We break into our top 300. We will start seeing more Hall-of-Famers. However, I'm sure we will see players forgotten by time you don't know about or realize how good they were in the historical context of America's Pastime. That will be evident in the first player in this group. In this bunch of 25, there are nine Hall-of-Famers. Along with them, there is one active player, a few turn-of-the-century pitchers, and one of the best defensive second basemen ever. Let's roll into the 200s in our countdown of the top 1,000 MLB players ever.
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 | 251-275 | 226-250 | 201-225
#300 - Tommy Bond - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1874-1882, 1884
Bond was one of those pitchers who threw a shitload of innings in the 19th century. So, let's get to the ridiculous stats of Tommy Bond. From 1874-1879, he averaged 478 innings winning 195 games with a 1.91 ERA (127 ERA+). He led the league in wins with 40 in 1877 and 1878. Bond also led the league in ERA in 1877 and 1879 with a 2.11 and 1.96 mark respectively. He led the league in strikeouts twice and shutouts three times. Bond is the only pitcher to have consecutive seasons with 500 innings, leading the league in strikeouts. He won the triple crown in 1877 with 40 wins, a 2.11 ERA, and 170 strikeouts.
A consistent hitter for the Houston Astros, Cruz was also a threat on the bases which became part of his game in 1976. For the next decade, he slashed .299/.364/.435 (129 OPS+) averaging 30 stolen bases and 86 RBIs per 162. In 1977, he set career highs in home runs (17) and stolen bases (44). In 1980, Cruz was an All-Star and finished third in MVP voting. In 1983, he led the league in hits with 189 and finished sixth in MVP voting winning his first Silver Slugger. Cruz is Houston's franchise leader with 80 triples. He is also fourth in hits (1,937), fourth in stolen bases (288), and sixth in runs (871).
#298 - Minnie Minoso - Left Field - 1946-1949, 1951-1964, 1976, 1980
Minoso spent three years in the Negro Leagues as a third baseman before going to Cleveland briefly and finally settling in with the Chicago White Sox. For a decade from 1951-1960, Minoso slashed .307/.397/.476 (137 OPS+) averaging 18 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 97 RBIs per 162. He led the league three times in triples and three times in stolen bases. Minoso finished second in ROY voting in 1951. He was a 13-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves. He finished fourth in MVP voting four times. Minoso was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Golden Days Era Committee.
#297 - Urban Shocker - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1916-1928
Despite Shocker succumbing to heart disease at age 37, he had a good career. From 1919-1927, he tossed 200 innings per year eclipsing 300 twice. He won 20 games each season from 1920-1923, leading the league in 1921 with 27. Shocker led the league in K/BB rate in 1922 and 1923. For his career, he won 187 games and had a 3.17 ERA (124 ERA+).
#296 - Jimmy Sheckard - Left Field - 1897-1913
Sheckard was a premier outfielder at the turn of the century. From 1899-1903, he slashed .311/.394/.444 (138 OPS+) averaging 124 runs and 60 stolen bases per 162. He led the league twice in steals, once in triples, and once in home runs during that span. In 1911, Sheckard led the league with 121 runs and 147 walks. He is 48th on the all-time list for stolen bases with 465. Defensively, he led the league four times in putouts and twice in fielding percentage. He is the all-time leader with 243 assists from left field.
#295 - Al Spalding - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1871-1877
Although he played only seven years, Spalding packed a whole career into those seven seasons. He was 251-65 with a 2.13 ERA (132 ERA+) averaging 479 innings per year. His .794 winning percentage is the best all-time. Spalding led the league in wins six times, shutouts four times, and saves once. If that wasn't enough, Spalding could hit as well. In nearly 2,000 plate appearances, he slashed .313/.323/.379 (116 OPS+) averaging 34 doubles, 164 runs, and 242 hits per 162. Spalding was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an executive/pioneer in 1939 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#294 - Billy Pierce - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1945, 1948-1964
Although Pierce finished his career one strikeout shy of 2,000, he was an excellent pitcher. During his peak from 1951-1958, he won 129 games with a 2.89 ERA (134 ERA+) averaging 242 innings per year. He led the league in strikeouts in 1953 with 186. Pierce led the league in ERA with a 1.97 mark in 1955. Pierce was a seven-time All-Star and led the league in complete games three years in a row (1956-1958). He finished his career with a 3.27 ERA and 211 wins.
#293 - Ted Simmons - Catcher - 1968-1988
Simmons is rarely talked about as a great catcher. While he isn't Bench or Berra, he did have an excellent career. During his peak from 1971-1980, Simmons slashed .301/.367/.466 (131 OPS+) averaging 19 home runs and 99 RBIs per 162 while walking more than he struck out. He batted .300 seven times and was an All-Star eight times. He is one of two catchers (min. 1,500 games) to have 1,300 RBIs and 2,400 hits (Ivan Rodriguez). Simmons was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee.
#292 - Burleigh Grimes - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1916-1934
Grimes had an up-and-down career. One thing was certain though; he was going to throw some innings. He led the league four times in complete games and three times in innings pitched. From 1918-1929, he won 219 games with a 3.40 ERA (111 ERA+) averaging 271 innings. He finished third in MVP voting in 1928 and fourth in 1929. Grimes won 20 games five times and led the league twice. He finished his career with 270 wins. He is one of four pitchers since 1920 to have five seasons of 300 innings. Grimes was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964 by the Veteran's Committee.
#291 - Babe Adams - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1906-1907, 1909-1916, 1918-1926
When Adams was a rookie in 1909, he had a 1.11 ERA and was 12-3 in 130 innings. He followed it up with three wins in three complete games in the World Series. Despite missing most of 1916, 1917, and most of 1918 with a shoulder injury, Adams put together an impressive stretch between 1909 and 1921. During that time, he won 162 games with a 2.40 ERA while tossing over 200 innings in seven of those seasons. In 1920 he walked just 18 batters in 263 innings. He is the only pitcher in the modern era to walk fewer than 20 while throwing over 250 innings.
#290 - Luis Gonzalez - Left Field - 1990-2008
Many fans will remember Gonzalez's heroics in Game Seven of the 2001 World Series. He was a good player before he got to Arizona but took it to another level for a five-year stretch from 1999-2003. During that time, Gonzalez slashed .314/.405/.564 (141 OPS+) averaging 35 home runs and 119 RBIs. In 2001, he hit 57 home runs with 142 RBIs and 100 walks. Only 13 times has a player hit 50 homers, driven in 140, and walked 100 times. Gonzalez is the only one to not lead the league in any of those categories.
#289 - Jim Whitney - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1881-1890
Whitney may be one of the most obscure names on this list, but he could pitch and hit. With impeccable control, he had a 5.76 K/BB rate from 1883-1887 while leading the league four times in that category and all five years in walks per nine innings. In 1883-1884, Whitney threw 850 innings striking out 615 while walking only 62. In 1883 while throwing 514 innings and leading the league with 345 strikeouts, Whitney also slashed .281/.323/.433 (123 OPS+) with 27 doubles and 10 triples in 434 plate appearances.
#288 - Bid McPhee - Second Base - 1882-1899
As a second baseman, McPhee led the league in home runs in 186 (8) and triples in 1887 (19). From 1884-1895, he slashed .273/.361/.378 (111 OPS+) averaging 50 stolen bases and 141 runs per 162. Defensively is where McPhee was a star. At the keystone, he led the league in fielding percentage eight times, putouts eight times, and assists six times. He has the 10th most games played at second base (2,129) and the most putouts in history with 6,552. McPhee was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000 by the Veteran's Committee.
#287 - Dave Stieb - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1979-1993, 1998
Stieb was one of the best pitchers in the AL during the 1980s. From 1981-1985, he had 75 wins and a 2.95 ERA (144 ERA+) averaging 256 innings. A couple of tough seasons in 1986 and 1987 and Stieb bounced back. From 1988-1991, he had a 3.11 ERA (126 ERA+). Stieb was a seven-time All-Star and finished in the top 7 in CYA voting four times. He led the league in ERA in 1985 with a 2.48 mark.
#286 - Jason Giambi - First Base/Designated Hitter - 1995-2014
Giambi's peak was from 1996-2002. During that time, he slashed .312/.418/.559 (154 OPS+) averaging 34 home runs and 119 RBIs. The average slipped after that, but he still had power and drew walks. Giambi hit 30 homers eight times, walks four times, and OBP three times. He finished in the top 5 of MVP voting three times winning the award in 2000. Giambi is one of 17 players in the last 50 years, with 425 home runs, 1,400 RBIs, and 1,300 walks.
#285 - Roy Oswalt - Right-Handed Pitcher - 2001-2013
Although Oswalt was basically done at age 34, his first decade in the majors was excellent. From 2001-2010, he won 150 games with a 3.18 ERA (135 ERA+) averaging 202 innings per year. Oswalt was a three-time All-Star and finished in the top 6 of CYA voting six times. He led the league with 20 wins in 2004, a 2.98 ERA in 2006, and a WHIP of 1.025 in 2010. Oswalt started 30+ games seven years in a row and tossed 200 innings seven times. In 2005, he was the NLCS MVP.
#284 - Dustin Pedroia - Second Base - 2006-2019
Pedroia won the ROY award in 2007 and followed that up with an MVP in 2008 while leading the league with 118 runs, 213 hits, and 54 doubles. From 2007-2016, Pedroia slashed .303/.368/447 (116 OPS+) averaging 16 homers and 16 stolen bases per 162. He was a four-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner. He also led all second basemen in fielding percentage three times and TZR three times.
#283 - Clark Griffith - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1891, 1893-1907, 1909, 1912-1914
Griffith was a premier pitcher at the turn of the century. From 1895-1903, he won 183 games with a 3.16 ERA (126 ERA+) averaging 289 innings per year. He tossed 300 innings five straight seasons and led the league with a 1.88 ERA in 1898. Griffith led the league in shutouts twice. In 1901, he won 24 games with a 2.67 ERA in 266.2 innings. He also slashed .303/.446/.427 in 117 plate appearances while walking 23 times to just five strikeouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an executive in 1946 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#282 - Wes Ferrell - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1927-1941
Ferrell had his peak pitching from 1929-1936 when he won 161 games with a 3.72 ERA (128 ERA+) averaging 264 innings per year. He led the league in innings pitched three times and complete games four times. Ferrell is one of the best-hitting pitchers of the modern era. He holds the record for most career home runs as a pitcher with 38. From 1930-1937 with the bat, he slashed .289/.357/.457 averaging 11 home runs per 162. In 1935, Ferrell had a .960 OPS with seven home runs and 32 RBIs in 179 plate appearances.
#281 - Bryce Harper - Outfield/First Base - 2012-present
Harper has lived up to the immense hype he had coming into the league. He won the ROY at 19 years old then just three years later, Harper won his first MVP award leading the league in home runs (42), runs (118), and OPS (1.109). In 2021, he won his second MVP leading the league in doubles (42) and OPS (1.044). Harper has been an eight-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. In his postseason career, he slashed .280/.394/.622 with 17 home runs in 53 games and was NLCS MVP in 2022.
#280 - Torii Hunter - Centerfield - 1997-2015
Hunter was a big part of the Minnesota Twins success in the 2000s. In 2002, en route to the ALCS, he hit 29 home runs and stole 23 bases. Hunter's offense got better when he turned 30. From 2006-2014, he slashed .287/.343/.469 (119 OPS+) averaging 25 home runs and 100 RBIs per 162. He hit 20 home runs 11 times and drove in over 90 runs eight times. Hunter won nine consecutive Gold Gloves and led the league in assists three times. He is one of five centerfielders (min. 1,500 games) with 2,400 hits and 350 home runs.
#279 - Vic Willis - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1898-1910
Willis tossed at least 200 innings every year of his career, eclipsing 300 eight times including a league-leading 410 in 1902. He led the league in ERA in 1899 with a 2.50. Willis had a down year in 1900, but from 1901-1909 he won 178 games with a 2.44 ERA (116 ERA+) averaging 322 innings per year. He led the league in complete games twice, shutouts twice, and strikeouts once (225 in 1902). Willis is one of 20 pitchers with 50 career shutouts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995 by the Veteran's Committee.
#278 - Stan Coveleski - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1912, 1916-1928
Coveleski was a dominant pitcher from 1917-1925. During that time, he won more games (177) and had a better ERA (2.75) than any pitcher in the league. He averaged 279 innings per year and led the league in ERA twice. In 1920, Coveleski led the league with 133 strikeouts and shined in the World Series going 3-0 with three complete games while allowing only two runs to help Cleveland to a championship. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 by the Veteran's Committee.
#277 - Joe McGinnity - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1899-1908
Although McGinnity pitched for just 10 seasons, he threw over 3,400 innings in that time. He led the league in innings pitched four times and tossed 300 innings every season except his last. McGinnity also led the league in wins five times and saves three times. He had his best year in 1904 for the Giants when he was 35-8 with a 1.61 ERA. He also led the league in shutouts (9), saves (5), and WHIP (0.963). McGinnity was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#276 - Cesar Cedeno - Centerfield - 1970-1986
Cedeno was a mainstay in centerfield for the Astros in the 70s. From 1972-1980, he slashed .293/.362/.467 (136 OPS+) averaging 19 home runs and 60 stolen bases per 162. He stole 50 bases six years in a row. Cedeno was a four-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner. He finished sixth in MVP voting in 1972 with a career-high .921 OPS and a league-leading 39 doubles. He is Houston's franchise leader in stolen bases with 487.
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