Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson, nicknamed “Barney” and “The Big Train”, is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. His career spanned 21 years, all with the Washington Senators. Johnson’s record includes 417 wins, 279 losses, 3,509 strikeouts, and an impressive 110 shutouts. He led the league in strikeouts a record 12 times.
Johnson’s fastball was legendary, considered one of the greatest in the history of the game. He had twelve 20-win seasons, including ten in a row, and twice topped 30 wins. His earned run average was below 2.00 in 11 seasons.
Johnson’s sportsmanship was equally legendary. His name has become synonymous with friendly competition. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of its “first five” inaugural members. His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the mound.
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle, known as “The Mick” and “the Commerce Comet,” played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees, primarily as a center fielder.
Mantle was a powerful switch-hitter, hitting 536 home runs.
He won the Triple Crown in 1956, leading the major leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (RBI) (130). He was an All-Star for 16 seasons.
Mantle appeared in 12 World Series, winning seven championships. He holds World Series records for the most home runs (18), RBIs (40), extra-base hits (26), runs (42), walks (43), and total bases (123), and he has the highest World Series on-base and slugging percentages.
Despite a career plagued with injuries, Mantle became one of the greatest offensive threats in baseball history.
He is the only player to hit 150 home runs from both sides of the plate. Mantle hit 536 career home runs while batting .300 or more ten times.
Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner, also known as “the Flying Dutchman”, is considered one of the greatest shortstops in baseball.
He played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wagner won eight batting titles, a National League record that remains unbroken to this day.
He also led the league in slugging six times and stolen bases five times. His career statistics include a batting average of .329, 3,430 hits, 101 home runs, 1,732 runs batted in, and 722 stolen bases.
Wagner’s speed and long arms made him a formidable defensive player.
He led the Pirates to their first World Series title in 1909. Despite his bulky physique for his era, he was very fast as a base runner and as a defensive player.
In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Wagner as one of the first five members.
He received the second-highest vote total, behind Ty Cobb’s 222, and tied with Babe Ruth at 215.
His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Stan Musial
Stan Musial, nicknamed “Stan the Man”, is considered one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.
He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Musial’s career statistics include a batting average of .331, 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, and 1,951 runs batted in.
He won seven National League (NL) batting championships and was named the National League’s (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times.
He also shares the major league record for the most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Despite his bulky physique for his era, he was very fast as a base runner and as a defensive player. He led the Cardinals to three World Series championships.
Musial was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Ted Williams
Ted Williams played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960.
His career was interrupted by military service during World War II and the Korean War.
Williams was a nineteen-time All-Star, a two-time recipient of the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award, a six-time AL batting champion, and a two-time Triple Crown winner.
He finished his playing career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a 1.116 on-base plus slugging percentage, the second-highest of all time.
His .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all time.
In 1941, Williams posted a .406 batting average; he was the last MLB player to bat over .400 in a season.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.
His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron, nicknamed “Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank”, is considered one of the greatest baseball players in history.
He played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976, primarily as a right fielder.
Aaron’s career statistics include a batting average of .305, 3,771 hits, 755 home runs, and 2,297 runs batted in.
He holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs), extra-base hits, and total bases.
He is also third all-time for career hits and fifth in runs scored.
Aaron was an NL All-Star for 20 seasons and an AL All-Star for one season, and he holds the record for the most All-Star selections (25).
He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, and in 1957, he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award when the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series.
Despite his bulky physique for his era, he was very fast as a base runner and as a defensive player. His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb, nicknamed “the Georgia Peach”, played 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics.
Cobb won a record 11 (or 12) batting titles, batted over .400 three times, and won the 1909 Triple Crown.
His career statistics include a batting average of .366, 4,189 hits, 117 home runs, 1,944 runs batted in, and 897 stolen bases.
He still holds several records as of the end of the 2022 season, including the highest career batting average (.366) and most career batting titles with 11 (or 12, depending on source).
Cobb’s legacy includes a large college scholarship fund for Georgia residents financed by his early investments in Coca-Cola and General Motors.
Despite allegations of racism and violence, primarily stemming from a couple of mostly discredited biographies that were released following his death, his records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds was a legendary baseball player who played for 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the San Francisco Giants, as a right fielder.
Bonds holds many MLB hitting records, including most career home runs (762), most home runs in a single season (73, set in 2001), and most career walks.
He led MLB in on-base plus slugging six times and placed within the top five hitters in 12 of his 17 qualifying seasons.
Recognized as an all-around player, Bonds received a record seven National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Awards and 12 Silver Slugger Awards, along with 14 All-Star selections.
For his defensive play in the outfield, he won eight Gold Glove Awards.
He also had 514 stolen bases, becoming the first and only MLB player to date with at least 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases.
Despite his accolades, Bonds led a controversial career, notably as a central figure in baseball’s steroids scandal.
His records, some of which still stand, attest to his extraordinary skill and endurance on the field.
Willie Mays
Barry Bonds is a former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants.
He is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, holding many MLB hitting records, including most career home runs (762), most home runs in a single season (73, set in 2001), and most career walks.
Bonds received seven National League MVP awards, 12 Silver Slugger awards, and eight Gold Gloves for his defense in the outfield. Despite his numerous accomplishments, Bond’s legacy has been overshadowed by allegations regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
He made history when he broke Hank Aaron’s all-time Major League Baseball record of 755 home runs in 2007.
Bonds have been shunned by the Hall of Fame voters, and he addressed his frustration with this in a new podcast in 2023.
Despite the controversies, his exceptional skills, power, and determination solidify his legacy as one of the greatest players ever.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was not only a home run hitter, but also a fantastic athlete. In his career, he stole 123 bases, 93 more than Joe DiMaggio. He hit 136 triples in his career, more than any other active player at the time and 130 more than Mark McGwire. In addition to being one of the best hitters of all time, Ruth led the American League in batting average six times, has a career average of .290, which is third all-time behind Ted Williams and George Brett. He also led the league in hits four times, runs scored three times, and stolen bases twice. Ruth’s dominance is also shown by his statistics: he has 2,213 hits, 154 home runs, 992 RBI, and an incredible .917 slugging percentage.
Ruth’s impact on the game of baseball is still felt today, and he remains an icon of American sports culture.
