There are seven HOFers in this group along with a few who, some will argue, should be in, and a couple who may be in when they hang up the cleats. While the hitters dominate this group of 25 with 17 entries, there are five lefties out of the eight pitchers. Many of these players either had short but great careers while others had long consistent careers without a great peak. Let's dive into the last of our first 700 in the 1,000 top 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
#325 - David Wells - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1987-2007
Wells had a long and productive career. Since 1985, only nine pitchers have logged more innings (3,439) and only 10 pitchers have more wins (239). That is impressive considering Wells didn't become and full-time starter until he was 27. He finished third in CYA voting twice and was a three-time All-Star. In 1998, Wells was 18-4 with a 3.49 ERA. He led the league in shutouts (5), WHIP (1.045), and K/BB rate (5.62). Boomer was also the ALCS MVP. For his postseason career, he was 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA across 125 innings.
#324 - Tony Phillips - Everywhere - 1982-1999
Phillips was one of the best super-utility players. He played over 150 games at five different positions during his career and was above average at each one of them in his prime. Offensively, Phillips had a great eye leading the league in walks twice. From 1991-1996, he slashed .282/.402/.422 (121OPS+) averaging 17 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 124 walks per 162. Phillips is one of 10 players since 1980 to have 2,000 hits, 1,300 walks, and 150 stolen bases.
#323 - Andrew McCutchen - Centerfield - 2009-present
Cutch could do everything in his first decade in MLB. From 2009-2018, he slashed .287/.378/.481 (135 OPS+) averaging 24 home runs and 20 stolen bases per 162. He finished top in MVP voting four years in a row, winning the award in 2013. In 2012, McCutchen led the league with 194 hits and won a Gold Glove. He was a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger.
#322 - Jack Powell - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1897-1912
There were many pitchers who benefited from the deadball era in the early 1900s. Powell was one of them. However, he was still better than most thanks to a rubber arm. In his 16-year career, he tossed 200 innings 15 times, eclipsing 300 six times. He averaged 274 innings per year and had a 2.97 career ERA. Powell is one of eight pitchers to retire after 1900 with 4,300 innings and a sub-3.00 ERA. He is 15th in complete games (422) and 31st in innings pitched (4,389).
#321 - Toby Harrah - Shortstop/Third Base - 1969, 1971-1986
The fact that Harrah played for 17 years and never made the postseason tells you he was on some very bad teams. He could play though, and he had solid power and speed. From 1976-1982, Harrah slashed .274/.382/.425 (125 OPS+) averaging 19 home runs and 21 stolen bases per 162. He led the league in walks in 1977 with 109. He was a four-time All-Star and received MVP votes twice. Harrah belted 20 homers five times and stole 20 bases four times. Since World War II, he is one of five players with 175 home runs, 225 stolen bases, and a 1.25 BB/K rate.
#320 - Larry Jackson - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1955-1968
Jackson finished his career with 10 straight seasons of 200+ innings, 10+ complete games, and 13+ wins. He was a five-time All-Star and finished second in CYA voting in 1964 with a league-leading 24 wins and a 3.14 ERA in a career-high 297.2 innings. For his career, Jackson won 194 games with a 3.40 ERA in 3,262.2 innings.
#319 - Jim O'Rourke - Outfield - 1872-1893, 1904
O'Rourke was one of the best hitters of the 19th century. He led the league in home runs three times and batted .300 13 times during his career. In 1884, O'Rourke led the league with 162 hits and a .347 average in 108 games. In 1890 at the age of 39, he set career highs in average (.360), home runs (9), and RBIs 115. For his career, O'Rourke slashed .310/.352/.422 (134 OPS+) averaging 98 RBIs and 140 runs per 162. In the 1800s, he had 1,728 runs, 2,638 hits, and 468 doubles. Only Cap Anson had more. O'Rourke was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old Timer's Committee.
Blue was a six-time All-Star who finished top 7 in CYA voting five times including winning the award in 1971. That season he also won the MVP winning 24 games with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts. From 1971-1981, Blue won 175 games with a 3.05 ERA (114 ERA+) averaging 246 innings per year and tossing 200 innings nine times. He is sixth in franchise history with 1,315 strikeouts, seventh in innings (1,945, and fifth in shutouts (28). Rube Waddell is the only other Athletic to strike out 300 in a season.
#317 - Charlie Keller - Left Field - 1939-1943, 1945-1952
Keller's career was short. He played his last 100-game season at 29 years old and missed nearly two years to World War II. However, from 1939-1946, he slashed .292/.414/.530 (157 OPS+) averaging 30 home runs and 116 RBIs per 162. Keller led the league twice in walks. He was a five-time All-Star and finished fifth in MVP voting in 1941 setting career highs in homers (33) and RBIs (122). In 19 World Series games, Keller had 22 hits, five home runs, 18 runs, and 18 RBIs.
#316 - Chuck Klein - Right Field - 1928-1944
While Klein had excellent career numbers, his peak from 1929-1933 was ridiculous. During that stretch, he slashed .359/.414/.636 (161 OPS+) averaging 50 doubles, 38 home runs, and 148 RBIs per 162. He led the league four times in homers, three times in runs, and twice in hits, doubles, and RBIs. In 1930, Klein had 250 hits, 40 home runs, 170 RBIs, and batted .386 but didn't lead the league in any of those categories. He won the MVP in 1932 and finished second in 1933 despite leading the league in nearly every major offensive category and winning the Triple Crown. Klein was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980 by the Veteran's Committee.
#315 - Mark Grace - First Base - 1988-2003
Although Grace was not your typical power-hitting first baseman, he had some pop and hit 173 homers with 511 doubles in his career. He finished second in ROY voting in 1988 and was a three-time All-Star. Grace batted .300 nine times and won four Gold Gloves. His best season came in 1995 when he led the league with 51 doubles and had a .911 OPS. During the decade of the 1990s, Grace had the most hits (1,754) and the most doubles (364).
#314 - Dale Murphy - Outfield - 1976-1993
In the 1980s, Murphy was arguably the best centerfielder in the NL. During a six-year stretch from 1982-1987, he slashed .289/.382/.531 (145 OPS+) averaging 37 home runs, 105 RBIs, and stolen bases per 162. He missed only three games in that time. Murphy was an All-Star each year and won five Gold Gloves. He also won back-to-back MVPs in 1982 and 1983. He hit at least 36 home runs five times and drove in 100 five times, leading the league twice in both categories. He is one of eight centerfielders (min. 1,000 games) with 2,000 hits, 350 home runs, and 150 stolen bases.
#313 - Chris Sale - Left-Handed Pitcher - 2010-2019, 2021-present
Even before Sale won the CYA this year, he had a great peak in the 2010s. From 2012-2018, he won 99 games with a 2.91 ERA (143 ERA+) averaging 198 innings per year. He also struck out 30.2 percent of batters while only walking 5.4 percent. Sale finished in the top 6 of CYA voting each year including a second-place finish in 2017 when he struck out 308 batters. He led the league twice in strikeouts and shutouts.
#312 - Ron Guidry - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1975-1988
While Guidry is remembered for his historic season in 1978, he pitched like an ace for nearly a decade. From 1977-1985, he won 154 games with a 3.15 ERA (123 ERA+) in 222 innings per year. He led the league in wins (25) and ERA (1.74) in 1978, but he also led the league in ERA again the following year and wins in 1985 with 22. Guidry won five Gold Gloves and finished in the top 7 of CYA voting six times, including winning the award in 1978. In his postseason career, Guidry was 5-2 in 10 starts with a 3.02 ERA.
#311 - David Wright - Third Base - 2004-2016, 2018
Despite Wright being diagnosed with spinal stenosis effectively ending his career at 32, he put together an excellent nine-year stretch. From 2005-2013, he slashed .302/.384/.505 (138 OPS+) averaging 26 home runs, 104 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Wright was a seven-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove winner. He drove in 100 runs five times and batted .300 seven times. He is one of four third basemen (min. 75% games) with a 30/30 season.
#310 - Wilbur Cooper - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1912-1926
Cooper and the rest of the rotation for the Pirates in the late teens and early 20s were certainly not to blame for the awful records at the time. Cooper was a bona fide ace. From 1916-1922, he won 136 games with a 2.57 ERA (126 ERA+) averaging 293 innings per year. He led the league in complete games twice and wins in 1921. In 1924, Cooper won 20 games and had a 3.28 ERA while batting .346 in 110 plate appearances.
#309 - Jack Clark - First Base - 1975-1992
Many fans remember Clark as the one power hitter the Cardinals had in the mid-80s. However, he played the majority of his career with the Giants. From 1978-1990, he slashed .273/.386/.491 (145 OPS+) averaging 30 home runs and 101 RBIs per 162. Clark had his best season in 1987, leading the league in OPS (1.055) and setting career highs in home runs (35) and RBIs (106). He was a four-time All-Star and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times.
#308 - Ian Kinsler - Second Base - 2006-2019
Aside from an inning on the mound and two innings at third base, Kinsler played every other inning of his career in the field at second base. He had a rare balance of speed and power for a second baseman. He is one of only three to have a 30/30 season. Kinsler is also one of three second basemen with 240 home runs and 240 stolen bases. He was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner.
#307 - Waite Hoyt - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1918-1938
One of the mainstays in the Yankees rotation in the 1920s, Hoyt put together a nice stretch. From 1921-1928, he won 145 games with a 3.38 ERA (119 ERA+) averaging 253 innings per year. He led the league in wins (22) in 1927 and saves in 1928 (8). After he left the Yankees in 1930, Hoyt struggled until he became a reliever with the Pirates in 1933. While he did start 45 games, from 1933-1936, he won 34 games and saved 16 with a 3.01 ERA (131 ERA+). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969 by the Veteran's Committee.
#306 - Harry Hooper - Right Field - 1909-1925
Hooper has a few distinctions that fans may not know. He is the all-time leader in assists from right field with 335. He is also the only player to win four championships with the Red Sox. He was a consistent player who eclipsed 10 triples nine times and 20 stolen bases nine times. Having played his entire career in the AL, Hooper is one of nine players to have 2,400 hits and 375 stolen bases in the AL. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 by the Veteran's Committee.
#305 - Orlando Cepeda - First Base - 1958-1974
Cepeda started his career with a ROY award. Three years later he finished second in MVP voting and led the league with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs. In 1967, Cepeda won the award and led the league again in RBIs with 111. He finished his career slashing .297/.350/.499 (133 OPS+) averaging 29 home runs and 104 RBIs per 162. Cepeda was an 11-time All-Star and arguably the best first baseman in the 1960s. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 by the Veteran's Committee.
#304 - Jose Ramirez - Third Base - 2013-present
Ramirez found his power in 2017 and hasn't looked back. Since then, he has slashed .280/.358/.530 (140 OPS+) averaging 34 home runs, 108 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases per 162. He has finished in the top 5 of MVP voting four times and was a six-time All-Star. Ramirez is a five-time Silver Slugger and led the league twice in doubles. He is one of three players in Cleveland history to have a 30/30 season, and the only one to have multiple such seasons.
Like Guidry, 1978 was a magical year for Rice. He led the league with 15 triples, 46 home runs, and 139 RBIs on his way to the MVP award. However, Rice finished in the top 5 four other times. For a decade from 1977-1986, he slashed .305/.360/.526 (135 OPS+) averaging 33 home runs and 120 RBIs per 162. Rice led the league in home runs (39) and RBIs (126) again in 1983. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 by the BBWAA.
#302 - Mark Teixeira - First Base - 2003-2016
While Teixeira's body failed him at 32, he put up excellent numbers before that. From 2003-2011, he slashed .281/.373/.532 (133 OPS+) averaging 37 home runs and 120 RBIs per 162. He led the league with 39 home runs and 122 RBIs for the World Champion Yankees in 2009. Teixeira hit over 30 home runs and drove in 100 runs in nine straight seasons. He also won four Gold Gloves and finished second in MVP voting in 2009.
#301 - Joe Kelley - Outfield - 1891-1906, 1908
While there isn't a lot of black ink for Kelley except for the 87 stolen bases in 1896, he was a great hitter for his era. From 1893-1900, he slashed .345/.437/.504 (146 OPS+) averaging 20 triples, 54 stolen bases, and 130 RBIs per 162. Kelley is ninth on the all-time list for triples with 194, 56th in stolen bases with 443, and 88th in runs scored with 1,421. Kelley was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 by the Veteran's Committee.
Main Image Credit
Comments