Baseball is America’s pastime and some of the game’s greatest players have become legends over the years. With so many greats to choose from, it’s difficult to narrow it down to just the top 9 best baseball players ever, but here’s an attempt at picking some of the very best to play the game.
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1. Babe Ruth
Arguably the greatest baseball player ever, Babe Ruth began his career as a pitcher before becoming a power-hitting outfielder for the Yankees in the 1920s. He hit 714 home runs in his career when home runs were much rarer than they are today. His career .690 slugging percentage remains the highest in MLB history. Not only one of the best hitters ever, The Babe was also one of baseball’s most larger-than-life characters.
2. Willie Mays
The “Say Hey Kid” was a 24-time All-Star known for his incredible defense in center field for the Giants as much as his 660 career home runs. Mays won a World Series in 1954 with one of baseball’s all-time iconic catches and also captured two NL MVP awards in a standout career that landed him in the Hall of Fame.
3. Hank Aaron
Hammerin’ Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s longstanding record of 714 home runs, finishing with 755 round-trippers. He was a model of incredible consistency from 1955-1976, putting together a couple MVP seasons while merely averaging 50+ extra base hits every year from 1956-1973 in a Braves uniform.
4. Ted Williams
An obsessed student of hitting, Ted Williams’ handbook knowledge of opposing pitcher weaknesses and strike zones translated to six batting titles and two triple crowns en route to a sterling .344 career average. The Red Sox slugger was a baseball first hitter over .400 in the last 60+ years.
5. Walter Johnson
Arguably the most dominant pitcher of the early 20th century, Walter Johnson won 417 games to place second on the all-time list (behind Cy Young’s 511). His 110 career shutouts may never be touched and his run prevention prowess was so great that he captured 417 wins despite playing for mostly mediocre Senators teams.
6. Ty Cobb
The “Georgia Peach” won 12 batting titles and finished his career with the all-time best batting average of .366 in 24 seasons with Detroit. Notoriously surly and aggressive, Cobb brought a fiery style of smart, scrappy play that personified baseball’s early decades. Between hits, runs, stolen bases, and average the outfield great lead the league something every year from 1907-1919.
7. Christy Mathewson
One of early baseball’s first true superstars, Mathewson dominated as a pitcher from 1900-1916 (mostly with the New York Giants) thanks to his famous fadeaway pitch and incredible control. He won 20+ games 13 times en route to 373 career wins paired and kept his career ERA under 2.20 despite playing during baseball’s highest run-scoring “dead ball” era.
8. Honus Wagner
One of the few players who challenged Ty Cobb as the best hitter of baseball first half-century, Wagner was an eight-time batting champ thanks to his rare mix of power (three home run titles) and speed (723 stolen bases). The shortstop spent all of his 21 big league seasons starring for Pittsburgh both at bat (.328 average) and in the field.
9. Stan Musial
Spending 22 seasons starring for the St. Louis Cardinals, “Stan the Man” batted at least .300 in 17 seasons and won seven batting titles with his signature corkscrew batting stance. The even-keeled slugger missed just one game from 1942-1954 as he racked up 475 home runs and 3630 hits, gaudy numbers for baseball’s first half-century.
Life After Baseball
When their playing days are over, many baseball players choose to stay involved in the game in some capacity. Broadcast booths are filled with former players offering commentary and analysis. Some become managers or coaches, taking jobs with Major League teams or youth baseball organizations to pass on their experience and knowledge.
Others purchase ownership stakes in franchises. Retired stars make frequent appearances signing autographs at memorabilia events or baseball camps. Still, others shift focus completely in retirement, pursuing business ventures, philanthropy work, or relaxing away from the limelight.
They take up hobbies like golf and gaming. Some ever discover the delights of sports betting or baseball on PS4, where they put their in-depth knowledge of the sport to good use betting on baseball games in online casinos. When it comes to online casinos, the best in the United States offer sports betting, so retired baseball players have plenty of opportunities to practice their skills off the pitch.
There’s the list of nine all-time greats who helped make baseball America’s pastime thanks to their hitting prowess, pitching, speed, defense, and larger-than-life personas. One can easily make a case for several more players to be included among the best to ever play the game that has connected fans through so many generations. Nonetheless, these nine players undeniably rank among the absolute upper crust of baseball legends.