As of today, number 582 on this list finds himself in the top 2.5 percent of all MLB players who ever played the game. In this group of 25, we have three MVPs, a couple of Hall-of-Famers, and plenty of unique seasons spread about. Let's continue our journey as we break into the top 600 on our list of the top 1,000 players in MLB history.
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 | 551-575 | 526-550 | 501-525 | 476-500 | 451-475 | 426-450 | 401-425 | 376-400 | 351-375 | 326-350 | 301-325 | 276-300 | 251-275 | 226-250 | 201-225 | 176-200
#600 - Dusty Baker - Outfield - 1968-1986
Many fans think of Baker as a manager who made it to three World Series, winning one in 2022 with the Houston Astros. He was an excellent player during a 13-year peak from 1972-1984. He slashed .281/.349/.438 while averaging 20 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Baker won a Gold Glove in 1981 and was the 1977 NLCS MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a two-time All-Star and finished in the top seven in MVP voting twice.
#599 - Eddie Rommel - Right-handed Pitcher - 1920-1932
Rommel was a workhorse for the Philadelphia A's in the early 1920s. From 1921-1925, he won 100 games and tossed over 260 innings each season. His best year came in 1922 when he finished second in MVP voting going 27-13 with a 3.28 ERA. His career ERA of 3.54 (121 ERA+) is impressive considering the era in which he played.
#598 - Fred Dunlap - Second Base - 1880-1891
Dunlap was the premier second baseman in the 1880's. In his rookie season, he led the league with 27 doubles. In 1884, Dunlap had one of the best seasons in history. He led the league in home runs with 13 and slashed .412/.448/.621. He also led the league in runs with 160 and hits with 185. What made those numbers even more amazing is that Dunlap did it in 101 games. His 256 OPS+ is the highest ever by someone other than Barry Bonds or Josh Gibson. Dunlap finished his career slashing .292/.340/.406 (134 OPS+).
#597 - John Lackey - Right-handed Pitcher - 2002-2011, 2013-2017
Lackey helped the Anaheim Angels win their only World Series in his rookie season. After a couple of down years, Lackey put together a solid five-year run from 2005-2009 going 69-48 with a 3.49 ERA (127 ERA+). In 2007, he led the league in ERA (3.01), had 19 wins, finished third in CYA voting, and made his only All-Star Game. Lackey won three World Series with three different teams. He was a solid playoff performer going 8-6 with a 3.44 ERA in 144 innings. His 2.294 strikeouts are still 58th all-time.
#596 - Johnny Callison - Right Field - 1958-1973
Callison came up as a 19-year-old with the Chicago White Sox. It wasn't until he got to the Philadelphia Phillies that he found his stroke. During his peak from 1962-1965, Callison slashed .280/.336/.498 (132 OPS+), averaging 29 home runs and 93 RBIs per 162. He was a four-time All-Star and finished second in MVP voting in 1964. He led the league in doubles in 1966 and led the league twice in triples in 1962 and 1965. Callison is still sixth on the Phillies all-time list for triples (84).
#595 - Billy Wagner - Relief Pitcher - 1995-2010
This year will be Wagner's final year on the Hall of Fame ballot. He should get inducted as he just missed last year with 73.8 percent of the votes. Wagner is second all-time in saves by a left-hander with 422. His 2.31 ERA is second to Mariano in the last 100 years (min. 750 IP). Wagner allowed opponents to hit just .187 against him which is the best ever. Wagner was a seven-time All-Star and finished in the top 6 of CYA voting twice.
#594 - Tim Wallach - Third Base - 1980-1996
The 1980's were filled with great third basemen. While Wallach wasn't at the level of his contemporaries like Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs, or George Brett, he was in the next tier from 1982 to 1990. During that time, Wallach slashed .268/.323/.439 averaging 35 doubles, 21 home runs, and 89 RBIs per 162. He won three Gold Gloves and was a five-time All-Star. In 1987, Wallach slashed .298/.343/.514 with 26 home runs and 123 RBIs while leading the league with 42 doubles. He finished fourth in MVP voting that season.
#593 - Mark Belanger - Shortstop - 1965-1982
Belanger is arguably the best defensive shortstop ever after Ozzie Smith. He is second all-time in Total Zone Runs to the Wizard, 239-238, despite playing 6,450 innings fewer at shortstop. He is one of only six players with more than 5,700 assists and fewer than 16,000 innings played at shortstop. Belanger won eight Gold Gloves in 10 years and received MVP votes three times. He had a few decent years with the bat. He batted .287 in 1969 and in 1976 he hit .270 and set a career-high with 27 stolen bases.
Wise was traded three times and the players he was traded for (Steve Carlton, Reggie Smith, Dennis Eckersley) may be more famous, he was a very good pitcher, nonetheless. Wise was a workhorse from 1969-1973 averaging 248 innings and 14 complete games per year. He had his best season in 1971 with the Phillies winning 17 games with a 2.88 ERA. He was a two-time All-Star and finished eighth in CYA voting in 1975 for the Red Sox.
#591 - Dave Foutz - First Base/Outfield/Pitcher - 1884-1896
Foutz's career started like he was going to be a dominant pitcher and in 1886, he put up some crazy numbers even for that era. He won 41 games and led the league with a 2.11 ERA in 504 innings. At the plate, he slashed .280/.297/.389. The following year he slashed .357/.393/.508 and drove in 108 runs while winning 25 games with a 3.87 ERA in 339 innings. That is the only time in MLB history a player had 25 wins and 100 RBIs in a single season. Foutz is also the only player in history to have 750 career strikeouts as a pitcher and 750 career RBIs.
#590 - Donie Bush - Shortstop - 1908-1923
Bush was adept at getting on base and swiping a few bags which made him an excellent top-of-the-order bat for the Detroit Tigers. From 1909-1915, Bush averaged 106 walks and 45 stolen bases per 162. He led the league in walks five times. In 1914 he finished third in MVP voting. He is second in Tigers franchise history in stolen bases with 402. Bush is also fifth in runs scored for Detroit with 1,243.
#589 - Tom Candiotti - Right-handed Pitcher - 1983-1984, 1986-1999
Candiotti did what most knuckleballers do, eat innings. He tossed at least 200 innings eight seasons in a row (1986-1993). From 1988-1993, Candiotti had a 3.12 ERA and averaged 213 innings per year. In 1991, he led the league with only 0.5 HR/9. Candiotti had above-average control despite throwing the knuckleball as he had a 7.6 percent walk rate for his career.
#588 - Maury Wills - Shortstop - 1959-1972
Wills was the elite base stealer in baseball during his peak. He led the league each year from 1960-1965. In that stretch, Wills batted .290 and averaged 67 steals per 162. In 1962, he won the NL MVP award and stole 104 bases while only being caught 13 times. His 88.9 percent SB rate is the highest ever for a player with 90+ stolen bases in a season. He was a seven-time All-Star, won two Gold Gloves, and three World Series.
#587 - Hooks Dauss - Right-handed Pitcher - 1912-1926
Dauss was a Tiger for his entire career and a teammate of the previously mentioned Donie Bush. Dauss had his peak from 1913-1918 when he won 104 games and had a 2.74 ERA while throwing at least 225 innings each year. In the years 1914 and 1915, Daus threw over 300 innings with a sub-2.90 ERA and allowed fewer than three home runs each year. He is one of only three pitchers to meet those criteria in back-to-back seasons since 1914 (Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson).
#586 - Anthony Rizzo - First Base - 2011-present
Although Rizzo has been injured and struggled the past two years, he was among the best first basemen in baseball from 2014 to 2019. During that time, Rizzo slashed .284/.388/.513 and averaged 32 home runs and 105 RBIs per 162. He won four Gold Gloves and has been an All-Star three times. In 2016, Rizzo went 9-for-25 with four walks and five RBIs to help the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years.
Rijo became one of the most dominant pitchers for the Cincinnati Reds from 1988-1994. During that time, he won 87 games and had a 2.63 ERA (147 ERA+). Part of what made Rijo so great was his K/BB rate of 2.83 during that peak. Over the same stretch, the league average was 1.75 K/BB. He finished top 5 in CYA voting twice and led the league in strikeouts with 227 in 1993. He was the World Series MVP in 1990, going 2-0 while allowing just one run and striking out 14 in 15.1 innings.
#584 - Cool Papa Bell - Centerfield - 1922-1937, 1942-1946
Bell was an icon of the Negro Leagues not only due to his longevity but also his baseball prowess. Considered one of the fastest players at the time, Bell led the league in stolen bases eight times, setting a career-high of 49 in 1929 in just 97 games. He also led the league in walks four times and runs five times. For his career, he slashed .325/.394/.446 averaging 38 stolen bases and an amazing 155 runs per 162. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974 by the Negro League Committee.
#583 - Jerry Reuss - Left-handed Pitcher - 1969-1990
Reuss may not have had a dominant peak like some pitchers, but he was good for a large portion of his career. From 1973-1985, Reuss won 161 games and had a 3.26 ERA (109 ERA+). He averaged 201 innings per year and eclipsed 200 innings nine times. He had a sub 3.75 ERA 10 times. He finished second in CYA voting in 1980, winning 18 games with a 2.51 ERA and a league-leading six shutouts. Reuss is one of only 13 pitchers since 1973 to start 40 games, have an ERA below 3.75, and have over 175 strikeouts in a season.
#582 - Jose Reyes - Shortstop - 2003-2018
Reyes was one of the most dynamic players in baseball during his peak. From 2005-2013, he slashed .292/.346/.442 averaging 14 triples, 13 home runs, 54 stolen bases, and 200 hits per 162. He led the league four times in triples including a career-high of 19 in 2008. He also led the league three times in stolen bases, swiping a career-high 78 in 2007. He led the NL in batting in 2011 with a .337 average. Reyes and Lou Brock are the only two players to have 350 doubles, 125 triples, 125 home runs, and 500 stolen bases in their careers.
#581 - Eric Davis - Outfield - 1984-2001
Davis was plagued by injuries throughout his career as he never played more than 135 games in a season. However, he put up ridiculous power-speed numbers at his five-year peak from 1986-1990. During that time, Davis slashed .277/.371/.527 averaging 37 home runs and 51 stolen bases per 162. He also had an impressive 87.3 percent SB rate. After more injuries almost took his career, Davis rebounded, and from 1996-2000 he hit .300 and averaged 26 homers per 162.
#580 - Jim Bottomley - First Base - 1922-1937
From the time Bottomley entered the league in 1922, he could hit. He showed that over the next decade. During that stretch, Bottomley slashed .327/.390/.541 (137 OPS+) averaging 41 doubles, 14 triples, 21 home runs, and 132 RBIs per 162. In 1928, he had a historic season as he is still the only player to have 40 doubles, 20 triples, and 30 home runs in a season. Bottomley won the MVP that year and also led the league with 136 RBIs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1974.
On the mound, Smoky Joe Wood was as unhittable as any pitcher of his day. From 1908-1915, Wood was 117-56 with a 1.99 ERA (149 ERA+). In 1912, he led the Red Sox to the World Series and finished fifth in MVP voting, going 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA and setting career highs in innings (344) and strikeouts (258). Despite arm troubles, Wood led the league in ERA in 1915 with a 1.49 mark. He was done as a dominant pitcher at age 25. However, Wood had a little left in the tank at the plate. From 1918-1922, he slashed .298/.376/.433 for Cleveland in 460 games.
#578 - Rico Petrocelli - Shortstop/Third Base - 1963, 1965-1976
Petrocelli was not the typical shortstop. He had power when most shortstops in the league were light-hitting leadoff men. During his peak from 1969-1974, he slashed .261/.352/.455 averaging 27 home runs and 93 RBIs per 162. In 1969, Petrocelli had his best season. He slashed .297/.403/.589 with 40 home runs. He is one of four players to hit 40 home runs in a season while playing at least 75 percent of their games at shortstop.
#577 - Lonnie Smith - Left Field - 1978-1994
From 1980-1983, Smith looked like he was on a Hall-of-Fame path. He slashed .320/.387/.446 averaging 113 runs and 60 stolen bases per 162. He also won two World Series and finished second in MVP voting in 1982. Smith had some down years and bounced back in 1989 with the Atlanta Braves. That season Lonnie hit .315 with a career-high 21 home runs and 79 RBIs. He also swiped 25 bags and led the league with a .415 OBP.
#576 - Kirk Gibson - Outfield - 1979-1995
Gibson will always be remembered for the iconic home run off of Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series. However, he was an excellent player for a few years before the historic blast. From 1984-1988, Gibson slashed .282/.369/500 averaging 31 home runs and 35 stolen bases per 162. He won the NL MVP in 1988 and was the ALCS MVP for Detroit in 1984. In 21 postseason games, Gibson had 22 hits, seven home runs, and 21 RBIs. He joins the previously mentioned Eric Davis in the group of 14 players to have 250 homers, 250 steals, and a career .350 OBP.
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