Top 15 MLB Right-Fielders of ALL TIME

Welcome back to another MLB top 15 position video and today we’ll be talking about some of the greatest right fielders to ever play the game. Right field is the farthest position from third base, usually meaning the right fielder needs to have an extremely powerful arm. Oftentimes, that’s not the only thing powerful about a right-fielder, as many of the greatest hitters of all time played the majority of their games as the position. On today’s Top 15, every single player is in the Hall of Fame. To be eligible for the list, a player has to be retired, has to have played in at least 1,000 games in right field and it had to be the position they played more than any other. But before getting into the Top 15, I have 5 quick honorable mentions.

Sammy Sosa

Sosa is 10th all time with 2,015 games played in right field and is 1st all time with 576 home runs as a right-fielder. The 1998 MVP hit over 60 home runs in a season 3 times, also a record. However, it’s hard to tell how good he would’ve been without the ‘roids. Sosa was below average defensively, although he did have a strong arm with 127 career assists. His career WAR of 58.6 is relatively low compared to other great right-fielders. But, he definitely deserves a mention for his insane peak.

Gary Sheffield

9-time All Star Gary Sheffield began his career as a shortstop and third baseman, but settled into right-field in 1994 with the Florida Marlins. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game, consistently hitting near .300 with big power. Sheffield had exceptional bat speed and impressive plate discipline. He retired with 509 home runs, a .394 on-base percentage and a .907 OPS. His 60.5 WAR ranks 19th among right-fielders

Dwight Evans

One of my top Hall of Fame snubs of all time, Dwight Evans barely missed out on the Top 15. He brought an incredible combination of power, patience and elite defense to the ballpark every night. Evans won 8 Gold Gloves, led the league in walks 3 times, and hit at least 20 home runs in 11 separate seasons. He retired with a .370 on-base percentage and 385 home runs. He is a borderline Hall of Famer with his bat alone, but the 8 Gold Gloves should definitely have put him over the top.

Vladmir Guerrero

Although he finished his career as a full-time DH, Guerrero played 1,605 games as a right-fielder with one of the most powerful arms in the game. But his main skillset was definitely his bat, and Guerrero had elite hand eye coordination that allowed him to put wood on the ball no matter where the pitch was thrown. He consistently hit well over .300 with power, crushing 449 career bombs. Guerrero made 9 All Star teams, won 8 Silver Sluggers, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Dave Parker

“The Cobra” was one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball and also had a rocket for an arm. He won an MVP, 3 Gold Gloves, an All Star Game MVP, two World Series Rings and back-to-back batting titles. He was a key member of the Pirates championship team in 1979, hitting .333 in the NLCS and .345 in the World Series. He had 2,700 hits and 143 outfield assists in his career. Parker was just recently elected to the Hall of Fame, but sadly he also passed away in June. Rest in Peace Cobra.

Now, let’s jump into the Top 15...

15. Ichiro Suzuki

The fact that Ichiro comes in at the bottom of this list tells you just how good these players are. Ichiro came over to the United States after a stellar 9 year career in Japan, making his MLB debut at age 27. He had a season for the ages, winning the Rookie of the Year and MVP, hitting .350 with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases. It was just the beginning for Ichiro, who played in 19 separate seasons in the big leagues, leading the league in hits 7 times, and he made 10 straight All Star Games while winning 10 straight Gold Glove Awards. He reached 3,000 hits with a .311 career average. Who knows what career records he could’ve broken had he started his career back in 1992 when he began his pro career in Japan. But regardless, Ichiro is one of the greatest right-fielders to ever play the game.

14. Andre Dawson

The Hawk, Andre Dawson, played center-field for the first few years of his career with the Expos, but moved to right in 1984, where he played for the rest of his career. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game from the beginning, as he won the Rookie of the Year in 1977 and after signing with the Cubs in 1987, became one of the best in the game. That year, he won the MVP with 49 bombs and 137 RBIs. He was also a fantastic fielder and won 8 total Gold Gloves, half of them as a right-fielder. He ended his career with 438 home runs, 2,774 hits, and an .806 OPS. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010.

13. Larry Walker

5-Time All Star Larry Walker could pretty much do it all. He obviously had big power, and hit 383 career home runs. He led the league in his MVP season of 1997 with 49 bombs. He could also hit for average like few others, leading the league in batting average 3 times, maxing out with a .379 mark in 1999. He also had a great eye, worked consistent walks, and was an elite fielder, winning 7 Gold Gloves. He retired with 150 career assists, 20th on the All Time list for right-fielders. He was even a great baserunner, with 11 seasons of double-digit steals including 33 in 1997. He stole 230 career bases, hit .313 and retired with a .965 OPS. Few players helped their teams win ballgames like the legendary Larry Walker, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

12. Dave Winfield

Up next is the 7-time Gold Glover and 6-Time Silver Slugger, Dave Winfield, whose reign of terror against pitchers began in 1977 when he made his first of 12 straight All Star Teams. That year, he crushed 25 homers and began a streak of 15 seasons, with the exception of the strike shortened 1981, in which he would crush at least 19 bombs. He drove in at least 100 runs 8 times and finished in the Top 10 for the MVP 7 times, although he never won the award. But he had incredible longevity, playing for 22 seasons. He was an impact player even later in his career, crushing 2 home runs in the 1992 ALCS for the Blue Jays, helping them reach and eventually win the World Series. He retired with 3,110 hits and 465 home runs and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001.

11. Sam Crawford

The legendary Sam Crawford was the best fielding and throwing right-fielder in the game during his time and he retired with an insane 191 assists, 5th all time. The speedy right-fielder played for 19 years and set all types of MLB records, many which still stand today. He led the league in triples 6 times, and RBIs 3 times, surpassing 100 6 times in his career. He even had pop for his era, crushing a league leading 16 home runs in 1901, an incredibly high number for the dead ball era. He was also a prolific basestealer, stealing at least 20 bases 9 times, with a maximum of 42 in 1912. Crawford, to this day, has an MLB record 309 triples, a record that may stand forever, as a player would need to average 16 triples a year for 20 years to break it, and no one has hit 16 triples in a season since Jose Reyes in 2011. I would say Crawford’s record is safe.

10. Harry Heilmann

Moving into the Top 10, we have one of the most overlooked players in MLB history because he played alongside Ty Cobb for a decade, Harry Heilmann, AKA Slug, was one of the best hitters in the game during his time. He is currently 15th all time with a .342 career batting average and he won four batting titles during his career, once topping .400 with a .403 mark in 1923. He also had solid power for his time, hitting double digit bombs 9 times, including 21 homers in 1922. On July 8th, 1921, he hit a home run over the centerfield wall in Detroit that, according to reports at the time, “actually made the patrons gasp in astonishment.” It was reported to have traveled 610 feet, certainly an exaggeration. Detroit’s grounds keeper said it was closer to around 500 feet. Heilmann was also a great fielder and certainly would’ve won some Gold Gloves if they existed back then. He had 175 career assists, 11th all time among right-fielders. Heilmann never won an MVP, competing with the likes of Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Walter Johnson, but he finished in the Top 5 four times. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1952.

9. Paul Waner

Another forgotten superstar of the late 20’s and early 30’s, Paul Waner AKA Big Poison was an immediate sensation for the Pirates in 1926 when he hit .336 with a league leading 22 triples his rookie year. He followed that up with an MVP season in which he hit .380 with 131 RBIs. He continued to hit well over .300 nearly ever season, and he hit double-digit triples for 10 straight years. Waner was known as one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball, with amazing speed and an extremely strong and accurate arm that led to 238 right-field assists, 3rd in the history of the game and a National League record to this day. He threw out at least 15 runners in 8 separate seasons. He became the 7th member of the 3,000 hit club and retired with 3,152 hits. He had a .333 career batting average and .401 on-base percentage. His 191 triples are 10th all time and his 605 doubles are 14th. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1952.

8. Tony Gwynn

Next up, we have one the greatest hitters to ever live, Padres legend Tony Gwynn. The Padres knew he was a pure hitter with solid potential when they took the local kid in the 3rd round out of San Diego State in 1981, but they had no idea just how good he would become. Gwynn immediately tore up the minor leagues, hitting .462 in Double-A, forcing a call up by 1982. He quickly became a regular in the Padres lineup, and led the league in 1984 with a .351 average and 213 hits, finishing 3rd for the MVP. He continued to rake his entire career, making 15 All Star Teams, winning 8 batting titles, and he also played excellent defense in right-field, taking home 5 Gold Glove Awards. He led the league in hits in 7 separate seasons and in batting average 8 separate seasons, finishing his career with 3,141 hits and a .338 career batting average. He was easily elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2007.

7. Reggie Jackson

A powerful slugger with a flair for the dramatic, Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, crushed 563 home runs in his illustrious career and that doesn’t count his 18 postseason bombs, many extremely dramatic, including 3 in one World Series game. He began his career with the A’s and made his first of 14 All Star teams in 1969, a season in which he hit 47 home runs with an OPS over 1.000. Jackson hit .310 with a home run in the 1973 World Series, helping the A’s take home the championship. He followed up with another solid World Series performance in ‘74, helping his team win back to back championships. He did the same for the New York Yankees and was unstoppable in both the 1977 and 1978 fall classics. In ‘77, he hit .450 with 5 bombs then in ‘78, hit .391 with 2 bombs and 8 RBIs. Jackson had a flamboyant personality and often crashed with his managers, most notably Billy Martin. He wasn’t the best defender and did strike out a lot, but it was all worth it for his incredible power and ability to come through when it counted. Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

6. Al Kaline

Coming in at #6 is Al Kaline, who played 22 years in the big leagues, accumulating over 3,000 hits with 399 homers and a .297 batting average. He was a force at the plate since his rookie year and in 1955, he led the league with a .340 batting average while crushing 27 homers with 102 RBIs. He hit over .300 in 9 separate seasons, consistently hitting between around 20-29 homers. He had a good eye and worked 1,277 walks, resulting in a .376 on-base percentage. He was also one of most exceptional defenders in the game, retiring with a .987 fielding percentage and 146 assists. From the inception of the Gold Glove in 1957, he won one in ten out of eleven seasons. He would’ve likely won at least 2 or 3 more if they existed earlier in his career. In 1968, Kaline hit .379 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs in the World Series, helping his Tigers win it all. Kaline retired as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

5. Roberto Clemente

Now we move into the Top 5 for some of the most decorated and legendary ballplayers of all time, and they all played right field. At #5 is the Great One, Roberto Clemente, whose career was tragically cut short on December 31st, 1972 when he perished in a plane crash attempting to deliver aid packages to Nicaragua, which was affected by a massive Earthquake. When he died, Clemente was already a baseball legend, having played for 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an absolute superstar offensively and defensively. He had his breakout season in 1960 when he hit .314 with 16 homers, making his first of 15 All Star Teams, but the next year, he was even better, leading the league with a .351 average. He won 4 batting titles in his career, and finished in the Top 10 for MVP 8 times, winning the Award in 1966. As a defender, Clemente was absolutely stellar, possibly the greatest defensive right-fielder ever. He had a cannon for an arm and was ridiculously accurate as well. He had 256 career assists, second in the history of the game for a right-fielder. He was also known for spectacular catches, many times leaping or sliding to catch balls that seemed uncatchable. Clemente was simply was one of the best to ever play the game, and when he died, he had exactly 3,000 hits, a .317 batting average and 12 Gold Gloves. Clemente was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 in a Special Election.

4. Frank Robinson

Next up is Frank Robinson, who lit up the league out of nowhere in his rookie year of 1956 with Cincinnati, hitting .290 with 38 bombs and a league leading 122 runs. He unanimously won the Rookie of the Year Award and continued to crush the baseball for 21 years, hitting at least 30 home runs 11 times while hitting for average. He led the league in OPS in 4 separate seasons, each eclipsing the 1.000 mark. In 1961, he won his first MVP, still with the Reds, by hitting .323 with 37 bombs, and a league leading .611 slugging percentage. He won another MVP in 1966, his first year with Baltimore, in a season for the ages – Robinson won the Triple Crown, hitting .316 with 122 RBIs and a career high 49 home runs. Robinson ended his career with 586 bombs and a .294 average and he also became the first black manager in MLB history in 1975, but he was also still a player, and went deep in his first at bat as manager. Robinson was also an elite defender and he won a Gold Glove in 1958, and he even stole over 200 bases in his career. He got his plaque in the Hall of Fame in 1982.

3. Mel Ott

During the 1930’s the best power hitter in the National League hands down was New York Giants right-fielder Mel Ott. He led the league in homers 6 times and was also one of the most patient hitters in the game, leading the league in walks 6 times and on-base percentage four times. He played for 22 years, all for the Giants, and retired with 511 home runs, 2,876 hits, 1,708 walks and a .304 batting average. He was an elite defender with an insane arm, retiring with 235 assists, still 4th in MLB history for a right-fielder. He made the first All Star Team in 1934 and went on to make a total of 11, and got MVP votes in 13 seasons, but never won the award. He might be the greatest MLB player of all time who played while the MVP award existed, and never actually won it. In 1942, he led the league in WAR, runs, home runs, walks, and OPS, but finished 3rd for the MVP behind Enos Slaughter and pitcher Mort Cooper. Ott is still 20th all time in career WAR with a 111 WAR, higher than Mickey Mantle. Ott was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.

2. Hank Aaron

Hammerin’ Hank Aaron needs no introduction. He was simply a once-in-a-lifetime generational talent who put together an insanely impressive career in which he made an MLB record 25 All Star teams, 13 Top 10 MVP seasons, 3,771 hits and at the time he retired an MLB record 755 home runs. Aaron was elite from day one with the Milwaukee Braves, and he won his MVP award in his 4th season, 1957, when he hit .322 with 44 home runs and 132 RBIs. He was incredibly consistent, year after year, crushing at least 20 home runs a year for an absolutely crazy 20 straight seasons, and he usually hit well over 30. Aaron was a 5-tool talent who could defend, throw, hit for power, hit for average and run – he stole over 20 bases in 6 separate seasons and retired with 179 right-field assists, 9th in the history of the game. He had a .305 career average, 2,227 RBIs and still holds the MLB record with 6,856 total bases, a record that may never be touched. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

1. Babe Ruth

But at #1 has to be the greatest of all time, Babe Ruth, who played 1,128 games in right field. No player ever separated himself more from his peers than Ruth, who started his career as a pitcher, and he was elite, winning 23 games in 1916 with a league leading 1.75 ERA. But he was too good of a hitter to be a pitcher, and in 1919, he moved to the outfield full time and put up numbers no one ever thought possible before. Ruth smashed an MLB record 29 home runs with 113 RBIs, and he was just getting started. In 1920, he broke his own record with 54 homers, then broke it again in 1921 with 59. His offensive numbers dwarved those of every other player, and he also hit for average, hitting well over .300 nearly every season, maxing out an an incredible .393 mark in 1923, the year he won the MVP award. At that time, players were only allowed to win one MVP. Had that not been the case, Ruth could’ve won as many as 10 MVPs. Earlier in his career, Ruth had speed and was an above-average defender, but as he focused more on hitting and gained weight, his defensive skills declined. Still, Ruth’s offensive numbers more than made up for it and he ended his career with 714 home runs and a .342 batting average. To this day, Babe Ruth holds the MLB record for career slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and WAR. He is 3rd all time in walks, 3rd in home runs, and even 13th in batting average. And he has to come in at #1 as the greatest right-fielder, and let’s be honest, compared to his peers, the greatest MLB player of all time.

And that is going to do it for today’s video ranking the greatest right-fielders in MLB history; let me know your thoughts down below. I hope you enjoyed the video; if so check out the playlist above which has my entire series, ranking every position in the game; I still have a few more to go, look forward to my ranking of the greatest left-fielders coming up next. Until then, enjoy the playlist and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

Top 15 MLB Left-Fielders of ALL TIME

Welcome back to another MLB top 15 position video and today it’s time to talk about some of the greatest modern day left-fielders to play the game of baseball, and it’s one of the most impressive lists yet. To be eligible, a player has to be retired, played the best years of their career after 1903, has to have played in at least 1,000 games in left field, more than another position – for example, Babe Ruth played 1,047 games in left field, but he played even more in right field and so that’s the ranking in which you’ll find the Salton of Swat. This list is going to contain some controversial names, and at least a couple big time left fielders have had connections to PEDs, making this list very tough… but, it has to be done. So, without any further ado today, I’m going to do my best to make a fair ranking of the greatest left fielders of all time – let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below and let’s jump into today’s list..

Honorable Mention. Minnie Minoso

Minnie Minoso, The Cuban Comet, played over 1,500 MLB games in left field, exciting crowds with his electric play. He began his pro career in Cuba then the Negro Leagues before singing with the Cleveland Indians in 1948. He was traded to the White Sox early in the 1951 season, his first full season. That year, he made the All Star team, led the league in triples and stolen bases while hitting .326 with a .422 on-base percentage. Minoso became an instant star, and continued to rake year in and year out, hitting over .300 in 8 separate seasons, while working lots of walks and also consistently leading the league in hit by pitches. He was also fantastic defensively, winning 3 Gold Glove Awards. He retired in the mid-60’s with a modern MLB record 197 hit by pitches, over 2,000 hits and a .299 batting average. Counting his time in the Negro Leagues, Minoso was a 13-time All Star. He made two brief comebacks – once in 1976 when he went 1 for 8 as a DH and pinch hitter, then again in 1980 at nearly 57 years old, he made two pinch hit appearances for the White Sox, officially playing professional baseball in 5 separate decades. He was dropped from the Hall of Fame ballot multiple times, but was finally elected by the Golden Era Committee in 2022.

15. Zack Wheat

Wheat played 19 years in the big leagues, 18 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he was one of the most consistent hitters in the league throughout his career. Wheat was a 5-tool talent before that term was coined. He hit over .300 in 14 separate seasons, inducing a league leading .335 in 1918. In 1924, he hit .375, but lost the batting title to Rogers Hornsby, who hit a ridiculous .424. He was a base stealing threat early in his career, averaging 19 steals per year for 7 straight seasons. Wheat was also an elite defender, leading NL left fielders in fielding percentage twice. He had a powerful arm, which helped him lead left fielders in putouts 7 times, and although his home run numbers would be considered below average today, he finished in the Top 10 several times and was considered a power hitter during his day. His career 132 home runs ranked 8th all time when he retired, and he is also 4th all time with 2,328 games played in left field. He made it into the Hall of Fame in 1959.

14. Jim Rice

8-Time All Star Jim Rice became an instant MLB star in 1975 when he hit .309 with 22 home runs, finishing second for the Rookie of the Year Award. In 1977, he had 407 total bases, the first MLB player with 400+ total bases in a season in nearly 20 years. He led the American League in the category for 3 straight seasons, a feat that had only been accomplished by Ty Cobb. Rice won the MVP award in 1978, crushing 46 home runs with 139 RBIs and a .315 batting average and made 4 straight All Star teams from 1977 to 1980. He repeated that feat from 1983 to 1986. He played his entire 16 year career with the Red Sox, following a tradition of great Boston left-fielders, including more names that will come up later on this list. Jim Rice was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

13. Joe Medwick

Long before Vladmir Guerrero and Pablo Sandoval, there was a Joe Medwick, a free swinger with elite hand eye coordination. He could hit almost any pitch. Medwick broke into the big leagues in 1932 and quickly became an everyday player for the Cardinals. He played the game as hard as anyone, and was extremely competitive, to the point of controversy at times. But he was also elite. He won the Triple Crown in 1937, taking home the MVP award with 31 bombs, 154 RBIs and a .374 batting average. He surpassed 100 RBIs for 6 straight seasons, made 7 consecutive All Star teams and finished in the Top 10 for MVP 4 times. Medwick also set a single season National League record with 64 doubles in 1936, a record that still stands. Shortly after a trade to Brookyln in 1940, Medwick was drilled in the head by a pitch by that put him in the hospital for nearly a week. Benches cleared as the beaning was believed to be intentional. Medwick eventually recovered, and returned to baseball, but never played as well as he did in the late 30’s. His last great season was in 1944 when he hit .337 with the Giants. He became a Hall of Famer in 1968 with a career .324 average and 2,471 hits.

12. Lou Brock

All-time Cardinals legend Lou Brock is mostly known for his 938 stolen bases, an MLB record at the time he retired. His speed was what made him a star and Brock led the league in steals in 8 out of 9 seasons, including 1974 when he stole a modern MLB record 118 bases. However, Brock was also a fantastic hitter who retired with a .293 batting average and .343 on-base percentage. He hit over .300 8 times, including his final season in 1979 when he hit .304. He had 3 additional seasons falling just short of .300, with a .297, .298 and .299 season. During his career, he had seasons in which he led the league in runs, doubles, triples, and at bats. He made 6 All Star Teams and was also an elite hitter in the postseason, hitting .391 in the World Series with 4 home runs in 87 at bats. He was a key player for the Cardinals during their 1964 and 1967 Championship seasons and finished his career with over 3,000 hits and exactly 900 RBIs. Lou Brock was easily elected into the Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year on the ballot.

11. Tim Raines

One of the most underrated MLB talents for decades, switch-hitter Tim Raines, AKA “Rock”, was one of the best leadoff hitters and baserunners in MLB history. He wasn’t drafted until the 5th round by the Montreal Expos but he sped through the minor leagues, literally, stealing 64 bases in 1980 while hitting .354 in Triple-A. He finished 2nd for the Rookie of the Year in 1981, leading the league with an incredible 71 steals. He went on to lead the league in the category for 4 consecutive seasons, maxing out at 90 steals in 1983, and he didn’t get thrown out much. Raines holds the highest stolen base success rate of any player with 400 or more stolen bases at an 84.7% success rate.  He could also hit, and led the league in 1986 with a .334 batting average. He made seven straight All Star teams with Montreal, led the league in doubles in 1984, won a Silver Slugger in 1986 and in his prime, was simply one of the most productive players in the game. Even after his best years, he continued to steal a ton of bases, with at least 40 stolen bases in 11 out of 12 seasons. He went on to have productive years with the White Sox, Yankees and A’s before finishing his career with the Orioles and Marlins, compiling 23 total big league seasons, 808 steals, 2,605 hits and a .294 batting average. Although it wasn’t until his 10th time on the ballot, Raines was finally voted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

10. Billy Williams

Chicago Cubs legend Sweet Swingin’ Billy Williams played in his first full season in 1961 and won the Rookie of the Year, hitting .278 with 25 bombs. The next year, his average jumped to .298 and he made his first of 6 All Star Teams. Williams was consistently good for 20-40 home runs, and a batting average near .300. He hit at least 20 homers for 13 straight seasons, maxing out at 42 in 1970, a year in which he hit .322 with a league leading 220 hits. He finished 2nd for the MVP, a feat he accomplished again in 1972 when he won a batting title with a .333 average and an OPS over 1.000. Williams wasn’t the best defender early on, but gradually improved throughout his career and was eventually considered above average. He retired with 2,711 hits, 426 home runs, 1,475 RBIs, a .290 average and .361 on base percentage. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

9. Ralph Kiner

Ralph Kiner’s MLB career might have started sooner if not for WW2 as he spent two years in the Navy, enlisting the day after Pearl Harbor. Fortunately, he wasted no time in the minors afterwards, making his big league debut in 1946 at the age of 23, and he led the league in home runs with Pirates. Kiner went on to the lead the league in big flies for 7 straight seasons, becoming the premiere power-hitter in the game. He crushed 51 bombs in 1947 and 54 in 1949, falling just 2 short of the NL record set by Hack Wilson. Kiner became the fourth MLB player to have at least four 30-home run, 100-RBI seasons in their first five years. He also knew the strike zone well and led the league in walks 3 times, consistently getting on base. He made 6 straight All Star teams and looked primed to become one of the greatest players to ever live. Unfortunately, a back injury cut his career short and Kiner retired at the age of 32, barely achieving the 10-year minimum to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1975, with 369 career home runs and a .946 OPS. Although he wasn’t able to have much longevity, Kiner had one of the most impressive peaks in MLB history.

8. Willie Stargell

Wilver Darnell Stargell made his MLB debut in 1962 with the Pirates but didn’t play his first full season until 1964, a year in which he made the All Star team and hit .273 with 21 homers. It was just the beginning for Pops, who hit 27 bombs in 1965, then 30 in 1966. His batting average also improved every year from .243 to .273 to .315. By the early 70’s, he was an absolute megastar, crushing a league leading 48 bombs in 1971, finishing 2nd for the MVP. He finished in the Top 3 for the award in three consecutive seasons, but didn’t win won until 1979 when he tied with Keith Hernandez. He hit more home runs than any other player during the 1970’s and played his entire 21-year career with the Pirates, crushing 475 home runs with a .282 batting average, and 1,540 RBIs. He became known for his tape measure bombs, seven of which left Forbes Field and several others which reached the upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium. He became the first player to ever send a baseball completely out of Dodger Stadium. He was a key member of two Pirates championship clubs, one in 1971, and another in 1979, his MVP season, in which he also hit .400 with 3 home runs in the World Series. Stargell wasn’t known for his defense, but it was good enough to get by, especially with his insane offensive production. The 7-time All Star was easily inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

7. Manny Ramirez

Up next is the first steroid-connected guy, the famous, or infamous, Manny Ramirez, who without a doubt was a gifted ballplayer with tremendous power and a pure hitting ability that was evident from his early years with Cleveland. Manny was one of many incredible talents on those mid 1990’s Indians teams, and he finished second for the Rookie of the Year in 1994 before breaking out in ‘95 with an All Star season in which he hit .308 with 31 homers and 117 RBIs. A star was born and his stats would continue to improve from there. In 1999, Manny led the league with 165 RBIs, a .663 slugging percentage and insane 1.105 OPS. He won 8 straight Silver Sluggers, 9 total, and hit at least 30 home runs in 12 out of 13 seasons. After signing as a free agent with the Red Sox, Manny continued to crush the baseball and helped them break the Curse of the Bambino by hitting .412 in the 2004 World Series. Although even back then, he had plenty of Manny Being Manny controversial moments, his career was clearly on a Hall of Fame trajectory. But then, in 2009, while with the Dodgers, he was suspended 50 games for violating the league’s PED policy. In early 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was nailed again, and was facing a 100-game suspension when he decided to retire. Ramirez never played in another MLB game. For Manny, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment he started taking PED’s, but in my opinion, he would’ve been a Hall of Famer if he never touched them, as he was clearly an elite hitter and superstar from his early years with Cleveland. He ended up with 555 home runs, 12 All Star appearances and a .312 career batting average. Due to his two suspensions, he has not been elected to the Hall of Fame.

6. Goose Goslin

Up next, we’re going back to the 1920’s and 30’s with Goose Goslin, an elite hitter and defender who played in the big leagues for 18 years. Goslin was a 5-tool talent who had incredible speed, a pure bat, and power as well. He led the league in triples twice and had eleven seasons in which he hit at least .300. He won a batting title in 1928 with a .379 batting average. Goslin had big power potential, although the numbers didn’t always show it because he played at the mammoth Griffith Stadium. Still, he crushed at least 17 home runs in four separate seasons, mostly on the road, when he was traded to the St. Louis Browns in 1930 and suddenly smashed a career high 37 home runs. He ended his career with 248 bombs. He could also steal bases, with 176 career steals including 27 in 1925. He was fantastic in the field as well and used his powerful arm to lead the AL in assists five times and putouts four times. He remains in the top 5 all time in the American League in putouts and assists and is 22nd all time with 173 career triples. In 1924, he hit .344 with 3 home runs in the World Series, helping the Washington Senators win it all, then hit .308 with 3 more homers in the 1925 Fall Classic, although his team fell short that year. He did win one more ring with Detroit in 1935 and ended up hitting 7 home runs in 129 World Series at bats. Goslin is ranked higher than one might expect because of his overall contributions to his teams in every facet of the game. He was completely snubbed by the writers for the Hall of Fame, who couldn’t even get him to 1% on the 1948 ballot. Goslin was elected unanimously by the Veteran’s Committee in 1968.

5. Al Simmons

The legendary Al Simmons made an instant impact with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1924 when he hit .308 his rookie year with 103 RBIs. It was just the beginning for Simmons who broke out in 1925 with a league leading 253 hits and 392 total bases. He also crushed 24 homers, finishing 2nd for the MVP in his second season. He would go on to have at least 200 hits in 6 separate seasons, while hitting for power. He was a clutch hitter who drove in at least 100 runs in 11 straight seasons and 12 overall. He finished in the Top 10 for the MVP eight times but somehow never won the award. He was also elite in the postseason, hitting .300 with 2 homers in the 1929 World Series, then .364 with 2 more bombs in the 1930 Fall Classic. The A’s won both times. In 1931, although they lost, Simmons hit .333 with yet again 2 more home runs. Simmons was also an excellent defender in left field, retiring with a .982 fielding percentage and exactly 5,000 putouts. He retired as one of the best hitters in MLB history, with a .334 career average and four seasons above .380. He crushed 307 home runs and had a career .915 OPS. Simmons was inducted into Cooperstown in 1953.

4. Carl Yastrzemski

Moving into the top 3, we have Carl Yastrzemski, who played 1,912 games in left field, each and every one for the Boston Red Sox. He proved to a worthy successor to another legendary Red Sox left fielder who we’re about to talk about, except Yaz was even better defensively. He had a powerful arm and became an expert in dealing with the Green Monster in left field. He won seven Gold Gloves and lead his team in assists seven times. But he was also elite with the bat and Yastrzemski consistently hit around .300 with power. He won 3 batting titles, including one in 1967, a magical year in which he won the triple crown, hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs. He obviously won the MVP that year. Yastrzemski had incredible longevity as well, and played for 23 years, rarely missing a game, and was excellent the entire time, even making the All Star team – his 18th – in his final season in 1983. Yastrzemski had a great eye as well and led the league in walks twice. He retired with an on-base percentage of .379 to go along with 452 home runs and 3,419 hits. He even stole 168 bases. Carl Yastrzemski was one of the best and most complete players to ever pick up a bat and he comes in at #3 on today’s list of the best left fielders of all time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

3. Rickey Henderson

Coming in at #3, we have Rickey Henderson, the greatest base stealer and leadoff hitter in MLB history. But before his first MLB steal, the A’s themselves made an amazing steal by drafting Rickey in the 4th round of the 1976 MLB draft. He destroyed the minor leagues, crushing the baseball while stealing bases at a pace not seen in decades. He stole 95 bases in 1977 with the Modesto A’s. He made his big league debut in 1979 and in first full season in 1980, he stole a hundred bases and made All Star Game while hitting over .300 with a .408 on-base-percentage. His insane speed also made him an incredible fielder and he won a Gold Glove in 1981. He became the best leadoff hitter in the game, working walks at an incredible pace but also had a knack for crushing bombs to kick off a game, and he broke the MLB record for the most leadoff homers. He would go on to lead the league in steals 12 times in his career, racking up an MLB record 1,406 stolen bases. He also won an MVP in 1990, a season in which he hit .325 with 28 homers and 65 steals. Henderson had insane longevity and played for 25 years in the league, breaking the MLB walk record as well. He helped two teams win World Series championships – the A’s and Blue Jays, and won an ALCS MVP in 1989. The accolades of Rickey Henderson and way too long to list, but he is without a doubt one of the greatest left fielders to ever live and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

2. Ted Williams

At #2 is Yastrzemski’s predecessor, the great Ted Williams, who gets ranked slightly higher than Yaz only because his offensive prowess was just that amazing. In fact, many consider Ted Williams to be the greatest hitter to ever live. It was instantly apparent Williams was special when drove in a league leading 145 runs his rookie year in 1939, finishing 4th for the MVP. He would’ve easily won the Rookie of the Year had the award existed at that time. By 1941, he was absolutely unstoppable, leading the league in almost every offensive category. He hit .406 with 37 home runs, an insane .553 on-base percentage and an OPS of 1.287. He probably should’ve won the MVP Award but understandably lost to Joe Dimaggio, who broke an MLB record with a hit in 56 consecutive games. But Ted Williams was definitely on his way to winning several MVPs when World War II broke out. Williams missed 3 seasons in the prime of his life serving his country. When he returned, though, he didn’t miss a single beat. In 1946, his first year back, he won the MVP, leading the league in runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging and WAR. He could get on base like no one else, hit for an extremely high average and belt plenty of home runs. And he rarely swung out of the strike zone, leading the league in walks 8 times in his career. He won a second MVP in 1949, a year he also won his second Triple Crown, hit at least .400 3 times and retired with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs and a 1.116 OPS for his entire career. To put that in perspective, Shohei Ohtani’s OPS in his 50/50 season was 1.036, lower than Ted William’s career OPS. Another insane stat – Ted Williams never had an OPS lower than 1.000 in a single full season in his career. No amount of words can express how freakishly good Ted Williams was at hitting, so good that despite being an average defender in left field, he comes in 2nd all time on today’s list.

1. Barry Bonds

But, hopefully no one’s surprise, coming at #1 I had to go with the great Barry Bonds, who is obviously a controversial figure to say the least, but he is without a doubt the greatest baseball player I’ve ever watched in person, and even before he got a little boost in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Bonds was on his way to becoming the greatest left fielder to ever play the game. Bonds had his first monster season in 1990 with the Pittsburgh Pirates when he hit .301 with 33 bombs and 114 RBIs, while also winning a Gold Glove and stealing 52 bases. His all-around talent was off the charts, and Bonds won his first but certainly not last MVP that season. He would also go on to win 8 Gold Gloves in 9 years, becoming the premiere defender in left field, using his strong baseball instincts and amazing athleticism to get to the ball quickly and make extraordinary plays. He won a second MVP in 1992, with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs while leading the league in walks, runs, on-base percentage and slugging. Then, after signing with the Giants, he won his 3rd MVP in 1993, hitting a career high 46 homers with an OPS of 1.136. Bonds continued to be the best player in the game throughout the 90’s, cementing himself as a future Hall of Famer. Of course, we all know the story after that. Bonds went from being the best player in the game and a future Hall of Famer to becoming a Cyborg with numbers only seen in video games. He won 4 straight MVPs in the early 2000’s, broke the single season home run record with 73 bombs in 2001, became the first MLB player to put up a single season OPS north of 1.400, and eventually broke Hank Aaron’s all time home run record. Obviously, that portion of Bonds career has been clouded due to PEDs, but even if we tone down those numbers to what he would’ve put up without the extra help, I still believe Barry Bonds would’ve ended up as the greatest left fielder ever, and as a Giants fan, you don’t really expect me to put Barry Bonds anywhere than #1, do you? So Barry Bonds comes in as the greatest left fielder of all time, but if you wanna punish him for the PEDs, by all means Ted Williams would also be a respectable choice, so let me know your list down below; what is your top 5 or top 10?

I hope you all enjoyed the video; hit that thumbs up and subscribe button if you did and we’ll talk to you all in the next ranking.

Top 10 STEROID/PED MLB Hall of Fame SNUBS!!

Welcome back to another Humm Baby Baseball countdown and we’ve got a special and controversial one today – a snubs video but only involving MLB players with some type of PED connection. These are players who have been left out of the Hall of Fame due primarily or in most cases exclusively because of that connection. I’ve covered in depth some of my biggest MLB Hall of Fame Snubs including greats like Andruw Jones, Don Mattingly and Dwight Evans among many others, who for some reason or another have been rejected by the voters and are still on the outside of Cooperstown looking in. But I’ve always left off players with P.E.D connections, because we already know why they’re not in, and whether some of them should be allowed in or not is highly debated.

There are some fans who believe any player who ever took steroids or PEDs of any kind should never be allowed in the Hall of Fame under any circumstances. Others say, hey – MLB and former commissioner Bud Selig didn’t try to stop it, they didn’t enforce any rules against it, and a huge percentage of the league was doing it, so just consider it a particular era of the game – the Steroid Era – and vote the great players in who deserve it just like they did in every other era. But then, what about the more recent players who actually failed steroid tests, and were suspended for it? Again, opinions vary. Do they deserve harsher treatment since they actually failed a steroid test? Or does it matter? The debates continue to rage on.

For me, it’s a case by case basis. If a player appears on a Hall of Fame ballot, then that player is officially eligible and broke no rule so serious as to merit a ban. So, just as I would do for any player, I would follow the Hall of Fame’s guidelines for voters and use previously voted in players as precedence in how I should vote. The guidelines say

Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

So, according to those instructions, record and playing ability are considerations along with sportsmanship, character and integrity – and this is where Hall of Fame voters are able to justify not voting for some of the all time greats we’ll talk about today. Taking steroids is certainly a mark against a player in those categories, but nowhere does it say they have to be perfect human beings. There are many players in the Hall of Fame who have broken rules before and many with serious character flaws. Many if not most players will do whatever they can do gain an edge, and if it’s up to those who run the game to make sure there are enforced rules in place to stop it. Gaylord Perry was famous for throwing the illegal spitball for much of his career, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame. Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby even wrote an article titled “You’ve Got to Cheat to Win,” in which he claimed he cheated every chance he could and saw cheating in almost every game. I’m not condoning cheating, but the point is, players have done it throughout baseball history and will do so until measures taken to stop it, and when they’ve had Hall of Fame careers, they’ve been allowed in the Hall of Fame.

In the 90’s and 2000’s, absolutely nothing was done to curtail the use of steroids. Furthermore, there are without a doubt multiple players in who have already in the Hall of Fame who have done steroids. One might be David Ortiz, who reportedly tested positive for PEDs in 2003, when a series of tests was given to MLB players and was supposed to be secret, but it eventually leaked. Ortiz was given a pass by the voters, but they were not so gracious with other players. For these reasons, more and more fans are leaning towards the opinion that at least some of these great players should be in, and I completely agree. However, a player who gets suspended over and over once testing was implemented should be more harshly judged, since they intentionally violated MLB rules that were clearly in place, as opposed to what happened during the Steroid Era. So let’s get started with today’s top 10 MLB players with PED connections that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame and I’ll explain briefly why they are suspected of steroids, their career accomplishments and why I think they should be considered for Cooperstown. But first, I have one honorable mention, who probably doesn’t quite make my Hall of Fame ballot, but how could I do a steroid-related video without mentioning

Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco

We have to start with the Godfather of the Steroid Era, Jose Canseco. Growing up in the late 80’s, there was no bigger name in baseball, and my friends and I used to buy packs of baseball cards just hoping to pull a Jose Canseco. He made baseball history, becoming the first player to crush 40 homers and steal 40 bases, and he also won a Rookie of the Year, MVP Award and four Silver Sluggers. Canseco crushed 462 homers in his career, just 38 short of the magic 500. Unfortunately, he got just 1.1% of the vote on the Hall of Fame ballot, and later wrote a book that completely exposed MLB for the steroid era. He also named names of several teammates who Canseco alleged did steroids. In the book, he described his own process of taking steroids, and didn’t hold back whatsoever. The book didn’t make Canseco many friends and all but guaranteed he would never sniff Cooperstown. But should he get in?

Well, he definitely had the stardom – Canseco was an absolute superstar for years, and made 6 total All Star Teams. Statistically, though, despite the home run total, he is borderline with a .266 career average, 1,877 hits, and no gold gloves. On top of the steroids and the book, he also had lots of controversies and arrests throughout his career, which hurts regarding the character clause. Ultimately, although I wouldn’t mind seeing a Jose Canseco plaque in the Hall of Fame, the reality is there’s no way Jose Canseco should get in while some of the other names I’m about to get to are still on the outside. So, although I’m a Canseco fan and love listening to his videos, like the one where he challenges Aaron Judge to a home run contest, I would have to say in all seriousness, for the time being, Canseco is not a Hall of Famer, although if the name of the museum was accurate, he would definitely belong as there was nobody more famous during his prime as Jose Canseco. Now, let’s get to my Top 10 Snubs.

Manny Ramirez

10. Manny Ramirez

Starting off, we have Manny Ramirez, who actually failed not one, not two, but three steroid tests. The first was the same 2003 test that David Ortiz failed. Had this been his only failed test, the voters would’ve had to elected him, since they gave Ortiz a free pass for the same test. But Ramirez went on to fail two more, one that resulted in a 50 game suspension, and another that led to his retirement. For this reason, I understand voters leaving his name off the ballot, especially since they are only allowed 10 names. But Manny was an unbelievable hitter even as a youngster, likely before he ever touched steroids. He hit .308 with 31 home runs and 107 RBIs his first full season at just 23 years old in 1995.

By the end of his career, statistically anyway, Manny was easily a first ballot Hall of Famer. He is part of the 500 Home Run club with 555 career bombs, and retired with an extremely impressive .312 batting average. He was a 12-time All Star, 9-time Silver Slugger, World Series MVP and even won a batting title in 2002 with a .349 average. He finished in the Top 10 for MVP 9 times although he never won the award. But he was known as being very quirky during his career, and his odd behavior led to the phrase “Manny Being Manny.” But that quirkiness turned into misbehavior and he was involved in many controversies on top of the 3 failed steroid tests. For this reason, if I had a ballot, he would be one my last choices, and would usually get left off, but I do believe Manny would’ve had a Hall of Fame career had he never done steroids, and so if some of the better players on this list ever start getting in, I wouldn’t mind seeing Manny get in as well.

Jason Giambi

9. Jason Giambi

Giambi is one of the few PED-connected players who played throughout the entire steroid era of the 90’s and 2000’s, and continued his career into the 2010s. He ended up playing for 20 years, retiring after the 2014 season. Giambi hit 440 career bombs, but also excelled at getting on base, leading the league in walks four times and retiring with a .399 on-base-percentage and over 2,000 hits. He also has an MVP on his shelf, winning the award in 2000 with 43 home runs and 137 RBIs, which was before he started juicing according to his testimony.

Unlike most of the big names of the steroid era, Giambi apologized for using steroids during his career and urged other players to do the same. He was named in the BALCO investigation, and admitted to using steroids during the offseasons from 2001 to 2003. “I was wrong for using that stuff,” he told USA today in 2007, “What we should have done a long time ago was stand up – players, ownership, everybody – and say, ‘We made a mistake.’”

He continued to put up big numbers after he stopped juicing, smashing 32 home runs for the Yankees in 2008. Giambi always had a great eye to go along with a pure and powerful bat, but there’s no telling what his stats would’ve looked like without steroids. But he owned up to his mistake and apologized, then went on to have a great 20-year career. He also seemed to be a great teammate who was well-liked, otherwise there’s no way he would’ve stayed in MLB through his age 43 season. All told, he wouldn’t be one of the first names I put on a ballot, but if I had room, I would definitely check Jason Giambi’s name for the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte

8. Andy Pettitte

Up next is Andy Pettitte, whose connection to PEDs has definitely helped keep him out of the Hall of Fame. He was straightforward about his use of HGH to help heal from an injury during 2002, and I personally believe that Pettite was not some one who was juicing throughout his career. He seemed honest and apologetic, and when he did it, HGH wasn’t even banned in MLB. As for his career, Pettitte had 256 wins, but it was his postseason performance that puts him over the top. He is the game’s all-time leader in playoff wins and innings pitched and is fourth in strikeouts behind Clayton Kershaw. A huge part of that is the Yankee teams he played for, but Pettitte still had to pitch well in the biggest moments and he consistently did that. As for the bulk of his career, he won over 20 games twice, struck out 2,448 batters, and ended his career with more wins than any pitcher in a Yankee uniform besides Whitey Ford and Red Ruffing, both Hall of Famers. Pettitte’s career WAR of 60.2 is higher than many big-name Hall of Famers including Whitey Ford, so Andy Pettite is another name I would put on my ballot if I had room, and in fact he was on my unofficial 2021 ballot, but he got just 13.7% of the vote that year. He did make some progress, though, getting 27.9% on this year’s ballot.

Rafael Palmeiro

7. Rafael Palmeiro

Palmeiro retired with 569 homers and 3,020 hits, normally more than enough for easy induction into the Hall of Fame. He was a fantastic hitter from his early years with the Cubs when he made the All Star team in 1988 and hit .307 with 41 doubles, although his power didn’t really show up until he was with the Texas Rangers in the early 90’s, the notorious steroid-driven team that had Canseco, A-Rod, Pudge, and Juan Gonzalez. He smashed 37 bombs in 1993, and the power continued with Baltimore with he hit 39 homers in 1995 and again in 1996. Back with Texas, he had perhaps his best year in 1999 with 47 homers and a .324 average.

He was also a smooth fielder and won three Gold Gloves. Palmeiro was named in Canseco’s book as a steroid-user and he appeared at a Congressional Hearing vehemently denying it, wagging his finger and saying he never used steroids, period. A few months later, he was suspended for failing a steroid test, but continued to claim he never intentionally put a banned substance into his body. It’s hard to believe that based on his failed test, Canseco’s book, and his sudden power surge when he joined the early 90’s Texas Rangers. It’s impossible to know what type of career he could’ve had without the ‘roids, but he was a first round pick, top prospect, and natural hitter from his early days, who had a chance to have a Hall of Fame career and develop big power without the extra help. As it stands, he is still one of just 7 members of the 3,000 hit, 500 home run club, which includes Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, so although I wouldn’t put his name above the next 6, Palmeiro is some one I would definitely vote for.

Alex Rodriguez

6. Alex Rodriguez

The only reason A-Rod is this low on the list is because he, like Manny, did steroids while testing was in full force and more than once, failed a test. If he had borderline stats like Jason Giambi or Jose Canseco, there is no way I could support him for the Hall of Fame. However, Alex Rodriguez was a generational talent whose numbers rank among the best in the history of the game. He was elite from his early years with the Seattle Mariners, before he ever touched steroids, crushing 36 home runs and 54 doubles in 1996, with a league-leading .358 batting average, finishing 2nd for the MVP at just 21 years old. He continued to put up massive numbers in Seattle, before signing a record-breaking deal with the Texas Rangers.

It was then he first started using steroids, and his stats blew up even bigger. He led the league in homers each of 3 seasons in Texas and took home the MVP in 2003. He was also an elite defender, winning back to back Gold Gloves, before moving on to the New York Yankees, where he won two more MVPs. It was in 2009 that his steroid use came to light, and he admitted to using them during his time with the Rangers. But then, in 2014, he was nailed again for steroids in part of a Biogenesis Scandal, and was subsequently suspended for a year. He still returned to crush 33 home runs at 40 years of age in 2015, proving his incredible talent. A-Rod ended his career with 696 home runs and a .295 average, but he would’ve probably hit over 500 without steroids, although we’ll never know for sure. Despite the steroid failures, Rodriguez was still one of the greatest players of all time, and although I would check the other names ahead of him on his list first, if I had room on my ballot, I would still vote for Alex Rodriguez, who got 37.1% of the vote on this year’s ballot.

Gary Sheffield

5. Gary Sheffield

Up next is Gary Sheffield, who got close but fell short with 63.9% of the vote in 2024 when he fell off the ballot. As a ballplayer, there is little doubt – he is definitely Hall of Fame worthy. Sheffield smashed 509 home runs, which historically would be enough alone to get a player in the Hall of Fame. But he also had 2,689 hits, a .292 average, 9 All Star selections, 5 Silver Sluggers and a batting title in 1992 when he hit .330. He finished in top 3 for MVP 3 times, once finishing second in 2004. He might not be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but there’s no doubt he has the numbers to get in.

But, he had a PED-connection, stemming from workouts with Barry Bonds in the early 2000s, during a time MLB did not test for steroids. He admitted to using some of the cream Bonds was using to help his muscles recover, and found out later that was a type of steroid. Sheffield also reportedly bought a small amount of vitamins from BALCO. He has one of the more flimsy connections to PEDs and it’s probable he was only taking them during the 2002 season with the Atlanta Braves. The vast majority of his career stats should be considered legit, and Sheffield was a massive talent from his early years in the 80’s with Milwaukee and he went on to become one of the best players in the early history of the Marlins.

Sheffield is a perfect example of how voters will pick and choose who they will forgive regarding steroids and who they won’t. He was surrounded by steroid users and made a couple mistakes during a short period of his career, but it shouldn’t keep him out of the Hall of Fame, especially if other players like Ivan Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and David Ortiz are all in, all of whom have had some type of connection to PEDs. Sheffield is definitely a major Hall of Fame Snub in my opinion.

Sammy Sosa

4. Sammy Sosa

Next on the list is a tough one, as Sammy Sosa clearly put together a Hall of Fame career statistically, but it’s likely he wouldn’t have been a Hall of Famer without the juice. He was a more or less average player with the Rangers and White Sox before his first big season in 1993 with the Cubs when he hit 33 home runs. He went on to have a solid 5 year period of averaging 34 homers and 100 RBIs from 1993 to 1997. This type of production alone could’ve led to a Hall of Fame career for Sosa. But then, he became a video game player in 1998, when he and Mark McGwire revived the sport and brought in millions of new fans as they chased the single-season home run record of 61, held by Roger Maris. Sosa ended up with 66 bombs and the MVP Award. McGwire ended up with the record with 70.

But it wasn’t a one and done season for Sosa. He continued to crush home runs at a ridiculous pace, smashing at least 60 home runs two more times and averaging 58 per season for a 5 year period. He eventually joined the exclusive 600 home run club, and finished his career with 609 round-trippers to go along with 2,408 hits and 1,667 RBIs.

Interestingly, the only evidence against Sosa is a positive test from the leaked 2003 list, the same list that had David Ortiz on it. So, David Ortiz got a complete pass and was inducted on his first ballot no less, while Sammy Sosa was snubbed on every ballot until he fell off. If the Hall of Fame wants to give the benefit of the doubt to players like Ortiz, Piazza, Pudge Rodriguez, and so on, then that should be the standard for every one – so, Sammy Sosa, with 600 career home runs, 7 All Star selections, and an MVP, should be in as well.

Mark McGwire

3. Mark McGwire

Moving into the top 3, we have another generational talent in Mark McGwire, a man born to hit home runs. He drilled 32 bombs for the USC Trojans in 1984 and was drafted 10th overall by the A’s. He had one of the most impressive rookie years ever seen in 1987, smashing 49 bombs with a league leading .618 Slugging Percentage, winning the Rookie of the Year Award. McGwire became an instant superstar and made 6 straight All Star teams, until injuries started to hamper his career around 1993. He played in just 74 games over a 2 year period, but he got healthy, his bat exploded and McGwire smashed 52 bombs in ‘96, then 58 in 1997. In 1998, with the St. Louis Cardinals, he crushed 70 bombs, breaking the single season home run record, then followed it up with 65 in 1999. McGwire hit 583 career bombs, made 12 total All Star teams, 3 Silver Sluggers, and even a Gold Glove.

He was named in Canseco’s book and appeared in the Congressional Hearing, where he famously declined to answer any questions, saying he did not want to “talk about the past.” However, he eventually did admit to steroid use during his career, although he said he didn’t need it for performance; rather to recover quickly from injuries and stay on the field more. There’s no doubt McGwire had all the talent in the world as far as hitting home runs, and he would’ve been a great power hitter without steroids, although just how great is unknown. Nevertheless, based on his accomplishments and the fact that he played during a time no testing was done and no measures were taken to prevent steroid use, I definitely support McGwire’s entry into Cooperstown and he deserves a plaque, although not before these next two legends of the game.

Roger Clemens

2. Roger Clemens

Perhaps the greatest pitcher to ever live, Roger Clemens was identified early as a potential superstar. He was drafted in the first round by the Boston Red Sox in 1983, and just 3 years later, he won the Cy Young and MVP with an absolutely dominant year in 1986, when he went 24-4 with 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts. He followed it up with another Cy Young Award in 1987, then won a 3rd in 1991. By 1996, his last year with Boston, he had already put together a Hall of Fame career, setting multiple records including a 20 strikeout 9-inning game. He even tied Cy Young with the most shutouts in Red Sox history. It was that year he did the impossible and struck out 20 batters in a single game for the second time. All this was done before he touched steroids.

But Clemens then he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he likely first started taking ‘roids. He immediately won a 4th Cy Young award in 1997, leading the league with 2.05 ERA with an also league-leading 292 strikeouts and 21 wins. In 1998, he won the award again. If there was any doubt that Roger Clemens was among the greatest pitchers to ever live, that doubt was gone. And he just kept dominating, winning his 6th Cy Young with the New York Yankees then a 7th in 2004 with Houston. No pitcher has won more Cy Young Awards. He retired with 354 wins, 46 shutouts, and 4,672 strikeouts.

Clemens never tested positive for steroids and never admitted to steroid use, even denying it under oath, but his personal trainer Brian McNamee testified that he regularly injected Clemens with steroids from 1998 to 2001. Clemens was indicted and charged with perjury, but McNamee’s testimony changed throughout the years. His inconsistency led to Clemens acquittal. Other evidence against Clemens included a steroid distributor named Kirk Radomski handing over shipping receipts that showed HGH was mailed to Roger Clemens home in 2002 and 2003, but his wife, Debbie, testified that that shipment was for her as she was taking HGH to prepare for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot.

The entire story is way too long to get into here, but at the end of the day, Roger Clemens was one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball even before he was alleged to have started taking steroids. His greatness as a ballplayer should make up for his shortcomings and mistakes, including his psychotic moments. Clemens is one of the greatest starting pitchers of all time and deserves a plaque in Cooperstown.

Barry Bonds

1. Barry Bonds

But to no one’s surprise, coming in at #1 has to be Barry Bonds, one of if not the best hitter to ever live. Bonds, like Clemens, could’ve retired at a certain point in time before he ever touched steroids and would’ve easily been inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. He was a 6th overall selection out of Arizona State, then won his first two MVPs with the Pittsburgh Pirates, before signing with the Giants. In 1993, he hit 46 home runs with a .336 batting average, winning a 3rd MVP. Bonds was also a 5-tool talent who won 8 Gold Gloves and stole at least 25 bases 11 times. He could do it all at an elite level and was considered the best player in the game throughout the 1990’s.

By most accounts, he never touched steroids until around 1999. In 1998, Bonds led the league with an 8.1 WAR, crushing 37 homers with 28 steals, a .303 average and a Gold Glove, but the baseball world was paying much more attention to Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa as they chased the single-season home run record.

Based on the fact that there was no testing and no enforcement at the time, it would’ve been incredibly impressive if Bonds just took the high road and continued to play clean while he never got the attention he deserved. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be what happened as Bonds turned into an absolute monster entering into the 2000s. In his mid 30’s, he suddenly hit a career high 49 home runs in 2000 then had a season for ages in 2001, breaking McGwire’s record, finishing with an unbelievable 73 home runs. He had the most dominant 5-year period ever before seen, winning 4 straight MVPs, 5 straight Silver Sluggers, while leading the league in walks and OPS+ every season, all in his mid-to-late thirties when most players slow down significantly.

Bonds eventually ended his career with 762 home runs, 2,558 walks, 162.8 WAR and an amazing 168 intentional walks, all MLB records. But it was in 2004, around when the crackdown on steroids began, that the San Francisco Chronicle alleged that Bonds received Steroids from BALCO. Later, Gary Sheffield said he was introduced to BALCO and the testosterone-based cream by Bonds while in training before the ‘02 season. Bonds eventually admitted to receiving the cream & clear from his trainer, Greg Anderson, but didn’t know they were steroids. Books like the “Game of Shadows” were released, detailing the use of steroids and other drugs by Bonds. Investigations later revealed a BALCO screening test by Bonds in the year 2000 that tested positive for Steroids, but Bonds never failed a test during official MLB testing that started in 2003

Based on the stats, appearance, and evidence, it’s pretty tough to deny Barry Bonds was taking something during the early 2000’s when he became an absolute cyborg, but there is also no doubt he was one of the best baseball players ever born long before he touched steroids. He was a 3-time MVP on his way to being the first MLB player to ever hit 400 home runs and steal 400 bases, a feat he would’ve easily accomplished without the juice. Like I said at the start of this video, MLB has determined in their own rules, even today, that taking steroids does not result in the banning of a player like gambling on baseball does. So, why do voters treat this as a cardinal sin that should keep every player out forever no matter how good they were or no matter what they accomplished on the field, even before they took steroids? I can understand some of the names on today’s list being kept out due to steroids, but I’ll never understand how one of if not the greatest baseball player to ever live is still being snubbed – and he is my #1 PED-connected snub of all time, and perhaps the greatest snub of all time, period – Barry Lamar Bonds.

The Top 15 MLB SHORTSTOPS In MLB HISTORY!!

Welcome back to to another Humm Baby ranking and today we’re ranking the top 15 modern day MLB players who played the position of shortstop, the ultimate position where oftentimes the best player on the team ends up, because it requires athleticism, quickness, and a powerful arm, and it’s also a spot where a ton of baseball get hit by right handed batters. So, it’s not too surprising that shortstop is going to contain many of the greatest players who ever lived, and the vast majority of the players we talk about today are already or will soon be enshrined in Cooperstown. I forgot to mention this in my second base video, but I’m only talking about retired players, since active players are continuing to put up numbers and could quickly move up in ranking, which would make this video obsolete a lot faster that I’d like to it to be. Also, players who spent more of their career at the position might get a little bump, so that’s why a few of these players might seem lower than expected if they played only part of their career at shortstop.

15. Pee Wee Reese

Up first is Hall of Famer, Pee Wee Reese, who played almost exclusively shortstop throughout his 16 year career. He was an extremely patient hitter and consistently worked over 80 walks per season, leading the league with 104 in 1947, resulting in a career .366 on-base-percentage. He was also a fantastic baserunner, stealing 232 career bases. Reese was outstanding defensively and led the N.L in putouts four times, double plays twice and fielding percentage and assists once. He was a 10-time All Star and finished in the Top 15 for MVP 10 times. His career totals would’ve looked much stronger had he not missed 3 seasons during his prime years to serve his country during World War II.

14. Luke Appling

A Chicago White Sox legend and Hall of Famer, Luke Appling played for 20 years in the big leagues from 1930 to 1950, hitting over .300 15 times and retiring with a .310 average and .399 on-base-percentage. In 1936, he won a batting title with a phenomenal .388 batting average, finishing 2nd for the MVP to Lou Gehrig. He won a second batting title in 1943, but finished 2nd again for the MVP, this time to pitcher Spud Chandler, who won 20 games with 1.64 ERA, before the Cy Young Award was introduced. He missed 1944 due to military service, but still managed 2,749 career hits, playing until he was 43 years old. Appling’s talent never completely went away and he’s also remembered for hitting a home run at the age of 75 in an Old Timer’s Game.

13. Luis Aparaicio

One of the finest defensive shortstops throughout the late 50’s, the entire decade of the 60’s and the early 70’s was Luis Aparacio, who played for the White Sox, Orioles and Red Sox. He became an instant star in 1956 with Chicago, winning the Rookie of the Year mainly with his phenomenal glove but also blazing speed as he stole a league leading 21 bases. That was just the beginning and he went on to lead the league in steals for 9 straight seasons, surpassing 50 steals in 3 straight years. He also won 9 Gold Glove awards throughout his career and made 13 All Star Teams. Although his bat wasn’t as impressive as his baserunning and defense, he could still hold is own and retired with 2,677 hits and an a .262 average. He hit .308 in the 1959 World Series, then won a ring in 1966 with Baltimore. Aparaicio retired as the shortstop MLB recordholder in games played, assists and double plays. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

12. Lou Boudreau

A remarkable fielder and consistent hitter, Lou Boudreau was one of the premiere shortstops of the 1940, playing for the Cleveland Indians. He was an asbolute doubles machine and led the league in the category 3 times, but also broke and still holds an MLB record for the most consecutive doubles in a single game with four. In 1944, he won a batting title with a .344 average, but did even better in 1948, hitting .355 with 18 homers and 106 RBIs, good enough to win the MVP Award. The 7-time All Star was also a member of the 1948 Cleveland Indians World Series Championship team, the last Cleveland team to win it all. He was a great leader and spent 10 years as a player-manager, starting at the age of 24. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1970.

11. Alan Trammell

Career Detroit Tiger Alan Trammel was another 5-tool talent who could play a smooth shortstop, with soft hands, a quick release, and an accurate arm. He won four Gold Glove Awards and was also an excellent hitter, retiring with a .352 on base percentage and over 1000 RBIs. He developed some impressive power by the mid-80’s and crushed 28 bombs in 1987. That year, he also hit .343, drove in 105 runs and won a Silver Slugger, but he finished 2nd in the MVP voting to George Bell, who crushed 47 bombs. Trammell also had speed and stole 236 bases in his career, maxing out at 30 in 1983. Despite a fantastic 20-year career in which Trammel did almost everything well, and even helped the Tigers in a World Series in 1984, hitting .450 with 2 bombs in the Fall Classic, he was completely snubbed on the Hall of Fame ballot and the clueless voters never elected him. However, he was elected in by the committee in 2018.

10. Joe Cronin

One of the forgotten greats of the game, Joe Cronin, an excellent fielding shortstop, played for 20 years in the big leagues, primarily for the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. He had his breakout year with Washington in 1929, hitting .281, but then broke through as an absolute superstar in 1930, hitting .346 with 126 RBIs, beating out names like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Al Simmons for the AL MVP Award. He continued to be one of the better hitters in the game year after year, and when the All Star Game was introduced in 1933, he became an annual lock for the Midsummer Classic, making 7 total All Star Teams. He was a player-manager for 13 seasons and retired with a .301 average, 2,285 hits and a .390 on-base percentage. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956.

9. Arky Vaughan

Another forgotten legend, Akry Vaughan played for 14 years in the league, a relatively short amount of time compared to other players on today’s list, but he made the most of it, hitting over .300 nearly every season, including a league leading .385 mark in 1935. That season, he led the league in average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. He was an on-base machine as well, and would get on base however possible, even if it meant a walk or hit by pitch. His career on base percentage was .406 and he led the league in walks 3 times. He could also steal a base and led the league with 20 in 1943, retiring with 118 swipes. Vaughan made 9 straight All Star Teams and retired as an all-time great shortstop, but inexplicably got denied on the Hall of Fame ballot and was not elected until 1985 by the Committee,

8. Ernie Banks

One of the few players who will make multiple position rankings is Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, who was also a top all time first baseman and actually played more games at first base. However, since he played his best years at shortstop is probably more remembered as a shortstop, I had to put him on the list as well. He won back to back MVPs as a shortstop in 1958 and 1959 and crushed 298 home runs while playing the position. At one point, Banks played in 717 consecutive games and was also smooth with the glove, winning a Gold Glove in 1960. He was one of the best shortstops in baseball throughout the 50’s before early 60’s before moving to first, where he continued to pile up impressive numbers, retiring with 512 total home runs.

7. Alex Rodriguez

And now at #7 is the first and only non-Hall of Famer on today’s list. How could a player with 696 home runs, a .295 career batting average, 3,115 hits, two Gold Gloves and not one, not two, but three MVPs possibly not get in the Hall of Fame? Well, I think every one watching already knows the answer to that question. The problem with A-Rod is he got nailed not just once, but twice for PED’s, once in 2009 when after a failed steroid test became public, he admitted to using steroids while with the Rangers during a 3-year period, then again in 2014 when he was suspended for taking PED’s as part of the BioGenesis Scandal. Nevertheless, Alex Rodriguez was born to play baseball and for the first 10 years of his career, played almost exclusively shortstop with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. During that time, he made 7 All Star Teams and won an MVP in 2003, a year he was taking PED’s. If we just look at his years with the Mariners, likely clean years, he surpassed 40 home runs 3 times and hit as high as .358 in 1996, a year he finished second for the MVP. He would’ve become an easy Hall of Famer even if never touched the juice. Despite moving to third base with the Yankees for his last 12 seasons, A-Rod is still 2nd all time in home runs as a shortstop with 345 bombs. He, like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, had all the talent in the world and never needed any extra help, but those bad decisions have kept him out of the Hall of Fame. I’m ranking him this low due to limited years at shortstop and because his best seasons are all clouded by PED use.

6. Ozzie Smith

Up next is a Hall of Famer who was elected to Cooperstown for one reason – his defense. Smith was a switch hitter who had very little power and hit over .300 just once in his career, although he did hit a dramatic walk off bomb in the 1985 NLCS, interestingly enough his only career homer batting left handed. Defensively, he is considered by most to be the best shortstop in the history of baseball. The Wizard was the definition of a human highlight reel at shorstop, using his legendary range, quickness and agility to make insane diving catches, lightning-fast and accurate throws, and mind-bending acrobatic plays. He has a shortstop record 13 Gold Gloves, and made 15 All Star Teams, becoming a massive superstar almost exclusively with his glove. He did have one other elite skill, however, and that was stealing bases. He stole at least 20 bases every year for 16 straight years, topping 30, 40 and even 50 on multiple occasions. Smith was easily inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first year on the ballot.

But before getting into the Top 5, I have 2 quick super-honorable mentions from the Negro Leagues, despite many angry commenters who hate when I talk about Negro League players or Jackie Robinson, but the point is these players would’ve ranked very high, but sadly, we’ll never know just how great they might’ve been stacked up against other big leaguers, so I think it’s right to at least give them a mention...

Willie Wells

Former big leaguer Monte Irvin said “You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop; as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter.” Despite his incredible hitting ability – a .330 career batting average with a league-leading .411 mark in 1930 – Wells was mainly known for his amazing defense. While playing in Mexico, his athleticism and acrobatic ability at shortstop earned him the nickname “El Diablo” – “The Devil.” He could also hit for power, leading his league in homers 3 times. The 8-time All Star had an OPS over 1,000 for 7 straight years and led the league in steals twice, making him a true 5-tool player.

Pop Lloyd

Considered the best shortstop in Negro League history, Pop Lloyd played for 25 years and regularly hit well above .300 and was a rare combination of power and small-ball. Lloyd could hit for power when the situation dictated it, but he could also bunt and use the entire field to his advantage. He was a fantastic base-runner as well, stealing bases not just with pure speed but through knowing the situation and studying the opposing pitchers. Throughout most of his career, stats were not kept permanently, but from 1921 to 1929 – age 37 to 45 – he hit .349 with a .400 on-base percentage and 59 stolen bases. That was during his twilight years as a player. Lloyd simply had one of the best baseball IQ’s in the history of the game and, with this knowledge, went on to become a fantastic manager.

Now, let’s get in to the Top 5...

5. Barry Larkin

Career Cincinnati Red, Barry Larkin, was a 5-tool talent who could do it all, and played shortstop throughout his entire 19-year career. At the plate, he was an extremely disciplined batter who could get on base via the walk, but could also absolutely rake and hit over .300 9 times in his career. He also had some pop and crushed 33 homers in 1996 and finished his career with 198. He had phenomenal speed as well, stealing 379 career bases, and of course, was an elite defender at shortstop, making tough plays seem easy. Larkin won 3 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1994 to 1996 and would’ve won many more if not for Ozzie Smith, who was winning them every season until Larkin finally got one. In 1995, he won the MVP award, won a total of 9 Silver Sluggers, and made 12 All Star Teams. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012.

4. Robin Yount

Young was a 3rd overall pick in 1973 by the Brewers, and it definitely worked out for both them. He was an instant stud and made it to the big leagues at just 18 years old. Yount broke a record for most games played in the Major Leagues before turning 20. He played elite defense and shortstop while piling up hits and driving in runs. In 1982, he hit .331 with 29 home runs, winning a Gold Glove and the American League MVP Award while helping his team reach the World Series. Despite hitting .414 with a home run in the Fall Classic, the Brewers fell short to St. Louis. Young won a second MVP Award in 1989, and retired with 3,142 hits, 251 home runs and a .285 batting average. Shockingly, he only made three All Star teams, missing the team even in his MVP season of 1989, because he had a much stronger second half. Despite this, Yount is still one of the greatest shortstops of all time.

3. Derek Jeter

Moving into the Top 3, we have the legendary Yankee Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, who finished his career with 3,465 hits, and played no position other than shortstop throughout his entire 20 year career. Many consider Jeter overrated because he never won an MVP, and because of east coast bias in the fact he played for the Yankees, which no doubt elevates any player’s overall reputation, but the fact is Derek Jeter comes in first all time as a shortstop in hits, doubles, walks, runs, and games played while also landing in the Top 5 for home runs, triples, RBIs and stolen bases. When you combine that with his illustrious postseason career, in which he hit .308 with 20 home runs, and is an MLB recordholder in games, runs, hits, doubles and triples in the postseason, there’s no way I could rank Jeter any lower. He was not only an amazing player who made 14 All Star teams, he also stayed incredibly healthy and played in at least 145 games in 16 out of 20 seasons. Jeter was a consistent hitter with a career .310 batting average and also was elite with the glove, winning 5 Gold Gloves. He won 5 rings with the Yankees, and was awarded the World Series MVP in 2000 after hitting .409 with two bombs. His entire resume is way too long to recap in this video, but when it’s all added up, Jeter might be underrated if anything, and he comes in as the third greatest shortstop of all time.

2. Honus Wagner

But coming in at #2 is a player who was there right at the start of the modern era, Honus Wanger. He actually began his career in 1897 with the Louiville Colonels, who reluctantly gave him a shot after watching him play with a minor league team in West Virginia. He was oddly built at 5’11”, 200 lbs with a barrel chest, massive hands and bowed legs. No one would describe him as graceful, but he knew how to hit and run, and became the star player for the Colonels, hitting .341 with 114 RBIs and 37 steals in 1899. He was traded to the Pirates and in 1900, won his first of 8 batting titles with a .381 average, and led the Pirates to the first ever World Series in 1903. He led the league in triples and doubles multiple times and was an absolute force with Pittsburgh for over 15 years. As a baserunner, he led the league in steals 5 times, maxing out with 61 steals in 1907. Wagner was extremely versatile and could play multiple positions, and in fact, played every position but catcher. However, shortstop was his main spot and he ended up playing 1,887 games at the position, 28th all time. In 1909, he hit .333 in the World Series to help the Pirates win it all. He hit at least .300 for 15 straight years, and retired an MLB record 3,420 hits and stole 723 career bases. He was among the first five players to ever be elected to the Hall of Fame.

1. Cal Ripken Jr.

But barely beating out Wagner in a tough decision is the all-time home run leader at the position of shortstop, Cal Ripken Jr., who crushed 353 bombs at the position, which he played for the first 16 years of his career before moving to third for the final five. He was an immediate sensation with the Orioles, crushing 28 home runs in 1982, taking home the Rookie of the Year Award before winning the MVP in 1983 with a .318 average while leading the league in runs, hits and doubles. He helped lead the O’s to a World Championship that year. Ripken also quite literally never missed a game and began a streak that defined all logic, finding a way to stay on the field for 16 straight seasons. He broke The Iron Horse Lou Gehrig’s seemingly unbreakable record, and went to play in 2,632 consecutive games. But that’s not the main reason he is the 2nd greatest shortstop of all time. Ripken made a ridiculous 19 straight All Star Teams, won a second MVP in 1991 and was also an elite defensive shortstop, winning two Gold Gloves. Among shortstops, he’s second all time in hits and games played, and first in home runs and RBIs. The Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr. retired with 431 bombs, and 3,184 hits, and in a close race, I put him as the #1 greatest shortstop in MLB history.

Top 10 BUSH LEAGUE & DIRTY Plays In MLB HISTORY (Film Era)

Although I’ve always hated most of the ridiculous unwritten rules in the sport of baseball, there are definitely certain plays that just feel unprofessional and amateurish – in other words, Bush League. For me, if it’s a standard baseball play like a bunt or stolen base, I don’t care what the score is, I don’t consider it bush league. But there are times when players cross a line from real baseball plays to straight up bush league by breaking the rules, intentionally hitting batters for ridiculous reasons, or just playing dirty and dangerously in a way the game is not designed. You don’t see bush league plays too often in the big leagues, but they do happen and in today’s video, we’ll look back at 10 of the most bush league and dirty moments that were caught on video in MLB history. These are moments that had major implications in the game and went beyond breaking unwritten rules in my opinion. Before jumping into the top 10, here’s a hilarious clip of a college player pretending to be hit by a pitch when the ball wasn’t even close to him – true next level bush league.

I also have one super dishonorable mention and I didn’t even know where to rank this one because I don’t know whether to call it bush league or pyscho league, but I had to at least mention Roger Clemens firing a bat at Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series. Piazza had homered in three consecutive at bats against Clemens until their 4th meeting, earlier that season, when Clemens hit Piazza in the head with a fastball, causing him to miss the All Star Game. Every one was eager to see this match-up. What if Clemens hits him again? Would Piazza charge the mound? Or maybe it would be settled on the field. With all the speculation, no one, and I mean no one, could have predicted what actually went down.

Throwing that weapon of a broken bat towards Piazza goes beyond Bush League but I had to at least mention it as it was one of the most bizarre and insane moments in MLB history.

Now let’s get into the Top 10, and let me know in the comments, which of these do you think are dirty or bush league and which of them are completely legit.

10. Strickland Beans Harper

Pitchers throwing at hitters intentionally has always been a part of the game and it has created a debate among fans on whether it’s a good or bad thing. Some fans like it and think it’s a natural part of the game, but even those fans have to agree, a pitcher has to have a good reason to throw at a batter – usually as retaliation for a recent event or to send a message. But to retaliate nearly 3 years after the fact is unheard of and that’s what Hunter Strickland of the San Francisco Giants decided to do back in 2017, when he faced Bryce Harper for the first time since the 2014 playoffs, when Harper hit a couple of huge home runs off him.

Even as a Giants fan, I can’t defend this and even Buster Posey stood at the plate confused. There was no expectation he was going to do that and it caused a massive brawl, which ended the career of Giants 1st baseman Michael Morse after he ended up with a concussion. This intentional hit by pitch is especially bush league, because back in 2014, the Giants went on to win that series against the Nationals despite the Harper home runs, and in fact, they won the World Series as well.

9. A-Rod Distracts Fielder

This is the first, but certainly not last appearance of Alex Rodriguez on today’s list. I’m generally against unwritten rules and believe players should always try their best to win, even if it means bunting to break up a no-hitter, stealing with a decent lead, or swinging with a 3-0 count regardless of the score. But all those examples are real baseball plays. When it comes to a play like this – Alex Rodriguez yelling “Ha I got it!” as a baserunner to make the infielder think some one else is calling for the ball, that’s where I draw the line.

It could be argued that fielders try to decoy runners all the time with their motions, which is true, but screaming “I got it” as a baserunner to confuse an infielder looking up in the air and listening for his teammate to call him off seems a lot more bush league to me, but let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

8. Machado Kicks Aguilar

Manny Machado is no stranger to being called a bush leaguer. Here’s an example of his dropping the bat right by a catcher’s feet to cause him to miss a pop fly.

A notoriously dirty player, at least earlier in his career, Machado also created controversy against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 NLCS. First, there was the way he slide into second base in Game 3, reaching out with his hand to stop a double play.

Then, he appeared to intentionally kick first baseman Jesus Aguilar’s foot while running to first base on a groundout.

This caused benches to empty and tempers to flare. Luckily, Aguilar wasn’t seriously injured, but Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich called the play “a dirty play by a dirty player.”

7. Dempster Throwing at A-Rod

Next up is another incident involving A-Rod, but this time he was on the receiving end of the bush league antics. In 2013, just as Rodriguez was returning from a long stint on the D.L., it was announced he would be suspended for taking PED’s as part of the Biogenesis Scandal, but because he was appealing, he would still get to play. A couple weeks later, Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster, who had no known previous beef with A-Rod, decided he was going to drill him no matter what. He threw the first pitch behind him, and kept going inside on him until the 4th pitch nailed A-Rod in the elbow.

It was obviously intentional, but when umpire Brian O’Nora failed to eject Dempster and gave out warnings to both teams, Yankees manager Joe Giardi flipped out and ended up getting ejected himself. Dempster eventually was suspended 5 games and fined an undisclosed amount. He admitted to hitting Rodriguez on purpose in 2016.

Although lots of fans loved to see A-Rod getting drilled, I find plays like this bush league for a number of reasons, but in this case, he sent a message with the first pitch and missed him, so there was no need to throw at him again, especially when the only reason he was throwing at him was because he didn’t like him – there was no on-field incident; Dempster just decided he was going to drill A-Rod.

6. Jose Tabata Leans Into Scherzer’s Pitch

This one is a little tough to include because I hate most of the unwritten rules and one of the stupidest is the ridiculous ‘no bunting during a no-hitter’ rule. If a pitcher is working on a no-hitter or perfect game, I want to break it up as a hitter and get something started for my team – but only within the rules. Leaning into a pitch to intentionally get hit in order to break up a perfect game with 2 outs in the ninth of a 6-0 game has to be considered bush league. First of all, it’s against the rules, as not only can you not lean into a pitch, you have to make an effort to avoid getting hit in order to be awarded first base. But Jose Tabata made no such effort when he was facing Max Scherzer, who was working on a perfect game with 2 outs in the 9th inning.

So, yes, I always say, try your best to win and help your team within the rules. If Tabata bunted for a hit or even if Scherzer threw one right at Tabata and it hit him, I’d have no issue with this. But to lean into one and let it hit you in a situation like that is completely bush league, and the umpires probably should’ve called him out. Instead, Scherzer’s perfect game was ruined, but fortunately he got the next one for the no-hitter.

5. Mota Beans Piazza

Next up is one of the most insane moments I’ve seen on a baseball field. I’ve never seen a player more maniacally pissed off than Mike Piazza was during a game when he was hit by a pitch by Guillermo Mota. The story goes back farther than the hit by pitch. During 2002 Spring Training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Mike Piazza was the target of several hit by pitches and he finally had enough after Guillermo Mota beaned him in the back with a 3-0 pitch. Piazza gave Mota an angry look but took his base then was replaced by a pinch runner.

Later in the game, as Mota was walking by the Mets dugout, Piazza confronted him and things quickly got heated with Piazza grabbing him by the shirt. Some shoving occurred, but no punches where thrown.

Fast forward to Spring Training 2003, and Piazza was facing Mota once again. Mota threw the first pitch uncomfortably inside. Then on the next, he intentionally drilled Piazza with an up and in pitch and shit completely hit the fan.

I’ve never seen an entire team go after a pitcher like that, never seen a pitcher that terrified and never saw this look before in my life – I fear what Mike Piazza would have done to Mota if he got his hands on him. But ultimately, it was an absolute bush league move to drill Piazza like that in a Spring Training game a year later, although I can’t blame him for back-peddling and running away, just look at Mike Piazza’s face.

4. Utley Breaks Tejada’s Leg

There’s been so many examples of the reckless “slide” into second base trying to take out the fielder going for the double play, you can include them all here. For most of baseball history, it was expected the runner would make an aggressive slide to break up a double play at second base, but sometimes, the runner takes it way too far, such as Chase Utley here taking out Ruben Tejada, which resulted in a broken leg.

Utley wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he was taking out the fielder and not at all trying to slide into second base. Another example happened in a Giants Cardinals playoff game when Matt Holliday takes out and Marco Scutaro. In the play, which I watched live, I initially thought Scutaro had to be seriously injured.

MLB made some rule changes in 2016 to prevent these types of dangerous plays in which fielders can get seriously injured. A runner now has to make a bonafide slide into second base, otherwise both runners will be called out, but it should be noted even before the rule changes, these types of slides should never have been legal. Under the old rules, umpires could call out a runner if he “willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder with the obvious intent to break up a double play.” I would say both the Utley and Holliday slides qualify.

3. Albert Belle Levels Vina

But coming in at #3 is one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen in an MLB game, a break up of a double play that somehow didn’t cause an all-out brawl. Albert Belle didn’t even make it to second base before absolutely leveling Fernando Vina, who made an attempt to tag Belle before throwing to first. He obviously never got the throw off.

Somehow, Vina held on to the ball and had some words for Belle, who took him out earlier in the game as well.

2. A-Rod’s Glove Swat

Up next is a play we’ve seen a few times and I find it completely bush league. In this case, it was a playoff game - Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series with the Red Sox needing a win to force a Game 7. They had a 4-2 lead in the 8th with one out and Derek Jeter on first base. Up stepped Alex Rodriguez with a chance to tie the game. Instead, here’s what happened.

A-Rod appeared to actually swat the ball right out of pitcher Bronson Arroyo’s glove. This doesn’t feel fair at all, but is it actually against the rules? Well, per section 6.,1 of the MLB Umpire Manual, “While contact may occur between a fielder and runner during a tag attempts, a runner is not allowed to use his hands or arms to commit an obviously malicious or unsportsmanlike act.”

After Red Sox manager Terry Francona argued the call, the 6 umpires got together and changed the call from safe to out. The Yankee fans flipped out and began to throw trash on to the field, but most agree the call turned out correct as replay shows A-Rod intentionally slapping Arroyo’s hand to free the ball. The Red Sox went on to win the game, the series and then the World Series.

1. Kent Hrbek Takes Down Gant

But coming in at #1 was a classic moment I remember watching live to do this day - it was Game 2 of one of the greatest World Series in the history of the Game as the Twins and Braves, two last place teams from 1990 went toe to toe in the 1991 Fall Classic. The Twins were up 2-1 in the 3rd when Ron Gant picked up a two-out base hit, sending Lonnie Smith to third. After Gant rounded first and the ball briefly got away, pitcher Kevin Tapani tried to throw him out as he retreated back to first base. Gant was back in time until first baseman Kent Hrbek decided to go full WWF Wrestling, remove him from the base and tag him out.

Power-hitter Dave Justice would’ve been up with two men on but instead, the inning was over as the umpire ruled Gant out, saying his momentum pulled him off the bag.

The Braves ended up losing the game in 3-2 and the Twins eventually won the 1991 World Series in 7 games. I find it hard to believe Ron Gant was going to fall over off the back during a simple retreat. I find it pretty clear Hrbek helped him off that base, but let me know – bush league or fair play?

Top 10 Most HORRIFIC & Impactful INJURIES In MLB HISTORY!!

As everybody knows, injuries are part of sports and baseball is no exception. Players can be hurt in a variety ways such as getting hit by a 90+ mile per hour pitch, breaking a bone or ligament from the unnatural and violent motion of pitching a baseball, getting hit in the face by a line drive or from a bad hop on a groundball or getting plowed through by a runner trying to score or break up a double play. And those are just a few examples. Fortunately, graphic and horrific injuries are fairly rare considering the amount of baseball games played but they have happened and today we'll be counting down the 10 most memorable, horrific and impactful injuries in MLB history - injuries that caused major changes to the game of baseball or threatened to end a player's career on the spot or sometimes, something far worse.

Before getting to the main list, which just consists of MLB moments, there were a couple of minor league injuries that definitely deserve a mention.

The Tyler Zombro Incident

It was one of the scariest moments in professional baseball history, and it happened out of nowhere in the 9th inning of a typical Triple-A minor league game in Durham, North Carolina. Tampa Bay Rays prospect Tyler Zombro was facing Brett Cumberland of the Norfolk Tides. Cumberland smashed a 104 mile per hour line drive off Zombro's head, causing Zombro to lose consciousness and then go into a seizure. He was quickly removed from the field on a stretcher and taken into surgery, where surgeons had to insert 16 titanium plates and 36 screws to repair a major skull fracture. He eventually regained consciousness and had to undergo physical, speech and occupational therapy. He made a miraculous recovery and returned to the mound, throwing a scoreless inning his return. Zombro retired after the 2024 season.

The Mike Coolbaugh Tragedy

Mike Coolbaugh played 17 years of pro baseball including parts of 2 seasons in the big leagues, hitting 260 total professional home runs. He retired after the 2006 season and became a coach in the Colorado Rockies organization. In July of 2007, as the first base coach for the Tulsa Drillers, tragedy struck when he was hit in the neck by a line drive, resulting in a severe brain hemorrhage that almost instantly killed him. Coolbaugh was pronounced dead less than an hour after being struck by the line drive. That offseason, it was determined that all base coaches in the Major and Minor Leagues would wear helmets.

Now, let's get into the main list.

#10 Buster Posey Season-Ending Break

In 2010, Buster Posey hit .305 with 18 bombs and caught every inning of the playoffs, helping to lead the San Francisco Giants to their first World Series since moving west from New York. But the next year, Posey's season was cut short on May 25th during a play at the plate with the Marlins Scott Cousins attempting to score. Posey fractured his fibula and tore multiple ligaments. He missed the remainder of the 2011 season before bouncing back in 2012, winning the MVP and Comeback Player of the Year Awards. The injury led MLB to reinterpret the rulebook and adopt Rule 7.13, the "Buster Posey Rule," stating a runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order initiate contact with the catcher.

#9 The Ray Fosse-Pete Rose Collision

This play didn't end Ray Fosse's career or even put him on the disabled list, but he was never really the same afterwards. Pete Rose had a chance to score the winning run in the 1970 All Star Game and was hustling towards home plate, with the only thing between him and victory being catcher Ray Fosse. You can guess what happened next. The collision separated Fosse's shoulder, although it was improperly diagnosed as the time and he didn't miss any games. But according to Fosse, the pain from the injury lingered throughout his career and life. There is debate to whether or not this injury ruined Fosse's career, but he was a top prospect who had 16 home runs with a .312 average at the All Star break in 1970 then hit just 2 the rest of the season. His power completely vanished and he never topped 12 home runs in a season for the rest of his career.

#8 Mickey Mantle vs. The Drain

A knee injury that likely had a major impact on history occured in the 5th inning of Game 2 of the 1951 World Series. Mickey Mantle was a red hot rookie who could do it all, including hit for tremendous power as a switch hitter and absolutely fly on the basepaths. He was playing right-field with veteran superstar Joe Dimaggio in center. Yankees manager Casey Stengel instructed Mantle to go for everything hard because Dimaggio's heel was hurting. The Giants Willie Mays hit a flyball to right-center field and the two fielders converged, with Mantle hustling hard for it. In the book The Last Boy, Mantle is quoted as saying “I was running as hard as I could. At that point in time, I could outrun anybody. I ran over to catch it as Casey had told me to. Just as I was getting ready to put my glove up, I heard him say, ‘I got it.’ Well shit, you don’t want to run into Joe DiMaggio in center field in Yankee Stadium, I slammed on my brakes.” When he did so, Mantle's spikes got caught in an exposed drain pipe and something in his right knee tore as he went down in tremendous pain. He suffered a severely torn ligament, one that would have required immediate surgery today, but back then, he was told to let it heal on its own. He eventually had multiple knee surgeries and had almost no cartiladge in his knees by the time his career was over. After the injury, Mantle played the rest of his career with a torn or semi-torn ACL and never played again without pain. He was still good enough to hit 536 home runs and become one of the greatest all of time. It's incredible to imagine that he would've been even better if not for that injury in the 1951 World Series.

#7 Tony Conigliaro Hit by Pitch

Tony Conigliaro played mostly for the Boston Red Sox. His pro career started in 1963 when he tore up the Minor Leagues, hitting .363 with 24 home runs. The next year, he was in the Red Sox lineup and hit .290 with 24 home runs followed by a league leading 32 bombs in 1965, becoming the youngest American League player to ever lead the league in home runs. The Red Sox had a superstar on their hands and he made the All Star Team in 1967. He hit his 100th home run at just 22 years old. Then, everything changed during a game on August 18th, 1967 against the California Angels. Facing pitcher Jack Hamilton. A pitch struck Conigliaro in the face, causing a linear fracture of his left cheekbone, a dislocated jaw and severe damage to his left retina. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and it was questionable if he would ever play again. Conigliaro’s eyesight was permanently damaged. He missed the next two seasons entirely. Then, in 1969, 2 and a half years after playing his last game, Congliario attempted a comeback. The Red Sox were happy to give him the opportunity, but didn’t know what to expect. Congliario’s comeback was astonishing as he hit 20 home runs with a .255 average driving 82 runs. The next year, he set a career high in home runs and RBIs with 36 and 116 respectively, while hitting .266. His amazing comeback inspired the Tony Congliaro Award, which has since been awarded to those who overcome adversity. Unfortunately, his eyesight worsened as he entered his thirties and Congliario was forced to retire, but the fact that he came back from such a horrific injury to play four more years, including a career year is truly inspirational.

#6 Tony Saunders Breaks Arm

Pitcher Tony Saunders was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 1992 by the expansion Florida Marlins, and he dominated the minor leagues as a starter, although he had to miss time in 1994 and 1995 due to elbow reconstruction surgery. He continued to pitch well after the surgery and

earned a call-up to the big leagues in 1997 when he became a part of the Marlins rotation. He was picked up by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in their innagural draft for the 1998 season. He had a rough season but was 9th in the league in strikeouts and still had a bright career ahead. That is, until one fateful game in 1999 when Saunders delivered a 3-2 pitch to Juan Gonzalez and his elbow snapped loudly enough for the entire stadium to hear it. He collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony as teammates rushed to his side. He had to be carted off the field, in too much pain to even walk. It was one of the most horrific moments in MLB history and he was diagnosed with a humerus fracture and torn ligament, ending his season. As it turned out, it ended his MLB career. Saunders bravely attempted a comeback, but during a rehab game in the minors, the humerus snapped again, leading to his retirement. He tried to comeback once again in 2005 and pitched in a Spring Training game with the Cardinals and in a few independent league games with the Mesa Miners, but never returned to the big leagues.

#5 Adam Greenberg Instant Career-Ender

In 2002, Adam Greenberg was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and worked his way through the minor leagues, getting promoted in 2005. It looked like he had a bright future as a big leaguer – that is, until the first pitch he ever saw in the Majors. Greenberg never got the chance to prove whether or not he could stick in Major League Baseball as that 92 mile per hour pitch from Valerio de los Santos hit Greenberg in the back of the head. He fell to the ground in pain, and had the sensation that his head had been split open, with thoughts of just trying to stay concious. He suffered a skull fracture and severe concussion, spending the rest of the season the D.L. He had vertigo symptoms for years including headaches, nausea, double vision and dizziness.

The symptoms that took more than two years to clear up. Then a string of other ailments thwarted any comeback bids. He returned to the minor leagues in 2006 but his numbers fell and after stints in the Dodgers, Angels and Royals minor league systems, he ended up in the independent leagues. After 4 years with the Bridgeport Bluefish, it was becoming clear that Greenberg would never get back to the big leagues.

That is, until the Miami Marlins, the team Greenberg was facing when he was hit in the head, signed him to a one-day contract in order to give him a chance to have a proper MLB at bat, which he had earned way back in 2005 but never got. It was a great gesture by the Marlins, although I never understood why they chose to give him the at bat against the practically unhittable R.A. Dickey, who was baffling even the greatest MLB hitters at that time. Other than that one weird detail, it was awesome to see Greenberg get a real MLB at bat.

Unfortunately, he struck out 3 pitches, and R.A. Dickey won the Cy Award and led the league in strikeouts. But at least Greenberg got his official MLB at bat.

#4 Juan Encarnacion Career Ending Foul Ball

2-time World Series champion and 11-year veteran Juan Encarnacion's career ended without notice in July of 2007 while he was waiting to bat in the on-deck circle. Teammate Aaron Miles hit an absolute rocket towards Encarnaction, who had his eyes elsewhere at that moment. The baseball smashed his left eye and he fell to to the ground, remaining still for several minutes as the crowd went silent. He eventually got up and waved a stretcher away, leaving the field with the assistance of Jim Edmonds. The Cardinals rallied that inning and won the game, making Tony La Russa the winningest manager in Cardinals history, but he was not in the mood to celebrate after the game after what had happened. The line drive caused a fractured bone and the immediate end to Encarnacion's 2007 season. As it turned out, it was the end of his career as his eyesight never fully recovered and he never played professional baseball again.

#3 Dave Dravecky Breaks Arm

Dave Dravecky was a solid left-handed arm in the San Diego Padres rotation for several years in 80’s, making an All Star team in 1983 and maintaining an ERA around 3 every season. On July 4th, 1987, the San Francisco Giants traded for him, along with Craig Lefferts and Kevin Mitchell, for Mark Grant, Mark Davis and Chris Brown. He pitched well for the Giants, including a shutout performance in the 1987 playoffs against St. Louis. In 1988, he was pitching well with a 3.16 ERA after 7 starts when a cancerous tumor was found in his pitching arm. It was a rare and aggressive tumor known as a desmoid tumor. Unfortunately, it was positioned on his left deltoid muscle, a muscle that is needed by pitchers to even pitch. Doctors would have to remove the tumor and surrounding muscle, a huge portion of his arm, in order to save his life. The surgery was performed in October of 1988 and half of the deltoid muscle was removed. The humerus bone was frozen as well in order to kill all of the cancerous cells. Doctors advised him that he would never pitch again but Dravecky had other plans. His rehab was astonishingly fast, going from not being able to move his arm at all, to lifting 1 lb. Dumbbells, to actually pitching all in a matter of months and by 1989 Dravecky already felt ready to pitch again, although doctors urged him to wait until at least 1990. They feared that the frozen humerus bone could snap if stressed too early. But Dravecky was determined to return that year and he did, returning to the minors in 1989 on rehab assignment, where he threw 3 complete games. Imagine a pitcher being allowed to complete any games so early in their comeback attempt in today's game. But in 1989, it happened – he threw three complete games and a shutout, convincing the Giants he was ready for his official comeback game. It occurred on August 10th, 1989, in an amazing day at Candlestick Park. Dravecky pitched 8 innings, defeating the Reds 4-3, despite the doctor’s prediction that he would lose 95% of the use of his left arm. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as during his next start in Montreal, he felt a strange tingling in his arm, continued to pitch anyway and then the unthinkable happened and the entire stadium heard the snap as Dravecky, as doctors feared, broke his arm on a pitch. He crumbled to the ground in pain in one of the scariest and horrific injuries in MLB history. Later, the cancer returned with a vengeance and he had to have his arm amputated. He never threw another MLB pitch after that injury. Dave Dravecky continues to travel the country and give motivational speeches today.

#2 Doc Powers Wall Collision

This is an injury that may or may not have immediately led to the death of a player, but my research indicates that an on-field injury may have never happened at all, and if it did, probably just accelerated an already existing medical condition. Mike "Doc" Powers started his professional career way back in 1898 with the Louisville Colonels after playing college ball at Holy Cross and Notre Dame. He ended up playing most of his career with the Philadelphia Athletics as a backup catcher and first baseman and was also a physician when not playing baseball, hence the nickname. On Opening Day in 1909, he was beginning his 11th MLB season, in the starting lineup for the Athletics. According to many online sources including wikipedia, during the first play of the game, he crashed into a wall at full speed chasing a foul pop fly. Powers stayed in the game and even got a base hit. But none of the medical reports or newspaper articles I could find from the time period mention an on-field injury as part of what caused his condition. What articles of the time do say is that in the 7th inning of the game he became noticeably ill, some mentioning it occurred after eating a ham sandwich. Powers insisted on finishing the game and did so, going 1 for 4, and then was taken immediately to the hospital. Physicians determined he was suffering from a condition described as "strangulation of the intestines" or "intussusception", a life-threatening condition that occurs when part of the intestine folds into the next section, blocking the flow of food and fluids. This is not a condition that would be caused by a collision as the intestines removed were decaying due to lack of blood supply, indicating he had been suffering from this condition for a substantial period of time. Powers underwent immediate emergency surgery and more than a foot of gangrenous intestines had to be removed. He rallied for a time and showed some improvement, but the problems returned and after two additional surgeries, he passed away, 2 weeks after the game. Although it is written all over the internet that Powers experienced an on-field injury that led to his death, long articles written after his death at the time never mention any on-field injury or collision nor do articles about the actual game. I researched this mystery for hours and found one 2014 internet piece that questioned the on-field injury theory and it agrees that there is no evidence an on-field injury actually led to his death and he was likely already suffering from the condition before the game even started. I will link that website in the description. I will still put this possible injury at #2 as, if there was an on-field injury, it was evidently bad enough to send Powers to the hospital, where he eventually lost his life - and if there wasn't an on-field injury, he still got sick in the middle of the game he was playing in and died just 2 weeks later. If any one does have real sources from the time period mentioning an on-field collision, please let me know so I can update this story, but I looked up hundreds of articles from the day after the game and beyond, none mentioning any on-field injury. Even modern newspaper articles as recent as 2009 discussing the mystery make no mention of an on-field injury. It's almost as if some one wrote it on Wikipedia one day and then the internet took it as fact and ran with it.

#1 Ray Chapman Hit In The Head

But coming in at #1 is a story that can be confirmed as the only definite on-field injury that led to the death of an MLB player. It happened to lifelong Cleveland player Ray Chapman, who was playing in his 9th season. He had over 1,000 career hits and had stolen 238 bases. Chapman set a single-season MLB record with 67 sacrifice hits in 1917, a record that stands today. On August 16th, 1920, he was taking an at bat at the Polo Grounds, facing Yankees pitcher Carl Mays. Mays was known as a "bean ball" pitcher who liked to throw inside. Back during this time, the balls were commonly dirtied with soil or tobacco juice and not typically thrown out of a game until they were hit in the stands or out of the ballpark, and even then sometimes the ball would be retrieved and put back in the game. Hitters also did not wear helmets. This led to a tragic situation in which Chapman did not pick up the high and in pitch from Mays and was hit so hard in the head, Mays thought it hit the end of Chapman's bat. He fielded the ball and threw to first. Meanwhile, Chapman crumpled to the ground. The crowd went silent as medical personal rushed to assist the batter. Chapman briefly regained concinousness and made it to his feet but collapsed before reaching the clubhouse. Chapman's skull was broken and doctors operated on him throughout the night. He initially survived the surgery but then passed away later in the morning. At first, much outrage was placed towards Carl Mays with demands that he be banned, but he insisted the ball was wet and simply got away from him, also saying "It is the most regrettable incident of my baseball career; I would give anything if I could undo what has happened." He went into seclusion for about 10 days before rejoining his team. The death of Ray Chapman had an enormous impact on the future of the game, as spitballs were banned along with scuffing or altering the baseball in any way. Baseballs hit out of play were not used again and the live ball era was introduced. Helmets eventually became the norm and are now required to be worn by all batters and baserunners. Fortunately, no other player has been killed from an on-field injury since Ray Chapman.

TOP 20 NON-MLB Athletes DRAFTED By an MLB TEAM!! NFL & NBA SUPERSTARS!!

It’s not unusual to find out some of the greatest professional athletes played multiple sports at one point, usually back in High School or sometimes even in College. The greatest athletes in the world having the ability to play multiple sports at a high level isn’t surprising, but many of these athletes were so good they had the opportunity to choose which sport they would play at the professional level. Today, we’ll be ranking the Top 20 professional athletes in sports other than baseball – in this case mostly football but there are a couple NBA players as well who were actually drafted by a Major League Baseball team, but either decided not to sign or they only played in the minors before making it big in another sport. So, I won’t include the obvious guys who actually played both at the highest level – i.e. Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. These are guys primarily known for their career in another sport besides baseball. But before getting to the main guys, let’s do a few honorable mentions.

Colin Kaepernick (AV 49)

One of the most famous NFL players for more reasons than one, Colin Kaepernick was an intriguing High School baseball prospect who could light up the radar gun as a pitcher and the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the 43rd Round of the 2009 MLB Draft while he was playing football at the University of Nevada. He decided to continue college instead and was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the 49ers and went on to play in the NFL for 6 years.

Jameis Winston (AV 67)

Another Heisman Trophy Winner, Jameis Winston, was a two-way baseball player in High School who could pitch and hit at a high level. The Texas Rangers drafted him in 2012 in the 15th Round, but Winston decided to go to college, and at Florida State, he continued to look like he could have a future in baseball, especially on the mound, where he had a 1.94 ERA coming out of the bullpen for the Seminoles, striking out 8.4 batters per 9 in 2014. But he was even better at football and was taken 1st overall by the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Brandon Weeden (AV 14)

At Edmond Santa Fe High School in Oklahoma, Brandon Weeden was a star player for both the football and baseball teams and had the opportunity to go to college to play D1 football or enter professional baseball after he was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Yankees. He decided to go pro, signing for a $565,000 bonus and entered the Yankees minor league system as a pitcher. He struggled through 5 seasons in the minors, getting traded to the Dodgers and taken in the Rule 5 by the Angels along the way. He had a great arm, but injuries and under performance let him to retire from baseball and enroll at Oklahoma State in 2009, where he joined the football team as a backup quarterback . By 2010, at 27 years old, he became the starter and in 2011, broke all types of school records, leading the Cowboys to an 11-1 record and Big 12 Championship. He was drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns and did not have a great NFL career, but did play in parts of 5 seasons, mostly as a backup QB for the Cowboys and Texans.

Matt Cassel (AV 51)

Cassel was a great baseball player going back to Little League, when his team made it to the finals of the Little League World Series in 1994. He attended Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles and was a standout in all three major sports. He decided to attend college at USC, but he was mostly a backup quarterback and didn’t throw a single touchdown pass. He only made 8 appearances as a pitcher for the baseball team. He was taken in the 7th round by the New England Patriots and the 36th Round by the Oakland A’s. With a slightly brighter future in football, he signed with the Pats and slowly moved up the depth chart. After Tom Brady tore an ACL in 2008, he took over the as the starter and had a phenomenal breakout season, leading the team to an 11-5 record. Cassel was traded to Kansas City, and went on have a great 14 year NFL career.

Scott Burrell Bur-EL (WS 16.4)

In high school, Scott Burrell was the star player on the basketball team, quarterback of the football team and flamethrowing ace pitcher for the baseball team. He became a top baseball prospect, and after was taken 26th overall in the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He decided not to sign and instead went to Uconn to play basketball, but baseball teams weren’t giving up. In the 1990 MLB Draft, his name was called again, this time by the Blue Jays in the 5th round. He signed with the agreement that he could continue playing college basketball. He pitched for 2 seasons in the Blue Jays system, going 2-6 with a 3.71 ERA and an impressive 8.9 per 9 strikeout ratio. He decided to quit baseball, focus on basketball ,and was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets 20th overall in 1993. Burrell went on to play for 8 years in the NBA.

Kyler Murray (AV 62)

An active NFL player currently in his 6th season as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft and is the only athlete to be drafted in the 1st Round of both the NFL and MLB Drafts. He hit .296 with 10 homers for Oklahoma, and signed with the A’s to play professional baseball, planning to attend Spring Training in 2019. However, after winning the Heisman Trophy with the Sooners, he decided to enter the NFL Draft, got picked first overall and forfeited his $4.6 Millon signing bonus to play football instead.

Golden Tate (AV 72)

Golden Tate was a phenomenal athlete at High School in Henderson, Tennesee and a star player on the diamond and gridiron. He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 42nd round of the 2007 MLB Draft, but decided not to sign and instead went to Notre Dame where he continued to play both baseball and football. He hit .329 in 2009 with an OPS over .800 and was drafted again, this time in the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants, but not until the 50th Round. With a brighter looking career in football, he signed with the Seahawks, who took him in the 2nd round and went on to have a productive 11-year career, winning a Superbowl with the Eagles in 2018.

Now, let’s get into the Top 20.

#20. Charlie Ward (WS 33)

When it comes to mutli-sport talent, not many were better than Charlie Ward, who was excellent at baseball, basketball, football, tennis and track in High School. He eventually became a solid NBA point-guard who spent 11 years in the league. Before that, he was a star basketball player and Heisman-Trophy winning quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles. He could’ve gone on to have a great NFL career, but stated that he wouldn’t play football unless he was drafted in the first round. So, NFL teams decided not to draft him at all. However, the same can’t be said for MLB teams as he was drafted twice just on the off chance he might sign – by the Brewers in the 59th round of the ‘93 draft and shockingly again by the Yankees in the 18th round of the ‘94 draft. They did this despite the fact Ward wasn’t even playing baseball in college. He obviously did not sign. He remains the player in the history of the NBA to have won the Heismann Trophy.

#19. Ricky Williams (AV 91)

Speedster Ricky Williams was drafted out of Patrick Henry High School in San Diego back in 1995 and decided to sign and enter the minor leagues. He was an impressive base-stealer with explosive speed, but hit just .211 with 4 home runs over 4 seasons. During this time, he still found time to play football at the University of Texas and after winning the Heisman Trophy in 1998, it was clear which path made more sense. He was taken 5th overall by the Saints and went on to play 11 years in the National Football League.

#18. Archie Manning (AV 94)

College Football Hall-of-Famer and 2-time Pro Bowler Archie Manning was drafted in the MLB Draft not once, not twice, not three times, but four total times. The first time was out of High School in 1967 in the 43rd round by the Atlanta Braves. He went on to play College Football for 3 seasons at Ole Miss as the starting quarterback.  He threw 4,753 yards, 31 touchdowns and ran for 823 yards. He also played shortstop on the Ole Miss Baseball team and the White Sox drafted him in 1970 and 1971. The Royals also drafted him, but Manning never played pro baseball. Instead, he signed with the New Orleans Saints, who took him in the 1st round in 1971. Manning played for 13 seasons in the NFL, throwing 125 touchdowns.

#17. Michael Vick (AV 112)

Quarterback Michael Vick played for 13 seasons in the NFL, made 4 Pro Bowls, and was also a standout college football player who finished 6th for the Heismann Trophy. The weird thing is Vick did not play college or High School baseball, but the Colorado Rockies surprisingly picked his name in the 30th Round of the 2000 MLB Draft. Vick hadn't played baseball since 8th Grade, but the Rockies decided to roll the dice on an incredibly explosive and elite athlete who could’ve covered a ton of ground in the outfield. Of course, Vick was destined for the NFL and did not sign with the Rockies.

#16. Kerry Collins

College Football Hall of Famer and 2-time Pro Bowler Kerry Collins played for 17 years in the NFL and, like many of the athletes on this list, played all three major sports in High School. He had an electric arm and was drafted in the 26th round of the 1990 MLB Draft by the Tigers as a pitcher, but Collins did not sign. He was a good enough quarterback to be recruited by Joe Paterno and decided to play football at Penn State, where he became a consensus first team All-American, breaking several Penn State football records. Despite not even playing baseball in college, he was selected two more times in the MLB Draft, by Tigers again in the 60th Round in 1991 and by the Blue Jays in the 48th Round in 1994, but he obviously had no interest as football was the obvious path forward.

#15. Dell Curry (ws 41.5)

The Charlotte Hornets all-time leader in games played and 2-point field goals is still Dell Curry, who put together a fantastic 16 year NBA career in which he finished in the Top 10 for 6th man of the year 6 times and won the award once, in the 93-94 season. Back in High School, he was the star basketball and baseball player and he was so good at the later as both a pitcher and hitter, that he actually got drafted in the 37th round of the 1982 MLB Draft. He decided to go to college instead of playing pro ball and became a starter for Virginia Tech, where he was named player of the year his Senior season. Dell could hit the long shot with regularity before the 3-point line was introduced, a skill that would serve him well in the NBA. He also pitched for the Virginia Tech baseball team and was selected to play pro baseball again, this by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th Round of the 1985 Draft. He decided to play college ball for one more year instead, and taken by the Utah Jazz 15th overall in 1986. But, he did eventually get a chance to play bro baseball when the Texas Rangers Single-A team, the Gastonia Rangers allowed Dell and Hornets teammate Muggsy Bogues to suit up for a game on a one-day contract in June of 1991. The owner of the Gastonias also owned the Hornets, and he thought this would make an amazing promotion. The game sold out and Dell started the game and threw 3 innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 4, including back to back strikeouts in the second inning. Scouts clocked his fastball at 85 MPH. Muggsy didn’t fair as well and struck out twice, but did make a nice play at second base. Unfortunately, the game was called after 3 innings due to rain.

#14. Kevin Johnson (WS 92.8)

The 5-time All NBA star played for 12 years in the National Basketball League, made three All-Star teams and scored over 13,000 points, averaging at least 20 per game in 5 separate seasons. A year before he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st Round, he was also drafted by a Major League Basball team – the Oakland A’s, in the 23rd Round of the 1986 MLB draft. He even signed and played in 2 games with the Single-A Modesto A’s, but went 0 for 2, scoring one run as a pinch runner, before retiring from baseball and concentrating on basketball, a wise decision as it would turn out.

#13. Ray Guy

Ray Guy is to this day the only punter enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He attended Thompson High School in Georgia, where he was a multi-sport star, playing football, baseball, basketball and track. His punting skills were insane and he averaged around 50 yards per punt, a bigger number than most NFL punters, but he was doing it in High School. In basketball, he routinely scored more than 30 points per game. But his future also looked bright on the mound, as Guy completely dominated the opposition and threw a 15-inning shutout in the state playoff semi-finals in 1969. He was taken by the Reds in the 14th round of the ‘69 Draft, but decided to attend college at Southern Miss. He became one of the best punters in college football, but continued to pitch and continued to dominate, striking out 266 batters in 200 innings. He even threw a no-hitter. In 1971, the Astros drafted him, but he did not sign. In 1972, it was the Braves who took a shot at him in the 17th Round. Finally, in 1973, he was drafted for the fourth time by the Reds again. He never signed with any pro baseball team, but when he became the 1st ever punter to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, he signed to play with the Oakland Raiders. Guy played his entire career with the Raiders, mostly in Oakland but also 5 years in Los Angeles, receiving 7 Pro Bowl selections and becoming an all-time great punter in NFL history.

#12. Joe Theismann (AV 107)

Theismann lettered in baseball, basketball and football at South River High School in New Jersey. He accepted a scholarship to play college football at Notre Dame, but also played shortstop on the baseball team in 1970. He absolutely thrived on the grid-iron and was an All-American in contention for the Heisman. He set multiple school records including passing yards in one game, passing yards in one season and touchdowns in a season. He was selected in the 4th round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Dolphins and the 39th round of the 1971 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. After negotiations with the Dolphins broke down, he entered the Canadian Football League, playing for the Toronto Argonauts. Eventually, he did make it the NFL with the Washington Redskins and played for 12 years in the NFL, winning the MVP in 1983.

#11. John Lynch (AV 116)

Two-time All-Pro, 9-Time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion John Lynch put together an impressive 15-year career as a defensive back in the NFL. Before that, he played football, baseball and basketball at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego. He was recruited by Stanford University and became a Cardinal, playing for both their baseball and football teams. He was mostly a backup quarterback for his first 3 seasons, appearing in just 8 games. Frustrated with the lack of playing time, he decided to pursue baseball after being drafted in the 2nd Round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins. He started 7 games for the Low A Erie Sailors in 1992 and had a 2.15 ERA. Lynch had the honor of throwing the first pitch in the history of the Marlins organization. In 1993, Bill Walsh, the new head coach for the Stanford Football Team, contacted Lynch and told him he wanted him to return to Stanford as a starting safety, as he saw the talent in him others didn’t. Lynch agreed and became an All-America selection, and the third-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993.

#10. Hines Ward (AV 119)

Career Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward put together a fantastic NFL career as a Wide Receiver, making 4 consecutive Pro Bowls and winning 2 Superbowl Rings. At Forrest Park High School in Georgia, he was not only a standout football player, but also an outstanding outfielder with a powerful bat. He was taken by the Florida Marlins in the 73rd round of the 1994 MLB Draft. Instead of going that route, he went to the University of Georgia to play football, where he had 149 career receptions for a total of 1,965 yards. He holds multiple Georgia records and looked to be a potential first round pick, until it was discovered he was missing an ACL in one of his legs, the result of a childhood bicycle accident. The Steelers took a shot at him in the 3rd round and the rest is history.

#9 Mark Brunell (AV 120)

3-time Pro Bowler Mark Brunell always had a powerful left-handed arm that he not only used to become an elite quarterback, but he also used to dominate batters as a pitcher at St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria, California. Not surprisingly, he was a star basketball player as well. “I’m basically known as a jock,” he once joked as a High School Senior. As a baseball player, he went 10-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 74 innings. As a hitter, he hit .470 with 20 RBIs. He won his local district’s Player of the Year Award. If it weren’t for his strong commitment to play football at Washington, he would’ve likely been taken in the MLB Draft out of High School. He went on to play football at Washington, but after a knee injury, he lost the starting quarterback job to Billy Joe Hobert. The Atlanta Braves decided to take him in the 44th round of the 1992 MLB Draft as a pitcher in a desperate attempt to see if they could bring him back to baseball. Brunell stuck with football and after Hobert was suspended for violating NCAA rules by receiving over $50,000 in loans, Brunell got the starting job back and was eventually drafted by the Green Bay Packers and went on to have an extremely successful NFL career.

#8. Steve McNair (AV 125)

Years before Steve McNair became a 3-time Pro Bowler and 2003 Associated Press MVP, he was one of the best baseball players on the Mount Olive High School team in Mississippi. McNair was a shortstop who caught the attention of then-Mariners scout, Dan Jennings. Jennings said, “He was Adonis, a muscular kid; athletic build. I'm thinking, 'This is my day. The baseball gods are shining on me.'" Jennings convinced the M’s to draft McNair in the 35th Round of the 1991 MLB Draft. McNair and his family sat down with Jennings to discuss the contract. He was offered a $15,000 bonus but eventually, after hard consideration, decided not to sign and to instead pursue a professional football career.

#7. Ken Stabler (AV 118)

Ken “The Snake” Stabler was a well rounded athlete at Foley High School in Alabama, averaging 29 points per game in basketball, leading his football team to 29-1 record as the starting quarterback and dominating as a left-handed starting pitcher for the baseball team. He was recruited by the legendary Bear Bryant to play football at Alabama. He also played for their baseball team at first, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame shortstop Joe Sewell. In 1966, he had a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings, striking out 21 batters. He also led the football team to an 11-0 record. The New York Yankees drafted him in the 10th Round of the ‘66 Draft, but when they showed up at his house to negotiate the contract, no one was home. A neighbor told them he decided to return to college. He was suspended in 1967 by Bear Bryant for missing class, partying too much and skipping baseball practice. He eventually quit baseball all together, but was drafted again in 1967 by the Houston Astros. Stabler considered signing, saying he would go with whoever paid him the most money, but when the Oakland Raiders drafted him to play in the NFL, he decided to go in that direction as the Raiders were a winning club at the time. He won the MVP in 1974 with Oakland and put together a 15-year Hall of Fame NFL career.

#6. Patrick Mahomes

One of the top quarterbacks in the NFL today, he will surely be much higher on a list like this after he retires, but as of now, he has played 8 seasons in the NFL and already has 2 MVPs and 6 Pro Bowls and is well on his way to a Hall of Fame NFL Career. He has led the Kansas City Chiefs to six consecutive AFC championship games and three total Super Bowl wins so far. He was a top football and baseball prospect back in High School in Texas, receiving scholarship offers from Texas Tech, Rice, and Houston. Mahomes was also drafted as a pitcher by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th Round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He was only taken so late due to his strong commitment to Texas Tech. He decided not to sign with Detroit and went on to play football and baseball at Texas Tech. He was drafted 10th overall by the Chiefs, signed with them and the rest is history, much of it still in the making for NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes.

#5 Russell Wilson (AV 179)

The still active quarterback Russell Wilson recently returned from injury and is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers as I record this video. But the veteran is in his 13th NFL season and, with 9 Pro Bowl Selections and a Superbowl Ring, he is a likely future Hall of Famer. He was an all-state High School football star in Richmond, Virginia and also good enough at baseball to be selected by the Orioles in the 41st round of the 2007 MLB Draft as a second baseman. He did not sign and instead continued to play football and baseball at North Carolina State. In 2010, he hit .306 with a .929 OPS, prompting the Colorado Rockies to draft him in the 4th Round. He spent two years in the Rockies minor league system, hitting .229 with 5 home runs and 19 steals in 93 games. In 2012, he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round and Wilson became the starting QB for Seattle, a position he held for 10 seasons before moving on to Denver and now Pittsburgh. As for his baseball career, he was traded to the Rangers and he appeared in Spring Training, but never played for their minor league system. In 2018, the Rangers traded him to the Yankees so he could make one at bat in pinstripes, as he grew up a Yankees fan. He made the at at bat in 2018 Spring Training, striking out in 5 pitches against Max Fried.

#4 Marshall Faulk (AV 164)

Entering the top 5, we have nothing but the best of the best – Pro Football Hall of Famers like Marshall Faulk, who had a 12-year NFL career in which he became one of the best running backs in the game during the early 2000s. Faulk won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and made 7 Pro Bowls, also taking home a Superbowl Ring. He was a standout football player, baseball player and track star at Carver High in New Orleans. He accepted an offer to play running back at San Diego State and finished second for the Heisman in 1992. Despite not playing baseball since High School, the California Angels decided to take a waiver on him in the MLB Draft for his speed and explosiveness, taking him in the 43rd round in 1992. Obviously, he did not sign and continued his college football career. He did sign with the Indianapolis Colts, who took him 2nd overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. He went on to become one of the greatest running backs of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame his first year on the ballot.

#3 John Elway (AV 206)

Coming in at #3 we have the great John Elway, whose awards and accolades are too long to list. He was a duel-threat quarterback going all the way back to High School, where he also excelled at baseball as an outfielder and pitcher. If he wasn’t so good at football with a heavy commitment to Stanford, he would’ve likely been selected higher than the 18th Round, but that’s where the Kansas City Royals took him out of High School. He obviously did not sign and went to Stanford, where he continued to play both sports. As a quarterback, he was a consensus All-American who set virtual every Pac-10 and Stanford career record for total offense and passing. But he was no slouch as a baseball player, hitting .349 with 9 home runs and 50 RBIs as a sophomore. The New York Yankees drafted him in the 2nd Round of the 1981 MLB Draft and this time, he actually signed. George Steinbrenner planned to have him in the Yankees lineup by 1985. In 1982, he showed massive potential in Low A, hitting .318 with an .896 OPS and just 25 strikeouts in 151 at bats. The clear potential for a baseball career gave him leverage when the Baltimore Colts drafted him 1st overall in 1983. Elway did not want to play for the Colts because of a losing culture and a preference to be closer to the West Coast. They eventually traded him to the Denver Broncos, where he spent his entire 16 year career, winning an MVP, a Superbowl MVP, 2 Superbowl Rings and 9 Pro-Bowl Selections. He was elected to both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never played pro baseball again after that one season in 1982.

#2 Dan Marino (AV 216)

The 1984 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, Dan Marino, played 17 years in the NFL and is 7th all-time with 420 passing touchdowns. He led the league in passing yards 5 times and was a 9-time Pro Bowler, widely considered one of the greatest QB’s of all time. He attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where he was not only a star football player, but also a top prospect as a right-handed pitcher. Despite a commitment to the University of Pittsburgh, the Kansas City Royals selected Marino in the 4th Round of the 1979 MLB Draft, 99th overall. Marino didn’t sign and instead went to Pittsburgh where he played in every game for four years, accumulating 8,597 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and, of course, after his legendary NFL career, the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.

#1 Tom Brady (AV 326)

Coming in easily at #1 is the consensus greatest quarterback in the history of football, Tom Brady, who played for an insane 23 seasons in the NFL and holds a multitude of offensive records including completions, yards, touchdowns, and games started. He is a 7-time Superbowl Champion and 15-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer the moment he is eligible. He was an impressive player at San Mateo High School in California, but no one could have predicted how good he would become. As a baseball player, he was a catcher with a tremendous arm and a powerful bat. The Montreal Expos selected him in the 18th Round of the 1995 MLB Draft and, in an unusual move, invited him to Candlestick Park during a road trip to work out with the team. The Expos front office considered him a future All-Star at a minimum. They offered him a large bonus the size you would normally see in the 2nd or 3rd round, but ultimately, Brady decided not to sign and ended up playing football at the University of Michigan. Of his 5 years at Michigan, he only started in his final two and had a solid but not otherwordly performance. He wasn’t drafted until the 6th Round, when the New England Patriots called his name in a move that would change football history. 198 football players, many of whom never made it past the practice squad, were selected before Tom Brady.

And that’ll do it for today’s video on some of the greatest athletes in sports history who were also good enough baseball players to be selected in the MLB Draft, but made their fame elsewhere.

The Top 20 MLB Players With ZERO CHAMPIONSHIPS!!

Major League Baseball teams have historically had rosters of 25 players, although more recently the active rosters have been set at 26 players. With that many players on a team, plus considering the importance in a starting rotation, a bullpen, a lineup and even the defensive abilities of the 9 fielders, only one individual player can only do so much to help a team win a championship, no matter how good they are. That’s why, while in basketball, pretty much every top players of all time like Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kareem Abdul-Jababa, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird all have multiple championship rings. With only 5 players on the court at any given time, the individual superstar has a much higher impact on the result of the game as opposed to baseball, where many of the games best players have played entire 20+ year careers and retired empty-handed – without even one World Series Championship. Today, I’ll rank the best 20 MLB players to ever play the game who never won a World Series ring.

This video will only focus on retired players, but look forward to part 2, which is coming up next and will link at the end of this video as soon as its live. That video will rank the top 20 active players who are still waiting on their championship ring, and the talent on that list is just as crazy as the one on the all-time list that starts now, but first 6 quick honorable mentions:

Honorable Mention #1: Ralph Kiner

The 6-time All Star and Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner led the league in homers for his first 6 seasons, but played for the Pirates during one of their worst eras. He not only never won a World Series, but never made it to the playoffs.

Honorable Mention #2: Fergie Jenkins

The Hall of Fame former Cy Young Award Winner Fergie Jenkins won 284 games in his career, but played mostly for the Cubs, who obviously never won a World Series during Jenkins career. He also played for the Phillies, Rangers and Red Sox but none of those teams won it all during Jenkins career. Like Kiner, he never even made it to the postseason.

Honorable Mention #3: Edgar Martinez

Edgar was with the Mariners during both their 1995 and 1997 playoff runs and the historic 2001 season. Of course, the Mariners fell short every time. Martinez hit well in the playoffs, smashing 8 career postseason bombs, but could never get that elusive ring.

Honorable Mention #4: Lee Smith

Long-time Chicago Cub players might become a pattern in today’s video. Lee Smith picked up 478 career saves, which was an MLB record for a number of years. Unfortunately, he only made the playoffs twice – once with Cubs in 1984 and once with the Red Sox in 1988. He didn’t pitch particularly well and neither time did his team make it past the championship series.

Honorable Mention #5: Roy Halladay

After 10 seasons of missing the playoffs with the Blue Jays, the late great Roy “Doc” Hallday threw a no-hitter in his very first posteason start in 2010 for the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. It helped propel his team into the next round, but the Phillies fell short against the Giants. His Phillies were back in the postseason in 2011, but this time, despite two great efforts from Hallday, they lost in the NLDS against St. Louis. He never made it back to the playoffs again, but the 2-time Cy Young Award Winner was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019, but sadly it happened after his tragic passing in a plane crash.

Honorable Mention #6: George Sisler

Poor George Sisler was an amazing player and had a .340 career batting average, hitting over .400 twice. But he played most of his career with the dreadful St. Louis Browns, who never won a World Series championship. During Sisler’s time there, they never even made the postseason nor did Sisler in his career. They eventually moved to Baltimore and became the modern day Orioles.

Honorable Mention #7: Don Mattingly

I have to mention Mattingly, who somehow played his entire 14 year career with the New York Yankees, made 6 All Star Teams, and became one of the best players in baseball, yet somehow never even got to the World Series. The Yankees won it all in 1978, the year before Mattingly was drafted and then the team went into a rough era in the 1980’s and early 90’s. Mattingly’s Yankees made the playoffs once in 1995, Mattingly’s final season, and he hit .417 but they lost to the Mariners in the ALCS. The next year, the Yankees won the World Series. They literally won a World Series the year before he was drafted and the year after his final season.

Honorable Mention #8: Jeff Bagwell

He played for 15 years for the Houston Astros, winning a Rookie of the Year, MVP and Gold Glove, but never got that championship ring. He played for some excellent Astros teams, made the playoffs 6 times, but only got to the World Series once, in 2005. The White Sox were victorious over Houston.

Honorable Mention #9: Craig Biggio

I might as well mention Biggio as well, who played with Bagwell that entire time, except he played even longer – 20 years with Houston. He made 7 All Stars teams, won 4 Gold Gloves, but like Bagwell, never won it all. Both players were elected to the Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention #10: Sam Crawford

The Hall of Famer Sam Crawford hit an astonishing and MLB record 309 triples, had a .309 career batting average, 367 steals, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1957. He made it to the World Series 3 times with the Tigers, but never won it all.

Honorable Mention #11: Jeff Kent

He hit more homers than any other second basemen in MLB history, won an MVP in 2000 and made 5 All Star Teams, but the powerful Jeff Kent never won it all, although he was no stranger to the postseason. He appeared in the playoffs with the Indians, Giants, Astros and Dodgers, but always fell short.

Now let’s move on to the Top 20.

#20. Adrian Beltre

Recently inducted Hall-of-Famer Adrian Beltre played for 21 years in the big leagues for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, and Rangers but never in a season that one of those teams made it all the way. His first taste of the playoffs was in 2004, but the Dodgers lost in the NLDS. The closest the 4-time All Star got to a championship was in 2011, his first year with Texas. The Rangers repeated as American League champs and made it to the Fall Classic, but were defeated in 7 games by the Cardinals, despite Beltre hitting .300 with 2 home runs. Beltre’s Rangers made the playoffs again in 2012, 2015 and 2016, but were eliminated each time before the World Series.

#19. Mike Piazza

The long time Dodgers and Met catcher played for a couple great franchises, but never in the right season. He won a Rookie of the Year and made 6 straight All Star Teams with L.A., but only made the playoffs twice – in 1995 and 1996, both times getting eliminated in the first round. In 1998, after a brief stint with the Marlins, he was traded to the Mets, a very strong team that took the 1999 Braves to a 6th game of the NLCS before getting eliminated. In 2000, they made it all the way to the World Series, where Piazza had some historic moments such as this freak incident with Roger Clemens. However, the Yankees won the series. Piazza had one last chance in 2006 with the Padres, who made the playoffs but were swept immediately by the Cardinals.

#18. Carlton Fisk

Fisk had an extremely long and successful 24 year career with the Red Sox and White Sox taking lord knows how much damage behind the plate as a catcher, yet he never won a World Series title. It might be a little surprising since Fisk hit one of the most famous World Series home runs in history, a walkoff shot in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. But some people might not know that didn’t win the series; it just forced a Game 7. The Red Sox ended up losing that final game to the Reds. Fisk made it back to the playoffs just one more time in 1983 with the White Sox, but his team lost the series 3 games to 1 to Baltimore.

#17. Sammy Sosa

It might be controversial to put steroid guys on this list, but as just one of 9 players in the 600-home run club and some one who smashed over 60 3 times, he has to be mentioned. Sosa, like many of the players on this, simply played for the wrong teams – and one of those teams was of course the Chicago Cubs. Sosa spent 13 of his 18 years with the Cubs, won an MVP and put up video game power numbers, but only made the playoffs twice – once 1998 when the Cubs lost to Atlanta in the NLDS, and again in the famous 2003 postseason when the Cubs got to the NLCS against the Florida Marlins and looked to have everything under control, when the Bartman incident occurred and the Cubs completely meltdown down, losing the game and series. Sosa never got back to the playoffs.

#16. Ryne Sandberg

Not the first and definitely not the last Cub to make the list is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs – not a great idea if you want to win World Series Championships. He made 10 All Star Games and won an MVP, but only made it to the postseason twice and both times his team lost in the first round. It was no fault of Sandberg’s as he hit .385 with an OPS over 1.000 throughout both playoff series, but the Cubs lost to the Padres in 1984 then to the Giants in 1989.

#15. Robin Yount

Robin Yount spent 20 years in the big leagues, all playing for the Milwaukee Brewers who to this day have not won a World Series title at the time of this recording. So, obviously, Yount never got a ring although he did two MVPs and finished his career with 3,142 hits. The only time he played on a very good Brewers team was in the early 80’s. With teammates like Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor, Pete Vuckovich, Ted Simmons and Cecil Cooper, the Brewcrew made the playoffs in 1981, but were eliminated in the ALCS by the Yankees. The next year, a determined Brewers club made it all the way to the World Series after leading the big leagues with 95 wins. Yount hit .414 with a home run, but the Cardinals were victorious in a hard fought 7-game series. Yount never saw the postseason again.

#14. Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

Vlad Sr. was well known for his amazing ability to put the bat on the ball, wherever it might be – even if it bounced first. He could simply rake and ended up with an MVP and 9 All-Star nods, playing for the Expos, Angels, Rangers and Orioles. The Expos were great in 1994 when Vlad entered their minor league system, but by the time he made the big leagues, they were never a postseason threat. He was with the Expos in 2002 when the Angels won it all, and that’s where Guerrero ended up a couple years later. Unfortunately, even though they made the playoffs 5 times while Vladdy was there, the Angels never returned to the World Series. However, he did make it to the Fall Classic in 2010 with the Rangers, but they lost in 5 to the Giants. He ended up with the Orioles in 2011 then retired.

#13. Rod Carew

From his rookie season in 1967 all the way through 1984, Rod Carew made literally every single All Star team. He won a Rookie of the Year, MVP and led the league in hitting 7 times. However, he played for the Twins and Angels during a time neither team won any titles. The Twins had some talent in the late 60’s and made the playoffs in 1969 and 1970, but couldn’t get passed the Orioles in the ALCS. Then, it was the Orioles again who stopped Carew’s Angels from getting to the World Series in 1979. His last shot at a title was in 1982 when the Angels faced the Brewers in the ALCS that I talked about earlier featuring Robin Yount. That was the year the Brewers made it to the World Series and it was by defeating Carew’s Angels. Rod Carew never played in a World Series game.

#12. Juan Marichal

If you were primarily a San Francisco Giant before 2010, Champions were hard to come by. In fact, you’d have to go back to 1954 when the Giants were still in New York, 6 years before Juan Marichal’s debut. Marichal played from 1960 to 1975, 13 of the 15 years with the Giants, who reached the postseason twice during that time. In 1962, the Giants won the pennant, but lost to the Yankees in the ‘62 series. Marichal threw 4 scoreless innings in Game 4, leading the Giants to victory, but the Yankees ended up winning the series in 7. In the 1970’s the Giants made the playoffs just once, in 1971, and lost in a best of 5 to the Pirates. Marichal was excellent in Game 3, giving up just 1 run in 8 innings, but was outdueled by Bob Johnson. Those were Marichal’s only 2 postseason appearances.

#11. Nap Lajoie

One of the greatest hitters in the early years of professional baseball, Nap Lajoie hit .338 for his career, maxing out at a ridiculous .463 batting average in 1901. He led the league multiple times in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, RBIs, and doubles. Over 21 seasons, he played for the Phillies, A’s, and Cleveland Bronchos, who changed their name to the Cleveland Naps in honor of Lajoie while he was still on the team – that’s how much of a legend he was. He hit for the Triple Crown one year, but none of his clubs were ever good enough to win the pennant and Lajoie retired without a World Series appearance, much less a championship.

#10. Willie McCovey

Another Giants legend who started his career just a bit too late to take part in that 1954 championship in New York was Willie McCovey, who was still in the minors when the team moved to San Francisco. He made his debut in 1959 and was an instant force, winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He ended up making 6 All Star Teams and won the MVP in 1969, but just like Marichal, the only two postseason appearances he made were in 1962 and 1971. In ‘62, he made the final out by hitting a rocket that was caught by Yankees 2nd baseman Bobby Richardson. In ‘71, he hit .429 with 2 bombs in the NLCS but it wasn’t enough to get passed the Pirates.

#9. Harmon Killebrew

He was a 13-time All-Star and MVP who smashed 573 homers and led the league in bombs 6 times, but Harmon Killebrew never played on a World Series championship team. He did get to the World Series in 1965 after the Twins won an MLB best 102 games, but they ran into Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in the World Series. Koufax threw two complete game shutouts and allowed just 3 hits in the final Game 7. He was also teammates with Rod Carew in 1969 and 1970 when the Twins could not defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS.

#8. Carl Yastrzemski

The Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski played for 24 seasons, won 7 Gold Gloves, 3 batting titles, a Triple Crown and an MVP but he alone could not get the Red Sox to break the Curse of the Bambino. He did appear in two World Series with Boston, both going 7 games. The first one was in 1967 against St. Louis and Yastrzemski hit .400 with 3 bombs, but an electric Bob Gibson won 3 games for the Cardinals and they ended up taking the series from Boston. In 1975, Yaz and teammate Carlton Fisk took on the Reds but as mentioned earlier, they fell short in 7. Yastrzemski eventually retired without a championship.

#7. Ernie Banks

Perhaps the first name that comes to mind when thinking of great players who never won a World Series, Ernie Banks played his entire career with the Cubbies from 1953 to 1971 and incredibly never played in a single postseason game. He is probably the greatest player to never even appear in a postseason game. The Cubs just were never good enough but it was not Ernie’s fault as won two MVPs, hit over 500 homers, made 14 All Star teams and even won a Gold Glove. The Cubs looked primed to make the playoffs in 1969, sitting in 1st place in August with an 8 ½ game lead. In early September, that lead fell to 5 games. Then, after a series against the Mets in which the famous black cat made his appearance, the Cubs began to really collapse and lost 17 of their last 25 games. It was the closest Ernie Banks came to postseason baseball.

#6. Tony Gwynn

The Great Tony Gwynn won 8 batting titles, 7 Silver Sluggers, 5 Gold Gloves and zero World Series rings. He played his entire 20 year career with the San Diego Padres, who are still trying to win their first ever Fall Classic. Gwynn did get to experience playoff baseball, starting in 1984 when the Padres won the National League Pennant, but lost to the Tigers in the World Series. After that, the Padres fell into futility for about a decade. In 1996, a veteran Padres team with the likes of Gwynn, Wally Joyner, Rickey Henderson, Steve Finley & Ken Caminiti won the National League West with Trevor Hoffman closing out games. But, they were swept in the NLDS by the Cardinals, with Brian Jordan crushing a game winning homer off Hoffman in Game 3. Two years later, the Pads made it back to the playoffs and, in fact, all the way to the World Series. Gwynn hit .500 in the ‘98 Fall Classic, but the Yankees swept the Pads.

#5. Ichiro Suzuki

Although Ichiro did win a Japanese Championship in 1996 and two World Baseball Classics, he never won a World Series, despite playing 19 years in the big leagues and making 10 All Star Teams. Ichiro finished his career with over 3,000 hits, an MVP and 10 Gold Gloves. He played the vast majority of his career with the Seattle Mariners, another team still looking for their first World Series appearance. In 2001, the Mariners had a historic season, winning 116 games, tying an MLB record. They got passed Cleveland in the ALDS but fell short against the Yankees. Ichiro eventually played for the Yankees, which one would think would give him the best shot at a championship. However, during his 3 years in New York, they only made the playoffs once, in 2012, and were swept by a powerful Tigers team in the ALCS, despite Ichiro hitting .353 with a home run. He played for the Marlins as well, who failed to make the playoffs while Ichiro was there.

#4. Ken Griffey Jr.

Another long-time Mariner, Ken Griffey Jr. smashed 630 bombs in his amazing 22-year career in which his list of accomplishments are too long to read off, but they do not include a World Series title. He played for Seattle from 1989 to 1999 then again as a teammate of Ichiro’s in 2009 and 2010. Griffey was already gone when the M’s had their amazing season in 2001, but he was there in 1995 when they won the AL West with 79 wins in the shortened post-strike season. The team had 3 future Hall of Famers with Griffey, Edgar Martinez and Randy Johnson, not to mention Alex Rodriguez, who had Hall of Fame talent. Griffey tore it up in the ALDS, hitting .391 with 5 bombs, helping the M’s defeat the Yankees. But they lost to a loaded Cleveland Indians team in the ALCS. In 1997, Seattle won the West again, but Mike Mussina outdueled Randy Johnson twice and helped the Orioles beat the M’s in the ALDS. Griffey went on to play for the Reds, who never made the playoffs but he was traded to the White Sox in 2008 and they won the AL Central. Unfortunately for Griffey, they lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to Tampa Bay.

#3. Ty Cobb

The most surprising player on this list might be the legendary Ty Cobb, who played 24 years in the league, accumulated over 4,000 hits, had an unbreakable career record .366 batting average, and is one of the greats of the early 20th century, yet never did play a team that won it all. His main team was the Detroit Tigers, who didn’t win their first World Championship until 1935, 7 years after Cobb’s retirement. Back then, teams had to win the pennant just to make the postseason and they went directly to the World Series. It happened for Cobb’s Tigers 3 times – and they were consecutive American League titles – 1907, 1908 and 1909. The powerful Chicago Cubs, who had 4 future Hall of Famers, won in 1907 and 1908. In 1909, in one of great early World Series matchups, the Tigers and Pirates went back and forth but the it was the Pirates who ended up on top, thanks to rookie phenom Babe Adams, who threw 3 complete games including a shutout in the decisive game 7.

#2. Barry Bonds

You didn’t think I would forget Barry Bonds, right? Bonds was a generational talent and one of the greatest hitters to ever live. Even before what’s known as the juicing period of his career, he was one of the best all around talents to ever play the game and had won 3 MVPs, 2 of them with a powerful Pittsburgh Pirates team in the early 90’s. Those stacked Pirates teams had players like Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, and Doug Drabek. They made the playoffs for three straight seasons, 1990 to 1992, but fell short in the NLCS every time, and Barry Bonds didn’t hit well, giving him a reputation as a poor postseason performer. But then, he went to San Francisco and the Giants immediately won 103 games in 1993, which would almost always be good enough for a postseason berth, but the Atlanta Braves were also in the NL West for some reason and they won 104 games – one year before the Wild Card was instituted. The Giants and Bonds missed the playoffs that year, but Bonds would get more chances. In 1997, San Francisco clinched the division on the 2nd to last day of the season against San Diego. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Marlins, who went on to win it all. The Giants lost in the NLDS again in 2000 to the Mets. However, 2002 looked like the big year and the Giants needed one more win to take home the World Series Trophy. They had a 5 run lead in Game 6 of the World Series against the Angels but blew the game and ended up losing the series in 7 games. In 2003, they had another chance against the Marlins, but the series ended when J.T. Snow was cut down at the plate on a great throw by Jeff Conine and a nice catch & tag by Pudge Rodriguez. Bonds never got back to the playoffs although he wanted to continue his career in 2008 to complete his goal of winning a World Series, but no teams were interested. Was it collusion? Most seem to think so as Bonds had just hit 28 home runs with an OPS over 1.000 and league leading .480 on-base percentage. Imagine a player today going unsigned after that type of season.

#1. Ted Williams

At #1 I had to go with the Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams, the last man to hit over .400 in a full season and perhaps the greatest hitter to ever live. He is a legend in Boston and he played his entire career that spanned over 4 decades with the Red Sox. Most baseball fans are aware that the Red Sox went into a massive World Series drought after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Williams played his entire career during that drought and sadly never won a World Series, although he did appear in one, in 1946. The Red Sox went 104-50 that season behind a stacked roster that included future Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, 20-game winner Tex Hughson, hitting machine Johnny Pesky and the powerful 7-time All Star Rudy York. They went up against Stan Musial and the Cardinals, who ended up winning an incredible World Series in 7 games. Williams was injured but played through it, hitting just .200 with no homers. That would be the extend of his postseason career. Ted Williams himself proves that in baseball, you don’t have to be great in the postseason to be an all-time great, and it’s incredible that even the great Ted Williams played in just 7 postseason games and never won a World Series.