As we approach the halfway point of our list, we have quite an eclectic group. There are four Hall-of-Famers, one of the best shortstops not in the Hall and one active player who is a unicorn in modern times. Let's continue our journey through MLB history as we move on down the road of our top 1,000 MLB players of all-time.
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 | 501-525
#550 - Goose Gossage - Relief Pitcher - 1972-1989, 1991-1994
Gossage was a bit wild when he began his career with the Chicago White Sox. After leading the league with 26 saves in 1975, they inexplicably made him a starter the next year. That didn't last long as Gossage posted a 1.62 ERA in 1977 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and moved on to New York the following season. He led the league in saves two more times. From 1975-1985, Gossage posted a 2.41 ERA and was a nine-time All-Star while getting top 5 Cy Young votes in four seasons. He finished his career with 310 saves and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 by the BBWAA.
#549 - Phil Rizzuto - Shortstop - 1941-1942, 1946-1956
Rizzuto played for two seasons before going off to fight in WWII for three years. He came back and was a solid player for the Yankees during their dynasty. He had his best season in 1950 when he won the MVP award. That year, Rizzuto slashed .324/.418/.439 with career highs in hits (200), runs (125), and doubles (36). He was an excellent fielder as well as a great baserunner. Rizzuto was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994 by the Veteran's Committee.
#548 - Jake Daubert - First Base - 1910-1924
Daubert was considered the best National League first baseman during the dead ball era. He led the league in batting twice and he won the MVP in 1913 while batting .350. Daubert also led the league in triples twice and in fielding percentage three times. First base was considered a defensive position at the time due to the amount of bunts and balls in play. Daubert used the sacrifice bunt to his advantage as he still holds the NL record with 392 in his career. He hit .303 and had 2,326 hits which stood 22nd when he retired.
#547 - Reggie Sanders - Outfield - 1991-2007
Sanders had an uncommon combination of speed and power. He had more than 20 home runs in a season eight times. He also had 20+ stolen bases eight times. Sanders enjoyed his best season in 1995 when he batted .306 with 28 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He finished sixth in MVP voting that year and made his only All-Star team. Unfortunately, injuries plagued him throughout his career as he only played 140 games once. Despite having just over 7,000 plate appearances, Sanders is one of only eight players to have 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases.
#546 - Eric Chavez - Third Base - 1998-2014
Before Alex Rodriguez switched to third base and Adrian Beltre made his way to the AL, there was Chavez. He won six straight Gold Gloves, two of which were while hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100. From 2000-2004, Chavez slashed .280/.357/.513 averaging 33 home runs and 107 RBIs. He is sixth in homers and seventh in RBIs on the A's all-time list.
#545 - Placido Polanco - Second Base/Third Base - 1998-2013
Polanco is the all-time leader in fielding percentage at both second base (.993) and third base (.983).
He was also an above-average hitter in his prime. From 2003-2007, Polanco slashed .311/.359/.431 averaging 13 home runs and 74 RBIs per 162. He won three Gold Gloves. Polanco also won the 2006 ALCS MVP going 9-for-17. He is one of only nine second basemen (min. 1,000 games) since 1945 to have 2,100 hits and 100 home runs.
#544 - Tommy Henrich - Right Field - 1937-1942, 1946-1950
Not many players can say they had more championship seasons than not. Henrich won six rings in 11 seasons. Despite not getting the attention his fellow Yankees received, Ol' Reliable was an important player for New York during their heyday. For his career, Henrich slashed .282/.382/.491 (132 OPS+) and averaged 23 home runs and 100 RBIs per 162. He was a five-time All-Star, leading the league in triples twice and runs in 1948 with 138. In Game One of the 1949 World Series, Henrich hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth off Don Newcomb. It was the first walk-off homer in World Series history.
#543 - Clyde Milan - Centerfield - 1907-1922
Milan was a speedy centerfielder who played for the Washington Senators his whole career. For a decade from 1911-1920, he slashed .298/.363/.365 averaging 47 stolen bases per 162. Milan led the league twice in steals, setting a career-high in 1912 with 88. He finished fourth in MVP voting that year. From 1897-1961, Milan was one of only four players to steal 80 bases in a season.
#542 - Gil McDougald - Second Base/Third Base/Shortstop
Another player along the lines of Henrich, McDougald was a solid contributor to great Yankee teams in the 1950s. He won the AL ROY in 1951. From that season to 1957, he slashed .285/.368/.423 averaging 15 home runs and 75 RBIs per 162. He was an above-average fielder at three positions in the infield. McDougald finished fifth in MVP voting in 1957 while leading the league in triples with nine.
#541 - Shohei Ohtani - Right-handed Pitcher/Designated Hitter - 2018-present
It's tough to place Ohtani as he is a unicorn at this time. However, there have been players in the past to have success on the mound and at the plate. Ohtani won ROY in 2018 and two AL MVPs in 2021 and 2023. He is having a monster season and may be the first player to reach 50/50. He will move up this list, but for now, he sits here due to his lack of track record.
#540 - Juan Gonzalez - Outfield - 1989-2005
Gonzalez was a beast at the plate from 1992-2001. During that time, he slashed .302/.350/.582 (138 OPS+) averaging 45 home runs and 143 RBIs per 162. He won two MVP awards and led the league twice in home runs. He is one of only two players to have 45 home runs, 50 doubles, and 150 RBIs in a season (Lou Gehrig 1927).
#539 - Babe Herman - Right Field - 1926-1937, 1945
Herman debuted in 1926 and had 35 doubles, 11 triples, and 11 home runs. It would be the first of six seasons he would reach those marks. For a five-year stretch from 1929-1933, Herman slashed .342/.401/.574 (152 OPS+) averaging 46 doubles, 16 triples, 23 home runs, and 114 RBIs. His best season came in 1930 when he hit .393 with 35 homers and 130 RBIs. He also had 48 doubles, 241 hits, and 143 runs. Amazingly, Herman didn't lead the league in any of those categories.
#538 - Dave Concepcion - Shortstop - 1970-1988
Many people believe Concepcion should be in the Hall of Fame. He had an exceptional career, especially for a shortstop. He was a five-time Gold Glove winner and a nine-time All-Star. He played in 34 postseason games and had a .297 average with a couple of home runs and seven stolen bases. He is one of only five shortstops in history with 2,300 hits, 100 home runs, and 300 stolen bases. (Honus Wagner, Derek Jeter, Barry Larkin, Jimmy Rollins).
For a decade from 1995-2004, Leiter averaged 30 starts a year and had 133 wins with a 3.46 ERA (123 ERA+). He was a two-time All-Star and won two championships. He also finished in the top 10 of CY voting twice. Leiter struck out 200 twice. He had a sub-3.50 ERA six times in those 10 years and held opponents to a .237 average.
#536 - Jim Sundberg - Catcher - 1974-1989
While Sundberg was rightfully known for his defense. He could hit a bit during his peak from 1977-1982. Through that stretch, he slashed .274/.351/.379 (105 OPS+). He was a three-time All-Star and won six Gold Gloves. Sundberg caught 130 games 10 times in his career and only one time during those seasons did he finish with a lower percentage of runners thrown out than league average.
#535 - Fernando Valenzuela - Left-handed Pitcher - 1980-1991, 1993-1997
Fernandomania was huge in 1981. Valenzuela won the ROY and CY awards and finished fifth in MVP voting. He led the league with eight shutouts and 180 strikeouts. From 1981-1986, Valenzuela was a dominant pitcher. He was an All-Star all six seasons and finished in the top 5 in CYA voting four times. He won 97 games, including leading the league with 21 in 1986. Valenzuela also had a 2.97 ERA while averaging 256 innings per year.
#534 - Ryan Zimmerman - Third Base/First Base - 2005-2019, 2021
Zimmerman was the first pick of the Washington Nationals after the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005. He didn't have to wait long to get to the majors as he played 20 games in 2005. For nearly a decade, he slashed .286/.352/.477 averaging 25 home runs and 95 RBIs. Zimmerman was second in ROY voting in 2006 setting career highs in doubles (47) and RBIs (110). He was a Gold Glove winner in 2009 and was a two-time All-Star.
#533 - Kent Hrbek - First Base - 1981-1994
In 1982, Hrbek made his only All-Star appearance, finishing second in ROY voting. Two years later, he finished second in MVP voting while setting a career-high with 107 RBIs. For his 14-year career, Hrbek slashed .282/.367/.481 (128 OPS+) averaging 27 home runs and 101 RBIs. He is second to Harmon Killebrew on the Twins all-time list for home runs (293) and RBIs (1,086). And of course, he didn't pull Ron Gant off the bag in the World Series.
#532 - Felipe Alou - Outfield/First Base - 1958-1974
Many will remember Alou for managing the Montreal Expos in the 90s and then the Giants after Dusty Baker. However, Alou was a very good player in his day. During his peak from 1961-1968, Alou slashed .297/.339/.467 (125 OPS+) and averaged 21 home runs per 162. He was a three-time All-Star and finished fifth in MVP voting in 1966, setting career highs in OPS (.894) and home runs (31). He led the league in hits as well with 218. Alou would lead the league in that category again in 1968 with 210.
#531 - Lefty Gomez - Left-handed Pitcher - 1930-1943
Gomez, along with Red Ruffing, was a mainstay on the Yankees in the 30s. He won six championships including four in a row. During his peak from 1931-1937, Gomez won 133 games with a 3.12 ERA (134 ERA+). He was a seven-time All-Star and won the pitching triple crown twice (1934, 1937). He led the league three times in strikeouts including a career-high 194 in 1937. Gomez also led the league in shutouts three times. In seven starts in his World Series career, he never lost, posting a 6-0 record with a 2.86 ERA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972 by the Veteran's Committee.
#530 - Roger Bresnahan - Catcher - 1897, 1900-1915
Catchers took a beating behind the plate in the early part of the 20th century. The fact that Bresnahan played nearly 1,000 games behind the plate and also moved to centerfield for a couple of years while hitting like he did is impressive. For a decade between 1903-1912, he slashed .288/.405/.389 (138 OPS+) and averaged 24 stolen bases per 162. He had a .400 OBP seven times during that stretch and led the league in walks with 83 in 1908. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#529 - Claude Osteen - Left-handed Pitcher - 1957, 1959-1975
Osteen was a three-time All-Star and a workhorse for the Dodgers in the late 60s and early 70s. For a decade from 1964 to 1973, he averaged 265 innings a year while maintaining a 3.11 ERA. He had a knack for keeping the ball in the yard. Each year he finished with fewer than a home runs per nine innings, leading the league in 1966 allowing only six homers in 240.1 innings.
#528 - Jack Fournier - First Base - 1912-1918, 1920-1927
Fournier had a great career developing with the White Sox until 1917. He regained his status as a good major league player in 1920 with the Cardinals. From 1920-1925, he slashed .332/.408/.520 (148 OPS+) averaging 106 RBIs, 101 runs, and 311 total bases per 162. Fournier led the league in home runs in 1924 with 27 and in walks the following year with 86.
#527 - David Justice - Right Field - 1989-2002
Justice won the NL ROY in 1990 and seemed to be on track for a Hall-of-Fame career. While he didn't reach that status, he had a wonderful run in the majors. From 1990-2000, Justice slashed .284/.382/.515 averaging 33 home runs and 109 RBIs per 162. He was the 2000 ALCS MVP driving in eight runs in six games for the Yankees against the Mariners. He was a three-time All-Star and finished in the top 5 in MVP voting twice.
#526 - Adrian Gonzalez - First Base - 2004-2018
Gonzalez had a great peak and was one of the most productive first basemen from the late 2000s to the early 2010s. From 2007-2016 played nearly every day averaging 159 games per year. During that time, he slashed .291/.364/.494 averaging 28 homers and 104 RBIs. He led the league once in hits (213 in 2011), walks (119 in 2009), and RBIs (116 in 2014). Gonzalez won four Gold Gloves and was in the top 7 in MVP voting three times.
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