Finally, we have gone through the first half of our list. This group is catcher-heavy with four backstops. It has one present player and one MVP. There are a lot of older players in this bunch that many have not heard of. But isn't that the fun of it? As we get closer to the top there will be more recognizable names. However, many fans do not know about or realize how good some of the players were from 75 or more years ago. Let's finish up the first 500 on our top 1,000 MLB Players of All-Time ranking.
Be sure to check out the rest of our series: MLB 976-1,000 | 951-975 | 926-950 | 901-925 | 876-900 |850-875 | 826-850 | 801-825 | 776-800 | 751-775 | 726-750 | 701-725 | 676-700 | 651-675 | 626-650 | 601-625 | 576-600 | 551-575 | 526-550 | 476-500 | 451-475
#525 - Jason Kendall - Catcher - 1996-2010
Kendall batted .300, was an All-Star for the first time, and finished third in ROY voting in 1996. From that season through 2004, Kendall slashed .306/.387/.418 averaging 91 runs and 18 stolen bases per 162. He batted .300 six times and stole 20 bases three times. He is one of only six players to catch more than 2,000 games. Of those six, Kendall has the best OBP (.366) and most stolen bases (189). He is one of 10 players (Min 75% of games at C) with over 2,000 hits.
#524 - Russell Martin - Catcher - 2006-2019
Martin's first three years were great with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He slashed .285/.373/.433 averaging 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases per 162. He averaged 137 games a year behind the plate. Martin won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger in 2007. He had a resurgent year in 2014 for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he batted .290 with a .402 OBP. He finished 13th in MVP voting. Martin is one of only three catchers (min. 1,500 games) to have 175 home runs and 100 stolen bases (Carlton Fisk, Ivan Rodriguez).
#523 - Cy Seymour - Centerfield/Left-Handed Pitcher - 1896-1910, 1913
Seymour started his career as a pitcher in the late 1890s. He led the league once in hits per nine. He also led the league twice in strikeouts. However, Seymour led the league three times in walks, including 213 in 1898 while also hitting 32 batters that season. He became a full-time outfielder in 1901. For five seasons, Seymour was one of the top hitters in the game. He slashed .328/.371/.452 averaging 96 RBIs and 27 stolen bases per 162 during his peak. In 1905, he hit .377 with 21 triples and 121 RBIs, leading the league in those categories.
#522 - Dick Bartell - Shortstop - 1927-1943, 1946
Bartell was a hard-nosed shortstop who played with reckless abandon, especially when breaking up a double play. For a decade from 1928-1937, Bartell was one of the top shortstops in baseball. His defense was Gold-Glove caliber (they didn't have the award yet) as he regularly led the league in chances and was twice the leader in dWAR. He slashed .296/.356/.407 during his peak. Bartell also led the league twice in sacrifices and five times in HBP. He is one of only nine shortstops (min. 75% games) with 2,100 hits and a .350 OBP.
#521 - Darrell Porter - Catcher - 1971-1987
Porter was third in ROY voting in 1973 and showed his propensity to take a walk with a .363 OBP. He had a little power and was a good defensive catcher. He was a four-time All-Star and finished ninth in MVP voting in 1979. That season, Porter set career highs with 20 home runs, 112 RBIs, and a league-leading 121 walks. In 1982, he was the NLCS and World Series MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals. Porter is one of only eight catchers (min. 60% games) with 175 home runs and a .350 OBP.
Jones was a good pitcher for a long time. He completed 250 of his 487 starts and also came out of the bullpen 160 times. His best season was in 1918 with the Boston Red Sox when he was 16-5 with a 2.25 ERA for the champs. In the 1923 World Series, pitching for the New York Yankees, he lost Game Three 1-0 on a solo home run by Casey Stengel. He went on to save the sixth game and secure the win for New York. For his career, Jones threw 3,883 innings and had a 3.84 ERA while winning 229 games.
#519 - Andy Van Slyke - Centerfield - 1983-1995
From 1987-1993, Van Slyke was a premier centerfielder. He slashed .286/.354/.468 (129 OPS+) averaging 19 home runs and 22 stolen bases per 162. He won five straight Gold Gloves and finished fourth in MVP voting twice. Van Slyke led the league in triples in 1988 (15) and set career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (100). In 1992, he led the league with 199 hits and 45 doubles.
#518 - Virgil Trucks - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1941-1943, 1945-1958
Trucks had quite a roller coaster of a career. He was excellent for the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and 1943 going 30-18 with a 2.79 ERA. After WWII, Trucks came back and gave up one run in a complete game victory in Game Two of the World Series. After a good year in 1946, he was mediocre for the next two years. In 1949, he won 19 with a 2.81 ERA and led the league with 153 strikeouts and six shutouts. In 1953, when his time with the Tigers was done, he won 20 games and had a 2.93 ERA. Trucks followed it up with 19 wins and a 2.79 ERA for the White Sox.
#517 - Brad Radke - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1995-2006
In his 12-year career, Radke started 31 games and tossed over 200 innings nine times. In 1997, he finished third in CYA voting winning 20 games with a 3.87 ERA. Radke pitched to contact. In 2001, he led the league in walks per nine innings (1.0) and in K/BB rate (5.27). He played his entire career in the Metrodome and most of it during the steroid era. His career ERA is 4.22 but that is a 113 ERA+.
#516 - George Gore - Centerfield - 1879-1892
Gore was one of the main causes of the first "Year of the Pitcher" in 1880. Gore had a slash line of .360/.399/.463. The major league average was .245/.267/.320. MLB decided to move the mound back from 45 feet to 50. That didn't affect Gore as he led the league in runs over the next two seasons and led in walks three times. From 1880-1886, Gore slashed .320/.395/.442 (155 OPS+) averaging an amazing 180 runs per 162. He averaged more than a run per game for his career.
#515 - Harlond Clift - Third Base - 1934-1945
Clift was a good player on a bad team. The St. Louis Browns were awful in the late 30s. However, Clift was a star. He slashed .289/.412/.499 (128 OPS+) averaging 25 home runs and 103 RBIs per 162. He was an All-Star in 1937 and had a historic year in 1938. That season Clift had 34 home runs, 115 runs, 115 RBIs, and 115 walks. It is one of only three seasons by a third baseman (min. 60% games) to match those numbers (Mel Ott 1938, Jim Thome 1996).
Welch is remembered as the last pitcher to win 25 games as he was victorious 27 times in 1990. That season he also had a 2.95 ERA and won the CYA. However, he was a good pitcher before that. He tossed 200 innings nine times. From 1980-1990, Welch won 164 games and had 3.18 ERA averaging 211 innings per year. During that stretch, he never had an ERA over 3.80.
#513 - Bill Nicholson - Right Field - 1936, 1939-1953
Nicholson was a star with the Chicago Cubs in the 1940s. He was also so respected as a power hitter, he was walked with the bases loaded in 1944. Nicholson's peak from 1939-1944 was excellent. He slashed .289/.376/.505 (150 OPS+) averaging 28 home runs and 114 RBIs per 162. In 1943 and 1944, he became the first NL player to lead the league in home runs and RBIs. He finished third and second in MVP voting those years respectively. Nicholson was a five-time All-Star and one of only six Cubs to have a season with 30 home runs, 115 runs, and 115 RBIs.
#512 - Paul Derringer - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1931-1945
Derringer debuted in 1931 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was 18-8 with a 3.36 ERA. It would be the first of 12 consecutive seasons tossing over 200 innings. Although he was a solid pitcher once he got to the Cincinnati Reds, his peak was from 1938-1942. During that stretch, Derringer won 88 games and had a 3.05 ERA (121 ERA+) while averaging 268 innings per year. He completed 110 of the 164 games he started and had impeccable control walking only 4.25% of the batters he faced. In 1940, Derringer won Game Four of the World Series with his team down two games to one. He also had a complete game victory in Game Seven to take home the title.
#511 - Davey Lopes - Second Base - 1972-1987
One of the mainstays in Los Angeles for a decade, Lopes was one of the most efficient base stealers in history. Of the 46 players with at least 500 stolen base attempts, Lopes is third in SB% at 83.01 behind only Willie Wilson and Tim Raines. Lopes led the league in steals in 1975 and 1976 with 77 and 63 respectively. He is one of only four second basemen (min. 75% games) to have a season with 25 home runs and 40 stolen bases. During the Dodgers run to a championship in 1981, Lopes stole 10 bases in 16 games in the postseason without being caught.
#510 - Christian Yelich - Left Field - 2013-present
While Yelich was a Gold Glove winner in 2014 and a Silver Slugger in 2016, let's talk about his two ridiculous seasons when he first got to Milwaukee. In 2018 and 2019, Yelich became the only player ever to have two seasons with a .325 average, 30 home runs, and 20 stolen bases. He led the league in batting and OPS both years and won an MVP in 2018 while finishing second in 2019. For his career, Yelich has slashed .287/.377/.466 (130 OPS+) averaging 23 homers and 23 steals per 162.
#509 - Boog Powell - First Base/Left Field - 1961-1977
During the Baltimore Orioles' success in the late '60s and early '70s, Powell didn't get as much attention as his teammates. However, the big left-handed slugger was a force. He finished in the top 3 of MVP voting three times, winning the award in 1970. From 1963-1970, Powell slashed .272/.364/.489 (142 OPS+) averaging 32 home runs and 105 RBIs per 162. In the playoffs in 1970, he capped off his MVP season by going 11-for-31 with 11 RBIs in eight games to help the Orioles to a championship. He is third on Baltimore's all-time list in home runs (303) and fourth in RBIs (1,063).
#508 - Doug DeCinces - Third Base - 1973-1987
Taking over for a legend like Brooks Robinson can't be easy. DeCinces did an admirable job. From 1978-1983, he slashed .270/.339/.477 (126 OPS+) averaging 37 doubles, 26 home runs, and 91 RBIs. He had his best season in 1982 with the California Angels. That year he set career highs in doubles (42), home runs (30), and RBIs (97) while finishing third in MVP voting. Although he was no Robinson, DeCinces was an excellent defensive third baseman.
#507 - Ben Chapman - Outfield - 1930-1941, 1944-1946
In his first three seasons, Chapman reached double-digits in doubles, triples, and home runs. For the decade of the '30s, he slashed .308/.389/.452 averaging 30 stolen bases and 99 RBIs per 162. Chapman led the league four times in steals. He made the All-Star Game the first four years it was played and won a championship with the 1932 Yankees going 5-for-17 with six RBIs in four games. In 1931, Chapman became the last player to have 60 stolen bases, 120 runs, and 120 RBIs in a season.
#506 - Harry Brecheen - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1940, 1943-1953
The southpaw didn't start his first game until he was 28 years old. From 1943-1948, Brecheen was dominant. He won 91 games and had a 2.63 ERA (143 ERA+). In 1948, he won 20 games and led the league with a 2.24 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Brecheen also surrendered just six home runs in 233.1 innings. He finished fifth in MVP voting that season. He made only eight errors in his career. Brecheen was dominant in the World Series. In 1946, he became the first left-hander to win three games in the Fall Classic. He is one of only 14 pitchers to retire after 1945 with an ERA below 3.00 and 1,900 innings pitched.
#505 - Buck Leonard - First Base - 1935-1948
In his first season, Leonard led the league with 18 doubles in 40 games while batting .389. He batted over .370 five times in his first seven years with an incredible .420 mark in 1938. He led the league in home runs for three straight years from 1939 to 1941. From 1935-1941, Leonard's stats are unreal. He slashed .377/.475/.682 (202 OPS+) averaging 35 homers and 171 RBIs per 162. He is one of four players in Negro League history to finish his career with 140 doubles, 50 triples, and 90 home runs. Leonard was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972 by the Negro League Committee.
#504 - Nelson Cruz - Right Field/Designated Hitter - 2005-2023
Cruz got regular playing time in 2009 and became an All-Star for the first time. The peak of his career started in 2010 and ran until 2020. During that time, Cruz slashed .282/.352/.540 averaging 41 home runs and 112 RBIs. In 2014 with the Orioles, he led the league in homers with 40. He led the league with 119 RBIs in 2017 with Seattle. Cruz was a seven-time All-Star and was a top 10 MVP vote-getter five times.
#503 - Brian McCann - Catcher - 2005-2019
McCann was one of the most consistent catchers in recent memory. He hit 20 or more home runs for nine straight years from 2008-2016. If you make it 18 or more, it goes for 11 consecutive years. During his true peak in Atlanta from 2006-2013, McCann slashed .277/.350/.477 (119 OPS+) averaging 27 homers and 99 RBIs per 162. He was an All-Star seven times and a Silver Slugger six times. McCann's 282 career home runs put him eighth on the all-time list for catchers.
#502 - Roy Thomas - Centerfield - 1899-1911
Thomas was one of the best leadoff men of the dead ball era. He led the league in walks seven times over an eight-year period. From 1899-1906, Thomas slashed .310/.435/.346 (130 OPS+) averaging 32 stolen bases, 123 walks, and 126 runs per 162. He was also one of the best centerfielders of his time. Thomas led the league in putouts three times and chances per game twice. His 135 assists (although it's believed he had more) rank 18th all-time among centerfielders. Thomas is one of only six players to have back-to-back years of 35 stolen bases and a .450 OBP.
#501 - Hardy Richardson - Second Base/Outfield/Third Base - 1879-1892
Richardson was an offensive force in the 19th century. From 1883-1890, he slashed .319/.365/.468 (140 OPS+) and averaged 155 runs and 329 total bases per 162. In 1886, Richardson led the league in hits (189) and home runs (11). In 1890, he led the league in home runs again with 16 and 152 RBIs. Richardson and Sam Thompson in 1895 were the only two players to have 15 homers and 150 RBIs in a season until Babe Ruth in 1921.
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