As we get closer to the top, we see more recognizable names. However, there are still plenty of MLB players who have been forgotten by time and deserve their credit. In this group of 25, we have six Hall of Famers and a couple of current New York Yankees. In fact, there are a few Yankees in this group, and a player who accomplished something no two-way player has ever done. Let's continue our journey through the top 1,000 MLB players ever.
#450 - Schoolboy Rowe - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1933-1943, 1946-1949
Rowe battled shoulder injuries throughout his career, but whenever he looked like he was finished, Schoolboy bounced back. In his first three seasons, Rowe won 50 games and had a 3.57 ERA. After the 1936 season, the shoulder injuries came. He pitched sparingly until 1940. He was 16-3 that year with a 3.46 ERA (137 ERA+). Rowe suffered for the next couple of years and then found a home in Philadelphia. During his career, he was also a terrific hitter slashing .263/.328/.382 with 18 home runs and 153 RBIs.
#449 - Hack Wilson - Centerfield - 1923-1934
Wilson had a ridiculous peak from 1926-1930. He slashed .331/.419/.612 (160 OPS+) averaging 39 home runs and 156 RBIs. While his MVP 1930 season will forever be etched in baseball lore, Wilson did lead the league three other times in homers and one other time in RBIs. He is the only player ever to have 1,000 RBIs and fewer than 1,500 hits with a batting average over .300 (min. 5,000 plate appearances). Wilson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979 by the Veteran's Committee.
#448 - Jose Canseco - Right Field - 1985-2001
As a 15th-round draft pick, Canseco definitely overachieved. He was the ROY in 1986 and won the MVP in 1988 when he became the first player to have a 40/40 season. In 1991 Canseco led the league in home runs with 44 finishing fourth in MVP voting and winning his third Silver Slugger. Although he battled injuries throughout his career, he was never a below-average hitter. From 1992-1997, Canseco only played 99 games per year. In 1998, he had one last full season for the Toronto Blue Jays when he set a career-high with 46 home runs.
#447 - Hughie Jennings - Shortstop/First Base - 1891-1903, 1907, 1909-1910, 1912, 1918
Although Jennings was credited with being the first to platoon players regularly, his contributions on the field were excellent. In the latter half of the 19th century, Jennings was a top shortstop in baseball. Defensively, he was surehanded and had excellent range. At the plate, he made an art out of getting hit. His 287 HBPs stand as the record. He led the league five straight seasons in the category. From 1894-1899, Jennings slashed .356/.446/.469 (138 OPS+) averaging 60 stolen bases, 127 RBIs, and 165 runs per 162. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#446 - Ken Singleton - Right Field - 1970-1984
Singleton's peak was from 1973-1980. During that time, he slashed .297/.406/.464 (145 OPS+) averaging 21 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 107 walks per 162. He finished in the top 10 of MVP voting four times including second in 1979 when he set career highs in home runs (35) and RBIs (111). In the postseason, Singleton batted .333. He is one of 11 players since 1950 to have 200 home runs, a .380 OBP, and walk more than he struck out (min. 8,000 plate appearances).
#445 - Aaron Judge - Outfield - 2016-present
Judge won the AL ROY in 2017 and finished second in MVP voting that season while leading the league with 52 home runs. Injuries plagued him for the next three seasons. In 2021 he had 39 homers and 98 RBIs but the following season is when he made history. Judge hit 62 bombs in 2022, setting the AL record for a season. On October 4, 2022, Judge took the third pitch of the game into the left field seats off Jesus Tinoco. He won the MVP that year while leading the league in RBIs with 131 and OPS at 1.111. Judge will likely win his second MVP this year after leading the league again in home runs (58), RBIs (144), and OPS 1.159.
#444 - Don Mattingly - First Base - 1982-1995
From one Yankee Captain to another, Donnie Baseball slots in here. From 1984-1989, Mattingly was a doubles and RBI machine. During that time, he slashed .327/.372/.530 averaging 45 doubles, 28 home runs, and 121 RBIs per 162. He led the league in doubles three consecutive seasons and led the league in batting in 1984. Mattingly led the league with 145 RBIs in 1985 when he took home the MVP award. In 1986, he had 238 hits and 53 doubles, both franchise records. Mattingly was a six-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner.
#443 - George Mullin - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1902-1915
Mullin was a workhorse in the dead-ball era. From 1903-1911, he averaged 317 innings, 20 wins, and had a 2.62 ERA. He tossed over 300 innings six times during that stretch and led the league in 1905 with 347.2. 1909 was Mullin's best season. He won a league-leading 29 games for the Detroit Tigers and had a 2.22 ERA. Mullin was a good hitter as well. He slashed .262/.319/.344 (100 OPS+) in 1,701 plate appearances. Despite the Tigers losing three World Series in a row, Mullin had a 2.02 ERA in 58 innings.
#442 - Elmer Smith - Left Field/ Left-Handed Pitcher - 1886-1889, 1892-1901
Smith was mainly a pitcher when he came up as an 18-year-old in 1886. In 1887, he was 34-17 with a league-leading 2.94 ERA over 447.1 innings. The following year, he won 22 games and had a 2.74 ERA. However, his arm wouldn't hold up, so Smith turned to the outfield. From 1893-1898, he slashed .337/.424/.475 (138 OPS+) averaging 37 stolen bases, 102 RBIs, and 138 runs per 162. He is the only player in history with 75 wins as a pitcher and a .300 batting average (min. 2,000 plate appearances).
#441 - Larry French - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1929-1942
French was a good pitcher in a tough era. From 1931-1940, he won 153 games and had a 3.30 ERA (116 ERA+). During that stretch, he threw 240 innings seven times and twice led the league in shutouts. In 1935, French won 17 games for the Chicago Cubs with a 2.96 ERA. He had a 2.05 K/BB rate which was nearly double the league average. From 1930-1936, French averaged 268 innings per year. Only Carl Hubbell averaged more.
#440 - Fred Tenney - First Base - 1894-1909, 1911
Tenney was a top first baseman in baseball at the turn of the century. He was the first to play far off the bag and excelled in the 3-6-3 double play. He set a record with 152 assists at first base in 1905 which stood until 1949. At the plate, he was adept at putting the ball in play and swiping a bag. From 1894-1903, he slashed .316/.386/.387 (110 OPS+) averaging 29 stolen bases and 121 runs per 162. During that time, he walked twice as much as he struck out. He is one of only seven first basemen (70% of games played there) with 280 stolen bases.
#439 - Camilo Pascual - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1954-1971
Pascual was a workhorse and strikeout artist for the Senators/Twins. He led the league in complete games three times, strikeouts three times, and shutouts three times. From 1958-1968, Pascual won 150 games and had a 3.14 ERA (118 ERA+). He sits in the top five of Twins franchise leaders in many categories. Pascual is third in strikeouts (1,885), fourth in innings (2,465), and second in shutouts (31).
#438 - Troy Tulowitzki - Shortstop - 2006-2017, 2019
Despite battling injuries during his career, Tulowitzki was a phenomenal shortstop. He finished second in ROY voting in 2007 while leading the Colorado Rockies to their only World Series. From 2009-2015, Tulowitzki was probably the best shortstop in baseball. He slashed .304/.378/.535 (132 OPS+) averaging 32 home runs and 105 RBIs per 162. He finished fifth twice in MVP voting and won two Gold Gloves.
#437 - Gil Hodges - First Base - 1943, 1947-1963
Hodges managed the Miracle Mets in 1969, which solidified his status with the city of New York. As a player, his peak was with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1949-1957. He slashed .284/.372/.515 (130 OPS+) averaging 34 home runs and 115 RBIs per 162. During his career, Hodges was an eight-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. He is second in franchise history in home runs (361) and RBIs (1,254). Hodges was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Golden Era Committee.
#436 - Steve Finley - Centerfield - 1989-2007
Finley had more speed early in his career and more power later. However, his blend of power and speed along with excellent defense over the course of his career makes him a rare player. During his peak from 1995-2004, he slashed .277/.343/.482 averaging 27 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Finley won five Gold Gloves and was a two-time All-Star. In 2001, he was 7-for-19 with a homer and five runs scored for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is one of only three centerfielders (60% of games) with 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases (Willie Mays, Carlos Beltran).
#435 - Herb Pennock - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1912-1917, 1919-1934
Pennock debuted at 18 and pitched his final game at 40. While he had longevity, Pennock also had a decade from 1919-1928 where he pitched at least 200 innings each year. He was one of the best pitchers from 1923-1929 when he averaged 248 innings, 19 wins, and had a 3.03 ERA (132 ERA+). Pennock led the league in WHIP twice (1925,1926) and innings pitched in 1925. He finished twice in the top four in MVP voting. In the postseason he was 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA over 55.1 innings. Pennock was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1948 by the BBWAA.
#434 - Rabbit Maranville - Shortstop - 1912-1935
While Maranville wasn't a great hitter, he had a solid 12-year peak and was one of the most durable players ever. During that span from 1913-1924, he slashed .264/.321/.354 averaging 24 stolen bases per 162. Defensively, Maranville was one of the best in history. He is fifth in assists by a shortstop, first in putouts, and 10th in games at the position. Maranville is also tied for 19th with 177 triples. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954 by the BBWAA.
#433 - Wally Schang - Catcher - 1913-1931
Although Schang never played more than 135 games in a season, he managed to be valuable enough to play in 1,842 games in his career. During the first decade of his career, Schang slashed .288/.395/.402. He was one of the best defensive catchers in the game during his time as he threw out more than half attempting base stealers five times in his career. In 1916, he became the first player to hit a home run from each side of the plate in a game.
White was a dominant pitcher in the dead ball era. From 1903-1909, he won 124 games with a 2.01 ERA (124 ERA+) averaging 253 innings. He led the league with a 1.52 ERA in 1906 on his way to helping the White Sox defeat the Cubs in the World Series. He is one of six pitchers in the modern era to have a sub-2.40 ERA with at least 3,000 innings pitched.
#431 - Paul Hines - Centerfield - 1872-1891
Being deaf is certainly a hindrance in playing MLB baseball. However, the disability did not deter Hines. In his 20 years in baseball, Hines slashed .302/.340/.409 (132 OPS+) averaging 208 hits and 119 runs per 162. In 1878, he became the first triple crown winner (.358-4-50 in 62 games) while also leading the league with a .486 slugging percentage. The following year he led the league in batting again at .357 and in hits (146 in 85 games). Hines led the league three times in doubles and in 1887, he set career highs in home runs (10) and stolen bases (46).
#430 - Tony Fernandez - Shortstop - 1983-1995, 1997-1999, 2001
Fernandez had four different stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, and on his second run with them, he won a World Series. Overall, with Toronto, he slashed .297/.353/.412 averaging 19 stolen bases per 162. Fernandez won four straight Gold Gloves from 1986-1989 and batted .300 four times in his career. He led the league in triples with 17 in 1990. In the postseason, Fernandez batted .327 across 43 games.
White lived through a lot of mediocrity on the late '60s/early '70s Yankees. Nevertheless, he was consistently excellent. From 1968-1976, White slashed .278/.370/.418 (130 OPS+) averaging 15 home runs and 21 stolen bases per 162. In 1970, he was 20/20 and scored a career-high 109 runs. In 1972, he led the league in walks (99), and in 1976, he led the league in runs (104). White was an All-Star twice and had a .387 OBP in 25 postseason games.
#428 - Giancarlo Stanton - Right Field/Designated Hitter - 2010-present
While Yankee fans may not be too happy with Stanton over the past few years, people may forget how good he was from 2011-2021. During that time, he slashed .269/.361.546 (145 OPS+) averaging 43 home runs and 110 RBIs per 162. He led the NL twice in home runs including his MVP season of 2017 when he hit 59 and also led the league with 132 RBIs. Stanton finished second in MVP voting the other time he led the league in homers. He is a five-time All-Star and has won two Silver Sluggers.
#427 - Hippo Vaughn - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1908, 1910-1921
Vaughn had fits and starts at the beginning of his career and showed flashes of excellence. When he got to the Cubs in 1913, something clicked. From 1914-1920, Vaughn had a 2.16 ERA (133 ERA+), won 143 games, and averaged 293 innings per year. He won the triple crown in 1918 (22-1.74-148) while leading the league in shutouts with eight. Vaughn won 20 games five times for the Cubs while no other lefty in franchise history won 20 more than twice. He was also the youngest pitcher to start opening day for the Yankees at 22 years old in 1910.
#426 - Tony Oliva - Right Field - 1962-1976
In the eight years from 1964-1971, Oliva was an All-Star. He slashed .313/.360/.507 averaging 24 home runs and 99 RBIs per 162. He won the ROY in 1964 and finished fourth in MVP voting. Oliva was a runner-up twice for the award in 1965 and 1970. He led the league five times in hits, four times in doubles, and three times in batting. Oliva was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Golden Days Era Committee.
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