Major League Baseball is one of the most prominent and well-loved sports in the whole of America. It’s also one of the oldest! There have been some real greats over the years, all competing to make it into that coveted Hall of Fame. Here are the top 20 players in MLB history.
Willie Mays
This guy has to take our top spot, for so many reasons. Nobody has ever been able to play so well in all different areas of the field, for a start. He hit a .302 with 1903 RBIs, 3283 hits and 660 home runs. But he wasn’t just a great hitter, Willie could play defensively too. He’s been All-Star 24 times, won 12 Gold Gloves, two-time MVP and not forgetting the 1954 World Series win.
Babe Ruth
There’s no denying that Babe Ruth was as good at pitching as he was at hitting. He had a 94-46 record, along with a 2.28 ERA as a pitcher. His batting stats are pretty good too, with a .342 average, 2213 RBIs, 2873 hits, and a whopping 714 home runs. He’s been home run champion 12 times, won the World Series 7 times and even won the AL MVP in 1923.
Ted Williams
Also known as ‘Teddy Ballgame’, this guy holds the record for career OBP, hitting for .482. Many people consider him to be the greatest hitter to have ever set foot on the field. He’s been part of 19 All-Star teams and won the Triple Crown and AL MVP twice. His batting average is .344 with 1839 RBIs, 2654 hits and 521 home runs.
Lou Gehrig
This is a name that many Major League Baseball fans will remember, even if they weren’t around at the time. Over half of his life was spent playing for the New York Yankees, after he tragically died from ALS at the age of 37. He managed to play a huge 2130 games consecutively, which earned him the nickname ‘The Iron Horse’. A total of 493 home runs and a .340 batting average seals his place on our list.
Mickey Mantle
As one of the best switch-hitters in the whole of Major League Baseball history, Mickey Mantle had 1509 RBIs, 2415 hits, 536 home runs, and a batting average of .298. He made it into the All-Star team 20 times, won 7 World Series’, and won 3 AL MVP; all the while playing with the Yankees. He may not have been great on defense, but his hitting scores made up for all of that.
Ty Cobb
In terms of records and scores, Ty is technically one of the greatest hitters in the history of MLB. He holds all-time records for 12 batting titles and a .367 batting average. He’s also second in terms of number of hits, with 4191. He was also the best base runner in history, with 892 stolen bases, until his place was taken by Rickey Henderson. Ty Cobb won the AL MVP in 1911 and the Triple Crown back in 1909.
Hank Aaron
Another record breaker is Hammerin’ Hank, who is renowned for his 755 home runs. He also holds records for his 2297 RBIs, 1477 extra base hits, and 6856 total bases. During his 25 years as a MLB player, he managed to make it into the All-Star team every single season. With the Braves he also managed to get some silverware, namely the World Series title and NL MVP both in 1957.
Cy Young
Let’s add one of the greatest pitchers of all time to our list. Cy Young made such an impact in the world of MLB that there’s actually an award out there, named after him. He’s managed a record breaking number of games with 815, innings pitched with 7355, and 749 completed games. He also wins with his leads of 511, while managing an impressive 2803 strikeouts and 2.63 ERA. He’s also won both the World Series and Triple Crown.
Pete Rose
Another name that many people will recognize, although not always for the right reasons. Pete Rose was a diverse MLB player, best known for his record-breaking 4256 hits. He also made it into the All-Star team 17 times, in a total of 5 different positions! Not many people can say that. A total of 3 World Series titles and an MVP earn him a place on our list. Despite his betting scandal, in which he bet on baseball games.
Roberto Clemente
What couldn’t this guy do? His defensive capabilities were off the chart, earning him a total of 12 Gold Glove Awards. But he wasn’t just an incredible right fielder, this guy could also hit! He had a .300 batting average over his short life, and a whopping 3,000 hits. If he hadn’t been tragically killed so young in a plane crash, we reckon he would have become a record breaking player.
Stan Musial
For 24 years, Stan showed the world of MLB how it was done. He managed to get into the All-Star team every single season that he played, missing just two to serve in World War II. ‘Stan the Man’, as he was known, won a total of 3 World Series titles, 3 NL MVP awards, and 7 batting titles. He had 1951 RBIs, 3630 hits, 475 home runs and a .331 batting average when he retired.
Joe DiMaggio
This guy holds a record that many believe will never be broken. His hitting streak over 56 games just proved that he was consistent and completely out of this world as a MLB player. This probably earned him his place in the 13 All-Star teams, his 9 World Series titles, and his 3 ML AVP awards. He ended his career with a total of 1537 RBIs, 2214 hits, 361 home runs, and a batting average of .325.
Sandy Koufax
While this incredible player may have had to cut his career short thanks to arthritis, there’s no denying he made an impact during his short time as a pitcher. His silverware is also some of the most impressive on our list. It includes 3 Cy Young Awards, 4 World Series titles, an NL MVP, 3 Triple Crowns and he was selected for All-Star teams 7 times. His early retirement finished him off with 2936 strikeouts, 165 wins and a 2.76 ERA.
Honus Wagner
There’s no denying that Honus Wagner was a speedy player! He may not have an impressive amount of homeruns at just 101, but his 722 stolen bases will prove that he had skills in other areas. He also drove in 1732 runs, made 3430 hits, and had a batting average of .329. Many people believe he was one of the greatest players during the Ty Cobb era.
Walter Johnson
This right-handed pitcher made a name for himself as a record-holder for the total number of shutouts in his career, with 110. He is second place for number of wins, with 417, and in 4th place for 531 complete games. Walter Johnson won a World Series title, three Triple Crown awards, and two ML AVP awards during his career. He ERA was 2.17 and his total strikeouts were 3508.
Rogers Hornsby
Just behind Ty Cobb in terms of batting average (.358) makes Rogers was one of the best MLB hitters in the history of the game. During his 22 years of playing he managed to get 1584 RBIs, 2930 hits and 301 home runs. He also managed one World Series title, two Triple Crown awards, two NL MVPs, and 7 batting awards.
Bob Gibson
Another player who has a trophy cupboard to be proud of. Two World Series titles, 9 Gold Glove awards, two Cy Young awards, and an NL MVP. He also managed to make it into the Hall of Fame in 1981, the first year that he was eligible. His strikeout average per season was just under 200 and his career stats included 251 wins and an ERA of 2.91.
Christy Mathewson
This guy has managed to make it into the top 10 for practically everything. Shutouts, ERA and wins are just some of the records he holds. His National League record for 373 career wins definitely makes him worthy of a place on our list. He also managed to keep his ERA down to 2.18, while winning 2 Triple Crown awards and 2 World Series titles.
Jackie Robinson
There’s one very important reason why this man was so important in MLB history, and it’s nothing to do with his stats. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier of Major League Baseball, making him an extremely prominent player. However, he still has some impressive figures to back up his place on the list. Most notably a World Series title, a NL MVP award, a Rookie of the Year award, a batting title, and 6 All-Star team placements. He only played for 10 seasons!
Nolan Ryan
With a throw that nearly always went over the 100-mph mark, there’s no denying Nolan Ryan was fierce pitcher to watch out for. He played for 27 years, still breaking records well into his 40s. He has 5714 strikeouts, 324 wins, one World Series title and made it into the All-Star team 8 times. He unfortunately never won a Cy Young award, which we think is shocking!
