Ranking the 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

Baseball has a richer history than any other American professional sport and its genetic code is written out in numbers. No other game places such a premium on stats, facts or figures. That's the science of baseball, which is woven together with storytelling of legends past and present. Athletes have gotten better and the action more violent and skilled.

So it remains difficult to compare players across generations despite non-stop efforts. That's the problem one runs into when embarking on the challenge of trying to identify the best to ever put on a uniform. It's tough to look at near perfection and find reason for flaws. Ask 25 different baseball fans and you'll get a different top 25. Still, advanced metrics like WAR can help bridge the gap between different generations of players and help us come to a consensus. We also considered each player's place in history and how much he differed from his contemporaries.

With that in mind, here are the best 25 players in Major League Baseball history as we see them.

25. Pedro Martinez

Peak: 1994-2005

Stats: 219–100, 2.93 ERA, 3,154 SO, 2,827 1/3 IP, 86.1 bWAR

If elite pitching is about deception, Martinez mastered that. The ace from the Dominican Republic, already armed with a mid-90s fastball, learned how to throw a circle changeup in the early 1990s. That devastating fastball-changeup combo, in which Martinez threw both pitches from the same arm slot, formed the basis of a Hall of Fame pitching career, alongside his curveball. During a time when it was never easier to hit a baseball out of the park, Martinez was nearly unhittable. Martinez, in the heart of the steroid era from 1997-03, pitched to a 2.20 ERA with 1,761 strikeouts, 1,408 innings while winning three Cy Young Awards.

24. Tom Seaver

Peak: 1969-1977

Stats: 311–205, 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts, 109.9 bWAR

One of the most dominant power arms in the history of the game, the hard-thrower broke into the major leagues in 1967 and announced his presence by capturing the NL Rookie of the Year. Two years later he racked up 25 victories on the mound as the Amazin' Mets completed one of the most shocking World Series runs in the sport's history. Seaver employed a unique delivery that saw him drop his right knee into the dirt while firing toward the plate. His workhorse ability saw him routinely flirt with collecting 300 innings per year at his peak and endeared him as a true fan favorite.

23. Rogers Hornsby

Peak: 1917-1929

Stats: .358/.434/.577, 301 HR, 2,930 H, 1,584 RBIs, 127.3 bWAR

Simply put, Hornsby is one of the greatest hitters who ever lived. He was a great hitter in the dead ball era, still holds the record for the highest batting average in a season (.424) and is the only player in baseball history to hit .400 over five full seasons. Amazingly, Hornsby walked more than he struck out in 18 of his 23 big-league seasons, which gives an idea of the kind of eye he had at the plate.

22. Randy Johnson

Peak: 1990-2002

Stats: 303–166, 3.29 ERA, 4,875 SO, 4,135 1/3 IP, 101.1 bWAR

The Big Unit will forever be remembered as one of the most intimidating players to ever climb a mound. At 6'10" he was a giant presence armed with a best-in-class fastball and devastating slider. Johnson led his league in strikeouts nine different times and had two separate apexes with the Mariners and Diamondbacks. A threat to go nine innings every time he touched the ball, the fireballing southpaw was a true workhorse often atop the ledger in starts and complete games.

21. Frank Robinson

Peak: 1960-1966

Stats: .294/.389/.537, 586 HR, 1,812 RBIs, 2,943 H, 107.2 bWAR

Robinson burst onto the scene as a 20-year-old with the Reds in 1956 and authored one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, posting a .290/.379/.558 slash line with 38 homers, 83 RBIs and 122 runs scored. The most impressive part about Robinson’s career? He was one of the most feared hitters at a time when pitchers were better than ever. He was also a big-time postseason performer who hit 10 long balls in 35 playoff games and won the 1966 World Series MVP. The Hall of Famer then became the first Black manager in MLB history in 1974 when he was Cleveland's player-manager, and he went on to spend 16 seasons as a manager.

20. Christy Matthewson

Christy Mathewson | Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Peak: 1903-1914

Stats: 373–188, 2.13 ERA, 2,507 SO, 4,788 IP, 106.5 bWAR

Mathewson devastated hitters in the early 20th century with a pitch he called the fadeaway—aka the modern-day screwball—which he held similarly to a curveball but threw it in such a way that it broke unlike any pitch hitters at the time had ever seen. Mathewson rode the pitch to the Hall of Fame, pitching to a 2.13 ERA and leading the league in the category five times. He ranks third all-time in shutouts and eighth in career ERA.

19. Rickey Henderson

Peak: 1980-1991

Stats: 279/.401/.419, 297 HR, 3,055 H, 1,406 SB, 111.2 bWAR

Henderson was the greatest leadoff hitter ever—no matter the era. That was partially because he was the greatest base-stealer ever, having swiped 100 or more bases in a season three times and a total of 1,406 in his career, a record that may never be beaten. Henderson rapped out 3,055 career hits, walked more than anyone except Barry Bonds and scored more runs than any player in baseball history. Oh, and he holds the record for the most career leadoff home runs, with 81. Henderson did it all with style and flair too, playing with supreme confidence and amusingly sometimes referring to himself in the third person. There will never be another baseball player like Henderson.

18. Roger Clemens

Peak: 1986-2001

Stats: 354–184, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 SO, 4,916 2/3 IP, 138.7 bWAR

Clemens used steroids toward the end of his career, something that has put a stain on his career in the eyes of some. But steroids or not, The Rocket was one of the best pitchers of all time and had one of the most staggering careers of any hurler. He won a record seven Cy Young Awards, the first in 1986 as a 23-year-old, the last in 2004 as a 41-year-old. An old-school bulldog, Clemens challenged hitters with his four-seam fastball, then blew them away with his devastating splitter. He ranks ninth all-time in wins and third all-time in strikeouts.

17. Cy Young

Peak: 1892-1904

Stats: 511–315, 2.63 ERA, 2,803 SO, 7,356 IP, 163.6 bWAR

Denton True Young, who became known as Cyclone “Cy" Young for his prowess as a young, up-and-coming pitcher, pitched through so many rule changes during his MLB career that it would make you dizzy. But despite the constant change, Young dominated hitters by simply throwing perfect strike after perfect strike and rarely walking batters. A true workhorse on the mound, he holds the records for most wins, innings pitched and complete games. Fittingly, he is the namesake of the award given to the best pitcher in each league every year.

16. Mike Schmidt

Peak: 1974-1986

Stats: .267/.380/.527, 548 HR, 1,595 RBIs, 2,234 H, 106.9 bWAR

Mike Schmidt is the greatest third baseman of all time. A three-time MVP, Schmidt belted 30 or more homers 13 times, won 10 Gold Gloves, had the versatility to steal bases and drew 100 or more walks in a season seven times. Schmidt's combination of power and defense is matched by few in MLB history. He also had the ability to completely take over games, once homering four times in a single game and earning the 1980 World Series MVP for his Phillies postseason heroics.

15. Mike Trout

Angels outfielder Mike Trout rounds the bases after hitting a homer — Mike Trout won three MVP awards between 2014 and '19. | William Liang-Imagn Images

Peak: 2012-2019

Stats: .294/.406/.570, 404 HR, 1,018 RBIs, 1,754 H, 87.4 bWAR

Oh, what could have been. Injuries have massively affected what could have been the best career in baseball history. Mike Trout led MLB in WAR for five consecutive seasons beginning in 2012, amassing a five-year total of 47. He followed that up with seasons of 6.9, 9.9 and 7.9 WAR until injuries began taking their toll. Despite those struggles, Trout is an 11-time All-Star, has won nine Silver Sluggers and is a three-time AL MVP. Trout is still active, but has only played more than 82 games twice in the last six seasons. Still, his numbers are Hall of Fame worthy with 404 career home runs, a .976 lifetime OPS, while his career WAR (87.4) ranks 32nd all-time among position players.

14. Joe DiMaggio

Peak: 1936-1942, 1946-1951

Stats: .325/.398/.579, 361 HR, 1,537 RBI, 2,214 H, 79.2 bWAR

Joe DiMaggio was simply an impossible out at the plate. DiMaggio in 1941 authored the famous 56-game hitting streak, then went on another 16-game hitting streak after the first ended, meaning he had hit safely in 72 of 73 games. One of the most impressive parts about that season? He struck out only 13 times in 622 plate appearances. DiMaggio played a graceful center field and surely would have won many Gold Gloves had they existed at the time. A career .325 hitter with 361 home runs and 2,214 hits, who knows what his final stats would have looked like if he didn't lose three prime seasons due to serving in World War II.

13. Greg Maddux

Peak: 1988-2000

Stats: 355-227, 3.16 ERA, 3,371 SO, 5,008 1/3 IP

Maddux wasn't the biggest guy and didn't throw the hardest but he loomed large as a pitcher during a time when hitters were literally larger than life. Pitching in the heart of the steroid era, Maddux painted the corners and lived on the black en route to 355 career wins, a 3.16 ERA and four Cy Young Awards. Maddux in 1994 and '95 was simply one of the most dominant pitchers ever, pitching to 1.56 and 1.63 ERAs, respectively. A cerebral pitcher who was a master at inducing weak contact, Maddux at his best flummoxed and frustrated hitters who couldn't understand why they weren't squaring him up. He was also an elite fielder who won 18 Gold Gloves and even had a stat named after him: The Maddux, a complete game with fewer than 100 pitches.

12. Ken Griffey Jr.

Peak: 1989-2000

Stats: .284/.370/.538, 630 HR, 1,836 RBI, 2,781 H, 83.8 bWAR

The man with arguably the prettiest swing in the history of the game certainly belongs on this list. The Mariners made Griffey the first pick of the 1987 MLB draft and he debuted on Opening Day in 1989 at 19 years old. He spent his first two seasons playing alongside his dad, Ken Griffey Sr., and made his first of 13 All-Star appearances during his second season in 1990. One of the best players of his era, he won 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, and the AL MVP in 1997. Griffey played 22 seasons and ranks seventh all-time in home runs (630), and finished his career with a .907 OPS and 83.8 WAR. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 with 99.3% of the vote.

11. Stan Musial

Peak: 1942-1962

Stats: .331/.417/.559, 475 HR, 1,951 RBI, 3,630 H, 128.7 bWAR

Stan Musial was one of the best players in baseball for 20 years beginning in 1942. The outfielder spent his entire career with the Cardinals and was a 24-time All-Star and a three-time NL MVP. His lefty swing guided him to seven batting titles and helped St. Louis win three World Series. He was a career .331 hitter, and owns the National League records for career hits at 3,630, with an odd twist that he had 1,815 each at home and on the road. He is also the NL’s career leader in RBIs (1,951), games (3,026), runs (1,949), and doubles (725), while he added 475 home runs. To this day, he is considered one of the NL’s greatest hitters and was rewarded by induction into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1969.

10. Walter Johnson

Peak: 1909-1924

Stats: 417–279, 2.17 ERA, 3,509 SO, 5,914 1/3 innings, 164.8 bWAR

Known as “The Big Train,” Walter Johnson was indisputably one of the best pitchers in baseball history. The cornerstone of the Washington Senators for 21 years, Johnson remains the leader in all-time shutouts with 110, and is second in career wins (417), behind Cy Young. He’s also fourth in complete games (531), and he retired in 1927 as baseball’s all-time strikeout king with 3,508. He still ranks 10th on the career list and is the only player to earn 400 wins and garner 3,000 strikeouts. Known for his big fastball, he won two AL MVP awards and the pitching Triple Crown three times. He led the American League in strikeouts 12 times, in wins six times and ERA five times. In 1924, he led the perennial basement-dwelling Senators to their only World Series title, and led them back to the series the next season, but they suffered a 4–3 defeat at the hands of the Pirates. Johnson became a manager in his post-playing days and was inducted to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1936.

9. Lou Gehrig

Peak: 1926-1938

Stats: .340/.447/.632, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI, 2,721 H, 113.7 bWAR

After taking Yankee first baseman Wally Pipp’s job in 1925, Gehrig rapidly became one of the best hitters in the game. He fully broke out in 1926, before turning in his magnum opus in '27. That year, he won the AL MVP while slashing .373/.474/.549 with 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs and an MLB-high 173 RBIs as the Yankees won the World Series. Gehrig was a seven-time All-Star, two-time MVP and won the Triple Crown in 1934. From 1926 until 1934, Gehrig combined with Babe Ruth to form baseball’s most lethal hitting duo. He was also part of six Yankees teams that won the World Series. Gehrig was forced to retire in the middle of the 1939 season when he was diagnosed with ALS. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame that year in a special induction. Despite leaving the game at only 36, Gehrig’s numbers still hold up among the best hitters to ever play the game. He finished his career with 113.7 WAR, which still ranks 13th all-time and his 179 OPS+ is fifth.

8. Shohei Ohtani

Peak: 2018-present

Stats: .282/.374/.582, 280 HR, 669 RBI, 1,050 H; 39–20, 3.00 ERA, 670 SO, 528 2/3 innings, 51.5 bWAR

Some might see this ranking and think it’s too soon. But does anyone who has watched Shohei Ohtani play baseball believe he isn’t already among the pantheon of greats? It’s impressive enough that Ohtani has the mere capability of hitting and pitching, never mind the fact that he is one of the great power hitters and ace pitchers of his era. He’s won four league MVPs—and counting—is the only member of the 50-50 club and authored what may go down as the single greatest performance ever by a baseball player—his three-home run, 10-strikeout masterpiece in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Championship Series. Enjoy Ohtani’s career while you can, because we may never see anything like this ever again.

DIGITAL COVER: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge Are Spearheading a Golden Era of Baseball

7. Mickey Mantle

Peak: 1952-1964

Stats: .298/.421/.557, 536 HR, 1,509 RBI, 2,415 H, 110.3 bWAR

Mantle was a pure talent who was ahead of his time as a five-tool switch-hitting center fielder. In the 18 years he spent with the Yankees he was a threat at any spot of the diamond, from his slick fielding in the cavernous outfield to his immense power from both sides of the plate to his raw, intimidating presence. One of the most prolific home run hitters of all time, his counting stats would be even better had he not been sidelined with injuries or forced to play through them while still performing at an exceptionally high level. As an OPS monster, Mantle captured the 1956 American League Triple crown en route to the first of back-to-back MVP honors. The do-everything player a deserved fan favorite immediately after stepping into the shoes of Joe DiMaggio and was the focal point of a team that won with incredible consistency. During his first eight years in the Bronx the Yankees won five World Series and captured seven pennants.

6. Ted Wiliams

At statue of Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. | Brandon Brown/Seacoastonline / USA TODAY NETWORK

Peak: 1939-1958

Stats: .344/.482/.634, 521 HR, 1,839 RBI, 2,654 H, 121.8 bWAR

Williams, a former World War II and Korean War fighter jet pilot, had such a good eye at the plate that it was rumored he could actually see the red laces on the baseball when a breaking pitch was spinning into the zone. That’s likely not true, but here’s what is. Williams aimed to be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived—and he has a pretty convincing case. Over the course of 19 big league seasons, Williams struck out an astonishing 709 times, an average of just 50 per every 162 games. He was one of just four players all-time to draw more than 2,000 walks and his .482 OBP is still the highest ever. Oh, and Williams batted .344 for his career, was the last MLB player to hit .400 in a season and belted 521 home runs.

5. Ty Cobb

Peak: 1907-1925

Stats: .366/.433/.512, 117 HR, 1,944 RBI, 4,189 H, 149.7 bWAR

Cobb seemed to have a temper as long as his list of career achievements, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the greatest hitters who ever picked up a bat. Cobb’s career batting average of .366 is the highest ever—and likely won’t ever be broken. The Georgia Peach twice hit over .400 in a season and hit above the hallowed mark for a four-year stretch in his prime from 1910-13. Cobb had a shrewd eye at the plate—he walked nearly twice as many times as he struck out—and was a terror on the base paths, stealing the fourth-most bases of all-time (897) and swiped home 54 times, the most ever.

4. Hank Aaron

Peak: 1955-1971

Stats: .305/.374/.555, 755 HR, 2,297 RBI, 3,771 H, 143.3 bWAR

There’s so many impressive things about Hank Aaron. That he became MLB’s home run king during a contentious time during which many were rooting against him to do so. That in a 23-year MLB career, he genuinely didn’t have a bad season for a 20-year run from 1954 to 1974. That he hit 40-plus home runs as a 23-year-old, 32-year-old and 39-year-old. Or that he was also an elite defensive right fielder and one of the most skilled base runners. Add it all up and Hammerin’ Hank was one of the five best baseball players ever—and even that might be understating his excellence.

3. Barry Bonds

Peak: 1990-2004

Stats: .298/.444/.607, 762 HR, 1,996 RBI, 2,935 H, 162.8 bWAR

There are two clear lines in the sand among baseball fans when it comes to Bonds. There are those who embrace the video game-like numbers (a 1.422 OPS in 2004) he produced while using steroids, arguing that he soared ever higher than any other player in an era where nearly everyone was juicing. And there are those who have turned their backs on Bonds and believe he forever tainted a once-Hall of Fame-worthy legacy by turning to steroids. The thing is, steroids or not, Bonds was one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived. Before he turned to PEDs, Bonds was a perennial .300 hitter, one of the best defensive outfielders ever and a 40-40 guy who affected games with his bat and on the base paths.

2. Willie Mays

Peak: 1954-1966

Stats: .301/.384/.557, 660 HR, 1,909 RBI, 3,293 H, 156.2 bWAR

If you ever wanted to know the true definition of a five-tool baseball player, look no further than Willie Mays. You want hitting for average? Mays hit. 301 in his 23-year career, won the National League batting title in 1954 and hit above .300 10 times. You want power? He hit 40-plus homers four times, topping out at 52 in 1965. How about speed? The Say Hey Kid stole 339 bases in his career, swiping 20 or more seven times. Fielding? Mays played center field like a dream, won 12 Gold Gloves and made one of the greatest defensive plays of all-time in the 1954 World Series. Oh, and Mays had an absolute cannon for an arm. One of the great travesties is that Mays somehow only won two NL MVPs in his career.

1. Babe Ruth

Peak: 1919-1937

Stats: .342/.474/.690, 714 HR, 2,873 H, 2,214 RBI, 162.2 bWAR

The Great Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. Babe Ruth’s many nicknames are as much a part of baseball lore as his towering home runs and larger-than-life legacy. How many other sports can say that arguably its best player played nearly 100 years ago? That speaks to Ruth’s transcendent greatness. Ruth was a great pitcher before he began hitting full-time, during which he became one of the most feared hitters who ever lived. Ruth’s combination of power (714 career home runs), patience (2,062 career walks) and contact skills (2,873 career hits and a .342 career batting average) made him an absolute nightmare for pitchers to face, as well as a sports and culture icon whose name is still regularly invoked to this day.

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