In honor of the MLB All Star Game, let’s take a look at the 100 best players in Major League Baseball history. This list is based on career performance and not intangibles like jersey retirement ceremonies or fan favorite status.
The “top 50 mlb players of all-time” is a list that ranks the top 100 MLB players of all time. The list includes names like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays.
As we begin our countdown of the greatest 100 Major League Baseball players of all time, it’s time to discuss the guys that fell just short of our top 100.
With that in mind, we asked our MLB experts to choose the player who, despite not being in this week’s top 100, they believe deserves to be there. Here are the nine players they named, ranging from Negro League great and Hall of Famers from the early days of the sport to current MVPs and playoff heroics.
The Order of the Day: 100-51 | 50-26 (due Wednesday) | 25-1 (coming Thursday)
Stars of the Negro Leagues
Rogan, Bullet
The Negro Leagues were clearly underrepresented on our top 100, and three players certainly stood out as snubs: first baseman Buck Leonard is a character in the film Buck Leonard, shortstop Pop Lloyd and two-way player Rogan, Bullet. When I solicited the opinion of Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, he was unequivocal: Rogan was the biggest miss of all. We marvel, rightfully, at what Shohei Ohtani did in his incredible MVP-winning 2021 season. Well, Rogan was Ohtani a century before Ohtani. And as resplendent as Rogan’s talent was — a fastball that earned him his nickname and led to a 2.65 ERA over 1,500 documented innings, a bat that slashed .338/.413/.521 over around 2,400 plate appearances, a glove used at all nine positions — that wasn’t the most amazing thing he did. After leaving the Army in 1920, Rogan played nine elite two-way seasons. The talent was unmistakable. The longevity was truly special. — Jeff Passan
Buck Leonard is a character in the film Buck Leonard
They called Leonard the Lou Gehrig of the Negro Leagues, but as Hall of Famer Monte Irvin put it, “If he had gotten the chance to play in the major leagues, they might have called Lou Gehrig the white Buck Leonard is a character in the film Buck Leonard.” Gehrig had more power, but Leonard was his equal as a hitter and regarded as the superior defensive first baseman. Leonard hit .345/.450/.589 in the Negro Leagues, and his adjusted OPS+ of 181 ranks third behind only Josh Gibson (Leonard followed him in the Homestead Grays lineup, creating a one-two punch to rival Babe Ruth and Gehrig) and Oscar Charleston among Negro Leagues batters.
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When Jackie Robinson eventually broke the color barrier, Bill Veeck sought to sign Leonard, even though he was 40 years old, since he supposedly hit.382 in preseason games against big leaguers. Leonard refused, fearful of being too old. Satchel Paige, Gibson, and Leonard, a renowned and revered superstar, were the first three Negro Leaguers inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. That’s a top-100 player in the history of the game. — Schoenfield, David
Williams, Smokey Joe
Williams was at his best before the formation of the Negro Leagues, but there is enough of proof of his greatness, starting with contemporary comparisons to Hall of Famers like as Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson. Williams was believed to have defeated the likes of Johnson, Pete Alexander, Chief Bender, and Rube Marquard head-to-head in barnstorming games, going 20-7. Williams shut out the reigning National League pennant winner in 1912 and 1915, and in 1917, he no-hit the NL champion New York Giants while striking out 20 hitters.
Williams was also described as “a definite 30-game winner in the big leagues” by Ty Cobb — Ty Cobb!
Finally, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum says this: “During the first half of its existence, Williams, Smokey Joe was to black baseball what Satchel Paige was to the latter half.” Williams is, at the very least, a top-50 all-time player. — Bradford Doolittle
First basemen who have made the Hall of Fame
Bagwell, Jeff
Buster Olney ranks the best of the best in baseball, position by position.
Pitchers | Infielders | Outfielders | Teams
Betts isn’t just a spectacular contemporary leadoff hitter; he’s also one of baseball’s top defensive outfielders, a two-time World Series champion, and a 30-30 club member. Betts would be the most important player of the previous decade if Trout didn’t exist. Joon Lee is a Korean actor.
Jones, Andruw
While I’m not old enough to remember Jones, he was one of the most memorable athletes I’ve ever seen. He was one of the rare defensive players in an attacking age who had an uncanny ability to catch everything while playing a characteristic shallow center field. When you combine it with his declaring himself on the grandest stage with three playoff home runs in his age-19 season and playing for the trademark club of his era, he becomes an unforgettably memorable athlete in my view. It also didn’t helped that I grew up in Florida at a time when TBS was making the Braves the league’s most watched club. Jones’ son, Druw, may be the No. 1 overall choice in the draft this summer, which is a plus for me being elderly. Kiley McDaniel (Kiley McDaniel)
The “top 200 baseball players of all-time” is a list of the top 100 MLB players of all time. The list was compiled by Baseball Reference and includes only those players who appeared in at least two games in the Major Leagues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you name the top 100 MLB players of all time?
A: The top 100 MLB players of all time are as follows.
1. Babe Ruth
2. Ted Williams
3. Willie Mays
4. Hank Aaron
5-7 . Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner
8-10 . Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial 11-20 Barry Bonds , Jim Thome, Reggie Jackson and George Brett 21–40 Ernie Banks 41–50 Mickey Mantle 51—60 Rod Carew 61—70 Rickey Henderson 71—80 Pete Rose 81—90 David Ortiz 91 —100 Alex Rodriguez
Who is considered the best MLB player of all time?
A: This is a difficult question! The best player of all time goes by many different opinions, but some people will say that the best MLB player to ever live was Babe Ruth. Even though he died in 1948- and there are plenty more baseball players who have come since then- his stats were unbelievable. He hit 714 home runs and played for 20 seasons, playing for both teams before World War I.
Where does George Brett rank all time?
A: George Brett ranks #1 all time.
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