Best Baseball Players of All Time

Over the years, there have been some phenomenal baseball players to take to the field in MLB. Whether you’re a big fan of pitching or batting, there are many examples of outstanding players who have wowed fans with their prowess. 

But how do you define the players who truly are the cream of the crop?

Some players were outstanding for a season but failed to sustain their performance in the longer term. Others benefitted from being around excellent teammates, but when their own performance is scrutinised, it doesn't quite match up to the best of the best.

Bearing all of that in mind, here’s a closer look at three players who are head and shoulders above the field.

It's a predictable inclusion so let's get Babe Ruth out of the way first. One of the best baseball players that ever lived. It's impossible to exclude Babe Ruth from this list.

Babe Ruth's importance in the sport cannot be overstated. He was the first pro athlete to get an endorsement deal, and arguably he was the first one to ever really become a celebrity off the field. But there was a reason for his popularity, and that was his prodigious talent in the sport he loved. 

He only won MVP once - but that's because the rules at the time only allowed a player to win it once in his career. He picked up the World Series title three times with the Red Sox and a further four times with the Yankees. 

When he joined MLB in 1914, the best ever home runs record was 27 - within seven years, Babe Ruth had hit 59. He led the league in home runs on no fewer than twelve occasions and notched up a slugging percentage of 0.690 that remains unbeaten to this day. His record as a pitcher was impressive, too, finishing with an ERA of 2.28.

It seems unlikely that the world will ever see a player of Babe Ruth’s calibre ever again.

Stan Musial, or Stan the Man as he was often referred to, was known for being an all-round good guy. At a time when many players were linked with some dubious personal opinions, Stan was renowned for being the nicest person in town. 

He played for St Louis Cardinals for the entirety of his 22-year career, preferring to stick with the club that he loved rather than move up. Because of this commitment, he’s an iconic figure in his hometown. 

While playing for the Cardinals, Stan took them to three World Series titles while also collecting an armful of MVP awards himself (1943, 1946 and 1948). With a lifetime batting average of .331, it's said that pitchers often resigned themselves to not bothering when lined up against Stan at the plate. His highest strikeout total was just 46, out of a total of 505 appearances on the plate that season. With the third-highest doubles behind Speaker and Rose, it's likely that Stan would have achieved even more if he hadn't missed the 1945 baseball season to serve in the forces.

A controversial pick for the list, but Alex Rodriguez is probably the best shortstop the MLB has ever seen. Known as A-Rod, the charismatic player took to the field for the Mariners (1994-2000), the Texas Rangers (2001-2003) and the New York Yankees (2004-2013, 2015-2016). 

From the start, great things were expected of Rodriguez, as he was named one of the best prospects. Despite a couple of wobbly seasons throughout his career, he achieved outstanding performances with more than 2000 runs batted in, almost 700 home runs, and a .295 batting average. He was an incredible 14 times in the All-Stars, an MVP winner three times while also picking up 10 Silver Slugger awards and two Gold Gloves. He remains the record holder with 25 grand slams.

Some of his crazier moments, such as kissing his reflection and smacking the ball out of Arroyo's glove, have only cemented A-Rod as a baseball legend. He may have been one of the more outlandish characters in the sport, but he was nevertheless supremely talented.