With this group of 25, we are 80 percent finished with our list. As you would expect, there will be more and more Hall of Famers as we get closer to the top. In this bunch, there are 14 with the other 11 certainly having valid arguments for their induction. We also have a pitcher who threw a perfect game, two others who won the Triple Crown, and a couple of guys who are better known for their nicknames instead of their proper first names. Let's continue our journey through the top 1,000 players in MLB history.
Be sure to check out the rest of our series: MLB 976-1,000 | 951-975 | 926-950 | 901-925 | 876-900 |850-875 | 826-850 | 801-825 | 776-800 | 751-775 | 726-750 | 701-725 | 676-700 | 651-675 | 626-650 | 601-625 | 576-600 | 551-575 | 526-550 | 501-525 | 476-500 | 451-475 | 426-450 | 401-425 | 376-400 | 351-375 | 326-350 | 301-325 | 276-300 | 251-276 | 226-250
#225 - Red Ruffing - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1924-1942, 1945-1947
Ruffing started out as a struggling young pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. However, he was traded to the New York Yankees in 1930 and his career turned around. In his 15 years as a Yankee, Ruffing won 231 games with a 3.47 ERA (119 ERA+) averaging 211 innings per year. He led the league in strikeouts in 1932 with 190. Ruffing was a six-time All-Star and finished in the top 8 in MVP voting three times. He threw at least 220 innings each year from 1928 to 1940. He was also quite the hitter, especially against lefties. For his career, he slashed .309/.346/.455 against southpaws with 40 doubles and 92 RBIs over 616 plate appearances. Ruffing was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967 by the BBWAA.
#224 - Vada Pinson - Outfield - 1958-1975
Pinson had an excellent peak from 1959 to 1965, slashing .303/.349/.487 (125 OPS+) averaging 22 home runs, 23 stolen bases, and 91 RBIs per 162. He led the league with 47 doubles and 131 runs in 1959, both career highs. In 1961, Pinson finished third in MVP voting and won a Gold Glove batting .343 with a league-leading 208 hits. He is one of 11 players with 250 home runs, 300 stolen bases, and 2,500 hits. Pinson is the only player with three seasons of 30 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.
#223 - Bobby Doerr - Second Base - 1937-1944, 1946-1951
Doerr was a blend of hard-hitting offensive production with excellent defense. He hit at least 15 home runs 10 years in a row (he missed 1945 due to WWII) while driving in 100 runs six times. He was a nine-time All-Star and finished third in MVP voting in 1946. Defensively, Doerr led the league in putouts four times, assists three times, and fielding percentage four times. He was inducted into the Hall -of Fame in 1986 by the Veteran's Committee.
#222 - Brian Giles - Outfield - 1995-2009
Giles was an underrated hitter. His career slash is .291/.400/.502 but his peak from 1999-2003 was incredible. During that time, Giles slashed .307/.426/.588 (157 OPS+) averaging 37 home runs and 114 RBIs. He walked over 100 times five times and led the league with 119 in 2005. He also had over 33 doubles eight years in a row. Giles is one of 11 players since 1980 with 250 home runs and more walks than strikeouts.
#221 - Johan Santana - Left-Handed Pitcher - 2000-2010, 2012
Santana was one of the most dominant pitchers in the 2000s. From 2002-2010, he won 130 games with a 2.90 ERA (150 ERA+) averaging 198 innings per year and a strikeout per inning. He led the league three times in ERA and three times in strikeouts. Santana won the Triple Crown in 2006. He was a two-time CYA winner (should've won in 2005 as well). He led the league in WHIP four times and had a 3.51 K/BB rate for his career.
#220 - Bernie Williams - Centerfield - 1991-2006
Williams was a fixture in the middle of that lineup as an integral part of the Yankees dynasty in the late 90s to the early 2000s. During his peak from 1995 to 2002, he slashed .321/.406/.531 (142 OPS+) averaging 27 home runs and 115 RBIs while chipping in 14 steals per 162. He led the league in batting in 1998 and was a five-time All-Star. For six straight seasons, Williams had 100 runs, 90 RBIs, and 20 home runs with a .300 batting average. He was the 1996 ALCS MVP going 9-for-19 with three doubles, a couple of home runs, and six RBIs in the five-game series.
#219 - Jesse Burkett - Left Field - 1890-1905
As one of the most prolific hitters heading into the 20th century, Burkett was the first player to reach 240 hits in a season. That wasn't matched until 15 years later. He won three batting titles and batted .400 twice. From 1893-1901, he slashed .376/.451/.490 (150 OPS+) averaging 15 triples, 36 stolen bases, and 158 runs per 162. Burkett's 182 triples are tied for 15th all-time, and he swatted 2,850 hits along with scoring 1,720 runs (26th all-time). Burkett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#218 - John Olerud - First Base - 1989-2005
Olerud had his breakout season in 1993. He led the league batting .363 that season with a .473 OBP and 54 doubles while finishing third in MVP voting. For the next decade, Olerud slashed .307/.414/.487 (137 OPS+) averaging 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 97 RBIs per 162. In Toronto's two World Series runs in 1992 and 1993, Olerud slashed .316/.398/.447. He was a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. Olerud is one of seven players to bat .360 with 50 doubles and 20 home runs in a season.
#217 - Jack Glasscock - Shortstop - 1879-1895
Glasscock was considered the best shortstop of the 19th century. Defensively, he was unrivaled leading the league six times in assists and six times in fielding percentage. The league's shortstops fielded at an .883 clip while Glasscock had a .910 mark. Offensively, he had an excellent peak from 1882-1890. During that span, he slashed .308/.352/.401 (128 OPS+) averaging 121 runs, 204 hits, and 41 stolen bases per 162. He led the league in hits twice and won the batting title in 1890 with a .336 mark.
#216 - Dennis Eckersley - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1975-1998
Eckersley had two separate careers. He began as a starter and was pretty good winning 149 games with a 3.71 ERA and a 2.63 K/BB rate over 361 starts. As a reliever, Eck saved 390 games with a 2.85 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, and a 6.29 K/BB rate. He didn't start closing games until he was 32 years old. His peak as a starter was at the beginning of his career. From 1975-1979, he won 77 games with a 3.12 ERA (128 ERA+) averaging 230 innings per year. As a reliever from 1988-1992, Eckersley had 220 saves with a 1.90 ERA and nearly a 10-to-1 K/BB rate. He was the CYA and MVP winner in 1992. In 1990, he had a 0.61 ERA with four walks and 73 strikeouts. It is the third-lowest ERA in a season by a pitcher with at least 70 innings pitched. Eckersley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 by the BBWAA.
#215 - Pee Wee Reese - Shortstop - 1940-1942, 1946-1958
In 1942, Reese was selected to the first of 10 All-Star Games before heading off to war for three years. When he came back in 1946, he began a decade as one of the top shortstops in baseball. From 1946-1955, Reese slashed .280/.381/.402 (108 OPS+) averaging 108 runs, 11 home runs, and 19 stolen bases per 162. He was top 10 in MVP voting eight times leading the league in walks (104) in 1947, runs (132) in 1949, and stolen bases (30) in 1952. Reese was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 by the Veteran's Committee.
#214 - Zack Wheat - Left Field - 1909-1927
Wheat was considered a slugger in the dead-ball era. From 1910-1919, he had a sub-.400 slugging percentage twice and led his team in that category nearly every year. After an off year in 1915, Wheat was excellent for the next decade. From 1916-1925, he slashed .334/.383/.477 (138 OPS+) averaging 12 triples, 11 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 92 RBIs per 162. Wheat led the league in slugging in 1916 (.461) and batting in 1918 (.335). He finished third in MVP voting in 1924, batting .375 with 41 doubles and 97 RBIs. Wheat is the Dodgers franchise leader in total bases (4,003), hits (2,804), doubles (464), and triples (171). He is one of nine players to bat .310 over 10,000 plate appearances with 4,000 total bases and 200 stolen bases. Wheat was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959 by the Veteran's Committee.
#213 - Dazzy Vance - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1915, 1918, 1922-1935
At 31 years old, Vance had only thrown 33 major league innings. However, he put together an impressive stretch over the next nine years. From 1922-1930, he won 164 games with a 3.05 ERA (135 ERA+) averaging 257 innings and 182 strikeouts per year. Vance led the league in strikeouts seven years in a row and K/BB rate eight consecutive seasons. He led the league in ERA three times and won the Triple Crown and MVP in 1924 with 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts. Vance led the majors in strikeouts in the 1920s, which is impressive considering he didn't pitch in 1920 or 1921. He was eighth in career strikeouts when he retired in 1935. Vance was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955 by the BBWAA.
Although two-way players were not uncommon in the 19th century, Ward put together an impressive resume on both sides. As a pitcher, he led the league with a 1.51 ERA in 1878. He followed that by leading the league with 47 wins and 239 strikeouts in 1879. For his career, Ward won 164 games with a 2.10 ERA over 2,469.2 innings. At the plate, he got better once he left the mound behind. From 1887-1893 he batted .300 averaging 86 stolen bases, 134 runs, and 206 hits per 162. Defensively, he played over 100 games at shortstop six times, leading the league in putouts four times. Ward was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964 by the Veteran's Committee.
#211 - Mordecai Brown - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1903-1916
Brown had one of the most impressive seven-year stretches of any pitcher in history. From 1904-1910, he won 160 games with a 1.56 ERA (168 ERA+) averaging 275 innings per year. In 1906, Brown had a 1.04 ERA which is still the National League record. He led the league in shutouts twice and saves four times. In 1911 he became the first pitcher with 20 wins and 10 saves in a season. That has only been matched four times. His career ERA is 2.06 which sits behind only Ed Walsh and Addie Joss (min. 2,000 innings). If we raise the criteria to 3,000 innings, Brown becomes the all-time leader. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1949 by the Old Timer's Committee.
While there were plenty of stars on the Oakland A's in the early 70s, Bando was a key cog on those teams. From 1969-1978, he slashed .259/.364/.428 (127 OPS+) averaging 23 home runs and 92 RBIs per 162. In 1969, Bando had career highs with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs while making the first of four All-Star teams. He finished in the top 4 of MVP voting three times including runner-up in 1971. Bando is one of 10 third basemen with 200 home runs and a .350 OBP.
#209 - Will Clark - First Base - 1986-2000
From 1987-1991, Clark was arguably the best first baseman in baseball. In that five-year stretch, he slashed .304/.376/.522 (153 OPS+) averaging 28 home runs and 109 RBIs per 162. He led the league in RBIs (109) and walks (100) in 1988 and runs (104) in 1989. Clark had four top 5 finishes for MVP, including runner-up in 1989. Clark was productive throughout his career finishing with a .303 average and an .880 OPS (137 OPS+). He batted below .300 only four times and his OPS dipped below .800 just twice in 15 seasons. Clark was the NLCS MVP in 1989 going a ridiculous 13-for-20 with six extra-base hits and eight RBIs in the five-game series against the Cubs.
#208 - Hal Newhouser - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1939-1955
Newhouser was a dominant lefty in the 1940s. From 1942-1948, he won 134 games with a 2.43 ERA (155 ERA+) averaging 265 innings per year. He won back-to-back MVPs in 1944 and 1945 and finished runner-up in 1946. The six-time All-Star led the league in strikeouts twice, ERA twice, and wins four times. Newhouser won the Triple Crown in 1945 winning 25 games with a 1.81 ERA and 212 strikeouts. He nearly won it three years in a row finishing second in ERA in 1944 and second in strikeouts in 1946. Newhouser was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 by the Veteran's Committee.
#207 - Home Run Baker - Third Base - 1908-1914, 1916-1919, 1921-1922
With a nickname like "Home Run" one would expect hundreds of homers. However, Baker only hit 96 in his career. In the dead-ball era, he was considered a force wielding a 52-ounce bat and leading the league in home runs four straight years. He also led the league in RBIs twice. Baker had an .805 OPS (135 OPS+) for his career and received MVP votes four times. In the three World Series he helped the Philadelphia A's win, Baker was 27-for-66 with 16 RBIs and 15 runs in 16 games. In 1912 he had 40 stolen bases and 130 RBIs. He was the last player to accomplish that until Shohei Ohtani did it this season. Baker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1955 by the Veteran's Committee.
#206 - Early Wynn - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1939, 1941-1944, 1946-1963
Wynn pitched his first and last games in MLB on September 13, 24 years apart. Between those appearances, he was a workhorse tossing 200 innings 14 times including a 10-year stretch of at least 230 innings each year. From 1950-1956, Wynn won 138 games with a 3.03 ERA (127 ERA+) averaging 258 innings per year. He led the league with a 3.20 ERA in 1950 and led the league three times in innings. He was a nine-time All-Star and was the CYA winner in 1959. Wynn is one of three pitchers to retire after WWII with 275 complete games and 300 wins (Warren Spahn, Gaylord Perry). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972 by the BBWAA.
#205 - Sherry Magee - Left Field - 1904-1919
Picked right off the sandlot, Magee had no professional training in baseball before making his debut in 1904 as a 19-year-old with the Phillies. However, from 1907-1914, he was respected as a five-tool player. During that time, Magee slashed .304/.381/.461 (147 OPS+) averaging 38 doubles, 13 triples, nine home runs, and 40 stolen bases per 162. In 1906 he stole 55 bases which remained a Phillies record until 1984 when Juan Samuel stole 72. Magee had a .790 OPS for his career which jumped to .845 with runners in scoring position helping him lead the league four times in RBIs.
#204 - Bret Saberhagen - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1984-1995, 1997-1999, 2001
In 1985, Saberhagen put himself on the map with a dominant season as a 21-year-old. He won the CYA with 20 wins and a 2.87 ERA and won the World Series MVP as he allowed just one run in two complete games. In 1989, he won his second CYA leading the league with 23 wins and a 2.16 ERA. In 1994, Saberhagen became the first pitcher in the modern era with 100 strikeouts and more wins than walks. For a decade from 1985-1994, he won 124 games with a 3.17 ERA (129 ERA+) averaging 192 innings with a 3.80 K/BB rate.
For 13 seasons, Carey was the "Rickey Henderson" of the NL. From 1913-1925, he led the league 10 times in stolen bases averaging 54 per 162. He is ninth on the all-time list with 738 steals. Carey led the league in triples twice and scored 100 runs four times. From 1919-1925, he slashed .313/.390/.431 (117 OPS+) averaging 119 runs and 199 hits per 162. As an outfielder, he had some serious range. Carey led the league in putouts 10 years in a row and led in assists six times. As a centerfielder, he is fourth on the all-time list with 215 assists and 13th with 4,590 putouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961 by the Veteran's Committee.
Although Torre is a Hall-of-Fame manager, his playing days could arguably warrant induction on their own. He was a nine-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and finished second in ROY voting in 1961. Torre won the NL MVP in 1971 leading the league with 230 hits, 137 RBIs, and a .363 batting average. From 1964-1971, he slashed .309/.375/.489 (140 OPS+) averaging 24 home runs and 103 RBIs per 162 while playing nearly half the time behind the plate. Torre was the last player with 230 hits, 130 RBIs, and a .360 average in a season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 by the Expansion Era Committee.
#201 - David Cone - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1986-2001, 2003
Cone burst onto the scene in 1988 with the New York Mets going 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA and finishing third in CYA voting. From 1988-1999, he won 175 games with a 3.15 ERA (131 ERA+) averaging 206 innings and 192 strikeouts per year. In 1994, Cone won the CYA with the Royals and he finished in the top 6 of CYA voting four other times. He led the league in strikeouts in 1990 and 1991 while also leading the majors in strikeouts in 1992 despite playing for both leagues. Cone pitched a perfect game on July 18, 1999, as a member of the Yankees. It was the 17th in major league history and the only one in interleague play.
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