Best Baseball Players of All Time

Baseball has had many legends, but the kings of the diamond are in a league of their own.

Part of the fun of being a baseball fan is the debate. The debate between eras. The debate between teams. The debate between stats.

These are all ways we can determine who the best to ever play the game were. Some names come to us easily. They’re the icons whose legends have been passed down generations. Some names can be overlooked easily. Remember, Major League Baseball didn’t allow African-American players to take the field until 1947, 71 years after play began in the National League.

So who are the best baseball players of all time? Let the debate begin.

30. Roberto Clemente, Right Field

Roberto Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves playing right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates. AP Photo

Born: Aug. 18, 1934 (Carolina, Puerto Rico)

Died: Dec. 31, 1972, 38 years old (Isla Verde, Carolina, Puerto Rico)

Career: 18 seasons (1955-72)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates

Key stats: National League MVP (1966), World Series MVP (1971), 12 Gold Glove Awards (1961-72), 15-time MLB All-Star (1960-67, 1969-72)

World Series titles: 2 (1960, 1971)

Bottom Line: Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente had 3,000 hits in his career. AP Photo

Roberto Clemente was the first player from a Latin American or Caribbean country to win a National League MVP and World Series MVP.

Clemente posted a career .317 batting average, 3,000 hits and 1,305 RBI before his death in a tragic plane crash in 1972. Clemente was flying on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua when he died.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 — the first player from a Latin American or Caribbean country to be enshrined and the second major league player (after Lou Gehrig) to have the mandatory five-year, post-career waiting period waived.

29. Mike Trout, Center Field

Mike Trout, right, has linebacker size at 6-foot-2, 235 pounds. Eric Christian Smith / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 7, 1991 (Vineland, New Jersey)

Career: 13 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Angels

Key stats: Three-time American League MVP (2014, 2016, 2019). Eight-time MLB All-Star (2012-19). AL Rookie of the Year (2012).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Mike Trout

Mike Trout made his major league debut in 2011 at the age of 19. Chris Carlson / AP Photo

Mike Trout set the New Jersey state record with 18 home runs during his senior season at Millville Senior High and was picked in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft, but 24 players were chosen before him.

He is the youngest player in history to reach 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases, won the American League MVP twice in his first five full seasons and hit 285 career home runs in his first nine.

In March 2019, Trout signed the biggest contract in major league history for 12 years and $426 million.

28. Cool Papa Bell, Center Field

Cool Papa Bell was one of the fastest players in baseball history. 2013cardsforcheap / Ebay

Born: May 17, 1903 (Starkville, Mississippi)

Died: March 7, 1991, 87 years old (St. Louis, Missouri)

Career: 25 seasons (1922-46)

Teams: St. Louis Stars (1922-31), Detroit Wolves (1932), Kansas City Monarchs (1932-34), Santo Domingo (1937), Homestead Grays (1932, 1943-46), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1933-38), Mexican League (1938-41), Memphis Red Sox (1942), Chicago American Giants (1942)

Key stats: Six-time Negro League All-Star (1933-36, 1942, 1944)

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. MDAH_Official / Twitter

Stories of Jason Thomas Bell, dubbed “Cool Papa,” begin and end with his speed. Satchel Paige once said of Cool Papa, “One time he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit him sliding into second.”

Bell reportedly ran the bases in dry conditions in a blazing 12 seconds (the average time is 16.7 seconds, while the Guiness record is 13.3 seconds, set in 1932). Teams feared walking him because it was almost guaranteed he would steal second — and third.

Bell had a lifetime batting average of .337 but never got the chance to play in the majors. He was on a Pittsburgh Crawfords roster in 1935 that featured five future Hall of Famers: Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson.

27. Pedro Martinez, Right-Handed Pitcher

Pedro Martinez won 219 games in his big league career. Mike Poche / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 25, 1971 (Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic)

Career: 18 seasons (1992-2009)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-93), Montreal Expos (1994-97), Boston Red Sox (1998-2004), New York Mets (2005-08), Philadelphia Phillies (2009)

Key stats: Three-time Cy Young winner (1997, 1999, 2000). Won pitching’s Triple Crown in 1999. Eight-time MLB All-Star (1996-2000, 2002, 2005, 2006).

World Series titles: 1 (2004)

Bottom Line: Pedro Martinez

Pedro Martinez won three Cy Youngs. Elise Amendola / AP Photo

Pedro Martinez followed older brother Ramon Martinez into the majors after the two were raised in a one-bedroom home with five children in the Dominican Republic. At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Pedro didn’t have the look of a dominant starting pitcher but somehow managed to be just that in the steroid era of juiced batters.

Martinez won three Cy Young Awards because he had a variety of pitches that few could rival — five (a four-seam fastball, power curveball, cutter, two-seam fastball and circle changeup) all could be thrown with pinpoint accuracy.

He’s the only player in baseball history to record 3,000 strikeouts in less than 3,000 innings. and with the advent of sabermetrics and his ERA+ ranking (third all-time), Martinez entered the conversation of baseball’s all-time GOATs.

26. Jimmie Foxx, First Baseman

Jimmie Foxx hit 534 career home runs. AP Photo

Born: Oct. 22, 1907 (Sudlersville, Maryland)

Died: July 21, 1967, 59 years old (Miami, Florida)

Career: 20 seasons (1925-42, 1943-45)

Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (1925-35), Boston Red Sox (1936-42), Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944), Philadelphia Phillies (1945)

Key stats: Three-time American League MVP (1932, 1933, 1938). Nine-time MLB All-Star (1933-41). Won Triple Crown in 1933.

World Series titles: 2 (1929, 1930)

Bottom Line: Jimmie Foxx

Jimmie Foxx played on four teams in his MLB career. AP Photo

Jimmie Foxx dropped out of Sudlersville (Maryland) High School to play minor league baseball as a sophomore and started his first game in the majors for the Philadelphia Athletics when he was 17 years old.

Foxx’s three MVP awards are second only to Barry Bonds’ seven, and Foxx’s 12 consecutive seasons with 30-plus home runs was a record until Bonds broke it in 2004.

After his career, Foxx worked as a manager in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and reportedly was the inspiration for the character played by Tom Hanks in the movie “A League of their Own.”

25. Walter Johnson, Right-Handed Pitcher

Walter Johnson won 417 games in his major league career. AP Photo

Born: Nov. 6, 1887 (Humboldt, Kansas)

Died: Dec. 10, 1946, 59 years old (Washington, D.C.)

Career: 21 seasons (1907-27)

Teams: Washington Senators

Key stats: Two-time American League MVP (1913, 1924), three-time pitching Triple Crown (1913, 1918, 1924), MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: 1 (1924)

Bottom Line: Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson was nicknamed “The Big Train.” AP Photo

Walter Johnson’s legend began to grow as a teenager at Fullerton (California) High, when he once struck out 27 batters in a 15-inning game.

The premier power pitcher of his era, Johnson led the American League in strikeouts 12 times and posted 3,508 strikeouts in his career, keeping him in exclusive company for 55 years until Bob Gibson became the second pitcher in MLB history to record his 3,000th strikeout.

Johnson still holds the major league record with 110 career shutouts and remains the only pitcher in history to record 400 wins and 3,500 strikeouts.

24. Ichiro Suzuki, Right Field

Ichiro Suzuki had 4,367 career hits in Japan and the major leagues. Jeff Zelevansky / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 22, 1973 (Nichi Kasugai-gu, Japan)

Career: 28 seasons (1992-19)

Teams: Orix BlueWave (1992-2000), Seattle Mariners (2001-12, 2018-19), New York Yankees (2012-14), Miami Marlins (2015-17)

Key stats: American League MVP (2001). 10-time MLB All-Star (2001-2010). 10 Gold Glove Awards (2001-10).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki played in 2,653 games in his MLB career. John Froschauer / AP Photo

Ichiro Suzuki was the first Japanese-born player signed to a major league roster and became an instant star.

After playing nine years in Japan’s top-tier Nippon Professional Baseball league, Ichiro took the field for the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and was named American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in his first season. Then, he set the MLB single-season record with 262 hits in 2004.

Ichiro played a combined 28 seasons in Japan and the major league before he retired in 2019 with 4,367 hits (3,089 in MLB and 1,278 in NPB). He also won 17 straight Gold Glove Awards between the two leagues.

23. Joe DiMaggio, Center Field

Joe DiMaggio had 2,214 career hits. AP Photo

Born: Nov. 25, 1914 (Martinez, California)

Died: March 8, 1999, 84 years old (Hollywood, Florida)

Career: 13 seasons (1936-42, 1946-51)

Teams: New York Yankees

Key stats: Three-time American League MVP (1939, 1941, 1947). 13-time MLB All-Star (1936-42, 1946-51). MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: 9 (1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951)

Bottom Line: Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio, right, scored 1,390 runs in his career. AP Photo

If there’s a baseball record that will never be broken, it’s Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941.

One of three brothers who played center field in the majors (alongside Vince and Dom DiMaggio), Joe was one of baseball’s all-time great winners with nine World Series titles in 13 seasons with the Yankees.

Like most players of his era, “Joltin’ Joe” lost three seasons in his prime to go fight in World War II and also saw his power numbers hampered by playing at cavernous Yankee Stadium.

22. Sandy Koufax, Left-Handed Pitcher

Sandy Koufax averaged more than one strikeout per inning in his career, with 2,396 strikeouts in 2,324.1 innings. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 30, 1935 (Brooklyn, New York)

Career: 12 seasons (1955-66)

Teams: Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

Key stats: National League MVP (1963). Three-time Cy Young winner (1963, 1965, 1966). Three-time Triple Crown winner (1963, 1965, 1966).

World Series titles: 4 (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965)

Bottom Line: Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax won 165 games in his career. AP Photo

The youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame at 36, Sandy Koufax dominated from the mound, unlike almost any pitcher who ever played.

He threw four no-hitters, one perfect game and won the Cy Young Award three times by a unanimous vote, when the award was given to just one MLB pitcher each year

Dodgers scout Al Campanis’ once said, “I’ve only felt the hair on my arms stand up twice. When I saw the Sistine Chapel and the first time I saw Sandy Koufax throw a fastball.”

21. Johnny Bench, Catcher

Johnny Bench won 10 Gold Gloves. Larry Stoddard / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 7, 1947 (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Career: 17 seasons (1967-83)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds

Key stats: Two-time National League MVP (1970, 1972). World Series MVP (1976). 14-time MLB All-Star (1968-80, 1983). 10 Gold Glove Awards (1968-77).

World Series titles: 2 (1975, 1976)

Bottom Line: Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench was a 14-time All-Star. AP Photo

It’s either Johnny Bench or Josh Gibson when it comes to arguing who the greatest catcher of all time is.

Bench was the key piece to Cincy’s “Big Red Machine” dynasty in the 1970s. He was the first player to win a Gold Glove Award as a rookie (the first of 10 straight) and became the youngest player in history to win MVP honors in 1972, when he was 22 years old.

In his prime, Bench guided the Reds to back-to-back World Series titles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 on his first ballot with 96.4 percent of the vote.

20. Ken Griffey Jr., Center Field

AP Photo

Born: Nov. 21, 1969 (Donora, Pennsylvania)

Career: 22 seasons (1989-2010)

Teams: Seattle Mariners (1989-99, 2009-10), Cincinnati Reds (2000-08), Chicago White Sox (2008)

Key stats: American League MVP (1997), 13-time MLB All-Star (1990-2000, 2004, 2007), 10-time Gold Glove Award (1990-99). NL Comeback Player of the Year (2005).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. won 10 Gold Gloves. Gary Stewart / AP Photo

Ken Griffey Jr. spent his childhood in major league dugouts with his father, Ken Griffey Sr., including the 1975 and 1976 World Series titles for Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine.”

Griffey Jr. would become one of baseball’s all-time greatest home run hitters, finishing his career with 630 home runs despite injuries plaguing his him once he left Seattle for Cincinnati in 2000.

“The Kid” also was overshadowed in his later years by steroid era home run hitters, but he got some recompense when he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 with 99.3 percent of the vote on his first ballot.

19. Josh Gibson, Catcher

Josh Gibson is one of the best catchers in baseball history but never got a chance to play in the majors. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 21, 1911 (Buena Vista, Georgia)

Died: Jan. 20, 1947, 35 years old (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Career: 17 seasons (1930-46)

Teams: Homestead Grays (1930-31, 1937-39, 1942-46), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-36)

Key stats: Nine-time Negro League All-Star (1933-36, 1939, 1942-1944, 1946). Two-time Negro League World Series champion (1943, 1944). Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Josh Gibson

Josh Gibson hit almost 800 home runs in his career. StinkyTrav15 / Twitter

Josh Gibson never played in the majors as his career played out in the years leading up to baseball’s integration. But he was a famed power hitter with a reported .359 lifetime batting average, although statistics from the Negro Leagues aren’t considered totally accurate.

The best example of Gibson’s brilliance at the plate was the 1933 season. Playing for the Negro League Pittsburgh Crawfords, in 137 games against all levels of competition, he batted .467 with 55 home runs.

Gibson died of a brain hemorrhage at 35 years old.

18. Lou Gehrig, First Base

Lou Gehrig won six World Series with the New York Yankees. AP Photo

Born: June 19, 1903 (New York City, New York)

Died: June 2, 1941, 37 years old (Bronx, New York)

Career: 17 seasons (1923-39)

Teams: New York Yankees

Key stats: Two-time American League MVP (1927, 1936). Won Triple Crown in 1934. Seven-time MLB All-Star (1933-39)

World Series titles: 6 (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938)

Bottom Line: Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games. AP Photo

At just 17 years old, Lou Gehrig grabbed national headlines when he hit a grand slam out of Wrigley Field during a game between his high school, New York Commerce, and Chicago’s Lane Tech High.

In the majors, he reeled off 14 seasons without missing a game — a record streak of 2,130 games that wasn’t broken for 56 years, until Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995.

Gehrig’s .340 career batting average, 493 home runs, 1,995 RBI and 2,721 hits are even more impressive when you consider he was forced to retire at 35 years old after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease took his life two years later.

17. Honus Wagner, Shortstop

Honus Wagner, left, played with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1917. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 24, 1874 (Chartiers Borough, Pennsylvania)

Died: Dec. 6, 1955, 81 years old (Carnegie, Pennsylvania)

Career: 21 seasons (1897-1917)

Teams: Louisville Colonels (1897-99), Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-17)

Key stats: Eight-time National League batting champion (1900, 1903, 1904, 1906-09). MLB All-Century Team (1999). Member of first Baseball Hall of Fame class in 1936.

World Series titles: 1 (1909)

Bottom Line: Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner was an eight-time batting champ. A_andres64 / Twitter

Just over a century after he played his last game, Honus Wagner is still widely regarded as the greatest shortstop of all time.

Wagner won eight National League batting titles and dominated the game in all facets, finishing his career with a.329 batting average, 3,430 hits, 1,732 RBI and 732 stolen bases over 21 seasons.

Wagner’s T206 baseball card from the early 1900s is among the rarest and most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia in existence. Only 57 were made, and they’ve sold for up to $3.1 million each.

16. Randy Johnson, Left-Handed Pitcher

Randy Johnson struck fear into opposing batters. Tim Johnson / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 10, 1963 (Walnut Creek, California)

Career: 22 seasons (1988-2009)

Teams: Montreal Expos (1988-89), Seattle Mariners (1989-98), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08), New York Yankees (2005-06), San Francisco Giants (2009)

Key stats: Five-time Cy Young winner (1995, 1999-2002). World Series MVP (2001). Won pitching Triple Crown in 2002. 10-time MLB All-Star (1990, 1993-95, 1997, 1999-2002, 2004).

World Series titles: 1 (2001)

Bottom Line: Randy Johhnson

Randy Johnson won five Cy Youngs. Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo

In his prime, Randy Johnson’s fastball reached 100 miles per hour on a regular basis — and that wasn’t even his best pitch. That was an unhittable, 90-mph slider.

Early in his career, control problems threatened to derail his progress until Nolan Ryan suggested a change in his delivery, and he became one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers, winning five Cy Young Awards.

He’s also one of just seven pitchers to toss a no-hitter and a perfect game. He finished his career with a 303-166 record and is No. 2 on the MLB career list with 4,875 strikeouts.

15. Pete Rose, Outfield/Infield

Pete Rose made his big league debut for the Reds in Cincinnati on April 8, 1963. Rusty Kennedy / AP Photo

Born: April 14, 1941 (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Career: 24 seasons (1963-86)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, 1984-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-83), Montreal Expos (1984)

Key stats: National League MVP (1973). World Series MVP (1975). 17-time MLB All-Star (1965, 1967-71, 1973-82, 1985).

World Series titles: 3 (1975, 1976, 1980)

Bottom Line: Pete Rose

Pete Rose had 4,256 hits in his career. AP Photo

Pete Rose finished his career with five major league records — 4,2456 hits, 3,215 singles, 3,562 games, 14,053 at-bats and 15,890 career plate appearances.

During his playing days, he was one of the most celebrated players of all time and his name was mentioned alongside the greatest to ever play the game.

That legacy all came crashing down when an MLB inquiry revealed Rose bet on baseball games he played in and managed. He accepted a lifetime ban from baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti in August 1989.

14. Nolan Ryan, Right-Handed Pitcher

Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters in his career. AP Photo

Born: Jan. 31, 1947 (Refugio, Texas)

Career: 27 seasons (1966-93)

Teams: New York Mets (1966, 1968-71), California Angels (1972-79), Houston Astros (1980-88), Texas Rangers (1989-93)

Stats: Eight-time MLB All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989). MLB All-Century Team (1999). Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

World Series titles: 1 (1969)

Bottom Line: Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan finished his career with 5,714 strikeouts. Susan Ragan / AP Photo

New York Mets scout Red Murff first laid eyes on Nolan Ryan as a sophomore at Alvin High School in Texas in 1963 and put in his notes that Ryan not only had “the best arm I’ve ever seen,” but that some opposing players refused to bat against him out of fear.

Ryan played a stunning 27 seasons in the majors, posting an MLB record seven no-hitters, 12 one-hitters and 5,714 career strikeouts — almost 1,000 strikeouts ahead of the No. 2 player on the list, Randy Johnson.

Somehow, Ryan never won a Cy Young.

13. Rickey Henderson, Left Field

Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 bases in his career. Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 25, 1958 (Chicago, Illinois)

Career: 25 seasons (1979-2003)

Teams: Oakland Athletics (1979-84, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998), New York Yankees (1985-89), Toronto Blue Jays (1993), San Diego Padres (1996-97, 2001), Anaheim Angels (1997), New York Mets (1999-2000), Seattle Mariners (2000), Boston Red Sox (2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)

Stats: American League MVP (1990). 10-time MLB All-Star (1980, 1982-88, 1990, 1991). ALCS MVP (1990).

World Series titles: 2 (1989, 1993)

Bottom Line: Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson won two World Series rings. Leonard Ignelzi / AP Photo

Rickey Henderson was born on Christmas Day in 1958 in the backseat of his parents’ Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. He was a high school All-American running back with his pick of scholarship offers, but chose baseball because his prescient mother told him football players’ careers were too short.

Henderson played 25 seasons in the majors and retired with three career MLB records: most stolen bases (1,406), runs (2,295) and leadoff home runs (81).

Henderson played for nine teams (including four stints with the Athletics) and once famously framed a check for $1 million instead of cashing it.

12. Greg Maddux, Right-Handed Pitcher

Greg Maddux won four ERA titles in his career. Ed Reinke / AP Photo

Born: April 14, 1966 (San Angelo, Texas)

Career: 23 seasons (1986-2008)

Teams: Chicago Cubs (1986-92, 2004-06), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-08)

Key stats: Four-time National League Cy Young winner (1992-1995). 18 Gold Glove Awards (1990-2002, 2004-08). Eight-time MLB All-Star (1988, 1992, 1994-98, 2000).

World Series titles: 1 (1995)

Bottom Line: Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux won four Cy Youngs. David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, one of the most feared hitters in history, described Greg Maddux’s pitching style best: “It’s like he’s inside your mind with you.”

Maddux was the first player to win four consecutive Cy Young Awards (a feat only matched by Randy Johnson) and picked teams apart for two-plus decades with unmatched consistency, winning 15 or more games for 17 seasons in a row.

The crafty right-hander remains the only pitcher in history to record 300 career wins, 3,000 career strikeouts and less than 1,000 career walks.

11. Stan Musial, Outfield/First Base

Stan Musial was one of baseball’s greatest hitters. Warren M. Winterbottom / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 21, 1920 (Donora, Pennsylvania)

Died: Jan. 19, 2013, 92 years old (Laude, Missouri)

Career: 23 seasons (1941-44, 1946-63)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals

Key stats: Three-time National League MVP (1943, 1946, 1948). 24-time MLB All-Star (1943, 1944, 1946-63). MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: 3 (1942, 1944, 1946)

Bottom line: Stan Musial

Stan Musial hit 475 career home runs. AP Photo

Stan Musial is one of the greatest left-handed hitters of all time.

Musial was born on Nov. 21, 1920, in Donora, Pennsylvania., where he was a teammate of Buddy Griffey, the father of major outfielder Ken Griffey Sr. and grandfather of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was born on Nov. 21, 1969, in Donora, and is considered another great left-handed hitter after Musial. Which is a really weird coincidence.

Musial, one of the most beloved players in history, could do anything at the plate, and his .331 batting average, 3,630 hits and 1,951 RBI career numbers are still among the best in history.

10. Satchel Paige, Right-Handed Pitcher

Satchel Paige was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers ever. Matty Zimmerman / AP Photo

Born: July 17, 1906 (Mobile, Alabama)

Died: June 8, 1982, 75 years old (Kansas City, Missouri)

Career: 24 seasons (1926-53, 1965)

Teams: Chattanooga Black Lookouts (1926), Birmingham Black Barons (1927-30), Baltimore Black Sox (1930), Cleveland Cubs (1931), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-34, 1936), Kansas City Monarchs (1935, 1939-47), New York Black Yankees (1941), Memphis Red Sox (1943), Philadelphia Stars (1946, 1950), Cleveland Indians (1948-49), St. Louis Browns (1951-53), Kansas City Athletics (1965)

Key stats: Two-time MLB All-Star (1952, 1953). Five-time Negro League All-Star (1934, 1936, 1941-43). Negro League World Series champion (1942).

World Series titles: 1 (1948)

Bottom Line: Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. Harry Harris / AP Photo

One of the greatest legends in baseball is the story of Leroy “Satchel” Paige, who learned to pitch while incarcerated from ages 12 to 17 in the Alabama Reform School for Juvenile Negro Lawbreakers.

He became a star in the Negro Leagues over several decades before he signed his first major league contract with the Cleveland Indians at 42 years old, but his stats don’t tell the whole story.

Paige would have dominated in any era — a lanky, solid 6-foot-3 with an unhittable fastball and magnetic personality that filled up stadiums.

9. Barry Bonds, Left Field

Barry Bonds was a lifetime .298 hitter. Tim Johnson / AP Photo

Born: July 24, 1964 (Riverside, California)

Career: 22 seasons (1986-2007)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants 1993-2007)

Key stats: Seven-time National League MVP (1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). Eight Gold Glove Awards (1990-94, 1996-98). 14-time MLB All-Star (1990, 1992-98, 2000-04, 2007).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is baseball’s home run king with 762. Gary Dineen / AP Photo

Perhaps the most controversial player of all time, Barry Bonds became a star in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a five-tool player and won seven MVP awards in his career — more MVPs than any player in history.

But in the early 2000s, his career made a stunning transition as he became the greatest power hitter of all time, setting the MLB single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 and career record with 762 home runs.

Steroid use always loomed large, and he was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2007 in regards to the government’s BALCO investigation. The conviction was overturned in 2015, but through 2020 and eight years of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, he’s yet to be elected.

8. Cy Young, Right-Handed Pitcher

Cy Young was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. Charles M. Conlon / Wikimedia Commons

Born: March 29, 1867 (Gilmore, Ohio)

Died: Nov. 4, 1955 , 88 years old (Newcomerstown, Ohio)

Career: 22 seasons (1890-1911)

Teams: Cleveland Spiders (1890-98), St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals (1899-1900), Boston Americans/Red Sox (1901-08), Cleveland Naps (1909-11), Boston Rustlers (1911).

Key stats: Won pitching Triple Crown in 1901. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: 1 (1903)

Bottom Line: Cy Young

Cy Young won 511 games. Library of Congress / Wikimedia

Denton True Young earned the nickname “Cy” at his tryout for the Cleveland Spiders in 1889, when he pitched for scouts against a backstop that wasn’t long for this world. “After he pitched, it looked like a cyclone hit it,” they said.

Young’s mastery of controlling pitches was legendary as well and benefited him as he got older. In all, he pitched three no-hitters, one perfect game and still holds major league records for wins (511), innings pitched (7,356), games started (815) and complete games (749).

7. Mickey Mantle, Center Field

Mickey Mantle hit 18 home runs in World Series games, more than any other player in major league history. AP Photo

Born: Oct. 20, 1931 (Spavinaw, Oklahoma)

Died: Aug. 13, 1995, 63 years old (Dallas, Texas)

Career: 18 seasons (1951-68)

Teams: New York Yankees

Key stats: Three-time American League MVP (1956, 1957, 1962). 20-time MLB All-Star (1952-65, 1967, 1968). Won Triple Crown in 1956.

World Series titles: 7 (1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962)

Bottom Line: Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle had 2,415 hits in his career. Bob Schutz / AP Photo

One of baseball’s greatest winners, Mickey Mantle played in the World Series 12 times, won seven titles and holds almost every significant World Series offensive career record.

Mantle tried to quit baseball several times while he was in the minor leagues but was talked (or shamed) out of it by his father each time.

Over 18 regular seasons, he missed 551 games due to injury but still had 536 home runs and 1,509 RBI.

6. Ty Cobb, Center Field

Ty Cobb played 24 seasons in the majors. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 18, 1886 (Narrows, Georgia)

Died: July 17, 1961, 74 years old (Atlanta, Georgia)

Career: 24 seasons (1905-28)

Teams: Detroit Tigers (1905-26), Philadelphia Athletics (1927-28)

Key stats: American League MVP (1911). Won Triple Crown in 1909. MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb had 4,189 hits in his career. AP Photo

Longtime Detroit Tigers teammate Charlie Gehringer summed up Ty Cobb’s approach to baseball: “He played like he was on a crusade, like it was war. And he was being pursued by demons the whole way.”

Cobb’s ferociousness inside and outside of the game was legendary, as were the numbers he put up. He still holds major league records for career batting average (.366), steals of home (54) and batting titles (12), and retired with 43 MLB records.

Cobb was one of the first five elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and had the most votes of the group.

5. Ted Williams, Left Field

Ted Williams wrote a book on hitting called “The Science of Hitting.” AP Photo

Born: Aug. 30, 1918 (San Diego, California)

Died: July 5, 2002, 83 years old (Inverness, Florida)

Career: 19 seasons (1939-42, 1946-60)

Teams: Boston Red Sox

Key stats: Two-time American League MVP (1946, 1949). 19-time MLB All-Star (1940-42, 1946-51, 1953-60). Two-time Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947).

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Ted Williams

Ted Williams hit 521 career home runs. Harry Harris / AP Photo

Widely regarded as the greatest pure hitter of all time, Ted Williams began playing for his hometown team, the then-minor league San Diego Padres in high school.

Called up by the Boston Red Sox in 1939, Williams won his first Triple Crown in 1942, then another Triple Crown in 1947. He remains the last player to hit over .400 in 1941 and still has the highest career on-base percentage of all time at .482.

Williams also was a war hero, giving up five seasons in his prime to fight for his country in World War II and the Korean War as a Navy pilot.

4. Hank Aaron, Right Field

Hank Aaron had 3,771 hits and 2,297 RBI. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 5, 1934 (Mobile, Alabama)

Died: Jan. 22, 2021, 86 years old (Atlanta, Georgia)

Career: 24 seasons (1952, 1954-76)

Teams: Indianapolis Clowns (1952), Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-74), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76)

Key stats: National League MVP (1957). 25-time MLB All-Star (1955-75). Three Gold Glove Awards (1958-60). MLB All-Century Team (1999).

World Series titles: 1 (1957)

Bottom Line: Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs. AP Photo

Hank Aaron grew up in poverty just outside Mobile, Alabama. Too poor to afford baseball equipment, he practiced hitting bottle caps with sticks and making balls and bats out of whatever items he could find.

He retired from baseball as the career leader in home runs (755) and still holds major league records for RBI (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856).

In an odd twist, Aaron changed his number to No. 44 in his second season and went on to hit 44 home runs in four different seasons.

3. Oscar Charleston, Center Field/First Base

Oscar Charleston was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. AP Photo

Born: Oct. 14, 1896 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Died: Oct. 6, 1954, 57 years old (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Career: 27 seasons (1915-41)

Teams: Indianapolis ABCs (1915-18, 1920, 1922, 1923), Lincoln Stars (1916), Chicago American Giants (1919), Detroit Stars (1919), St. Louis Giants (1921), Harrisburg Giants (1924-27, 1930-31), Hilldale Club (1928-29), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-37), Toledo Crawfords (1939), Indianapolis Crawfords (1940), Philadelphia Stars (1941)

Key stats: Three-time Negro League All-Star (1933-35). Batted .339 in his career and slugged .545.

World Series titles: None

Bottom Line: Oscar Charleston

Oscar Charleston batted .339 in his career. BlacKnightMedia / Twitter

Oscar Charleston’s pro baseball career began five years before the Negro Leagues were formed in 1920, and his contemporaries — including opposing managers and famed sportswriter Grantland Rice — compared him to Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Babe Ruth, among others.

Charleston is in the top five in Negro Leagues history in batting average and home runs and is the career leader in stolen bases.

Analytics guru Bill James ranked Charleston as the No. 4 player of all time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.

2. Babe Ruth, Outfield/Pitcher

Babe Ruth was larger than life — on and off the baseball diamond. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 6, 1895 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Died: Aug. 16, 1948, 53 years old (New York City, New York)

Career: 22 seasons (1914-35)

Teams: Boston Red Sox (1914-19), New York Yankees (1920-34), Boston Braves (1935)

Key stats: American League MVP (1923). Two-time MLB All-Star (1933, 1934). Member of first Hall of Fame class in 1936.

World Series titles: 7 (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932)

Bottom Line: Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs in his career. AP Photo

George Herman “Babe” Ruth was sent to live at a boys reformatory in Baltimore at just 7 years old because his family couldn’t handle his behavior.

He learned baseball at the reformatory and went on to become one of America’s greatest sporting icons — an almost mythical figure who started his career as a dominant pitcher with the Boston Red Sox before becoming the game’s greatest slugger with the New York Yankees.

Ruth retired with major league records for home runs (714), RBI (2,213) and walks (2,062), and still holds the records for slugging percentage (.690) and on-base plus slugging (1.164).

1. Willie Mays, Center Field

Willie Mays was a lifetime .302 hitter with 660 career home runs. Harold Filan / AP Photo

Born: May 6, 1931 (Westfield, Alabama)

Career: 24 seasons (1948-52, 1954-73)

Teams: Birmingham Black Barons (1948-50), New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-71), New York Mets (1972-73)

Key stats: Two-time National League MVP (1954, 1965). 12-time Gold Glove winner (1957-68). 24-time MLB All-Star (1954-73).

World Series titles: 1 (1954)

Bottom Line: Willie Mays

Willie Mays holding bats in the clubhouse

Willie Mays is the greatest of them all. AP Photo

The five tools. Speed, power, hitting for average, fielding, arm strength. Willie Mays had them all. He rose from rural Alabama to the Negro Leagues when he was in high school and reached the majors with the New York Giants by the time he was 19 years old.

His over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series is perhaps the most iconic play in baseball history and came before he won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves. His career .302 batting average, 660 home runs, 3,283 hits, 1,903 RBI and 338 stolen bases match up against anyone who ever played the game. And he did not play for two years early in his career due to military service.

Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 with 94.7 percent of the vote.