5 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

The crack of the bat, oh, the crack of the bat. It smells like freshly cut grass. Cracker Jack in hand, hoping to avoid being splashed by the huge beer clutched by the inebriated fan sitting behind you. Baseball, the official pastime of the United States, epitomizes summer. Baseball's popularity in the United States stems, at least in part, from its long history and the game's general continuity over time—very it's likely that your great-great-grandfather could follow a modern game if he were magically plopped into the stands. Because of this history and continuity, comparing players from different eras is a little simpler than it is in other sports, which is what I'll be doing here. Let's see how things go!

5. Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron is often thought of as merely a tremendous power hitter, but arguably one of the best ever, since he held the title of Home Run King for a decade. However, “Hammerin' Hank's” 755 career home runs (a 33-year record) are just the tip of the iceberg. Of course, his all-time highs of 2,297 runs batted in and 6,856 total bases reflect his legendary power, but he also had a decent career. He had a.305 batting average and three Gold Gloves for his outfield action. Aaron was named to the All-Star Game 21 times in a row and hit at least 30 home runs in 15 of those seasons. Aaron finished his career in 1976 with the second-most hits (3,771) and runs scored (2,174) in major-league history, in addition to his other milestones.

4. Ted Williams

Ted Williams has been named "the greatest pure hitter who ever lived" for a long time. Despite missing almost five complete seasons of his prime due to military service, his lifetime on-base percentage of.482 is the highest of all time, and he ranks in the top 20 in total runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, and walks. ”The Splendid Splinter” (see what I mean about the nicknames?) was known for his uncanny eye, which helped him hit.400 in his final major-league season (.406 in 1941). In his 19-year career, the Boston Red Sox legend led the American League in batting average six times, slugging percentage nine times, and on-base percentage 12 times.

Williams has been dubbed the greatest fisherman and fighter pilot in history, in addition to being the best hitter ever. Despite (or perhaps because of) his many accolades, he had a famously thorny relationship with the press. When Williams declined to come out for a curtain call after hitting a home run in his final at-bat, renowned author John Updike said, "Gods do not answer letters."

3. Barry Bonds

Yeah, I understand. He was cantankerous, preening, and almost definitely steroid-addicted—not exactly the kind of guy who should be given the benefit of the doubt and gain the third spot on this list. Many baseball fans consider Barry Bonds to be the poster boy for the steroid era and its alleged illegitimacy. But, hey, he was already a lock for the Hall of Fame when he allegedly started juicing, and steroids would have had little impact on his unrivaled eye-hand coordination, which resulted in an all-time record 2,558 career walks and a mind-boggling.444 lifetime on-base percentage.

And that's the thing about steroids: there's no way to know for sure how they affect a baseball player's efficiency. So let's just take a look at the incredible numbers Bonds racked up: an unprecedented 762 home runs (including a single-season record 73 in 2001), a record seven career MVP awards, and 688 intentional walks, which is more than double the amount given to the player with the second-most all-time and a striking testament to the fear Bonds instilled in opposing pitchers.

2. Willie Mays

Unlike his godson Bonds (whose father, Bobby, was Willie Mays' teammate from 1968 to 1972), Mays' position on this list does not require any mental gymnastics. Mays' impressive numbers at the plate—3,283 hits, 660 home runs, and 1,903 runs batted in—were matched by his excellent outfield play, which won him 12 straight Gold Glove Awards (1957–68) and prompted many to label him the best all-around player the game had ever seen.

Mays' most memorable moment (and one of the most memorable in baseball history) occurred on defense, when he made an over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track in the eighth inning of a tied 1954 World Series game, allowing the New York Giants to win the game and, ultimately, the championship. While he only won one championship in his career, the 20-time All-Star and two-time MVP's legacy is unblemished by a lack of team performance (1954 and 1965).

1. Babe Ruth

This is a no-brainer if ever there was one. Yes, he played in a talent pool that was artificially restricted until Jackie Robinson cracked the color barrier in 1947, and decades before advanced fitness regimens created athletes that looked like, well, athletes, but Ruth was such a historic talent that he transcends these limitations. His entry into the major leagues was so important that it represented the end of the dead-ball era. The all-time record for home runs in a season was 27 when he reached the majors in 1914. He had more than doubled it in seven years, with 59, and he hit a personal high of 60 dingers in 1927. 

He led the AL in home runs 12 times in all. He was such a powerful hitter that his.690 career slugging percentage remains the highest of all time, and the distance between him and second place is greater than the gap between second and ninth place. Oh, and he was a fantastic pitcher in his early years, leading the American League with a 1.75 ERA in 1921 and pitching 29 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings in two World Series—because if you're going to dominate the game as much as the Babe did, you might as well do it in all areas, right?

Furthermore, Ruth was the first transcendent American sports superstar, generating national headlines for both his on-field accomplishments and his off-field fame. His contributions to the storied New York Yankees teams of the 1920s catapulted baseball into the national spotlight, which it still enjoys today. Ruth was not only the greatest baseball player of all time, but he was also the most influential.

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