Top 106 Baseball Players: #8 - Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson was the greatest power pitcher of the dead ball era, and was the MLB strikeout king for 55 years.

Johnson pitched his entire career for the Washington Senators, first appearing for them in 1907 as a 19 year old. In 1908, he had what was probably the greatest week of any pitcher in history. He started 3 consecutive games against the New York Yankees, and threw complete game shutouts in each of them, all within the space of 4 days.

It took a few years before he exhibited that kind of dominance regularly, but in 1910 he had his first superstar season, leading the league with 313 strikeouts and 38 complete games, while recording an ERA of 1.36. Even though he was an amazing pitcher, his team did not make the playoffs until late in his career.

In 1912, he led the league with 303 strikeouts and a 1.39 ERA in what was probably the greatest single pitching season ever. The next season he lowered his ERA to 1.14, which is still the sixth-lowest in history, and also led the league in wins for the first time, which was enough to earn him his first Triple Crown and the MVP award.

In that decade, he led the league in strikeouts in 8 consecutive seasons and 9 overall, wins 5 times, ERA 4 times, and complete games and shutouts 6 times each. He wasn't quite as dominant in the 1920's, but he had one more great season in 1924, winning his third Triple Crown and his second MVP at age 37.

He also got the Senators to their first World Series that year, and though he lost Games 1 and 5 of the series, he came in in relief in Game 7 and pitched 4 scoreless innings to take the championship. In a return appearance the next season, almost the exact opposite happened. He pitched well in his first 2 starts in the series, but ended up losing in Game 7 in his last appearance in the final series.

In 1913, Johnson pitched an AL record 55.2 consecutive scoreless innings, and in 1918 he had another streak of 40 straight, making him the only pitcher ever to have 2 streaks of that length. He was the first pitcher ever to reach 3000 strikeouts, and it was 51 years before another pitcher, Bob Gibson, would join him in that club.

He is still the all-time record holder for shutouts, with 110, 20 more than Grover Cleveland Alexander, who is #2 on the list. He is #2 on the wins list, behind only Cy Young, and held the all-time strikeout record for over 55 years, when Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, and Gaylord Perry all passed him in the same season.

He still holds the record for most seasons leading the league in strikeouts, with a total of 12, one more than overall strikeout king Nolan Ryan. He was also one of the original 5 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson, and there is little doubt that he is one of the greatest to ever step foot on a baseball diamond.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #9 - Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron was the all-time MLB home run king for 33 years, and still is the all-time home run leader among those who have not been credibly accused of steroid use.

Aaron reached the major leagues with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, after short stints in the minor leagues and the Negro Leagues. By the time he retired, he would be the final former Negro League player in pro baseball. In his third season, he won the batting title with a .328 average.

Aaron won his only MVP award in 1957, when he led the league in runs, home runs, and RBI, and fell just short of the Triple Crown, finishing third in batting average. That was also the first of 4 seasons in which he would hit exactly 44 home runs, which also happened to be his uniform number. He also led the Braves to the World Series that year, where they upset the defending champion Yankees in 7 games behind Aaron's .393 average, 3 homers, and 7 RBI.

The next season ended in disappointment when his .333 average wasn't enough for a repeat title, as the Yankees won the rematch in 7 games. In 1959, he had his only career 3-homer game, each one good for 2 runs, and he set career highs in hits and batting average, with 223 and .355 respectively, both best in the league, but he finished only third in the MVP voting.

He had another close brush with a Triple Crown in 1963, when he again led the league in runs, homers, and RBI, but came in third in batting. That was also his second time with 44 home runs, and his 4th time finishing 3rd in the MVP race, though it should have been his 4th MVP by that time.

The Braves moved to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and in his first season there, he hit 44 home runs again, his third time leading the league with that exact total. In 1968 he hit his 500th home run, the second-youngest at the time to reach that milestone, behind only Jimmie Foxx, and the next year moved into third place on the all-time list behind Ruth and Mays.

In 1969 he hit 44 home runs in a season again, though this time is was not enough to lead the league, but it was enough to get the Braves into the playoffs for the first time in Atlanta. During the NLCS, he hit .357 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI, but the Braves were swept by the Mets despite his best efforts.

In 1970, he reached the 3000 hit plateau, then broke the NL record with his 12th season of at least 30 home runs, a record he would extend to 15 seasons by 1973. In 1971 he reached 600 home runs, and set the NL record for most seasons with 40 home runs, when he did it for the 7th time with a career high of 47. He would add another 40-homer season later as well.

In 1972, he passed Willie Mays to take over 2nd place on the all-time home runs list, reached 2000 RBI's, and became the all-time leader in total bases, a record he still holds today. The spotlight was on him throughout the 1973 season, as he approached Babe Ruth's all-time home run mark, and he ended up finishing the year one short of Ruth's record.

He said that his greatest fear was that he wouldn't live to see the 1974 season, as he received numerous death threats for his pursuit of the record, many of them racially motivated. He hit the record-tying home run on his very first swing of the season, then broke the record in the first home game of the season. The record would eventually reach 755, and would stand until 2007, when Barry Bonds surpassed him.

After the season he did not want to retire, so the Braves traded him to the Brewers, where he broke Ruth's all-time RBI record the following year, another record which is still his. He also holds the record for most consecutive seasons of 100 runs scored, with 13 from 1955 to 1967.

In addition to his all-time records for RBI's and total bases, he is #3 on the all-time hit list, #4 in runs scored, and #2 in home runs. He won an MVP early in his career, but should have won 6 others. He did finish #3 in the MVP voting 6 times, and in addition to being a great ballplayer, was also a great person, never causing any controversy and always being graceful in breaking records and in relinquishing them when they were surpassed. There is no way that a list of the very best players of all time can't include Hank Aaron.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #10 - Roger Clemens*

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens was a great pitcher over a very long period, and won more Cy Young awards than any other pitcher in history, but his career has been tainted by allegations of steroid use.

Clemens was called up to the Red Sox in 1984, and after pitching sparingly but well in his first two seasons, he jumped straight to superstar status in 1986. That year he led the league with a 2.48 ERA and 24 wins, with only 4 losses, and won both the Cy Young and the MVP. He also set the record for most strikeouts in a 9-inning game, when he sat down 20 batters in an April game, a number that has been matched twice since (3 if you count Randy Johnson's game that went to extra innings without him pitching).

The Red Sox reached the World Series that year, but Clemens did not pitch well enough to get Boston their first title in decades. He led the league in wins, complete games, and shutouts in 1987, and won another Cy Young as well. Though he still pitched just as well in 1988, he failed to win the Cy Young when his record fell to 18-12, though he did win his first strikeout crown that year.

From 1990 to 1992 he led the league in shutouts and ERA, and finished in the top 3 of the Cy Young voting each season, winning the award for the third time in 1991 when he took home the strikeout title as well. He struggled for the next four years, though he did win another strikeout crown in 1996, but it appeared that his best years were behind him, and when Boston did not offer him the contract he wanted, he signed with Toronto as a free agent.

He pitched 2 seasons for the Blue Jays, winning the pitching Triple Crown and the Cy Young award each time, but he grew tired of Toronto's mediocrity, and asked to be traded to a contender. He got his wish before the 1999 season, when he was traded to the Yankees, who had just won the World Series.

His numbers took an immediate nosedive when he reached New York, but he got his wish in the postseason, as he was a member of the championship team for the first time. He was better in 2000, especially in the playoffs. In his appearance in the ALCS, he pitched a complete-game one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against Seattle, then pitched 8 innings without giving up a run against the Mets in the World Series, earning him his second ring.

In 2001 he got off to a great start, becoming the first pitcher ever to start a season 20-1 and was awarded his 6th Cy Young award after the season. He pitched well through the postseason as well, and he held the Diamondbacks in check through 6 innings of Game 7 before Mariano Rivera blew a postseason save for the first time in his career, costing them the title.

Clemens pitched 2 more seasons for the Yankees, announcing before the 2003 season that it would be his last. During that season, he reached 300 career wins and 4000 strikeouts, doing both in the same game. Before the 2004 season started, he changed his mind on retiring, signing on with the Astros for a season, and he ended up with an 18-4 record and a 7th Cy Young, more than any other player in history, and he also became the oldest ever to win one at age 42.

He changed his mind about retirement again before the 2005 season, signing the largest contract ever for a pitcher, and had one of his best season, setting a career low in ERA at 1.87, but due to terrible run support his record was only 13-8. In April he pitched three straight shutouts that his team ended up losing 1-0 in extra innings.

Two months into his third retirement, he returned to the Astros again and pitched a decent season, then did the same thing the following year, pitching one final partial season with the Yankees before retiring from the Major Leagues for good, though he has pitched in the minors a few times since.

The biggest controversy of his career is the alleged use of steroids, which followed him for years. He was named in Jose Canseco's book on steroid use in baseball, as well as the Mitchell Report, and was indicted for lying to Congress about his use of steroids, though he was never convicted, and has never failed a drug test. The feeling among most fans and media members is that he probably did use PED's, and that has prevented him from being elected to the Hall of Fame, even though his career is first-ballot worthy.

In addition to the record 7 Cy Youngs, Clemens is one of 3 pitchers in the live-ball era to reach 350 wins, along with Greg Maddux and Warren Spahn, and is #9 among all pitchers in history in wins. He is also #3 in career strikeouts, behind Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson. Even with the probable steroid use, there is no doubt that Clemens is one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #11 - Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols is by far the greatest active player in baseball, and ranks among the all-time greats in many statistical categories, even if his glory years are behind him now.

Pujols was on the Cardinals' opening day roster in 2001, and the rookie did not disappoint. He set an NL rookie record with 130 RBI and led the Cardinals with 37 home runs, which earned him the unanimous Rookie of the Year award, and a 4th-place finish in the MVP race.

In his second season, he became the first player in history to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBI's in each of his first 2 seasons, and he ended up doing it in each of his first 6 seasons. He finished as the MVP runner-up that season, with Barry Bonds beating him in the vote, which would be a common occurrence in his career.

In 2003, he won the batting title with a .359 average, along with league leads in hits, doubles, and runs scored, and finished as MVP runner-up to Bonds yet again. He also became only the second Cardinal ever to have 40 homers and 200 hits in a season, joining Rogers Hornsby.

In 2004, he became only the third player to reach 500 career RBI's in his 4th season, joining Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. He finished in 3rd place in the MVP vote, making him the second Cardinal ever to finish in the top 5 for 4 straight seasons, joining Stan Musial. He hit .500 with 4 home runs, 10 runs scored, and 9 RBI in the NLCS, earning the series MVP, but they were swept by the Red Sox in the World Series.

In 2005, he finally won his first MVP when Barry Bonds missed most of the season due to injury. His season stats were nearly identical to each of the previous 2 years, but that was enough this time. The Cardinals also made the playoffs again, and Pujols hit .556 in the first round, but his .304 average in the NLCS wasn't enough for a return trip to the World Series.

In 2006 he hit 49 home runs, the best of his career, and 20 of those were game winners, which broke Willie Mays' record set in 1962. That continued in the playoffs, with 2 more game-winning homers, one in Game 1 of the NLDS, and another in Game 1 of the World Series, and the Cards won the title over the Tigers in 5 games, giving Pujols his first championship.

After a slightly down season in 2007, he bounced back in 2008, taking home his second MVP, then repeated in 2009, when he had his best overall season and led the league in home runs and on-base percentage for the first time each. His third MVP tied Stan Musial for the most in Cardinals history, and was his first won by unanimous vote.

In 2010, he reached 400 career home runs, becoming the third-youngest player to reach that milestone, behind Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. He also reached 100 RBI for the 10th straight year, a streak which trails only the 11 by Al Simmons as the most to start a career, and he finished as the MVP runner-up for the 4th time in his career.

In 2011, he failed to bat .300 for the first time in his career, ending up at .299 with 99 RBI, falling just short of reaching those milestones for the 11th straight year. He was great in the playoffs, especially in the NLCS, when he hit .478 with 9 RBI to lead the Cardinals to another World Series. In Game 3, he became the third player ever to hit 3 home runs in a World Series game, joining Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson on that exclusive list, and ended up taking home his second career title.

After that season, he was a free agent for the first time in his career, and he elected to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. He has played well since joining the Angels, but nowhere near the superstar level he had grown accustomed to in Saint Louis, but he has reached several big career milestones in Los Angeles.

He hit his 500th home run in 2014, becoming the third-youngest to reach that mark as well. In 2016, he became the second player to reach 300 intentional walks in his career, joining Barry Bonds, and later passed Mark McGwire for 10th place on the all-time home run leaderboard. In 2017 he reached 600 home runs, the 9th ever to do so, and was the first ever to reach that total on a grand slam.

Though stats for the 2018 season have not been included in this ranking, it's worth noting that Pujols reached 3000 hits earlier this season, making him the 4th player ever with 600 home runs and 3000 hits, joining Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. He is the active leader in runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI's, walks, and total bases, and is among the top 10 all-time in home runs, doubles, total bases, and RBI's, and is definitely one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #12 - Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins was one of the greatest hitters of the dead-ball era, then continued to make solid contributions once the live-ball era began.

Collins first played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1906, but he wasn't a full-time player until 1909. In that first full season, he hit .347 and stole 63 bases, making him one of the top tier of players already when he was just 22.

The next season, he became the first AL player ever to steal 80 bases in a season, leading the league with 81, and led the A's to the World Series, where he hit .429 with 4 stolen bases as Philadelphia beat the Cubs in 5 games.

He guided the A's back to the World Series the next year with a .365 average, and this time they beat the Giants in 6 games, even though Collins hit only .286. In 1912, he tied the record for stolen bases in a game twice within 11 days, swiping 6 bases each on September 11th and 22nd.

After missing the World Series in 1912, he led them back to the title series in 1913, this time beating the Giants in 5 games behind Collins'.421 average, which was lower only than that of Home Run Baker for the series, and he grabbed his 3rd championship in 4 years.

He was named the MVP in 1914 after leading the league in runs for the third year in a row and leading the A's to another pennant, but the A's were upset by the Braves, and it resulted in the owner blowing up the team, selling Collins to the White Sox for $50,000, the highest amount ever at that time, and the first time ever that a reigning MVP had been traded.

He led the league in walks in his first year in Chicago, keeping his reputation as one of the top players in the league, then led the White Sox to the World Series in his third year there, with another win over the Giants punctuating the season, with Collins batting .409 in the World Series.

Two years later, the White Sox returned to the World Series, this time losing as the result of the Black Sox scandal, in which 8 of his teammates were implicated for losing intentionally, with Collins one of the only starters who was not implicated.

He led the league in stolen bases twice late in his career, in 1923 and 1924, the latter of which was his first season as player/manager of the White Sox. After 3 seasons filling both roles in Chicago, he returned to the Athletics in the same position, and led them to two World Series titles in 1929 and 1930, though he only made 12 plate appearances in those 2 seasons combined, and did not play in either World Series.

Collins was known as a small-ball player, who was adept at reaching base and stealing bases. He is the all-time leader in sacrifice bunts, with a lead of more than 100 over the next player on the list. He had over 3300 hits in his career, currently #11 all-time, and is #8 in stolen bases and #17 in runs scored. He was always doing the small things needed to help his team succeed, and he did it so well for so long that he is still one of the best players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #13 - Stan Musial

Stan Musial

Stan Musial was one of the most consistent hitters in baseball for over a decade, and held many NL and major league records at the time of his retirement.

Musial was called up by the Cardinals in the final month of the 1941 season, and he hit .426 in the 20 games he played. The Cardinals faced the Yankees in the 1942 World Series, Musial's first full season, and he contributed the winning RBI in game 2 of a series that resulted in his first championship.

The next season he won his first MVP, when he was just 22. He led the league in hits with 220, along with doubles, triples, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases. The Cardinals had a World Series rematch with the Yankees that year, but this time they fell in 5 games.

He should have won another MVP the next year, but his average fell to .347, and apparently that was too low for the voters. He led the Cardinals to the World Series for the third year in a row, and had his best championship performance, hitting .302 as the Cardinals took down the crosstown Browns in 6 games for another championship.

He missed the 1945 season after joining the Navy, but returned in 1946 even better than before. He won his second MVP that year after taking home another batting title with a .365 average, with 228 hits, while also leading the league in doubles, triples, and runs. The Cardinals won another championship that year, his third in 4 full seasons in the majors.

He struggled in 1947, when it was discovered that he was suffering from appendicitis and tonsillitis, but he put on having them removed until after the season. He still hit .312, but it was far below the standard he had set.

He had his best season when he came back healthy in 1948, falling just one home run short of winning the Triple Crown, while leading the league in hits, doubles, triples, runs, RBI's, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases. As he led the league in almost every single category, he was an easy choice to win his third MVP, becoming the first NL player to achieve that.

Musial was the MVP runner-up in each of the next 3 seasons, though this may have been because the voters were tired of voting for the same player every year. In 1954, he accomplished an amazing feat, hitting 5 home runs in one day, 3 in the first game and 2 in the second game of a doubleheader. He was the first ever to do that, and it's only happened once since.

Musial's stats began to decline starting in 1959, but he still had plenty of impressive accomplishments and milestones during that time. In 1962, he became the oldest player ever to hit 3 home runs in one game, at 41 years of age. The following season, he became a grandfather for the first time, and hit a home run in his first at bat that evening.

At the time of his retirement, he held 17 different MLB records, and though many have been eclipsed, he is still near the top of many leaderboards. He is #4 on the all-time hits list, #2 in total bases, #3 in doubles, #8 in RBI, and #10 in runs scored. He hit 475 home runs in his career without ever leading the league in a single season, and was the first person with 400 home runs and 3000 hits. He was a 3-time MVP, a 3-time champion, hit over .300 in 16 straight seasons, and is definitely one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #14 - Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle was the greatest switch-hitter in history, and was a major part of the Yankees dynasty that dominated the 1950's.

Mantle joined the Yankees as a rookie in 1951, which was Joe DiMaggio's final season. In that year's World Series, Mantle and DiMaggio both went after a fly ball, with Mantle swerving at the last minute to avoid a collision and tripping over a drain pipe, which caused him to tear his ACL, an injury for which surgery was impossible at the time. He played the rest of his career on that injured knee.

He showed improvement the next season after being shifted to center field to replace DiMaggio, and had a great World Series, batting .345 with 2 home runs as the Yankees beat the Dodgers in 7 games. He took home his third World Series title in his third season, a pretty good way to start a career.

He became a superstar in 1956, when he became the only switch-hitter in history to win the Triple Crown, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI, each of which led both leagues, making him the most recent player to lead both leagues in all 3 categories. He won the MVP that season, then hit 3 home runs in the World Series as he became a champion for the 4th time.

He won another MVP the next season, hitting a career-high .365, though he lost out to Ted Williams in the batting race, but he also led the league with 146 walks. In 1960 he led the league in home runs for the 4th time, then had a great World Series again, batting .400 with 3 home runs and 11 RBI, but the Yankees fell to the Pirates in 7 games that year.

The 1961 season was a big one for Mantle and the Yankees, as he and teammate Roger Maris were locked in a race to beat Babe Ruth's single-season home run record, but a late-season hip injury cause Mantle to fall behind and finish with 54 as he watched his teammate break the record.

He won his third MVP in 1962, after leading the league in walks, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, even after missing nearly 40 games due to injuries. He had his last great season in 1964, when he finished as the MVP runner-up, then hit another 3 home runs in the World Series, though they lost to the Cardinals that season.

Mantle played in 12 World Series during his career, coming away with 7 championships, and holds several career World Series records, including home runs, walks, runs scored, RBI's, and total bases. When he retired, he was #3 in career home runs, though he has fallen to #18 over the past 50 years. He is still #8 all-time in walks, and one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #15 - Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra was the greatest catcher of all time, and the greatest winner in the history of baseball, winning the championship in more than half of the seasons he played.

He signed with the Yankees, in 1943, but his debut was postponed due to service in the Navy during World War II, where he was involved in the D-Day invasion. He made his debut late in the 1946 season, and in 1947 reached his first World Series, where he became the first pinch hitter ever to hit a home run in the World Series, and earned his first title.

He had his best season in 1950, when he hit .322 with 116 runs, 194 hits, and 30 doubles, all career highs, along with 28 home runs, 124 RBI, and only 12 strikeouts. He finished #3 in the MVP voting that year, but took home the trophy for the first time in 1951, along with his 4th championship in the postseason.

He remained the mainstay of the Yankees team through the decade, winning 2 more MVP awards in 1954 and 1955, making him one of the few players in history to have 3 MVP awards. After winning 6 championships in his first 8 seasons, he experienced his first World Series loss in 1955, when the Dodgers won in 7 games despite Berra's .417 average.

Berra and the Yankees were able to get redemption in the 1956 World Series, this time beating the Dodgers in 7, with Berra batting .360 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI, which is one of the greatest Series performances by a position player in history.

Berra continued on with the Yankees until 1963, when he retired to become the team's manager, though he was fired after losing in the World Series. He is the holder of many World Series records, including games played, at-bats, hits, singles, doubles, total Series played (14), and championships won (10).

Berra is probably the greatest player to never lead the league in any category, but he was the greatest winner in the history of the sport. Part of his greatness could be attributed to playing for the Yankees, but part of the Yankees' greatness needs to be attributed to having Berra behind the plate. With those 3 MVP's, 10 championships, and tons of World Series records, there is no doubt that Berra is one of the best players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #16 - Ted Williams

Ted Williams

Ted Williams is known by many as the greatest hitter in the history of baseball, and he would have been one of the 5 greatest players ever if military service hadn't interrupted his career.

Williams was an immediate success when he arrived in Boston in 1939, leading the league in ERA as a rookie with 145, becoming the first rookie ever to lead the league in that category. The Rookie of the Year award did not exist yet, but he would have won it easily if it had.

In his third season, he had a memorable year. He hit .406, which is still the highest average by any player in the past 90 years, and the last time a player hit .400 for a full season. He also led the league in runs, home runs, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, but did not win the MVP because of Joe DiMaggio's record hitting streak.

The next season he led the league in all of the same categories, and added RBI's to the list as well, which earned him his first Triple Crown, but he was once again deprived of the MVP he earned, finishing as the runner-up for the second year in a row. It would be a few years before he got to compete for an MVP again, because he was drafted into the Army to fight in World War II.

When he returned to Boston in 1946, he had not lost a step. He led the league in runs, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging, and led the Red Sox to the pennant, which meant that he was able to play in his first and only World Series. Unfortunately, he was hit by a pitch in an exhibition game just prior to the series, and it prevented him from swinging freely, resulting in a series loss.

He was great again for the next couple years, including another Triple Crown in 1947, then had an amazing season in 1949, when he led the league in doubles, homers, runs scored, RBI's, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging. He fell just .0002 short of the batting title that year, depriving him of a 3rd Triple Crown, and also set a record by reaching base in 84 straight games, which is still the record today, and received his 2nd MVP, though it should have been his 6th.

He missed a good chunk of the next season with a broken arm, but came back strong in 1951 to lead the league in walks again, his 7th consecutive full season leading the league in that category. He hit over .400 in both 1952 and 1953, but only played a total of 43 combined in those seasons due to being called back into active military duty in Korea.

He led the league in walks and on-base percentage again in 1954, which made 9 straight full seasons leading the league in on-base percentage. He retired before the start of the 1955 season, but changed his mind a couple months in and came back to the lineup to finish the season. Over the next 3 seasons he led the league in on-base percentage again each time, along with 2 more batting titles, the final one coming when he was 40 years old.

Williams was known for his patience at the plate, and it was said that he never swung at the first pitch, feeling that it allowed him to get a feel for the pitcher's "stuff." This allowed him to get on base with greater regularity than any other player ever, with a .482 career on-base percentage that is the best of all time.

He also has the highest batting average of any player who began playing after 1920, and is #8 all time in that category. He is among the top 20 all time in runs, home runs, and RBI's, and is #4 in walks. He was considered by most to be a liability in the field, but there is no doubting that he was one of the greatest ever at the plate, would probably have been the second-greatest player of all time if he hadn't missed nearly 5 years to the military, and is definitely one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #17 - John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz was the anchor of the Braves pitching staff for two decades, and though he wasn't usually the biggest star on the staff, he was a great pitcher and nearly always pitched his best in the postseason.

Smoltz first arrived in Atlanta in 1988 and made his first All-Star team in 1989, but his coming-out show was the 1991 playoffs. In the NLCS, he won both of his starts, including a complete game shutout in Game 7 to send the Braves to their first World Series in Atlanta, and he struck out 15 batters in his 15 innings of work. His ERA in the World Series was 1.26, but the Braves lost 1-0 in Game 7 after he was pulled in the 8th inning of a scoreless game.

His success continued into the next season, when he led the league in strikeouts for the first time, then performed even better in the postseason. Smoltz was named the NLCS MVP after winning two of his 3 starts and striking out 19 Pirates over 20 innings of work, with an ERA of 2.66. He also pitched well in his two World Series starts, helping the Braves fend off elimination in Game 5 before they fell to Toronto in the next game.

In the 1993 NLCS, he received his first postseason loss, despite not giving up an earned run, then had his only poor postseason run in 1995, the year that the Braves finally broke through and won the championship behind the great pitching of Greg Maddux. He would bounce back with his best season in 1996.

That year he won the Cy Young, breaking Maddux's streak at 4, leading the league with 24 wins and 276 strikeouts. He also set a franchise record with 14 straight wins during the season, then pitched even better in the playoffs, recording 33 strikeouts in 38 innings, while posting an ERA below 1.20 in all 3 playoff series, but they Braves fell to the Yankees in the title round.

He pitched well again in 1997, and was effective in 1998 and 1999 when he pitched, but he missed about a quarter of his starts to injury, and it culminated in him missing the entire 2000 season following Tommy John surgery. When he returned in 2001, he was ineffective as a starter, so he was installed as the team's closer.

In his first full season as the closer, he set the NL record for saves in a season with 55, and he spent the next 2 seasons as one of the best closers in the game. He also joined Dennis Eckersley as only the second pitcher ever to have a 20-win season and a 50-save season. After the 2004 season, he was put back into the starting rotation.

Smoltz recorded his 200th win in 2007, and his 3000th strikeout in 2008, both of which were notable. His 200th win came against Tom Glavine, his former teammate, and made him the only pitcher in history with 200 wins and 150 saves. The 3000th strikeout made him the 4th pitcher ever to reach that milestone with one team, joining Steve Carlton, Walter Johnson, and Bob Gibson.

When he retired, he had the most postseason wins of any pitcher in history, but he has since been passed by Andy Pettitte, so he now stands in 2nd place, just ahead of Greg Maddux. He was the only player who was with the Braves through all 14 of their record consecutive division titles, and pitched better in the postseason every season, with the exception of his championship season. Add it all together, and you have one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #18 - Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax

For a few years in the early 1960's, Sandy Koufax was the most dominant pitcher in baseball, but was forced to retire at age 30 due to a life-threatening arm injury.

Koufax was signed by his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers when he was 19 years old, and was not allowed to pitch in the minors because of the size of his signing bonus. Over his first 6 seasons, he struggled with control, and was often kept on the bench for weeks at a time, and he didn't even appear in the Dodgers' World Series victory in 1955.

The Dodgers reached the World Series again in 1959, soon after their move to Los Angeles, and this time Koufax was given a couple of appearances, pitching 2 perfect innings in relief in game 1, then started game 5, giving up only 1 run over 7 innings, but that run lost them the game 1-0. They ended up winning the series after the next game, so his small mistake did not cost the team too much.

After struggling through the 1960 season, Koufax was ready to quit baseball, but the team convinced him to come back for one more season, and it was a good thing he did. That season he led the league in strikeouts for the first time, then in ERA the following year, and that was just the beginning.

In 1963, he won his first Triple Crown, leading the league with 25 wins, 306 strikeouts, and a 1.88 ERA, and it resulted in him winning the Cy Young unanimously, becoming the first ever to earn every vote. In that season's World Series, he pitched 2 complete games, outpitching Whitey Ford in both of his games, and gave up only 3 runs while striking out 23, which earned him the World Series MVP.

Early in the 1964 season, he felt something pop in his elbow, and after using pain injections to pitch through the pain, they shut him down, but he still led the league in ERA for the third season in a row. In 1965, he was told not to throw at all between starts to avoid losing his arm, but he still had his best season, winning another Triple Crown and unanimous Cy Young and setting a new record with 382 strikeouts in the season (since broken by Nolan Ryan).

He threw a perfect game in 1965, which was his 4th career no-hitter, which was also a record until broken by Nolan Ryan. The Dodgers returned to the World Series that year, and Koufax sat out Game 1 due to Yom Kippur, instead starting Game 2. He was pulled after 6 innings, and the Dodgers lost that game to Minnesota, but he came back with complete game shutouts in Games 5 and 7, finishing with 29 strikeouts and another World Series MVP.

Before the 1966 season, he was told by the team doctor that his arm would not last another season, but he decided to go for one more year. He won the Triple Crown for the third time in 4 seasons, and a third unanimous Cy Young, and also got the Dodgers back to the World Series. He pitched well in Game 1, allowing only 1 run in 6 innings, but was pulled in hopes of having him pitch in Game 5, which never happened due to Baltimore's sweep.

Koufax announced his retirement a few weeks later, and due to his early retirement, he was eligible for the Hall of Fame sooner, and became the youngest player ever elected in his first season on the ballot. He is one of only 4 Hall of Fame pitchers to have more strikeouts than innings pitched in his career, along with Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan, and though his career was short, and his dominant seasons even shorter, he was so great at his best that he has to be included among the greatest players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #19 - Pedro Martinez

Pedro Martinez

Pedro Martinez was the best pitcher in baseball for several years around the turn of the millennium, and a few of his seasons rank among the best seasons by a pitcher in history.

Pedro first pitched for the Dodgers in 1992, joining a team where his older brother Ramon was the star pitcher, but the team did not feel that he had the ability to be a starting ace, and he was traded to the Expos after the 1993 season.

He showed steady improvement through his first 3 seasons in Montreal, including a perfect game that he lost in the 10th inning in 1995 then took the league by storm in 1997, when he threw 305 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.90 and a league-leading 13 complete games. He won his first Cy Young that season, becoming the only Expo ever to win the award, and also became the only pitcher under 6 feet tall to ever throw 300 strikeouts in a season.

Rather than lose him to free agency the next year, Montreal traded Pedro to the Red Sox just days after he won the Cy Young, and his 7-year stretch in Boston was legendary. After coming in #2 in the Cy Young voting in his first season in Boston, he took home the award in 1999, when he won the Triple Crown with 23 wins, 313 strikeouts, and a 2.07 ERA. He was just as good in the playoffs, pitching 17 scoreless innings with 23 strikeouts, but they fell to the Yankees in the ALCS.

Between the end of 1999 and the beginning of 2000, he had 10 consecutive games with at least 10 strikeouts, 3 longer than the previous record of 7, which he also owned. He also set the record for consecutive innings with a strikeout, reaching 40 during 1999. He also became the first pitcher ever to start an All-Star game by striking out the side that season.

His very best season came in 2000, when he posted a 1.74 ERA, less than half of the next-lowest ERA, Roger Clemens' 3.70. He also set a record with a WHIP of 0.74 that season, allowing only 128 hits and 32 walks in 217 innings that season, and he was awarded his 3rd Cy Young in 4 years after the season.

A rotator cuff injury in 2001 caused him to miss half of the season, though he was still the best pitcher in the AL. He led the league in ERA and winning percentage in both 2002 and 2003, but was overlooked in the Cy Young voting each time, despite leading the winners in every major category each time.

In 2004 he had the highest ERA in his season up to that point, as it reached 3.90, but he was able to reach the World Series for the first time in his career, where he pitched 7 scoreless innings as Boston swept St. Louis to take home their first championship in decades.

After the title, he left Boston to sign with the Mets, where he had one more solid season, then faded into obscurity as injuries began to take their toll. He did get the opportunity to pitch in one more World Series with Philadelphia in 2009, but recorded a loss in each of his starts.

Martinez was the second-fastest pitcher to reach 3000 strikeouts, trailing only Randy Johnson, and is the only pitcher to retire with more than 3000 strikeouts in fewer than 3000 innings pitched. His career winning percentage of .687 is second to Whitey Ford in the modern era, and his peak was higher than any other modern pitcher. Though his great years ended abruptly, he is still definitely one of the greatest ever to play the game.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #20 - Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson was the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of baseball, and he is the owner of numerous all-time and single-season records.

Rickey first played for the Athletics in 1979, and in his second season, he was already setting records, breaking Ty Cobb's AL record by stealing 100 bases, becoming just the third player ever to reach that number. Two years later, he broke Lou Brock's Major League record by stealing 130. He had 84 steals by the All-Star break, a number no other player has reached in a full season since, let alone the actual record. He also had at least 100 runs, steals, and walks in 1980, 1982, and 1983, and he is the only player in the modern era to ever achieve that even once.

He was traded to the Yankees after the 1984 season, and his first season in New York was the best of his career. He led the league with 146 runs and 80 steals, and the runs scored were the most by any player since 1950, and he was the first player since 1939 to have more runs scored than games played.

In 1989, he was traded back to the A's at midseason, and he led them to the playoffs after leading the league with 113 runs, 77 steals, and 126 walks. He was very proud to have become Nolan Ryan's 5000th strikeout victim during that season as well. He was named the ALCS MVP after setting a postseason record with 8 steals in a 5-game series, while also batting .400 with 7 walks and 2 home runs. He then hit .474 in a World Series sweep of the Giants as he earned his first title.

The next season he led the league in runs, stolen bases, and on-base percentage, and finished second to George Brett in batting average, and finally won an MVP award, though he deserved a few earlier in his career. The A's returned to the World Series, but this time were victims of a sweep against the Reds, though Henderson batted .333 for the series.

In 1991 he broke the career record that is most associated with him when he passed Lou Brock to become the all-time leader in stolen bases. By the time he finished his career, he had a total of 1406, more than 50% above Brock's second-place total.

He was traded to the Blue Jays near the end of the 1993 season, but struggled after breaking his hand just a few games into his time in Toronto. The Blue Jays did reach the World Series that year, and Henderson scored on the final play of the series to win his second title, though he did little else to contribute to the win.

He was a nomad for the rest of his career, never spending more than 2 consecutive seasons with the same team again, and he had 2 more stints with the Athletics, even leading the league in steals and walks with them in 1998. In 2001, while playing with San Diego, he broke a couple more career marks, Ty Cobb's career runs record and Babe Ruth's walk record. He is still the leader in runs and unintentional walks, though Barry Bonds has more total walks. With all the records he holds, and his amazing performance in his first World Series run, he definitely needs to be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #21 - Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson was the first great pitcher of the modern era, and he was the best pitcher in the league in most of the seasons in which he pitched.

He first signed with the Giants in 1900, but after pitching 3 games he was returned to his previous minor league club. Cincinnati saw his potential and picked him up, then traded him to the Giants for Amos Rusie before he even played a game for them.

In 1901, which was his official rookie season, he was the best pitcher in the league. That year he threw 36 complete games in 38 starts with an ERA of 2.41 and 221 strikeouts, though none was tops in the league. He led the league in strikeouts for the first time in 1903, and 4 more times in the next 5 years.

In 1905 he took home his first Triple Crown, leading the league with 31 wins (and only 9 losses), 206 strikeouts, and a 1.28 ERA. He also led the Giants to their first World Series, where he put on an amazing performance, pitching complete game shutouts in games 1, 4, and 7, and only giving up 13 hits over the course of the series as he won his only championship in dominant fashion.

He missed a chunk of the following season with diphtheria, which caused him to struggle for the rest of the season, but he recovered, and in 1908 had his best season, winning his second Triple Crown with a 1.43 ERA, 37 wins, and 259 strikeouts. He also led the league with 34 complete games and 11 shutouts, finishing one of the best pitching seasons ever.

He recorded a career-best 1.14 ERA in 1909, then led the Giants to 3 consecutive pennants from 1911 to 1913. The Giants lost all 3 World Series, but Mathewson pitched well throughout, posting an ERA below 1.00 in both 1912 and 1913, with a career-high World Series ERA of 2.00 in 1911. He did everything he could in those series, but couldn't win it on his own.

After expressing a desire to become a manager, he was traded to the Reds near the end of the 1916 season, where he was installed as player/manager, though he pitched only one game for his new team. After about 2 seasons as manager, he resigned to join the Army in World War I, where exposure to chemical weapons caused him to contract tuberculosis, which would kill him just a few years later.

Then the Hall of Fame was created in 1936, Mathewson was one of the original 5 players elected, and the only one who was not alive to witness his induction. He finished his career with 373 wins, the most in NL history, and #3 of all time, and his ERA of 2.13 is 9th all time, making him the only pitcher to be in the top 10 in each category. Add to that his 2 Triple Crowns and absolutely dominant 1905 World Series, and he is definitely one of the best players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #22 - Whitey Ford

Whitey Ford

Whitey Ford was the greatest pitcher for the greatest dynasty in baseball history, pitching in the World Series in most of the seasons in his career and setting numerous World Series records along the way.

Ford first pitched for the Yankees in 1950, accumulating a 9-1 record and finishing as the runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting. Ford pitched the decisive game 4 of the World Series that year against Philadelphia, pitching all but the final out without giving up an earned run as they took home a repeat championship.

He spent the next two years with the military in Korea, then returned to the team in 1953 having missed out on 2 championships along the way. He had an 18-6 record that year and won another championship, making it 5 in a row for the Yankees, a record that no team has reached since.

Ford was used sparingly by Casey Stengel throughout the 1950's, with the manager hoping to keep his arm well-rested for the playoffs each year. He was the top pitcher in the league in 1958, recording a 2.01 ERA and 7 shutouts, both best in the league, but didn't receive a single MVP or Cy Young vote for some reason.

Ford holds the record for most consecutive Game 1 World Series starts, with 4, a feat he accomplished twice in his career. The exception came in 1960, when he was held out until game 3, which turned out to cost the Yankees the title. He pitched complete game shutouts in games 3 and 6, but was unavailable to pitch in relief in game 7 and they lost the Series to Pittsburgh, costing Stengel his job.

With a new manager the next year, Ford became a superstar, reaching 200 strikeouts for the first time and recording 25 wins to go with only 4 losses. He received the Cy Young Award after the season, then kept it going in the World Series, pitching 14 shutout innings while giving up only 6 hits, which earned him the World Series MVP award as well.

After 4 more seasons and another championship, his shoulder gave out, and he was forced to retire. He is still the Yankees' all-time leader in pitching wins, and his .690 win percentage is the highest of any pitcher since 1900 with at least 150 wins. The Yankees win percentage in games he did not pitch during his career was .576, so his high percentage cannot be attributed to the team he played for.

He also had a career ERA of 2.75, second-lowest of any pitcher in the live-ball era, trailing only Clayton Kershaw currently. He recorded 10 victories in the World Series, more than any other pitcher ever, and pitched 33 consecutive scoreless World Series innings, another record that remains untouched, though Mariano Rivera has bested it as a postseason record. Though his career ended up being somewhat short, he was the best pitcher on the Yankees during their most dominant run, completely dominated in the World Series two years in a row, and belongs in this place among the best players to ever take the field.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #23 - Willie Mays

Willie Mays

Willie Mays was one of the greatest all-around players of all time, playing at a high level at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the outfield, and doing it all for a very long time.

Mays first reached the Majors in 1951 with the New York Giants, and won the Rookie of the Year award despite having what would turn out to be one of the worst seasons of his career. Early in his second season, he was drafted into the Army, where he would spend nearly 2 seasons, before returning to baseball on a mission in 1954.

He led the league with a .345 batting average that year while also slugging 41 homers, which resulted in him taking home the MVP award, and he wasn't done yet. The Giants won the pennant, returning to the World Series after losing in Mays' rookie season, and this time Mays played well, getting 4 hits and 4 walks in a 4-game sweep of the Indians, and he also made one of the most famous defensive plays in history when he made an over-the-shoulder running grab to save 2 runs in the 8th inning of game 1.

The next season he was even better, leading the league with 51 homers and 382 total bases, but he finished #4 in the MVP voting when the Giants failed to reach the playoffs. The next year he became the second player ever to join the 30-30 club, finishing with 36 homers and a league-leading 40 steals. In his first 3 full seasons after his rookie season, he had led the league in hitting, homers, and steals, showing his all-around acumen.

He led the league in steals in each of the next 3 seasons as well, which bridged the Giants' move from New York to San Francisco. He continued his high level of play for many more years, finishing among the top 10 of the MVP voting for 10 straight seasons from 1957 to 1966.

He had his two best seasons in 1964 and 1965, when he hit 47 and 52 home runs, respectively, both times tops in the league. The 10 year gap between his two 50-home run seasons is the longest in history, which shows his longevity he had as well. He was also given his second MVP in 1965, 11 years after winning his first.

From that point on, his productivity started to slip, but he played on until 1973, when he reached the World Series with the New York Mets, becoming the oldest starting position player ever in the championship round. Though they lost that year, giving him just one win in his 4 World Series appearances, his regular season numbers are among the best ever.

Mays is #3 all-time in total bases, #5 in home runs, #7 in runs, and #12 in hits and RBI. He is one of only 4 players with 3000 hits and 600 home runs, along with Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez. He holds the record for most All-Star games played, with 24 (there were multiples All-Star games for a few seasons), and is absolutely one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #24 - Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling was a longtime pitcher who blossomed into a superstar in his 30's, and had two of the best postseason runs ever by a pitcher, which helped vault him into the upper echelon of all-time players.

Schilling first pitched in the majors for Baltimore in 1988, but it took him until 1990 to get his first win, the only one he would record for the Orioles. He pitched out of the bullpen for the Astros after that, but still was not notable in any way.

He joined the Phillies in 1992, and that is where his career started to improve. He had 14 wins and a 2.35 ERA in that first season, then got his first taste of the postseason in 1993, where he started to earn his reputation as a big-game player. He won the NLCS MVP after posting a 1.69 ERA in two starts while striking out 19 Braves, then pitched a shutout while facing elimination in the World Series, but the Phillies ended up losing anyway.

After a couple of down seasons, he bounced back in a big way in 1997, leading the league with 319 strikeouts, the most he would have in his career, and 133 more than he had ever had before, making it the best regular season of his career.

The next season he threw exactly 300 strikeouts while also leading the league with 15 complete games and pitching more innings than any other pitcher. Although he was having great success, his team wasn't, and he requested a trade to a contender, and he got his wish in 2000, when he was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

His first season in the desert was a memorable one, as he led the league with 22 wins, while posting a 2.98 ERA and striking out 293 batters. The Diamondbacks made the playoffs, where Schilling was spectacular, with a 4-0 record, 1.12 ERA, and 56 strikeouts, including 26 strikeouts in 21 innings in the World Series, where he shared the MVP award with Randy Johnson after Arizona upset the 3-time defending champion Yankees.

He was just as great in 2002, with a 23-7 record and 316 strikeouts, which was his third time reaching the 300-strikeout mark. For the second year in a row, he finished as the runner-up in the Cy Young voting to his teammate, Randy Johnson, and he pitched great in the playoffs, striking out 7 in 7 innings and giving up only one run, but Arizona fell to Saint Louis in the NLDS.

After a down year, he was traded to the Red Sox, where he led the league with 21 wins in his first season, and finished as the Cy Young runner-up for the third time in 4 seasons. He pitched through an ankle injury in the playoffs, and became famous for his bloody sock in game 6 of the ALCS, and the Red Sox won their first World Series in decades.

Injuries slowed him over his final 3 seasons, but he again played well in the 2007 playoffs, going 3-0 in 4 starts as the Red Sox won another title. His World Series win made him the second pitcher over 40 in history to start and win a World Series game. After missing the following season with a shoulder injury, he retired before the 2009 season began.

Schilling is one of the best pitchers since the Cy Young award began who did not receive the honor. He finished his career with 3116 strikeouts, #15 all time. While his time as a superstar was relatively short compared to others around him on this list, he had 4 extremely great seasons, and 2 of the best playoff runs in history, which earned him this spot on the list of the all-time greats.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #25 - Tris Speaker

Tris Speaker

Tris Speaker was one of the greatest hitters in history, and one of the first great outfielders in the game of baseball.

Tris began his career with the Boston Americans in 1907, the year before they changed their name to the Red Sox. He did not play much in his first two seasons, but became the starting center fielder in his third season, and that year was the first of 10 in a row where he hit above .300.

He improved steadily until 1912, when he won the MVP after leading the league with 53 doubles and 10 home runs, and he also had 222 hits and a .383 average. His Red Sox won the pennant, and Speaker hit .300 in that World Series, winning his first championship as well.

In 1915 the Red Sox added a young pitcher named Babe Ruth, and the star pair led the Red Sox back to the World Series, though Speaker hit only .322 that season, his worst since 1909. The combination of the two was enough to bring home another title to Boston, but Speaker was asked to take a pay cut after the season due to his low batting average, and after refusing, he was traded to the Indians.

Speaker responded to the trade with his best season yet, leading the league in hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. For his first 4 seasons with the Indians, he served unofficially as the team's assistant manager, as he was consulted on all in-game moves. When the manager resigned after misunderstanding one of Speaker's signals, he was made the official manager.

His first full season as player/manager was 1920, and he had his very best season that year. Though he only led the league in his specialty, doubles, he had a batting average of .388, 214 hits, a career-high 137 runs scored, and reached 100 RBI for the first time in his career. He also took the Indians to the World Series, where he hit .320 as the Indians beat the Dodgers in 7 games to claim the title, his third in 3 tries.

He led the league in doubles again in each of the next 3 seasons, and also led the league in RBI in 1923, a career first at age 35. Over the course of his 11 seasons in Cleveland, he batted over .350 7 times during the period that bridged the dead-ball era and the live-ball era.

Speaker led the league in doubles 8 times in his career, and his 792 are still the career record. He is #6 in triples, and is the most recent player to reach 200 for his career in that category. His career batting average of .345 is #6 all-time, which is especially great since he played half of his career in the deal-ball era, and he was solid in all 3 of his World Series appearances, finishing his career with 3 titles, and a place among the greatest baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #26 - Cy Young

Cy Young

Cy Young is a name that is well known to baseball fans, though many do not know as much about the player as about the award that was named in his honor.

Young first pitched in the Major Leagues in 1890 with the Cleveland Spiders, and by his third season he was the best pitcher in the league, finishing with 36 wins, a 1.93 ERA, and 9 shutouts, all best in the league. Following that season, the pitching mound was moved back to its current distance, partially due to the speed with which he pitched.

In 1896 he led the league in strikeouts for the first time, and pitched his first no-hitter the next season. After the 1898 season, his team's owner purchased another team in St. Louis and transferred most of his best players over to his other team, first known as the Perfectos before changing to the Cardinals, but the team struggled in Young's two seasons there, and he jumped ship to the new American League and the Boston Americans when they formed in 1901.

His first season in Boston was a great one, as Young won the pitching Triple Crown with 33 wins, 158 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA. Had the Cy Young award existed at the time, he definitely would have won it, but that season was a huge part of his legend that made the award a reality down the road.

The first World Series was held in 1903, with Young's Americans playing the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Young holds the distinction of throwing the first ever World Series pitch. Though he lost that game, he won his next 2 starts to lead them to a 5-3 series victory. He finished the series with a 1.85 ERA, and also had 3 RBI in game 5 as a batter.

In 1904, Young threw the first perfect game in AL history, and the first under current pitching rules. (When the previous 2 perfect games had been thrown, 8 balls equaled a walk.) That game was part of a longer streak of not allowing a hit, which extended to 76 batters, which is still the record today. He threw a third no-hitter in 1908, when he was 41 years old, and it stood as the record for the oldest pitcher to throw one for 82 years, when Nolan Ryan threw one at age 43.

Young is the all-time leader in many pitching categories, including wins, innings pitched, starts, and complete games, but also in runs allowed, hits allowed, and losses. The wins record is another that will probably never be broken, as he is 94 ahead of Walter Johnson, who is #2 on the list, and has more than double the total of active leader Bartolo Colon.

His pitching greatness over such a long period led to the creation of the Cy Young award in 1956, the year after he passed away. There have been many great pitchers over the years who have won that award, but very few who have ever reached the level of excellence achieved by its namesake, who is obviously one of the best baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #27 - Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio is one of the most iconic baseball players of all time, and though his career was one of the shortest among the players on this list, he was among the best players in the league for his entire career.

As a rookie in 1936, DiMaggio led the league in triples and set a Yankees rookie record by hitting 29 home runs, a record which stood until last season, when Aaron Judge eclipsed it. He also hit .323, then topped it with a .346 average in the World Series, bringing home a championship as a rookie.

His second season was his best, as he led the league with 151 runs scored, 46 home runs, 418 total bases, and a .673 slugging percentage, but he finished as the MVP runner-up to Charlie Gehringer. The Yankees capped off that season with another championship, making him 2 for 2 to start his career.

Two years later, he finally earned his first MVP after earning his first batting title with a .381 average, and that season ended with yet another World Series title, his 4th in 4 seasons as a pro. He repeated as batting champ in 1940, but the Yankees failed to reach the World Series for the first time in his career, making the season a bit of a disappointment.

1941 is the season that made him a legend. He won the MVP after winning the RBI title, but what really put him over the top was his 56-game hitting streak, which beat the modern record of 41 and the all-time record of 44. The only player to reach 40 since then was Pete Rose, who reached 44, so no player before or since has come close to his record.

Before the 1943 season, DiMaggio enlisted in the Army, causing him to miss the next 3 seasons, though he never saw combat due to his fame, instead being assigned to play on military all-star teams to entertain the troops, even after requesting a combat role because he was embarrassed by the ease of his service.

He was awarded his 3rd MVP in 1947, despite having one of his worst statistical seasons, then finished as runner-up in 1948 after leading the league in homers and RBI. He ended up playing a total of 13 seasons, reaching the World Series 10 times, and winning 9 championship rings, which puts him behind only Yogi Berra in history.

The shortness of DiMaggio's career kept him from rising higher in these rankings, but no one can say that he isn't one of the all-time greats. In addition to all those championships, he owns 3 MVP's and 2 batting titles, and what is probably the most unbreakable record in baseball. It is unfortunate that he had to miss 3 years in the prime of his career due to war, but he is definitely one of the greatest ever to take the field.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #28 - Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski was one of the greatest Red Sox players in history, playing 23 years with the team, and is also one of the best players in history who never won a championship.

Yaz joined the Red Sox in 1961, and he had some big shoes to fill, because his position in left field had previously been filled by Ted Williams, who had retired after the 1960 season. By his third season, he had become a pretty good player, leading the league in hits, doubles, walks, and batting average.

He had his best season in 1967, when he took home the Triple Crown with a .326 average, 44 homers, and 121 RBI, while also leading the league in runs, hits, total bases, on-base percentage, and slugging. Heading into the final weekend of the season, he was tied with Harmon Killebrew for the home run lead, and the Red Sox were one game behind Killebrew's Twins for the AL pennant. Yaz went 7-8 with 6 RBI and a home run over those 2 games, winning both the Triple Crown and the pennant, and it would be the last batting Triple Crown for 45 years.

Yaz played extremely well in that year's World Series, batting .400 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI, but they lost to the Cardinals in 7 games due to Bob Gibson's historic pitching performance, the best by any pitcher in history up to that point. Had the Red Sox won, Yaz would have been the easy MVP of the Series, which would have gone nicely next to his regular season MVP from that season.

1968 was known as the Year of the Pitcher due to their dominance that year, and it resulted in the mound being lowered the next year, but it didn't affect Yaz. He was the only player in the league to bat over .300 that season, and he also led the league with 119 walks, but was denied the repeat MVP he deserved.

He continued his strong play for well over a decade after that point, eventually playing in 15 consecutive All-Star games and 18 overall. The Red Sox returned to the World Series in 1975, and while Yaz again played well, batting .350 in the playoffs, they fell in 7 games to the Reds. In 1976, at 36 years old, he hit 5 home runs over 2 games, which tied the all-time record.

Yaz retired in 1983, following 23 seasons with the Red Sox, which is tied with Brooks Robinson for the most seasons played with one team. He was the first AL player ever to reach 3000 hits and 400 home runs. He is the Red Sox all-time leader in runs, hits, doubles, RBI's, total bases, and games played, and is third in home runs.

He is also near the top of many all-time Major League leaderboards. He is #2 in games played and plate appearances, #6 in walks, #8 in doubles, #9 in hits, and #10 in total bases. His career postseason batting average is .369, and he played extremely well in both World Series losses in his career. His Triple Crown was a rare feat, and he is easily one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #29 - Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner was the first true superstar in baseball history, dominating the league for an entire decade and doing everything at a high level.

Wagner joined the Louisville Colonels in 1897, and he worked his way up to being one of the better players in the league over his first few seasons before his team folded and he was assigned to the Pittsburgh Pirates. As soon as he began playing for his hometown team, he became the best player in baseball.

There was no season in the entire decade of the 1900's where Wagner was not the best player. In 1900 he led the league in doubles, triples, total bases, and batting average (.381). The following season he led the league in RBI and stolen bases, showing his broad skill set and expertise.

In 1903, the first World Series was played between the Pirates and the Boston Americans, and Wagner was expected to dominate as he had done in the 4 previous regular seasons, but he only hit .222 as they fell 5 games to 3 against Cy Young's team. Playing poorly in the losing effort haunted Wagner for years, and he felt that his individual achievements did not make up for his performance.

Over the next 8 seasons, Wagner won 6 more batting titles, giving him a total of 8 for his career, which is still the NL record more than 100 years later, though it was tied by Tony Gwynn. He also led the league in doubles 7 times, and stolen bases 5 times.

Wagner retired before the start of the 1908 season, but after being offered the largest contract in history at the time to return, he changed his mind, and had his best season of all. That year he led the league in hits, doubles, triples, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases, and came up just 2 home runs short of winning that title, and the Triple Crown, as well.

In 1909, he finally got the Pirates back to the World Series, this time facing the Tigers and their young star, Ty Cobb, and it was the first ever World Series matchup between that season's batting champions. This time Wagner played incredibly, batting .333 with 6 RBI and 6 stolen bases, a record at the time, as the Pirates won in 7 games.

By 1912, Wagner was the oldest player in the league, and he began to hit the major milestones. In 1914 he reached 3000 hits, the second player to do so, after Cap Anson, and just before Nap Lajoie. The next year, he became the oldest player ever to hit a grand slam, a record which stood for 70 years, and the next year became the oldest ever to hit an inside-the-park home run.

When the Hall of Fame was created in 1936, Wagner was one of the first 5 players elected, along with Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson, finishing behind only Cobb in the voting. His career batting average of .328 was incredible for a player in the dead ball era, he is still #9 in doubles and #3 in triples for his career, and #10 in stolen bases.

Perhaps most incredible of all, he led all players in the decade of the 1900's in runs, hits, doubles, total bases, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, leaving no doubt as to the identity of the best player of the decade, and he absolutely belongs this high on the list of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #30 - Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson was a groundbreaking player and manager for multiple teams in a long and outstanding career.

Robinson joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1956 when he was 20 years old, and he led the league in runs scored as a rookie, while also tying the rookie home run record, which was 38 (broken by Aaron Judge last season). That solid debut season earned him the Rookie of the Year Award.

He maintained that level of play for several seasons, before exploding in 1961, when he led the league with a .611 slugging percentage to go along with 117 runs and 124 RBI's. That season he led the Reds to the pennant, which resulted in a World Series loss to the Yankees, but he was awarded his first MVP award for the stellar season.

The next season he improved in nearly every single category, and had arguably his best season, when he hit .342, led the league with 134 runs and 51 doubles, and set career highs with 208 hits and 136 RBI. He only finished 4th in the MVP voting that year, even though he was even more deserving than the year before.

After 3 more years with the Reds, the team decided to move on from Robinson, trading him to the Orioles, and in his first season in Baltimore he had a season for the ages. He won the Triple Crown with 49 home runs, 122 RBI, and a .316 average, while also leading the league in runs and total bases, earning another MVP, and becoming the only player ever to win an MVP in each league.

The Orioles advanced to the World Series that year, and Robinson was named the MVP after hitting 2 home runs in the 4-game sweep of the Dodgers, including a solo shot to score the only run in the decisive final game. In a series dominated by pitching, Robinson was the offensive constant that made the difference.

From 1969 to 1971, the Orioles made 3 more playoff appearances, reaching the World Series each time, and they won the title in 1970 against Robinson's old team, the Reds, earning him a second championship ring. After the 1971 season, he was traded to the Dodgers, then to the Angels the following season.

Around this time Robinson decided that he wanted to become a manager, and because of that desire, he was traded to the Indians, where he was installed as player/manager, making him the first black manager in league history. Several years later, when he was hired to manage the Giants, he became the first black manager in the NL as well.

At the time of his retirement as a player, Robinson was #4 in home runs, behind Ruth, Aaron, and Mays, and has since fallen back to #10. His number was retired by Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Cleveland, making him one of only 2 players (along with Nolan Ryan) to have his number retired by 3 teams. He is still the only player to win an MVP in each league, a rare batting Triple Crown winner, a World Series MVP, and one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #31 - Grover Cleveland Alexander

Grover Cleveland Alexander

Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the greatest pitchers of the dead-ball era, then continued to have success for a decade afterward.

Alexander joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 1911, and was immediately a superstar, leading the league as a rookie with 28 wins (still the rookie record), 31 complete games, 7 shutouts, and 367 innings pitched, and he finished #3 in the MVP voting. He pitched well over the next two seasons, but then he became truly dominant.

In 1914 he led the league in wins and strikeouts, then had one of the best seasons in history in 1915, winning the Triple Crown with 31 wins, a 1.22 ERA and 241 strikeouts, to go along with 36 complete games and 12 shutouts. He repeated the feat in 1916 and 1917 as well, winning over 30 games and posting an ERA below 2.00 and basically beating down everyone in his path.

He led the Phillies to the World Series in 1915, and won Game 1 against the Red Sox, but they lost the next 4, and the Phillies would not win another World Series game until 1980. The Phillies traded him to the Cubs following his 3rd Triple Crown, fearful that he would be drafted into the military for World War I and be lost.

Their fears turned out to be partially founded, as he was drafted after pitching just 3 games for the Cubs, but he survived the war, though exposure to mustard gas did cause some hearing loss and epileptic seizures. When he came back, he was still the best pitcher in the league, winning his 4th Triple Crown in 1920.

After years of dealing with his epilepsy and his alcoholism that resulted from it, the Cubs decided to trade him to the Cardinals in 1926. The Cardinals won the pennant that year, and Alexander pitched complete game victories in games 2 and 6 against the Yankees, followed by a save to finish off game 7 and take the championship. At age 39, he had pitched over 20 innings with a 1.33 ERA and 17 strikeouts against one of the greatest teams in history, still one of the 5 greatest World Series performances in history.

Alexander finished his career with 373 wins, tied for the most in NL history and #3 among all pitchers. He also hold the NL record with 90 shutouts, and is only behind Walter Johnson on the all-time list. He is the only pitcher to win the Triple Crown 4 times, had one of the greatest World Series performances of all time at the tail end of his career, and is obviously one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Top 106 Baseball Players: #32 - Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove was one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in history, and he spent almost an entire decade as the best pitcher in baseball, though few remember him today.

Grove did not pitch in the Majors until he was 25, in 1925, because his independent minor league team refused to send him to a Major League team for years. When he finally made his way to the Philadelphia Athletics, he was already ready for success. He led the league in strikeouts as a rookie, the first of 7 straight years that he would lead the league, an incredible way to start a career.

In 1926 he led the league in ERA, and in 1928 in strikeouts, then in 1930 and 1931 put it all together to win 2 straight pitching Triple Crowns. In 1930 he went 28-5 with a 2.54 ERA and 209 strikeouts, plus 9 saves to lead the league. The next year he went 31-4 with a 2.06 ERA and 175 strikeouts, and also led the league with 27 complete games and 4 shutouts, and took home the AL MVP award for his dominance.

He was also a part of the Athletics teams that reached 3 straight World Series, along with Jimmie Foxx, who was behind him in this countdown, and Lefty was a big part of those titles. In the 1929 World Series he pitched exclusively in relief, facing 22 batters, 10 of whom he struck out, and didn't give up a single run to finish as the best pitcher in that Series. The next year he went 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA as the A's repeated as champs, but his ERA "ballooned" to 2.42 the following year as they failed to three-peat.

Even as the most dominant period of his career was ending as he entered his mid-30's, he maintained his great ERA numbers. He was traded to the Red Sox before the 1934 season, and led the league in ERA 4 more times in Boston, in addition to the 5 times he won the title in Philadelphia. Those 9 ERA titles are the most of any pitcher in history.

He won his 300th game late in the 1941 season, and it would turn out to be his final victory, making his career record 300-141, the 8th-best winning percentage in history, and the highest of any member of the 300-win club. He is one of the few pitcher to ever win an MVP, was instrumental in 2 World Series titles, led the league in ERA more often than anyone else ever, and is definitely one of the greatest players of all time.