Johnnie's Top 1,000 MLB Players of All-Time: 76-100
- John Lepore
- Mar 31
- 13 min read
As you would expect entering the top 100, we have 17 Hall-of-Famers. There are four active players on this list as well which may surprise you. There are also two on the current ballot and two who dropped off for different reasons. We have four players with 500 home runs. There are also two pitchers with multiple MVPs and two members of the 3,000-hit club. Let's continue our journey as we get to the cream of the crop in our look at 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 | 351-375 | 326-350 | 301-325 | 276-300 | 251-275 | 226-250 | 201-225 | 176-200 | 151-175 | 126-150 | 101-125
#100 - Bob Feller - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1936-1941, 1945-1956
If not for nearly four years of military service, we would probably be talking about Feller as a 350-win pitcher and the one who broke Walter Johnson's strikeout record. However, Feller was still dominant in the years surrounding his service. In his five full seasons from 1939-1947, he was 122-59 with a 2.69 ERA (144 ERA+) averaging 326 innings and 262 strikeouts per year. Feller led the league in wins, innings, and strikeouts each of those seasons winning the Triple Crown in 1940. in 1946 he became the second pitcher in the modern era (currently one of five) with 340 strikeouts in a season. He finished in the top 3 for MVP voting three times and was an eight-time All-Star. Feller was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 by the BBWAA.
#99 - Jim Palmer - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1965-1967, 1969-1984
Palmer was the best American League pitcher in the 1970s. Despite periodically battling arm soreness, he threw over 270 innings eight times in the decade between 1969 and 1978. During that time, Palmer also finished top 5 in CYA voting seven times, winning the award three times. He had 192 wins with a 2.52 ERA (139 ERA+) in that span. He famously never allowed a grand slam and was 8-3 with a 2.61 ERA in the postseason becoming the only pitcher to win World Series games in three different decades. Palmer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 by the BBWAA.
#98 - Harry Heilmann - Right Field - 1914, 1916-1930, 1932
Heilmann was a solid player for the first five years of his career. However, the decade between 1921 and 1930 was phenomenal. During that time, he slashed .367/.439/.573 (160 OPS+) averaging 47 doubles, 17 home runs, and 130 RBIs per 162. Heilmann won four batting titles and was in the top 5 of MVP voting four times in five years. He is one of four players with four seasons of a .390 average and double-digit homers. Heilmann is one of nine players with a .320 average, 4,000 total bases, 1,500 RBIs, and 100 steals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1952 by the BBWAA.
#97 - Sam Crawford - Right Field - 1899-1917
Crawford is the all-time leader in triples with 309 and led the league in that category six times. He also led the league in home runs twice and RBIs three times. He was a dangerous turn-of-the-century player. From 1901-1914, he slashed .315/.366/.459 (150 OPS+) averaging 20 triples, 25 stolen bases, and 100 RBIs per 162. He and Kiki Cuyler are the only two players since 1900 with 25 triples and 100 RBIs in a season. Crawford was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957 by the Veteran's Committee.
#96 - Old Hoss Radbourn - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1881-1891
The 19th century produced some ridiculous stats, especially for pitchers, as most of them threw complete games and had seemingly rubber arms. Radbourn may be the epitome of that era. From 1881-1885, he was 194-88 with a 1.96 ERA (145 ERA+) averaging 510 innings and 246 strikeouts. His K/BB rate was 3.49 while the MLB average was 1.44. In 1884, Radbourn captured the pitching Triple Crown winning 60 games, with a 1.38 ERA and 441 strikeouts in 678.2 innings. Numbers, dare I say, we will never see again. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#95 - Mookie Betts - Right Field - 2014-present
Betts has been one of the most complete players in baseball for nearly a decade. From 2016-2023, he slashed .295/.378/.537 (145 OPS+) averaging 44 doubles, 35 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and 100 RBIs per 162. He is an eight-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, and a six-time Gold Glove winner. Mookie finished runner-up in MVP voting three times and won the award in 2018, becoming the only American League player with a 30/30 season while batting .340. In 74 postseason games, Betts has 76 hits, 22 doubles, eight homers, and 16 stolen bases while only being caught once.
#94 - Hank Greenberg - First Base - 1930, 1933-1941, 1945-1947
When we talk about dominant offensive peaks in baseball, few come close to Greenberg from 1934-1940. Although he played only 12 games in 1936 due to a wrist injury, during that time he slashed .329/.424/.645 (166 OPS+) averaging 50 doubles, 10 triples, 42 home runs, and a whopping 163 RBIs per 162. Greenberg led the league four times in RBIs, four times in homers, and twice in doubles. He won two MVP awards in 1935 and 1940. For the pennant-winning Tigers in 1940 from September 3-27, Hank slashed .419/.545/1.058 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs in 24 games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956 by the BBWAA.
#93 - Carl Hubbell - Left-Handed Pitcher - 1928-1943
While he famously struck out five consecutive Hall of Famers in the 1934 All-Star game (Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons, Cronin), Hubbell was one of the best pitchers of the 1930s. From 1931-1937, he was 147-73 with a 2.54 ERA (147 ERA+) averaging 289 innings with nearly a three-to-one K/BB rate. In 1933, he was the MVP, leading the league with 23 wins and a 1.66 ERA. Hubbell won the award again in 1936, this time leading the league with 26 wins and a 2.31 ERA. He was a nine-time All-Star who confounded hitters with his newly invented screwball. He had impeccable control and led the league six times in WHIP. Hubbell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947 by the BBWAA.
#92 - Carlos Beltran - Centerfield - 1998-2017
One of the most prolific switch-hitters ever, Beltran was a five-tool player in his prime. He was the AL ROY in 1999 batting .293 with 22 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and 108 RBIs. After a down year in 2000 logging only 98 games, Beltran picked his game up in 2001. Over the next 13 years, he slashed .284/.363/.507 (128 OPS+) averaging 30 home runs, 24 stolen bases, and 105 RBIs per 162. He was a 20/20 player seven times and drove in 100 eight times. Beltran was a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. He was a beast in the postseason. During his time in the NL, he played 51 games and had a 1.128 OPS with 16 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases without being caught.
#91 - Mike Mussina - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1991-2008
Although Moose never had the dominating peak that defines some careers, he was consistently excellent throughout the steroid era in the AL East. He had an ERA below 3.55 in 10 of his 17 full seasons and tossed 200 innings 11 times. Mussina finished in the top 6 of CYA voting nine times. He was a seven-time Gold Glove winner and a five-time All-Star. He also had great control walking over 50 batters only four times. Mussina is tied for 33rd in wins (270) and 24th in strikeouts (2,813). He is also one of eight pitchers since 1947 with 500 games started and fewer than 1,000 walks and among the 33 pitchers with 500 starts, Mussina's 3.58 K/BB rate is third. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 by the BBWAA.
#90 - John Smoltz - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1988-1999, 2001-2009
Not many pitchers could start for 11 seasons, get Tommy john surgery, close for another four, then start again and lead the league in wins and starts at age 39. Smoltz was the 1996 NL CYA winner, leading the league with 24 wins and 276 strikeouts, both career highs. He is one of only six pitchers in the last 100 years with a season of 250 innings, 250 strikeouts, and a K/BB rate above five. In 2002, Smoltz set an NL record with 55 saves, matched the following year by Eric Gagne. Four years later he was back in the rotation and notched his fifth 200-strikeout season. Smoltz was also great in the postseason with a 15-4 record and a 2.67 ERA across 209.1 innings. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 by the BBWAA.
#89 - Frankie Frisch - Second Base - 1919-1937
One of the top 10 second basemen of all time, Frisch was a perennial .300 hitter eclipsing the mark 13 times in 14 seasons. He led the league in steals three times swiping at least 20 10 years in a row. He drove in 100 three times and scored 100 seven times. From 1921-1930, Frisch slashed .331/.385/.468 (119 OPS+) averaging 10 home runs, 34 stolen bases, 122 runs, and 90 RBIs per 162. He was the NL MVP in 1931 and finished runner-up twice. Defensively, Frisch would've won Gold Gloves if they had the award then. He led the league in fielding three times and range factor three times. He is 16th in putouts at second base, and 13th in assists while being the only second baseman to reach that mark in fewer than 16,000 innings. Frisch was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947 by the BBWAA.
#88 - Manny Ramirez - Left Field/Right Field - 1993-2011
Manny was one of the best right-handed hitters the game has ever seen. He batted .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs 10 times. Ramirez led the league in OBP three times and slugging three times. He had a 1.000 OPS eight times and led the league three times in that category. He was a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger. In 1999, Manny became the only player since Ted Williams in 1949 with a .330 average, 40 home runs, and 150 RBIs in a season. For his career, he is eighth with a .996 OPS (min. 5,000 PA), 15th with 555 home runs, and 20th with 1,831 RBIs. Ramirez is one of 10 players in history with a slash of .300/.400/.550.
#87 - Rafael Palmeiro - First Base - 1986-2005
There are only seven players with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs and Palmeiro is one of them. His 1,835 RBIs have him two spots ahead of Manny on the all-time list. He led the league in hits in 1990 and doubles in 1991. However, from 1993-2002, Palmeiro had a power surge. During that time, he slashed .291/.382/.560 (140 OPS+) averaging 42 home runs and 122 RBIs per 162. He was a four-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner (one of them is a joke). Palmeiro had nine consecutive seasons with at least 38 homers and 100 RBIs.
#86 - Dan Brouthers - First Base - 1879-1896, 1904
Brouthers was one of the stars in the 19th century. He led the league in home runs and slugging in 1881. For the next five years, Brouthers was unstoppable slashing .360/.408/.562 (198 OPS+) averaging 52 doubles, 23 triples, 121 RBIs, and 152 runs per 162. He is seventh in batting average (.342) and 23rd in OPS (.943) among players with at least 6,000 plate appearances. He led the league in OPS eight times and batting five times. Brouthers is also one of five players with 200 triples and 100 home runs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old Timer's Committee.
#85 - Max Scherzer - Right-Handed Pitcher - 2008-present
Scherzer was a dominant pitcher for a decade. From 2013-2022, he was 149-60 with a 2.78 ERA (150 ERA+) averaging 188 innings with 236 strikeouts and just 43 walks per year. He finished in the top 5 of CYA voting eight times and won the award three times. He led the league three years in a row in strikeouts including a career-high 300 in 2018. Scherzer struck out 230 batters nine times. Only Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan have more such seasons with 10 apiece. During Washington's run in 2019, Scherzer was 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA and 37 Ks in 30 innings.
#84 - George Davis - Shortstop/Third Base - 1890-1909
As far as shortstops go, there were none better in the 19th century than Davis. Although he played a few seasons at third, he made his name as a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop who could handle the bat pretty well. From 1893-1902, Davis slashed .329/.393/.461 (132 OPS+) averaging 121 runs, 120 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases per 162. In 1897, his first full year at shortstop, he batted .353 and led the league with 135 RBIs while also leading in putouts and double plays. He led the league in DPs three more times and in fielding percentage four times. Davis finished his career with 619 stolen bases, good enough for 17th all-time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 by the Veteran's Committee.
#83 - Reggie Jackson - Right Field - 1967-1987
M. October didn't just shine in the postseason. He did plenty of damage during the regular season. Reggie hit 29 home runs in his first full season in 1968. Then from 1969-1982, he slashed .275/.368/.520 (151 OPS+) averaging 35 home runs, 107 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases per 162. He led the league four times in home runs and was a 14-time All-Star. Jackson finished in the top 5 of MVP voting five times, winning the award in 1973. He also won the WS MVP that year with an OPS of .941. In 1977, he won the WS MVP again blasting five homers including three in the deciding Game Six. When he retired, he was sixth all-time with 563 home runs (he is now 14th). Reggie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993 by the BBWAA.
#82 - Curt Schilling - Right-Handed Pitcher - 1988-2007
In his first 100 major league appearances, Schilling only started five times. Once he went the Phillies he became a full-time starter after a couple of months in the bullpen. Schilling dominated for nearly a decade. From 1996-2004, he was 141-81 with a 3.23 ERA (141 ERA+) averaging 223 innings with 236 strikeouts to just 44 walks per year. He is one of three pitchers with multiple seasons of 300 Ks and a 5.00 K/BB rate (Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson). He also owns the highest K/BB rate of any pitcher with 300 Ks at 9.58. His postseason record is also impeccable. Including the famous "Bloody Sock" game, Schilling was 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 postseason starts.
One of the most prolific Three True Outcome players, Thome had a 1.004 OPS for a decade. He homered, walked, or struck out in 47.6 percent of his plate appearances. Despite that, from 1995-2004, he slashed .288/.418/.585 (157 OPS+) averaging 43 home runs and 118 RBIs per 162. After a 59-game season in 2005, he returned to blast 159 homers over the next five seasons. He hit 612 home runs in his career which stand eighth all-time. He is 28th in RBIs (1,699) and 17th in OPS (.956, min. 6,000 plate appearances). Thome was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 by the BBWAA.
#80 - Gary Carter - Catcher - 1974-1992
Carter's ability to catch a ridiculous number of games and still be productive at the plate is rare. From 1977-1986, he caught an average of 139 games per year, including the strike of 1981. During that time, Carter slashed .274/.347/.474 (128 OPS+) averaging 28 home runs and 99 RBIs per 162. He is one of two catchers in history (Carlton Fisk) with multiple seasons of 150 games behind the plate and 20 home runs. Carter also has 140 games behind the plate for seven years, second only to Jason Kendall with nine. He was an 11-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove winner. Carter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 by the BBWAA.
Keefe's career was actually longer than many pitchers in the 19th century. He started his career in 1880 becoming the first pitcher to have a 290 ERA+ in over 100 innings while also leading the league in WHIP. Only 2000 Pedro Martinez has done it since. From 1883-1888, Keefe was 222-108 with a 2.31 ERA (139 ERA+) averaging 491 innings pitched and 290 strikeouts per year. He had a nearly 3.00 K/BB rate which was unheard of at the time. He won the pitching Triple Crown in 1888 with 35 wins, a 1.74 ERA, and 335 strikeouts. He is one of four pitchers with 5,000 innings and a sub-2.75 ERA. Of those four, he had a better winning percentage than Walter Johnson and a better strikeout rate than Cy Young. Keefe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964 by the Veteran's Committee.
#78 - Mike Trout - Centerfield - 2011-present
While Trout has been oft-injured the past few seasons, let's not forget how great he was. From 2012-2022 he slashed .305/.418/.592 (178 OPS+) averaging 41 home runs, 104 RBIs, 122 runs, and 24 stolen bases per 162. During that time, he won the AL ROY award and three MVPs plus finishing runner-up four times. He has also been an 11-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger. Trout has led the league in runs four times and OPS four times. He is the only rookie with 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases in history.
#77 - Justin Verlander - Right-Handed Pitcher - 2005-present
Verlander won the 2006 AL ROY award winning 17 games for the Tigers. In 2009, he led the league with 19 wins and 269 strikeouts finishing third in CYA voting. Two years later, Verlander won the Triple Crown (24, 2.40, 250) while also taking home the CYA and the MVP. From 2016-2023, he was 100-44 with a 2.76 ERA (155 ERA+) averaging 200 strikeouts to just 40 walks. He won two more CY awards finishing second twice. He is 10th on the all-time strikeout list and of the 19 pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts, Verlander is one of five with better than a K per inning.
#76 - Paul Molitor - Designated Hitter/Third Base/Second Base - 1978-1998
Despite being plagued by injuries and going through two work stoppages, Molitor still managed to play 2,683 games and collect 3,319 hits, good enough for 11th all-time. From 1987-1994, he slashed .323/.393/.485 (140 OPS+) averaging 209 hits, 39 doubles, 17 home runs, and 32 stolen bases per 162. That was all after age 30. Molitor was a seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. He was a beast in the postseason. In 29 playoff games, he had a 1.050 OPS. Molitor was the WS MVP in 1993 batting .500 with 12 hits and eight RBIs in six games while not striking out in 28 plate appearances. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 by the BBWAA.
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