Johnnie's Top 1,000 MLB Players of All-Time: 26-50
- John Lepore
- 2 days ago
- 14 min read
#50 - Pedro Martinez - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1992-2009
Pitching in the steroid era in the American League East could humble even the best pitchers. Pedro made a Hall-of-Fame career out of it. He won his first Cy Young Award in 1997 with the Montreal Expos, leading the league in ERA with a 1.90 mark and striking out 305. The following year was his first in Boston, and Pedro pitched well, finishing second in CYA voting, winning 19 games with a 2.89 ERA. His next five seasons would be one of the best stretches ever. From 1999-2003, Pedro was 82-21 with a 2.10 ERA (228 ERA+), averaging 241 strikeouts to just 36 walks in 187 innings per year. His 2000 season is arguably the best season ever. Martinez was 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA (291 ERA+). He set the record for WHIP (min. 100 innings) with a 0.737 mark. That was after he won the Triple Crown the year before. Overall, Pedro finished in the top 4 of CYA voting seven times, winning it three times. He was an eight-time All-Star and led the league in ERA five times. He is the only pitcher in the modern era to have two seasons of an 8-to-1 K/BB rate. Pedro was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 2015.
#49 - Charlie Gehringer - Second Base - 1924-1942
Gehringer goes down as a top 5 second baseman on this list. Not many second basemen were exceptional hitters and played above-average defense while also being able to steal a bag. Gehringer did all of those things. 1929 was his breakout season as he led the league in stolen bases, hits, doubles, and triples while batting .339. From 1929-1939, Gehringer slashed .332/.413/.510 (133 OPS+), averaging 45 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs, 13 stolen bases, 134 runs, and 113 RBIs per 162. All of that while leading the league in assists five times and fielding percentage seven times. He was the last AL player to have 60 doubles in a season (1936), and the only middle infielder to ever reach that mark. He was an MVP in 1937 and led the league with a .371 batting average. Gehringer was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1949.
#48 - Ken Griffey Jr. - Centerfield - 1989-2010
Junior was must-see TV when he played and had one of the most beautiful swings. He sits here as the greatest centerfielder of the past 50 years. From 1990-2000, Griffey slashed .299/.384/.579 (151 OPS+), averaging 44 home runs and 126 RBIs per 162. That includes his injury season of 1995. He finished in the top 5 of MVP voting five times, winning the award in 1997 when he led the league with 56 home runs and 147 RBIs. Junior was a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. Although he was hurt in 1995 and only hit 17 homers in 72 games, Griffey hit 351 home runs from 1993-2000. In an eight-year span, he would be tied with the great Dick Allen for 100th on the all-time list. Junior hit a few more and sits seventh with 630. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 by the BBWAA.
#47 - Gaylord Perry - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1962-1983
Perry's name does not get brought up a lot when discussing some of the best pitchers in baseball history. However, he is worthy of the notoriety. First of all, he is sixth all-time in innings pitched with 5,350 and third if you only count guys who played their careers in the last 100 years (while having a lower ERA than Niekro and Ryan). From 1966-1978, Perry won 243 games with a 2.82 ERA while striking out 200 in 295 innings per year. In that stretch, he threw over 250 innings 12 times with the other season at 238. Perry won two CYAs and in 1972, he became the last pitcher to have a sub-2.00 ERA while tossing more than 300 innings. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 by the BBWAA.
#46 - Chipper Jones - Third Base - 1993, 1995-2012
The second-best switch-hitter of all-time did damage from both sides of the plate almost equally. Jones slashed .303/.405/.541 from the left side and .304/.391/.498 from the right side. Most of his career was his peak. From 1996-2008, he slashed .314/.411/.555 (148 OPS+), averaging 33 home runs, 111 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases per 162 while walking more than he struck out. Chipper won the NL MVP in 1999, becoming the only third baseman in history (min. 75% games) to hit 45 homers and steal 25 bags in a season. He is the only player in history to slash .300/.400/.500 for his career and have 400 home runs and 150 stolen bases. Jones was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 by the BBWAA.
Anson was easily the best position player of the 19th century. He "only" played 2,524 games across 27 seasons. However, before 1884, the MLB season was fewer than 100 games and as little as 25 in Anson's first year. He batted .300 for 20 years straight and led the league four times. Anson also led the league eight times in RBIs with a career-high of 147 in 125 games in 1886. Anson finished his career as the all-time leader in hits, RBIs, and runs scored. He is still in the top 10 in each of those categories joining Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, and Stan Musial as the only ones who can claim that. Anson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#44 - Adrian Beltre - Third Base - 1998-2018
Beltre is arguably the second-best defensive third baseman ever. He also put up incredible career numbers with the bat. Beltre was a solid hitter through his first few years with the Dodgers, but in 2004 he led the league with 48 home runs and finished second to Barry Bonds for the MVP. He went to Seattle and had a few more good seasons there before putting his career into overdrive. From 2010-2017, Beltre slashed .310/.361/.522 (133 OPS+), averaging 38 doubles, 30 homers, and 105 RBIs per 162. His 636 doubles rank 11th all-time, and he is 15th in extra-base hits with 1,151. He is also third in assists at the hot corner, seventh in putouts, and second in TZR. Beltre was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024 by the BBWAA.
#43 - Wade Boggs - Third Base - 1982-1999
Boggs was kind of the Tony Gwynn of the American League. Always a tough out who put the bat on the ball and usually did some damage. Boggs had a peak from 1983-1989 where he slashed .352/.446/.483 (152 OPS+), averaging 45 doubles, 222 hits, and 108 walks to just 48 strikeouts per 162. He never struck out more than he walked in any season of his career. He led the league in batting and OBP five times, including four times straight (1985-1988). For his peak, he scored 100 runs and had 200 hits each year. Boggs was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and an eight-time Silver Slugger. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 by the BBWAA.
#42 - Joe DiMaggio - Centerfield - 1936-1942, 1946-1951
When DiMaggio entered the league in 1936, he became just the second rookie to hit 15 triples and 25 home runs (Dale Alexander, 1929), and he remains the last rookie to achieve this feat. The following year, he joined Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, and Wilson as the only players with 45 home runs and 165 RBIs in a season. For the next four years, DiMaggio would have at least 30 homers and 125 RBIs each season. In 1948, he led the league in home runs and RBIs. He was a three-time MVP, finishing runner-up twice. He was also an All-Star in every season he played. From 1937-1950 (11 seasons due to missing three to WWII), DiMaggio slashed .329/.406/.590 (161 OPS+), averaging 35 home runs to just 32 strikeouts, and 147 RBIs per 162. He is the only player to have played after 1950 with twice as many extra-base hits as strikeouts (min. 600 XBH and 7,500 PAs). DiMaggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955 by the BBWAA.
#41 - Johnny Bench - Catcher - 1967-1983
Bench won the NL ROY in 1968 while also collecting the first of 10 Gold Gloves and the first of 13 All-Star appearances. From 1969-1981, he slashed .269/.349/.490 (131 OPS+), averaging 32 home runs and 111 RBIs per 162. He won the MVP in 1970 and 1972 while hitting over 40 homers and driving in 125 runs. Only Roy Campanella can boast those numbers as a catcher in history. Defensively, Bench was one of the greatest. From 1968-1979, he threw out 45.4 percent of would-be base stealers when the average was only 35 percent. He was the WS MVP in 1976, going 8-for-15 with two homers and six RBIs in the four-game sweep of the Yankees. During his postseason career, Bench stole more bases (6) than he allowed (2). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 by the BBWAA.
#40 - George Brett - Third Base/First Base - 1973-1993
After finishing third in ROY voting in 1974, Brett led the league in hits and triples the next two seasons. He would repeat that in 1979, as he is the only AL player with 40 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in a season. In 1980, Brett had a historic run at .400. Although he would fall short at .390, he won the MVP award and finally brought his Royals to the World Series. Although Kansas City fell to the Phillies in six games, Brett batted .375 with a home run and a stolen base. In 1985, the Royals were champs, and Brett was the ALCS MVP. He won three batting titles and was a 13-time All-Star. He is one of only five players with 5,000 total bases, 200 stolen bases, and a .300 career batting average. Brett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the BBWAA.
#39 - Bob Gibson - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1959-1975
Gibson is known for his ridiculously dominant 1968 season. However, he was pretty good the rest of his career. From 1964-1973, he won 185 games with a 2.58 ERA (139 ERA+), averaging 267 innings and 223 strikeouts per season. He won a second CYA in 1970, leading the league with 23 wins. He was a nine-time Gold Glove winner and nine-time All-Star. In the postseason, Gibson was incredible, starting nine games and finishing eight with a 1.89 ERA and 92 strikeouts to just 17 walks in 81 innings. He was the WS MVP twice and tossed 10 innings in a big Game Five in the 1964 World Series. He is the only pitcher since World War II with 250 complete games, 3,000 strikeouts, and a sub-3.00 ERA. Gibson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981 by the BBWAA.
Mr. Tiger was one of the most consistent players in history. He finished second in MVP voting as a 20-year-old while leading the league in hits and batting. He was a 10-time Gold Glove winner and an 18-time All-Star. There are just nine players with 500 doubles, 400 home runs, and a .300 batting average. Kaline finished just short of all of them. He was 11-for-29 with a couple of homers and eight RBIs in the 1968 World Series. If it weren't for the brilliant performance of Mickey Lolich, Kaline would've been the MVP. He is one of only 10 players with 3,000 hits for one franchise. Kaline was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980 by the BBWAA.
#37 - Eddie Mathews - Third Base - 1952-1968
Mathews finished third in ROY voting in 1952. The following year, he led the league in home runs with 47 and finished second in MVP voting and made the first of 12 All-Star games. From 1953-1963, Mathews slashed .283/.393/.543 (155 OPS+), averaging 39 home runs and 109 RBIs per 162 while walking more than he struck out. He finished runner-up again in 1959 while leading the league with 46 home runs. Mathews scored over 100 runs eight times, drove in 100 five times, and hit 30 home runs 10 times, including nine years in a row from 1953-1961. When he retired in 1968 with 512 home runs, Mathews was one of eight players with 500 and the only third basemen with even 300 bombs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978 by the BBWAA.
#36 - Steve Carlton - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1965-1988
Carlton became a full-time starter in 1967 and won a World Series with the Cardinals that year. In 1968, he made the first of 10 All-Star appearances. His time in St. Louis was good. However, in 1972, his first year with the Phillies, Carlton put up historic numbers for an awful team. He won the Triple Crown (27, 1.97, 310), the CYA, and finished fifth in MVP voting for a team that won 59 games. Lefty went on to win three more CYAs and led the league five times in strikeouts. From 1967-1983, he won 297 games with a 3.01 ERA (122 ERA+), averaging 215 strikeouts in 264 innings per year. When the 1983 season ended, Carlton had 300 career wins and was the all-time strikeout leader with 3,709, leading Nolan Ryan by 32. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 by the BBWAA.
#35 - Carl Yastrzemski - Left Field/First Base - 1961-1983
Yaz had some huge shoes to fill coming in as the replacement for Ted Williams. In just his third year in the big leagues, Yaz led the league in hits, walks, doubles, batting, and OBP, finishing sixth in MVP voting and winning the first of seven Gold Gloves. In 1967, he won the Triple Crown (.326, 44, 121) and the MVP while making his fourth All-Star team out of 18 total in his career. His peak was from 1963-1970, when he slashed .301/.402/.513 (153 OPS+), averaging 28 home runs, 91 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 100 walks per 162. Yaz walked more than he struck out in 20 of his 23 seasons. He stands ninth on the all-time list in doubles with 646 and 10th in total bases with 5,539. Yaz was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989 by the BBWAA.
#34 - Warren Spahn - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1942, 1946-1965
Spahn appeared in four games for the 1942 Boston Braves before heading off to war. He made his next start in June of 1946, missing nearly three and a half years. From 1947-1963, Spahn won 342 games with a 2.96 ERA (124 ERA+). He was an elite workhorse who started at least 32 games and tossed 245 innings each year during that span. Spahn led the league in wins eight times, complete games nine times, ERA three times, and strikeouts four times. He won a CYA in 1957 and finished runner-up three times. Spahn also finished in the top 5 of MVP voting four times. Since 1920, Spahn is fifth in innings pitched (5,243.2), first in wins (363), and first in complete games (382). The 17-time All-Star was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973 by the BBWAA.
#33 - Albert Pujols - First Base/Designated Hitter - 2001-2022
Pujols's first 10 years in MLB were legendary. From 2001-2010, he slashed .331/.426/.624 (172 OPS+), averaging 44 doubles, 42 home runs, 123 runs, and 128 RBIs per 162. During that stretch, Pujols won the ROY, three MVPs, and finished runner-up four times in MVP voting. He was an 11-time All-Star, a six-time Silver Slugger, and won two Gold Gloves. The Machine's career numbers are among the greatest ever: Second in total bases (6,211), second in RBIs (2,218), fourth in home runs (703), 10th in hits (3,384), 12th in runs (1,914). Pujols is surely a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer when he becomes eligible. The only question is whether he will be unanimous.
#32 - Cal Ripken Jr. - Shortstop/Third Base - 1981-2001
From May 30, 1982, to September 19, 1998, Ripken played shortstop or third base for the Baltimore Orioles every single game. He made one of the most unbreakable records even more unbreakable as he passed Lou Gehrig on September 6, 1995. From 1982-1991, Ripken slashed .280/.350/.469 (127 OPS+), averaging 26 home runs, 97 runs, and 95 RBIs per 162. He won the ROY in 1982 and two MVP awards. He was a two-time Gold Glove winner, an eight-time Silver Slugger, and a 19-time All-Star. Defensively, he led the league in assists seven times, putouts six times, and fielding percentage five times. In 1991, Ripken had 368 total bases, leading the league. He became the third shortstop to eclipse 350 in a season and is the only one to do it while walking more than he struck out. Ripken was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 by the BBWAA.
#31 - Roberto Clemente - Right Field - 1955-1972
Not many players have awards named after them. The Clemente Award is not for on-the-field accomplishments, though. It is for character and representing the game of baseball off the field. However, let's not take Clemente's baseball prowess for granted. He was a beast between the lines. From 1960-1972, he slashed .329/.375/.503 (144 OPS+), averaging 11 triples, 19 home runs, 101 runs, and 96 RBIs per 162. He also won 12 straight Gold Gloves during that span. Clemente was the 1971 WS MVP, going 12-for-29 in the series. He is one of two players in history with 400 doubles, 150 triples, 200 home runs, and 3,000 hits, and the other guy is up farther on this list. Clemente was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973 by a special election as the Hall of Fame waived the five-year waiting rule.
#30 - Grover Alexander - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1911-1930
Take any pitcher in the history of baseball, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better 10-year start than Grover Alexander. From 1911-1920, he tossed 312 innings per year with a 2.06 ERA (147 ERA+). He led the league in strikeouts, wins, and shutouts six times each. His 28 wins in 1911 are a rookie record, and his 227 strikeouts that season set the standard until Herb Score struck out 245 in 1955. Alexander's 16 shutouts in 1916 remain a record, and his 373 wins are the most ever by a pitcher who started after 1910. All of that while missing almost a year and a half to WWI. He won the pitching Triple Crown four times (three times with current rules). Alexander's 90 shutouts are second to one of the top guys on this list. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1938 by the BBWAA.
#29 - Jimmie Foxx - First Base - 1925-1942, 1944-1945
Arguably the best right-handed hitter ever, Foxx was unstoppable for an 11-year stretch from 1929-1939. He slashed .337/.442/.649 (173 OPS+), averaging 45 home runs and 152 RBIs per 162. He led the league in OPS five times, homers three times, and RBIs three times. Foxx was the MVP three times, including back-to-back years in 1932 and 1933 when he hit 106 home runs and drove in 332 runs combined. He was a Triple Crown winner in 1933. Foxx is one of three players to drive in 160 runs three times (Gehrig, Ruth). He is also one of only three players to hit 50 homers in a season for two teams (McGwire, Rodriguez). He is one of four players to slash .320/.420/.600 for their careers. There are 28 members of the 500-HR club. Foxx is one of four with an OPS of 1.000. He still ranks 19th in homers with 534 and 10th in RBIs with 1,922. Foxx was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951 by the BBWAA.
#28 - Nap Lajoie - Second Base - 1896-1916
Lajoie started the modern era of baseball in 1901 with a Triple Crown (.426, 14, 125). That .426 batting average is still the single-season record post-1900 (min. 500 plate appearances). He led the league in batting four more times and led the league in hits four times. The most dangerous bat of the deadball era, Lajoie slashed .354/.400/.484 (167 OPS+), averaging 47 doubles, 26 stolen bases, and 101 RBIs per 162 from 1901-1912. He led the league in doubles five times and sits eighth on the all-time list with 657. Nap's .338 career average is fourth among right-handed batters (min. 6,000 PA). Defensively, he was considered one of the best of his era. Lajoie led the league six times in double-plays and five times in fielding percentage. Nap was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937 by the BBWAA.
#27 - Joe Morgan - Second Base - 1963-1984
While most people would equate Morgan with the Big Red Machine, and rightfully so, he began his career with the Astros. He was a solid player when he was part of an eight-player deal that sent him to Cincinnati. From 1972-1977, Morgan was one of the best players in all of baseball. He slashed .301/.429/.495 (159 OPS+), averaging 24 home runs, 65 stolen bases, and 123 runs per 162. During that span, he made the All-Star team each year, won four Gold Gloves, and won back-to-back MVPs. In those MVP seasons, Morgan slashed at least .300/.400/.500 with 60 steals. Only Rickey Henderson and Ty Cobb can boast multiple seasons with those numbers. He is 11th in stolen bases with 689 and fifth in walks with 1,865. Morgan and Rickey are the only players in history with 250 homers and 600 stolen bases. Joe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 by the BBWAA.
#26 - Tom Seaver - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1967-1986
Seaver won the NL ROY award in 1967, winning 16 games with a 2.76 ERA. From that season through 1977, he won 203 games with a 2.48 ERA (142 ERA+), averaging 271 innings and 230 strikeouts per year. Tom Terrific won the CYA three times (1969,1973,1975) and probably should have had another in 1971. That season, Seaver set career bests in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289). He led the league in ERA three times and strikeouts five times. He nearly won a fourth CYA in 1981, going 14-2 with a 2.54 ERA, but was narrowly beaten by Fernando Valenzuela. Seaver is one of two pitchers with 300 wins, a sub-3.00 ERA, and 3,000 strikeouts (Walter Johnson). He is 19th in innings pitched with 4,783 and sixth in strikeouts with 3,640. Seaver was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 by the BBWAA.
Main Image Credit:
Comments