Top 10 Best Baseball Players of All Time

One question baseball fans have been asking each other for years is; who are the 10 best baseball players of all time? Choosing just ten players is no easy task, given baseball’s long and iconic history. There are players who dominated headlines, like Babe Ruth, and other players, like Cy Young, who thrived in the sport long before it was popularised. Choosing the best baseball players has never been more difficult.

Baseball began in 1876 with the National League (NL), followed by the American League (AL) in 1901. The two leagues remained separate until 2000, where they merged into the MLB we know today. With this much rich history in the sport, there is certainly a danger of leaving out some of the best baseball players. Fear not, as we have a section at the bottom full of honorable mentions. This is where we can all take our hats off to the players who just missed out on a spot amongst our top ten. Now we have sorted that out, let’s get into the list!

10. Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson was a pitcher for the Washington Senators between 1907 and 1927. He spent his entire playing career with the Senators before becoming their manager between 1929 and 1932. After this, he managed the Cleveland Indians until 1935. Johnson won the World Series in 1924 and was the AL MVP twice. He was a 12-time AL strikeout leader and six-time AL wins leader. He won the infamous Triple Crown for pitches on three occasions and pitched a no-hitter in 1920. Johnson also holds the current MLB record for 110 career shutouts.

Pitchers like Johnson are few and far between. He won 417 games, the second-most in history after Cy Young who has 511 wins. They remain the only pitchers to have won 400 or more games in baseball history.

Ty Cobb spoke well of Walter Johnson in his biography, Cobb. He said:

“The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger. We couldn’t touch him. Every one of us knew we’d met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ballpark.”

Ty Cobb

9. Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. is a center fielder who started and ended his career with the Seattle Mariners. He joined the Mariners in 1989 where he remained until 1999. At the turn of the century, Griffey Jr. joined the Cincinnati Reds until 2008. After eight years with the reds, he moved to the Chicago White Sox. To cap off one of the most successful home run laden careers in baseball history, he returned to the Mariners before retiring in 2010.

Griffey Jr. has 630 home runs to his name, placing him seventh on the MLB career home run leaderboard. He is a ten-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time AL home run leader. He was the AL MVP in 1997 and made 13 All-Star appearances. Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 with 99.3% of the vote.

8. Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio was a center fielder for the New York Yankees. His professional career began in 1936, where he played with the Yankees until 1942. At this time, he put his baseball career on pause and enlisted in the US Air Force. DiMaggio was a physical education instructor and often played in exhibition matches against other Major and Minor League players. He returned to the Yankees in 1946 until retiring in 1951.

DiMaggio had a sensational career, winning nine World Series, one less than the all-time leader. During his career, he made 13 All-Star appearances and won several awards, such as AL batting champion, home run leader, and RBI leader. One of DiMaggio’s most famous records, “The Streak”, was a 56-game hitting streak starting in May 1841 and ending in July. Harvard professor Stephen Jay Gould reflected fondly on “The Streak”, he said:

“DiMaggio’s streak is the most extraordinary thing that ever happened in American sports.”

Stephen Jay Gould

7.  Ted Williams

Ted Williams was a left fielder who played his entire professional career with the Boston Red Sox. War interrupted Williams’ stint with the Red Sox. Once during WW2 and in 1952 where he was recalled for service during the Korean War. Even with the interruptions, Williams had an incredible career, finishing with a batting average of .344.

Williams was a two-time Triple Crown winner and AL MVP. He played in 19 All-Star games and was selected in both Major League Baseball All-Century and All-Time teams. Williams achieved the AL batting champion title six times and was a four-time AL Home Run Leader. He also holds the MLB record for having a career average of .482 on-base percentage.

Players like Williams weren’t just great baseball players; they were incredible people who lived some truly inspirational lives. Who knows how good this man’s career would have been without two stints of military service. If you would like to read more about Ted Williams, check out his biography page.

6. Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig was the first baseman for the New York Yankees between 1923 and 1939. He was the first professional baseball player to have his shirt number retired by a team. Gehrig had an incredible career, playing 2,130 games in a row until he voluntarily took himself out of the lineup. After a noticeable drop in form, they diagnosed Gehrig with ALS, a form of infantile paralysis. The disease, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, forced early retirement at 36, taking his life two years later.

Players and fans alike adore icons who bring as much to the game as Gehrig. He was a six-time winner of the World Series and made seven consecutive All-Star appearances. He was a two-time AL MVP and five-time AL RBI leader. Gehrig is famous for hitting four home runs in one game in 1932 plus a Triple Crown in 1934. After announcing his early retirement, the Yankees hosted an appreciation day to say thanks and farewell to the baseball legend.

The Postmaster General James Farley led tributes to Gehrig. Farley said:

“Your name will live long in baseball and wherever the game is played they will point with pride and satisfaction to your record”

Postmaster General James Farley

5. Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb was a center fielder for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics. He became a baseball legend, setting 90 MLB records in his extensive career. His last professional game was in 1928, and several of his records still stand to this day. One such record is his .366 batting average, the best in MLB history. He also holds the record for the combined total of the most runs scored and batted, with 4,065. Cobb also holds the MLB career record for stealing home. He remains the youngest player to reach 4,000 hits and score 2,000 runs. 

Besides his records, he won a Triple Crown in 1909 and the AL MVP in 1911. He was a six-time AL stolen base leader and four-time AL RBI leader. Most impressively, Cobb was a 12 time AL batting champion, including nine in a row between 1907 and 1915. His last professional game was in 1928 for the Athletics, sealing his place in baseball history.

4. Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron was a right fielder who started his career in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves moved and changed their name to the Atlanta Braves, where Aaron remained until 1974. After this, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers before retiring in 1976. Aaron is one of the best baseball players of all time, hitting a whopping 755 home runs in his career. They selected Aaron for 25 consecutive All-Star games, one of many of his records. Other records held by Aaron include 6,856 total bases, 2,297 runs batted in, and 1,477 extra-base hits during his career.

Hank Aaron enjoyed much success on the field, including one World Series and one NL MVP. He was a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time NL home run leader. Aaron is one of four players to have 17 or more seasons with at least 150 hits. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 with 97.8% of the vote.

3. Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is one of the greatest baseball players ever. He started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993. He retired in 2007 after an astonishing career that included 767 home runs. Bonds was officially a left fielder but earned a reputation as being a fantastic all-around player.

Bonds broke many records during his incredible career. He has the most home runs in a single season, 73, and holds the MLB record for career home runs. He also holds the record of being the only player in MLB history to have over 500 runs and 500 stolen bases. The baseball legend won 7 NL MVP awards and made 14 All-Star appearances. He won eight Gold Glove Awards and was a twelve-time recipient of the Silver Slugger Award. Bonds was a two-time NL batting champion and home run leader but has not yet been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2. Willie Mays

Willie Mays is a baseball icon. He is undoubtedly one of the best baseball players of all time, even with a pause in his career for military service in the Korean War. Mays had a career batting average of .302 and achieved 660 home runs. He started his professional career in 1951 with the New York Giants, who moved and changed their name in 1958 to the San Francisco Giants. After his two stints with the Giants, he moved to the New York Mets in 1972 and retired the year after.

Willie Mays was selected for 24 consecutive All-Star games and won one World Series in his career. He was a two-time NL MVP and won the NL Rookie of the Year award in his first season. The center field won 12 Gold Glove Awards and was a four-time NL home run and stolen base leader. They voted him into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 with 94.7% of the vote.

Mays was a record-setter and a headline grabber, finishing his career with 7,095 putouts, the most from an outfielder. He also has the most extra-inning home runs in MLB history. Willie Mays is perhaps most famous for “The Catch”, an over-the-shoulder catch while running backward to meet a fly ball during the World Series.

1. Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is the best baseball player of all time. He began his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. After the Red Sox, he signed to the New York Yankees in 1920 and stayed there until 1934. In 1935, he played for the Boston Braves before retiring from an iconic and legendary playing career.

Ruth gained a reputation for being a pitcher who could hit home runs. He opted for a position change to play outfield and in 1919 broke the MLB single-season home run record. The move to the Yankees proved successful, winning four World Series and changed baseball forever. His ability to hit home runs brought fans to the ballpark, increasing baseball’s popularity tremendously. 

Babe Ruth was a seven-time World Series champion and was selected to play on two All-Star teams. He was a 12 time AL home run leader and won other awards such as AL MVP and AL RBI leader on six occasions.

One of Ruth’s most iconic moments came in the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. They tied the third game of the series at 4-4 when Ruth stepped up to the plate. The count was at two balls and one strike when Ruth made a gesture towards center field. After another strike, Ruth repeated the gesture and proceeded to launch the ball over 440 feet down centerfield for an outrageous home run. Some say this is Babe Ruth’s called shot, others believe it was just blind luck. Whether you believe it, Ruth is undeniably the best baseball player of all time.

Best Baseball Players Honorable Mentions

As with any list that involves the top players of each sport, a few unlucky individuals narrowly miss out on a spot near the top. Below you will find our mini-list of great baseball players who, for one reason or another, did not make the cut.

• Cy Young
• Jimmie Foxx
• Alex Rodriguez
• Mel Ott
• Nolan Ryan
• Bob Gibson
• Mickey Mantle
• Mike Trout
• Rogers Hornsby
• Jackie Robinson
• “Shoeless” Joe Jackson