Best Baseball Players of All Time

10. Hank Aaron

Facts and information about Hank Aaron
Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball career spanned the years 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Hank Aaron fifth on their list of “Greatest Baseball Players.”

Hank Aaron Stats
He doesn’t make a lot of peoples lists for some reason but his 755 home runs, 3299 games played, 2297 runs batted in and a laundry list of other accomplishments make him an easy choice for the top ten. In fact, I may be undervaluing him a bit myself.

25× All-Star selection (1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)
World Series champion (1957)
3× Gold Glove Award winner (1958, 1959, 1960)
1957 NL MVP
1970 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Atlanta Braves #44 retired
Milwaukee Brewers #44 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

What MLB Records does Hank Aaron hold:
6,856 total bases
2,297 RBI
1,477 extra-base hits
17 consecutive seasons with 150 or more hits

9. Mickey Mantle

Facts and information about Mickey Mantle
He played his storied 18-year major-league professional career all for the New York Yankees, winning 3 American League MVP titles and playing in 16 All-Star games. Mantle played on 12 pennant winners and 7 World Series Championship clubs. He still holds the records for most World Series home runs, RBIs, runs, walks, extra-base hits, and total bases. He is also the career leader in walk-off home runs, with a combined 13 in regular season and post-season play.

Mickey Mantle Stats

Mickey Mantle, by all accounts, led a pretty wild off-field life, but on the diamond, he was gold. An on-base percentage of .421, 536 career home runs, and a .557 slugging percentage is his ticket to number nine on this list.

16× All-Star selection (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968)
7× World Series champion (1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962)
3× AL MVP (1956, 1957, 1962)
Gold Glove Award winner (1962)
1956 Triple Crown
1965 Hutch Award
New York Yankees #7 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

8. Lou Gehrig

Facts and information about Lou Gehrig

Henry Louis “Lou” Gehrig was a baseball player in the 1920s and 1930s, chiefly remembered for his prowess as a hitter, his consecutive games-played record and its subsequent longevity, and the pathos of his farewell from baseball at age 36, when he was stricken with a fatal neurological disease. Popularly called “The Iron Horse” for his durability, Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams.

Lou Gehrig Stats

Perhaps lost a bit alongside his teammate, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig isn’t lost on this list as we humbly acknowledge his greatness. Gehrig is 5th all time in on-base percentage and 3rd in slugging as protection for the Babe.

7× All-Star selection (1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939)
6× World Series champion (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938)
2× AL MVP (1927, 1936)
Hit four home runs in one game on June 3, 1932
New York Yankees team captain (1935–1939)
New York Yankees #4 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Other accomplishments

7. Ted Williams

Facts and information about Ted Williams

Theodore Samuel “Ted” Williams was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. He played 21 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot. Nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame, and The Thumper, he is widely considered one of the greatest hitters ever.

Ted Williams Stats

You know you’re good when they have multiple nicknames for you, and Ted Williams had a few; Kid, the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper, to name a few. In his 21 seasons, Williams led the league in batting average six times, had a career batting average of .344, and had 521 home runs.

17× All-Star selection (1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
2× AL MVP (1946, 1949)
Boston Red Sox #9 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

6. Ty Cobb

Facts and information about Ty Cobb

Tyrus Raymond “Ty” Cobb, nicknamed “The Georgia Peach,” was an American outfielder in baseball born in Narrows, Georgia. After one season in the minor leagues, he began his 24-season major league career with the Detroit Tigers in 1905. He played 22 seasons for the Tigers and was their player-manager for last 6, until 1926. He was released by the Tigers in early 1927 but quickly signed with the Philadelphia Athletics, and played two more seasons. He retired following the 1928 season.

Ty Cobb Stats

Let’s see; a .366 career batting average, 2nd all-time in triples, led the league in slugging percentage 8 times and was a combination of great speed and great physical tools. Yep, Tye Cobb is 6th on this list, even though he wasn’t known as a great locker room guy.

1911 AL MVP
.367 career batting average
54 career steals of home
Won 12 batting titles, including 9 in a row from 1907 to 1915.
Third all time in stolen bases with 892.
Second in runs scored with 2,245.
Second in career hits with 4,191.
Batted under .320 only once in his career.
Batted over .400 three times.
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

5. Walter Johnson

Facts and information about Walter Johnson

Walter Perry Johnson, nicknamed “The Big Train,” was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1907 and 1927 and is one of the most celebrated players in baseball to this day.

Walter Johnson Stats

Walter “Big Train” Johnson is the best pitcher ever to walk on the mound. He has 412 wins, led the league in strikeouts 12 times, and pitched over 6,000 innings. Longevity combined with skill easily equals one of the best to ever play the game.

2× AL MVP (1913, 1924)
World Series champion (1924)
All-time major league leader in shutouts (110)
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

4. Barry Bonds

Facts and information about Barry Bonds

Barry Lamar Bonds is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants from 1986 to 2007. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993, where he stayed through 2007.

Barry Bonds Stats

Not many will look past the steroids accusations to put him on this type of list and fewer still will put him this high on the list. The combination of speed, power and natural ability is what gets him on the list. The allegations, lack of team hardware and a weak arm keeps him from cracking the top three.

14× All-Star selection (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007)
8× Gold Glove Award winner (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998)
12× Silver Slugger Award winner (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2004)
7× NL MVP (1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
3x NL Hank Aaron Award winner (2001, 2002, 2004)
1996 Home Run Derby winner

What MLB Records does Barry Bonds Hold
762 career home runs
73 home runs in a season
2,558 career walks
688 career intentional walks

3. Honus Wagner

Facts and information about Honus Wagner

Johannes Peter “Honus” Wagner nicknamed The Flying Dutchman due to his superb speed and German heritage, was an American Major League Baseball shortstop who played in the National League from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wagner won eight batting titles, tied for the most in NL history with Tony Gwynn. He also led the league in slugging six times, and in stolen bases five times.

Honus Wagner Stats

Known as “The Flying Dutchman”, Honus Wagner was a monster at the plate. He led the league in hitting eight times and led the league in slugging 6 times. In 1908, Honus led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, runs batted in and stolen bases.

2. Willie Mays

Facts and information about Willie Mays

William Howard “Willie” Mays, Jr. is a retired baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all time.

Willie Mays Stats

Perhaps most known for ‘The Catch’, an over the shoulder grab made in the 1954 World Series, Willie “The Say Hey Kid” kidd was one of the best defensive center fielders to ever play the game. But his greatness wasn’t just limited to the field because this guy could hit with the best of them, as evidenced by his 650 career home runs. Mays truly was the total package.

24× All-Star selection (1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1959², 1960, 1960², 1961, 1961², 1962, 1962², 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)
World Series champion (1954)
12× Gold Glove Award winner (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968)
2× NL MVP (1954, 1965)
1951 NL Rookie of the Year
2× MLB All-Star Game MVP (1963, 1968)
1971 Roberto Clemente Award
Hit 4 home runs in one game on April 30, 1961
San Francisco Giants #24 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team

1. Babe Ruth

Facts and information about Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr., best known as “Babe” Ruth and nicknamed “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat”, was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935. Ruth originally broke into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full-time right fielder and subsequently became one of the league’s most prolific hitters. Ruth was a mainstay in the Yankees’ lineup that won seven pennants and four World Series titles during his tenure with the team. After a short stint with the Boston Braves in 1935, Ruth retired. In 1936, Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Babe Ruth Stats

Like Jim Brown was to running backs and Wayne Gretzky was to hockey, so is Babe Ruth to baseball…simply the best ever. ‘The Bambino’, as he was called, is easily the greatest overall player to play the game. Hit hitting was ahead of his time, and lets not forget that the guy was an above average pitcher as well. Granted, he was a tad wild on the plate, but that didn’t stop him from never having a losing record as a pitcher.

2× All-Star selection (1933, 1934)
7× World Series champion (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932)
1923 AL MVP
New York Yankees #3 retired
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Ranks in the top 10 of numerous career statistics

What MLB Records does Babe Ruth hold
.690 career slugging %
1.164 career OPS