Today we break into the top 900. Let's get right to it and continue on our journey through the history of Major League Baseball.
Be sure to check out the rest of our series: MLB 976-1,000 | 951-975 | 926-950 | 901-925 | 851-875 | 826-850 | 801-825 | 776-800 | 751-775
#900 - Alex Fernandez - Right-handed Pitcher - 1990-1997, 1999-2000
Fernandez's career wasn't very long but from 1993-1999, he was an excellent pitcher. In those years, despite the strike and missing all of 1998, he was 81-54 with a 3.52 ERA (126 ERA+). He averaged nearly seven innings per start and was sixth in CYA voting in 1996. In 1997 he helped the Marlins win their first World Series title.
#899 - Dick McBride - Right-handed Pitcher - 1871-1876
While it is a little awkward throwing in a guy who played before the National League was founded, McBride deserves a mention. He pitched for the Athletics from 1871-1875 and compiled a 149-74 record with a 2.71 ERA. He led the league in that category in 1874 at 1.64. The following season he won 44 games and sported a 2.33 ERA.
#898 - Mike Lowell - Third Base - 1998-2010
Lowell had his best two seasons helping the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox to World Series championships in 2003 and 2007 respectively. In 2003 he set a career-high with 32 home runs. In 2007, Lowell outdid himself, setting a career-high in RBIs with 120. That season he also finished fifth in AL MVP voting and was the World Series MVP after going 6-for-15 with three doubles and a homer against the Colorado Rockies.
Kruk finally got to the majors at age 25 in 1986 and started hitting immediately. In 1987, he looked to be on his way to stardom hitting 20 home runs and stealing 18 bases while batting .313. After taking a step back in 1988, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1989. He flourished and became a three-time All-Star from 1991-1993. Kruk helped the Phillies to a National League pennant in 1993 and was 8-for-23 in the World Series. He finished with exactly 100 home runs and a .300 batting average.
Smith was the first pitcher to eclipse 400 saves and held the record from 1993 until 2006. From 1982-1993, the closer appeared in 62+ games each season and notched an even 400 saves. In 1991 and 1992 Smith led the NL in saves and finished second and fourth in Cy Young voting respectively. He remains third on the all-time list in saves with 478 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
#895 - Joe Harris - First Base/Left Field - 1914, 1917, 1919, 1922-1928
Harris played nearly 800 of his 970 games after the age of 31. Despite that, and damage to his eye during World War I, he finished his career batting .317 with a .404 OBP. He received MVP votes in 1923 and 1924 and nearly brought the Washington Senators a second consecutive title in 1925 going 11-for-25 with three home runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series.
#894 - Ryan Klesko - First Base/Left Field - 1992-2007
After just 35 games between 1992 and 1993, Klesko finished third in ROY voting in 1994. He helped the Atlanta Braves secure a championship in 1995 going 5-for-16 with three homers against the Cleveland Indians. His first three seasons in San Diego were his best stretch. From 2000-2002 Klesko slashed .290/.388/.531 with 85 home runs, 52 stolen bases, and 300 RBIs.
Ford's rookie season in 1910 was quite impressive. He went 26-6 with a 1.65 ERA in 299.2 innings. He also had nearly a 3-to-1 K/BB rate which was virtually unheard of then. He got a couple of MVP votes the following season. In 1914 playing for Buffalo in the Federal League, he was 21-6 with a 1.82 ERA and led the league with six saves.
#892 - Bill Doran - Second Base - 1982-1993
Doran handled the keystone for the Houston Astros for most of the 1980s. He was a good defender and was an excellent baserunner. He set a career-high in stolen bases with 42 in 1986 and had a total of six seasons over 20. He received MVP votes three times and set a career-high in 1987 with 16 home runs. He finished slashing .266/.354/.373.
#891 - Rick Sutcliffe - Right-handed Pitcher - 1976, 1978-1994
If anyone on this list embodies peaks and valleys, it's Sutcliffe. He won the ROY award in 1979 going 17-10 with a 3.46 ERA. He was in the bullpen for most of 1980 and 1981. He then led the AL in ERA with a 2.96 mark in 1982. He was decent in 1983 and then after getting traded in 1984 during the season, Sutcliffe was 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning for the Chicago Cubs. He won the CYA that year.
#890 - Brandon Belt - First Base - 2011 - present
Belt isn't your prototypical slugging first baseman. However, he does have some pop and set a career-high with 29 home runs in 2021. He has averaged 32 homers per 162 over the last four seasons. His OBP remains excellent as his .357 mark would indicate. In his prime Belt was a very good fielder. His lone All-Star selection came in 2016 when he set career highs in walks (104), RBIs (82), and doubles (41).
#889 - Baby Doll Jacobson - Centerfielder - 1915, 1917, 1919-1927
Jacobson returned from the Navy in 1919 and from then until 1925 he slashed .331/.377/.481. He drove in 100 twice, scored 100 twice, and had 200 hits twice. He received MVP votes in 1924 and 1925. Jacobson was considered an all-around player as he was an above-average baserunner as well as an above-average fielder.
#888 - Luis Castillo - Second Base - 1996-2000
Castillo was a throwback to when guys bunted and used their legs to get on base. He had the speed leading the league twice in steals and setting a career-high of 62 in 2000. While he didn't hit for power at all, only over 30 extra-base hits twice, he did hit and get on base. From 1999-2009, Castillo batted .298 with a .375 OBP and stole 326 bases. He was an excellent defensive second baseman earlier in his career and has three Gold Gloves.
#887 - Prince Fielder - First Base - 2005-2016
At his peak, Fielder did some damage. From 2007-2012, the slugger slashed .289/.401/.549 and averaged 39 home runs and 113 RBIs per 162. And he usually played 162. Fielder played in 831 of 832 games in a stretch from 2008-2013. He still holds the Brewers franchise record for home runs in a season (50) and RBIs (141). He finished in the top 4 of MVP voting three times. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by neck issues, and he retired at 32 years old.
Big Mo didn't look great in his first couple of seasons with the Red Sox, hitting only 17 home runs in his first 187 games. However, in 1993, Vaughn put it all together. From 1993-1998, the slugger crushed opposing pitching, slashing .315/.405/.569 and averaging 40 home runs and 125 RBIs per 162. Vaughn won the MVP award in 1995 and finished in the top 5 two other times. He ended his career with 328 homers and a slash of .293/.383/.523
#885 - Whitey Kurowski - Third Base - 1941-1949
Kurowski played only six full seasons in the majors, but he made the most of it and didn't allow his disability to get in the way. Whitey's right arm was about four inches shorter than his left from a childhood accident. From 1943-1947, Kurowski was one of the league's best third basemen. He slashed .298/.374/.480 and averaged 22 home runs and 103 RBIs per 162. He also finished top 10 in MVP voting twice and was an All-Star all five years.
#884 - Carlos Lee - Left Field - 1999-2012
Lee is a player who was overshadowed by the ridiculous hitting environment of the steroid era. However, he could hold his own. Despite not leading the league in any major hitting category, Lee had an excellent peak from 2002-2009. He slashed.293/.349/.514 while averaging 38 doubles, 33 home runs, and 113 RBIs. Lee is one of only 27 players in history to have 350 homers, 125 stolen bases, and 1,350 RBIs.
Law pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates his whole career. After a couple of years with them and another two in Korea, he started his career in earnest in 1954. His peak was from 1957-1965 and during those years he was 108-76 with a 3.31 ERA. He won the CYA in 1960 and went 2-0 against the Yankees in the World Series.
#882 - Matt Olson - First Base - 2016-present
Here is an active player who should be moving up the list as the years go by. Olson had his best season last year, leading the league in home runs (54) and RBIs (139) on his way to becoming the first NL first baseman to slug over .600 since Joey Votto in 2010. He is a two-time Gold Glove winner and has finished in the top 8 of MVP voting twice in the past three seasons.
#881 - Roy Sievers - First Base/Outfield - 1949-1965
Sievers won the AL ROY award in 1949, but injuries and poor play almost ended his career. He went to Washington in 1954 and that began his second career. From 1955-1961, Sievers slashed .280/.370/.517 averaging 35 home runs and 108 RBIs per 162. He led the league in both categories in 1957 at 42 and 114 respectively. He finished third in MVP voting that season. He was a five-time All-Star and finished top 7 in MVP voting two other times. He retired with 318 home runs.
#880 - Chris Short - Left-handed Pitcher - 1959-1973
Before Steve Carlton came over from St. Louis in 1972, there was another lefty in the Phillies rotation. Short was mostly a starter from 1962-1968 starting 211 games and completing 73 of them. He also appeared out of the bullpen 76 times and notched nine saves. He had a 103-75 record and a 2.89 ERA. He averaged 228 innings and 170 strikeouts in that time.
#879 - Brandon Phillips - Second Base - 2002-2018
When Phillips got to Cincinnati in 2006, he only had 135 games of MLB experience. He went on to play over 1,600 games for the Reds. During that time, he slashed .279/.325/.429. He is a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He is also one of only seven second basemen to have 200 home runs and 200 steals (min. 1,000 games).
#878 - Kris Bryant - Third Base/Outfield - 2015-present
Bryant was highly touted and was the second pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He started his career off right, winning the ROY in 2015, an MVP in 2016, and setting a career-high with a .946 OPS in 2017. He has been an All-Star four times and while injuries have limited him to 122 games the past two years, Bryant has been very good. His career slash is .276/.371/.492 with a 129 wRC+.
#877 - Hurley McNair - Outfielder - 1920-1928, 1937
McNair started his career with the Kansas City Monarchs at the ripe old age of 31. Despite that, he had some good years in him. From 1920-1925, he slashed .340/.407/.498 with a 148 wRC+. The speedy outfielder averaged 18 triples and 12 home runs with 26 stolen bases per 162. Possessing a discerning eye, McNair led the league in walks twice.
#876 - Lance Lynn - Right-handed Pitcher - 2011-2015, 2017-present
Lynn is back on the team that took him in the first round in 2008. The big righty was a reliever when he first came up in 2011. In 2012, the Cardinals decided to make him a starter and he pitched well winning 18 games with a 3.78 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. From 2019-2021, Lynn had a 3.26 ERA and nearly a 4-to-1 K/BB rate while finishing in the top 6 of CYA voting each year. For his career, Lynn still boasts over a strikeout per inning and is 94 away from 2,000.
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