In this group of 25, we start off with five pitchers. We also have seven Hall of Famers (eight if you include one who made it as a manager). It's one of the rare occasions so far that we don't have a current player in the group. Of course, we also have some players who accomplished some rare feats, including the only player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with fewer than 10 years of experience. Let's continue our journey through 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
#375 - George Uhle - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1919-1934, 1936
Uhle averaged 16 wins from 1921-1931 with a 3.87 ERA. He led the league in wins twice. He also led the league twice in innings pitched including a career-high 357.2 in 1923. In 1926, Uhle had his best season going 27-11 with a 2.83 ERA in 318.1 innings with 32 complete games. He is one of 17 pitchers to have a season with 25 wins and 150 strikeouts since 1925.
#374 - Javier Vazquez - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1998-2011
Vazquez was about as consistent as they come in the 2000s. During that decade, he won 128 games with a 3.98 ERA (113 ERA+) averaging 216 innings per year. He eclipsed 200 innings every season of the decade except 2004 when he had 198 IP. Vazquez struck out 200 five times including a career-high 241 in 2003. He finished fourth in CYA voting in 2009. He is the only pitcher to have 2,000 innings and 2,000 strikeouts in the decade.
#373 - Addie Joss - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1902-1910
Joss was ridiculously dominant even during the dead ball era. He is the all-time WHIP leader at 0.968 and led the league twice in that category. Joss led the league twice in ERA. He had his best season in 1908 winning 24 games with a 1.16 ERA over 325 innings. He is one of three pitchers to have an ERA of less than 1.20 with over 300 innings pitched (Gibson 1968, Johnson 1913). Joss pitched a shutout in 17.3 percent of his starts and his 1.89 career ERA is second to Ed Walsh. Joss passed away at 31 years old. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978 by the Veteran's Committee and is the only player inducted with fewer than 10 years of major league experience.
#372 - Frank Viola - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1982-1996
The crux of Viola's career came in the decade between 1984 and 1993. During that time, he won 163 games and had a 3.42 ERA (121 ERA+). He averaged 242 innings pitched and finished top six in CYA voting four times. He won the award in 1988 winning 24 games with a 2.64 ERA over 255 innings. Viola was the 1987 World Series MVP for the Minnesota Twins. He was a three-time All-Star and threw over 230 innings while winning 13 games nine years in a row.
#371 - Steve Rogers - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1973-1985
An unheralded pitcher during his career, Rogers was the ace of the Montreal Expos in the late 70s-early 80s. From 1975-1983, he won 125 games with a 3.00 ERA (122 ERA+) averaging 249 innings per year. Rogers was a five-time All-Star and finished in the top five of CYA voting three times. He led the league in ERA with a 2.40 mark in 1982. He is one of nine pitchers since 1975 to have a sub-3.25 ERA and 300 innings in a season.
#370 - King Kelly - Outfield/Catcher - 1878-1893
The first baseball icon, Kelly was like a movie star in the 19th century, popularizing the game immensely. Of course, he wouldn't have been that popular if he wasn't an excellent player on the field. From 1879-1890, Kelly slashed .317/.379/.461 (147 OPS+) averaging 164 runs, 109 RBIs, and 42 stolen bases per 162. He led the league in doubles three times and hits three times. He also led the league in batting twice, including a career-high of .388 in 1886. Kelly was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#369 - Lave Cross - Third Base - 1887-1907
Cross played for a long time, especially in his era. It was rare that a player lasted long past his early 30's. Cross played until he was 41. He was known for his glove, which was one of the best as he had a career .938 fielding percentage when the league average for a third baseman was .902. He had some solid offensive seasons. From 1890-1902, Cross slashed .304/.344/.408 averaging 109 RBIs and 23 stolen bases per 162. He is the only player post-1900 to have a season with no home runs and 100 RBIs. Cross is also one of three players with more than 9,000 plate appearances and fewer than 250 strikeouts.
#368 - John McGraw - Third Base - 1891-1907
Although McGaw is a Hall of Fame manager, he was an excellent player in his prime. From 1893-1901, he slashed .346/.480/.423 (139 OPS+) averaging 167 runs, 133 walks, and 72 stolen bases per 162. McGraw led the league twice in runs and walks. He had a .500 OBP three times and led the league three times in that category. McGraw is one of two players (Cupid Childs) to have a season with more than 100 walks and fewer than 15 strikeouts.
#367 - Brett Butler - Centerfield - 1981-1997
Butler led the league four times in triples. He eclipsed 100 runs six times and led the league in hits with 192 in 1990. For a decade from 1985-1994, Butler slashed .298/.388/.389 (118 OPS+) averaging 104 runs and 41 stolen bases per 162. He had six seasons with a .390 OBP. Butler was an All-Star in 1991 and finished seventh in MVP voting. His 558 stolen bases rank 25th all time. Butler is one of three players (Jose Reyes, Willie Wilson) with 130 triples since 1980.
Despite debuting in 1941 as a hitter, Lemon made his mark on the mound. He became a full-time starter in 1948 and from that year until 1956, Lemon was a workhorse for the Cleveland Indians. He led the league in complete games five times, innings four times, and starts three times. Lemon had an ERA of 3.16 (123 ERA+) averaging 21 wins and 272 innings. He won 20 games seven times and finished in the top five of MVP voting three times. Lemon was a seven-time All-Star. In 1948, he had 10 shutouts. He is one of only eight pitchers to have 10 shutouts in a season since 1946. Lemon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976 by the BBWAA.
Judge wasn't the power-hitting first baseman like his peers in the 20s and early 30s. However, he was a productive member of the Washington Senators for 18 years. He had double-digit triples nine times and double-digit stolen bases 12 times. Judge hit .300 nine times in 11 years. In 1924, Judge came through in the World Series going 10-for-26. In 1928, he finished third in MVP voting driving in a career-high 93 runs and had 80 walks with just 19 strikeouts.
#364 - Ed Konetchy - First Base - 1907-1921
Konetchy was the best fielding first baseman in his era leading the league eight times in fielding percentage. He jumped to the Federal League in 1915 and led the league in total bases with 278. For his career, he slashed .281/.346/.403 (123 OPS+). Konetchy stole 25 bases five times. He had double-digit triples 10 times and is tied for 15th all time with 182 triples.
#363 - Vern Stephens - Shortstop - 1941-1955
Stephens was a run producer, especially as a shortstop in a time when the position was manned by bunters and slap hitters. In his prime from 1942-1950, he slashed .289/.360/.472 averaging 26 home runs and 126 RBIs per 162. Stephens had his best season in 1949 when he had a career-high 39 home runs and 159 RBIs. He still holds the record for RBIs in a season for a shortstop and is one of 11 players to have 150 RBIs since 1946. He was a seven-time All-Star and finished in the top five in MVP voting three times.
#362 - Tommy Bridges - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1930-1943, 1945-1946
A career-long Detroit Tiger, Bridges was a six-time All-Star. He threw 200 innings six times including 270 three times. He led the league twice in strikeouts and once in wins. From 1932-1943, Bridges averaged 15 wins and 215 innings with a 3.45 ERA (130 ERA+). In 1935, he had two complete-game victories leading the Detroit Tigers to a World Series victory.
#361 - Bucky Walters - Right-Handed Pitcher/Third Baseman - 1931-1948, 1950
Walters started as a third baseman, but his bat wasn't great, so he moved to the mound. After a few decent years in Philadelphia, he was traded to Cincinnati in 1938. In 1939, Walters won the MVP award while winning the triple crown with 27 wins, a 2.29 ERA, and 137 strikeouts. He followed that up leading the league again in wins (22) and ERA (2.48) while finishing third in MVP voting. He also brought home a World Series that season. From 1939-1946, Walters averaged 18 wins and had a 2.66 ERA (135 ERA+) throwing 252 innings per year.
#360 - Wilbur Wood - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1961-1965, 1967-1978
Wood didn't look like a major league pitcher until he learned the knuckleball from Hoyt Wilhelm when he got to the White Sox in 1967. For the next decade, Wood pitched a ridiculous amount of games and innings. He led the league three years in a row in appearances as a reliever and then tossed over 320 innings four years straight. From 1967-1976, Wood won 146 games and saved 57 with a 2.93 ERA (123 ERA+). He finished in the top five in CYA voting three times. He is the last pitcher to throw 375 innings in a season (1972).
#359 - Matt Holliday - Left Field - 2004-2018
Holliday started his career in Colorado and lead the team to their only World Series appearance in 2007. That season, Holliday led the league in batting (.340), RBIs (137), doubles (50), and hits (216). He finished second in MVP voting, and it was his second out of seven All-Star selections. From 2006-2013, Holliday slashed .314/.393/.538 (143 OPS+) averaging 30 home runs and 112 RBIs per 162.
Key came up as a reliever and made 63 appearances with 10 saves in 1984. The following year the Blue Jays decided to put him in the rotation, and he delivered. Over the next decade, Key won 147 games with a 3.32 ERA (126 ERA+) and averaged 204 innings. He led the league with a 2.76 ERA in 1987 and threw a career-high 261 innings while finishing second in CYA voting. In 1994 for the Yankees, Key led the league with 17 wins and finished second again in CYA voting. He was a five-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ.
#357 - Satchel Paige - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1927-1931, 1933-1934, 1936, 1940-1949, 1951-1953, 1965
The stories about Paige and how good he was abound and go above and beyond his stats. However, he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Negro Leagues. From 1927-1947, Paige was 96-51 with a 2.52 ERA (163 ERA+) and had a 4.29 K/BB rate. He led the league six times in strikeouts and eight times in K/BB rate. He made his American League debut at 42 years old and went 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA for the World Champion Indians. Paige was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 by the Negro League Committee.
#356 - Ryan Braun - Left Field - 2007-2020
Braun burst on the scene winning the ROY award and setting what would be a career-high 1.004 OPS. The following season, he finished third in MVP voting and got the first of six All-Star selections. Braun led the league in hits in 2009 with 203 and won the MVP award in 2011 hitting 33 home runs, stealing 33 bases, and leading the league with a .994 OPS. For a decade from his rookie season to 2016, Braun slashed .304/.367/.544 (141 OPS+) averaging 34 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases per 162.
#355 - Buck Ewing - Catcher - 1880-1897
The beating catchers took in the 19th century was brutal which makes it more impressive that Ewing was able to bat over .300 in his career. From 1885-1893, he slashed .320/.371/.483 (144 OPS+) averaging 23 triples, 123 RBIs, and 56 stolen bases per 162. In 1883, Ewing led the league with 10 home runs and in 1884, he led the league with 20 triples. He is the only player with at least 600 games behind the plate with 150 triples and 350 stolen bases. Ewing was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#354 - Willie Wilson - Outfield - 1976-1984
Wilson hit his prime in 1979, leading the league in stolen bases with 83. The following year, he led the league in runs (133), triples (15), and hits (230). Wilson finished fourth in MVP voting and won his only Gold Glove. In 1982, he led the league with 15 triples again and also led in batting with a .332 mark. Wilson led the league three more times in triples and was a two-time All-Star. He is 12th on the all-time list with 668 stolen bases and is second to Tim Raines in stolen base percentage (min. 500 attempts).
#353 - Rusty Staub - Right Field - 1963-1985
Many fans remember Staub as a dangerous bat off the bench for the Mets in the 80s. However, he was a dangerous bat who was also a full-time right fielder in his prime. From 1967-1978, Staub slashed .289/.375/.450 (133 OPS+) averaging 20 home runs and 93 RBIs per 162. He was a six-time All-Star and received MVP votes seven times including a fifth-place finish in 1978. Staub is in the top 70 of many categories: 56th in walks (1,255), 60th in RBIs (1,466), 65th in hits (2,716), and 66th in doubles (499).
#352 - Joe Tinker - Shortstop - 1902-1916
As part of the most famous double-play combination, Tinker sits ahead of the other two. From 1908-1913, he slashed a respectable .279/.318/.388 averaging 27 stolen bases per 162. However, his defense was what he was known for. Tinker led the league five times in chances per game, four times in fielding percentage, and three times in assists. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Old Timer's Committee.
Roush was a premier centerfielder in the late teens to mid-20s. From 1917-1926, he slashed .339/.385/.475 (140 OPS+) averaging 18 triples, 93 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases per 162. Roush batted over .320 each of those seasons and led the league twice. He also led the league in fielding percentage three times as well as putouts twice. Roush was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 by the Veteran's Committee.
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