Best Current Baseball Players by Uniform Number 11-20

Some of the best players in baseball history have been identified by the uniform number they wore.

Mickey Mantle was number seven, Ted Williams was number nine, Joe DiMaggio was number five, and of course, Babe Ruth was number three.

This got me wondering, what players in this era are the best players to wear the uniform numbers 1-10?

After the success of that article and the debate that raged in the comments, people wanted to see the series continue with the next group of 10.

Well, ask and you shall receive.

I now present to you the best players in Major League Baseball to wear the numbers 11-20.

Agree? Disagree? Tell me about it in the comments below.

And most importantly, enjoy!

No. 11: Ryan Zimmerman

2009 Season: .288 AVG, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 58 R, .354 OBP%, .473 SLUG%

Career (530 Games): .283 AVG, 72 HR, 310 RBI, 298 R , .343 OBP%, .464 SLUG%

Last season, when Ryan Zimmerman came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two down and the score tied 2-2 on opening night against the Braves on national television in the new Nationals Park, people saw how exactly a franchise player performs in big situations.

One crack of the bat and there it went, the first homer by a National in their brand new ballpark , hit by the player Nationals' fans are hoping will turn around a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 1981.

Zimmerman barely knew the life of a minor leaguer when he was drafted with the fifth pick in the 2005 draft in June and then called up to the bigs that September.

Ever since, he has been a constant for a team trying to find an identity.

A Gold Glove waiting to happen, and a player with power to all fields, Zimmerman has been the best player for the Expos/Nationals franchise since Pedro Martinez was mowing down batters north of the border.

He is only 25 years old and has a lot more left in the tank . Nationals fans hope he can lead this team back from the brink and into playoff contention.

Ryan Zimmerman is the best player wearing number 11

Also Considered: Philadelphia Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins

No. 12: Alfonso Soriano

2009 Season: .233 AVG, 14 HR, 33 RBI, 50 R, .298 OBP%, .413 SLUG%

Career (1285 Games): .279 AVG, 284 HR, 738 RBI, 847 R , .327 OBP%, .511 SLUG%

Alfonso Soriano has had some career since he broke into the Majors, ten years ago.

A seven-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a 40-40 season that also saw him become the first 40-40-40 man when he added 40 doubles to that in 2006.

He hit a go ahead homer in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, won Game 5 of the 2001 WS with an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning, and also received the largest contract in Cubs history.

The All-Star Game MVP in 2005, he was traded for Alex Rodriguez in 2004, one of the few players in baseball history to start an All-Star Game at two different positions, and of course, a two time World Series winner as a call-up in 1999 and 2000 with the Yankees.

Soriano is a player that has been blessed with both speed and power, a player who, despite having issues with with strikeouts over his career, is a deadly force in the Cubs' lineup.

After playing second base for most of his career, and leading all second basemen in errors in every year he played there, he moved to the outfield and has been much more successful. He once led the National League in assists while with the Nationals.

A solid player, not really a Gold Glover, Soriano has been able to play serviceable defense throughout his career.

A career that has seen a lot, and for Cubs fans, a career that they are hoping will add one more thing to his accomplishments, "played for first Cubs team to win World Series since 1908."

Alfonso Soriano is the best player wearing number 12

Also Considered: Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Freddy Sanchez

No. 13: Alex Rodriguez

2009 Season: .263 AVG, 17 HR, 50 RBI, 35 R, .419 OBP%, .562 SLUG%

Career (2099 Games): .305 AVG, 570 HR, 1656 RBI, 1640 R, .390 OBP%, .578 SLUG%

If there is one player in the past 15 years who has done more to show us how great, and vulnerable, a pro athlete can be, it's without question Alex Rodriguez.

The awards and achievements are unreal. They include 12 All-Star selections, 10 Silver Slugger Awards, four AL Hank Aaron Awards, three AL MVPs, two Gold Gloves, five-time AL Runs Leader, four-time AL Total Bases Leader, five-time AL Home Run Title, two-time AL RBI Title, two-time AL OPS Leader, four-time AL Slugging Percentage Leader, 1996 AL Batting Title, 1996 AL Doubles Leader, 1998 AL Hits Leader, 2001 AL Extra-Base Hits Leader, the fastest to 500 home runs, the most home runs by a shortstop, and the most home runs in Yankee history by a right-handed batter.

Phew!

The thing with A-Rod is that vulnerable side of him as well. He is considered one of the least clutch postseason players of all time. He faced a nasty divorce with his wife due to speculation that he was seeing women on the road and having a romance with, of all people, Madonna.

He is now having issues with his hip and the idea of being tired and needing days off, then being seen out with his new love Kate Hudson at 2:30 in the morning in Miami.

Then of course, A-Rod admitted to using steroids, but as all of you know, I already took one steroid guy in Brian Roberts and will have to stay with the fact that since so many people used them at that time, the playing field, in my opinion, wasn't as tilted as we all think it was.

The player with the largest contract in American sports history and the player with the most tabloid headlines in New York since Reggie Jackson, Alex Rodriguez has done it all.

Both good and bad.

Alex Rodriguez is the best player wearing the number 13

Also Considered: Tampa Bay Rays LF Carl Crawford

Number 14: David Price

2009 Season: 3-3, 4.70 ERA, 44.0 INN, 41 H, 30 R, 23 ER, 31 BB, 47 K

Career (14 Games, 10 Starts): 3-3, 4.03 ERA, 58.0 INN, 50 H, 34 R, 26 ER 35 BB, 59 K

Where Evan Longoria is the young superstar with the bat for the Tampa Bay Rays, David Price is the young superstar on the mound.

He burst onto the scene in last year's playoffs as Price became the bullpen ace for a Rays team that was looking for a closer after injuries and ineffectiveness had hurt them.

On the mound for the final out of the Rays' first American League championship, David Price has already helped the Rays reach heights that were never expected for the franchise, which lives in the Yankees' and Red Sox's neighborhood.

The 2007 number one pick out of Vanderbilt University, Price has a blazing fastball and a wicked slider that many people believe will be combo that will lead to many successes as a major league pitcher.

Teamed with other ace-type pitchers in the Rays' rotation, Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Matt Garza, Price adds another plus arm to a rotation that has the makings to be the most dominant in all of baseball.

David Price is the best player wearing number 14.

Also Considered: Detroit Tigers 2B Placido Polanco

Number 15: Carlos Beltran

2009 Season: .336 AVG, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 40 R, .425 OBP%, .527 SLUG%

Career (1543 Games): .283 AVG, 271 HR, 1027 RBI, 1075 R , .360 OBP%, .497 SLUG%

From October of 2004 to January of 2005, nobody had a better time on and off a baseball diamond than Carlos Beltran.

The 2004 playoffs were more then just a wake up call to America as to just how good Beltran was. Home run after home run, smooth play in CF, and a player who put his team on his back and carried them to Game 7 of the NLCS that year, baseball fans were getting to know Carlos Beltran and they liked what they saw.

Of course, it didn't hurt Beltran that he was a free agent at the end of that year. He cashed in, in a big way, signing a seven-year, $115 million contract with the New York Mets, and after a first year of struggles, has been worth every penny.

The player who made the term "Five-Tool Player" popular, Carlos Beltran has it all and is still in the prime of his career. A 30 to 35 home run hitter, 100-plus RBI guy with the speed to steal up to as many 40 bases in a season, Beltran has had quite a number of accomplishments. Four All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards, and the 1999 Rookie of the Year.

He has been one the best players in both leagues and has been one of the best postseason players of all time. Carlos Beltran has done it all, except win the World Series, and Mets fans hope he can add that to his resume very soon.

Carlos Beltran is the best player to wear number 15.

Also Considered: Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia

Number 16: Brian McCann

2009 Season: .298 AVG, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 27 R, .375 OBP%, .487 SLUG%

Career (542 Games): .297 AVG, 78 HR, 332 RBI, 227 R , .360 OBP%, .499 SLUG%

As a young baseball player in Georgia in the past 20, all you'd ever wanted to do was become a big leaguer and play for the Atlanta Braves, the most successful National League franchise for most of the last two decades.

For Brian McCann, a native of Athens, Georgia, he is getting to live that dream, and the fact that he is one of the best catchers in the National League is just icing on the cake.

For McCann, in only his fourth full season in the majors, he is already a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and a three-timex All-Star.

A catcher that has plenty of power and has been protection for Chipper Jones, McCann has let a lot of people forget about the days of Javy Lopez, who left as a free agent and allowed McCann to be called up from the minors.

In an era where offensive catchers are compared to Mike Piazza and Jorge Posada, Brian McCann has been able to hold his own and even defensively is pretty good in all parts of the game behind the dish.

Atlanta has hit a rough patch the past few years and with Chipper Jones winding down his memorable career in a Braves uniform, Braves fans can feel good that they have a player like Brian McCann, a player you can build a franchise around.

Brian McCann is the best player wearing the number 16.

Also Considered: Chicago Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez

Number 17: Lance Berkman

2009 Season: .271 AVG, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 49 R, .403 OBP%, .526 SLUG%

Career (1457 Games): .300 AVG, 306 HR, 1016 RBI, 945 R, .412 OBP%, .558 SLUG%

When looking in a dictionary and finding the word Solid, the picture that goes along with the word would be the one that you see on the left.

Houston Astros OF/1B Lance Berkman has been the rock solid force in the middle of the Astros for the entire decade, helping to lead the team to multiple playoff appearances and leading the Astros to their first ever World Series in 2005.

A local hero, from Waco, Texas and a star from Rice University, Lance Berkman aka The Big Puma, has been able to continue his home town brilliance for years in Houston as one of the best players in franchise history.

A player with over 300 homers and 1,000 RBI in his career, Berkman has be overshadowed by many first basemen in the NL like Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard when it comes to his offensive output.

In September of 2006, Berkman became only the second switch hitter in MLB history to hit 40 or more homers in multiple seasons—Mickey Mantle being the other switch hitter to pull off the feat.

Berkman has been able to perform at a high level for his entire career in a Houston uniform and is still in his prime. Berkman is, as the dictionary correctly points out, solid.

Lance Berkman is the best player wearing the number 17.

Also Considered: Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher Brandon Webb

Number 18: Geovany Soto

2009 Season: .230 AVG, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 19 R, .336 OBP%, .396 SLUG%

Career (240 Games): .274 AVG, 34 HR, 123 RBI, 98 R , .357 OBP%, .477 SLUG%

The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series in over 100 years and have seen a revolving door at catcher ever since Randy Hundley packed up his equipment.

With Geovany Soto now manning the dish on the North Side, that door has been slammed shut.

The 2008 NL Rookie of the Year, Soto has done a lot in his short stint in Chicago. Soto was behind the dish for Carlos Zambrano when he no-hit the Astros in Milwaukee, the first no-hitter thrown in a game played at a neutral site.

Soto is also the first Cubs backstop to play for multiple Cub playoff teams since Gabby Hartnett, and is the first to start playoff games in consecutive years since Johnny Kling.

An All-Star in his first full season, Soto is a hitter that fits in the Cubs lineup perfectly as the man that protects Derek Lee in the lineup.

A player that can be a 20-30 HR hitter along with 90-100 RBI guy, he is still in the very early parts of his career and can only get better from here.

Geovany Soto is the best player wearing the number 18.

Also Considered: San Francisco Giants SP Matt Cain

Number 19: Josh Beckett

2009 Season: 11-3, 3.35 ERA, 121.0 INN, 104 H, 52 R, 45 ER, 35 BB, 110 K

Career (214 Games, 211 Starts): 100-65, 3.74 ERA, 1309.2 INN, 1186 H, 594 R, 544 ER, 406 BB, 1241 K

It's October 25, 2003 at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

It's Game 6 of the World Series between the Yankees and the Florida Marlins. A Young fireballer from Texas on the mound for the Marlins was dominating the Yankees in their own building.

Strike after strike, out after out, the reality was beginning to set in.

As Jorge Posada hit a dribbler along the first base line and was tagged out, the kid named Josh Beckett, on three days rest, had thrown a complete game shutout, won the World Series MVP, and clinched the second world title in Marlins' history.

In the Bronx no less.

The world had just learned how good Josh Beckett was and is.

Traded to the Red Sox in November of 2005 for another player that made this uniform number list, Hanley Ramirez, Beckett took a year to adjust to the American League and when it happened, it did in a big way.

In 2007, Beckett would finish the season with his first 20 win season and win the MVP of the ALCS and pitch the Red Sox to a game one victory over the Rockies in the World Series that led to another World Title for the Ace of the Red Sox.

The electric fastball, the knee buckling curve ball, Josh Beckett has been one the best pitchers in baseball since he came up in 2002. Already known as one the best postseason pitchers in the decade with a 7-2 record, when it comes to the biggest games, Red Sox fans know they can count on Beckett when he takes the mound.

Josh Beckett is the best player wearing the number 19.

Also Considered: Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto

Number 20: Kevin Youkilis

2009 Season: .298 AVG, 16 HR, 53 RBI, 56 R, .419 OBP%, .566 SLUG%

Career (627 Games): .290 AVG, 82 HR, 367 RBI, 381 R , .389 OBP%, .483 SLUG%

When attending my first-ever game at Fenway Park, the noise that came from the crowd that night whenever Kevin Youkilis came to the plate or made a play in the field was quite loud and showed the love Red Sox Nation has for the corner infielder.

"Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk" was what 39,000 Red Sox fans chanted over and over that night.

A two-time World Series champion and one of the toughest players in all of MLB, Youkilis has earned high praise right from the start of his career, being called "The Greek God of Walks" in the book Moneyball.

The record holder for the most consecutive games without an error at first base, 238 games, and the 2007 Gold Glove winner, Youkilis has also played third base and has to move their this season with Mike Lowell injured, and he's continued to keep up the good gloved work on the other side of the diamond.

A guy who has the potential to hit over .300 every season and finish with an average over .300 for his entire career, Youkilis is one of the best in the AL in hitting.

A player best suited for Fenway Park, a line drive guy with gap-to-gap power, he also has the power for 25-30 homers a season and is the perfect three hitter ahead of Jason Bay and David Ortiz.

Just by hearing the sound at Fenway Park, Boston fans love this guy and with the talent he brings to the ballpark every night, we can all understand why.

Kevin Youkilis is the best player wearing the number 20.

Also Considered: Chicago White Sox LF Carlos Quentin