him the best MLB player of his generation. Trout struggled during his first 40 games (.220 BA, 89 OPS+) after being drafted 25th in the 2009 MLB Draft. After that, everything fell into place for him. With 168 OPS+, 49 steals, and 30 home runs, Trout had the best rookie season in MLB history.
Prior to turning 30, he earned a spot in the Hall of Fame for earning the best WAR in a season (10.5, 2012). I just wish he had been able to achieve even more fame and recognition because of injuries and an awful Angels’ organization.
Randy Johnson
Once “The Big Unit” hit the mound, he struck fear into the batter. The 6-foot-10 pitcher had a fastball that could literally destroy a bird mid-flight. Nine times, Johnson led MLB in strikeouts and was awarded five Cy Young Awards.
His performance improved with age. In his career, Johnson compiled an ERA of 3.08, a WHIP of 1.1, and a K/BB ratio of 11.1 and 4.19 during the years of 29-44 (1993-2008). Undoubtedly one of the best pitchers of all time, just an incredible hurler. As a photographer, Johnson has had great success since retiring.
Ken Griffey
Ken Griffey Jr. still exceeded the wildest expectations of the Seattle Mariners when he was the No. 1 pick in the 1987 MLB Draft. The Kid had a sweet swing that earned him 13 All-Star selections and 7 Silver Slugger Awards. Griffey Jr.’s enthusiasm for the game and unmatched efforts made him one of the greatest players in MLB history.
He couldn’t reach 3,000 hits or 700 home runs because of injuries, but he wouldn’t change a thing.
Pedro Martinez
The dominance of a 5-foot-11 pitcher is unimaginable. However, Martinez earned a place right near the top of our list of the greatest MLB players of all time. Martinez’s longevity makes him less likely to be even higher, and that’s one reason.
While 1998-2000 was his best two-year span (1.90 ERA, 597 strikeouts, 8.65 K/BB in 430.1 innings), the 1999-2000 two-year stretch is arguably his best. Because of that, we consider him one of the best pitchers of the modern era.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most hits in MLB history?
According to MLB records, Pete Rose currently holds the record for most hits. The total number of hits rose to 4,256 for Rose.
Who has the highest WAR in MLB?
WAR is the measure of wins above replacement in baseball, and Babe Ruth currently holds the record for most wins above replacement (WAR). With a career WAR of 183.1, he was one of the most valuable players on his team.
Is Mike Trout the greatest ever?
Among the greatest players of this generation, Mike Trout is without a doubt. Although opinions vary among baseball fans, Trout’s exceptional skills, five-tool abilities, and consistent performance make him an intriguing candidate.
What criteria were used to create the list?
For this list, multiple metrics were considered, including batting average, home runs, MVP awards, and appearances in the All-Star game.
How often is the list updated?
Every year, new data is added to the list to reflect any changes in rankings among current or qualifying players, such as a rookie who makes a significant impact.
Why is Shohei Ohtani so special?
Unlike most pitchers, Shohei Ohtani excels as both a hitter and a pitcher. As a pitcher, he has an impressive ERA and strikeout numbers while leading the league in home runs and RBIs. In comparison to other players, he stands out for his versatility in both directions.
Who has the most home runs?
With 762 home runs, Barry Bonds leads all players. Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Albert Pujols are a few of the greatest baseball players he left behind.
Is Shohei Ohtani better than Babe Ruth?
Baseball players like Babe Ruth are often considered to be some of the best in history. The two-way skills of Shohei Ohtani set him apart from Ruth.
Ohtani has an advantage in a more competitive MLB era because he can be a pitcher and a hitter at the same time.
The final verdict may vary depending on personal preferences when comparing players from different eras.
Conclusion
The best baseball players of all time have contributed to the game in a variety of ways. Although it is impossible to rank these legends, they were able to create enduring memories for their fans and their impact on baseball is what makes them great.
There were many iconic homeruns by Babe Ruth, the courage of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, sublime hitting by Ted Williams, and dominating pitching by Sandy Koufax.
In the collective memory of baseball, these individuals will forever be woven into the tapestry of the sport’s rich history. Taking the field in the shadow of these legends, new generations of players are inspired to do their part in making baseball’s story ever more interesting.
Whether a baseball player has been the greatest of all time may never be decided, but celebrating his or her greatness is what gives baseball its joy.
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