The 50 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

There is no definitive way to rank the greatest baseball players of all time, but I've created a mathematical formula that I think gets us pretty close.

First, I awarded points to the top 50 hitters in 11 offensive categories (runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, walks, steals, average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage). The leader in each statistic received 50 points, second place got 49, etc.

Then, I repeated the process with the top 50 hurlers in six pitching categories (ERA, wins, winning percentage, WHIP, strikeouts and shutouts).

Finally, I multiplied the pitchers' subtotals by 11/6 to get the totals equivalent to those of the hitters. The conversion seems to work, because the list is made up of 25 hitters and 25 pitchers.

The rankings aren't perfect. For example, they do not take defense or team success into account, nor do they consider the era in which a player competed (i.e. Deal Ball, Steroids), or awards, because none of them date back to the start of Major League Baseball in 1869.

But the one thing that this system does take into account is statistics, and the system mixes cumulative stats with career averages to account for longevity and overall excellence.

Let me know what you think.

T-49. Manny Ramirez and Frank Thomas (160 points)

Manny Ramirez is one of only three active players on this list, and the only hitter. From 1998-2005, he made the All-Star team every year, while also finishing in the top nine of the AL MVP vote. Oddly enough, however, he has never come in the top two, not even when he hit .333 with 44 homers and a league-leading 165 RBI in 1999.

531 doubles (31st)
546 homers (15th)
1,788 RBI (19th)
1,283 walks (40th)
.411 OBP (33rd)
.591 SLG (8th)

Frank Thomas finished his career in 2008 with the A's, but he did most of his damage with the White Sox. From 1991-97, the Big Hurt put together one of the greatest seven-year spans in baseball history. He won back-to-back MVPs in '93 and '94, and finished in the top eight in the voting the other five seasons. But Thomas wasn't done yet. He finished runner-up in 2000 and came in fourth in '06.

521 homers (18th)
1,704 RBI (22nd)
1,667 walks (9th)
.419 OBP (21st)
.555 SLG (25th)

T-47. Billy Hamilton (164 points)

Hall of Famer "Sliding" Billy Hamilton was one of the greatest leadoff men in the history of the National League. He played for Kansas City, Philly and Boston from 1888 to 1901, and stole more bases than anyone not named Rickey Henderson or Lou Brock.

1,690 runs (25th)
912 steals (3rd)
.344 AVG (8th)
.455 OBP (4th)

T-47. Mickey Mantle (164 points)

It upsets me that my dad's favorite player and one of the greatest Yankees of all time comes in at just 47th, but when you consider how many injuries he suffered during his 18 seasons in New York, it's quite remarkable how The Mick still ranks as the 23rd best hitter ever.

Mantle won three MVPs and finished second another three times. His Triple Crown season of 1956 (.353/52/130) will forever remain one of the most impressive accomplishments in baseball history.

1,677 runs (28th)
536 homers (16th)
1,509 RBI (50th)
1,733 walks (7th)
.421 OBP (19th)
.557 SLG (22nd)

46. Fergie Jenkins (167 points)

Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins dominated opposing hitters from 1967-74. During that span, he won 20 games seven times and finished in the top three of the Cy Young voting on five occasions, winning the award with a 24-13, 2.77 ERA campaign for the Cubs in 1971.

284 wins (29th)
3,192 Ks (12th)
49 shutouts (21st)

45. Eddie Murray (168 points)

The 1977 Rookie of the Year finished in the top five of the AL MVP vote five consecutive times from '81-85 before continuing to post solid numbers during the second half of his long 21-year career.

1,627 runs (38th)
3,255 hits (12th)
560 doubles (21st)
504 homers (25th)
1,917 RBI (9th)
1,333 walks (33rd)

44. Larry Corcoran (172 points)

Larry Corcoran is one of the few men on this list not in the Hall of Fame, and it's probably because he only played five full seasons before your great-grandparents were born. But in that short period of time, the right-hander from Brooklyn won an incredible 177 games, including a ridiculous 43 as a rookie in 1880. I know baseball has changed over the past 129 years, but if you're going by sheer numbers, Corcoran is among the best ever.

2.36 ERA (23rd)
.665 PCT (15th)
1.105 WHIP (21st)

43. Phil Niekro (178 points)

Phil Niekro never won a Cy Young Award, but the knuckleballer was so incredibly consistent over his 24 seasons that when he finally retired at 48 years old, he put himself among the all-time greats.

318 wins (16th)
3,342 Ks (11th)
45 shutouts (29th)

42. Pete Rose (181 points)

Okay, so Larry Corcoran isn't the only person on this list not in the Hall. Charlie Hustle is the all-time leader in games, at-bats, plate appearances and, most importantly, hits, but a lifetime ban for gambling has kept him out of Cooperstown. It won't keep him off my Top 50, though.

2,165 runs (6th)
4,256 hits (1st)
746 doubles (2nd)
1,566 walks (14th)

T-39. Al Spalding (182 points)

Al Spalding makes Larry Corcoran look like a spring chicken. The Hall of Famer was 15 when the Civil War ended, a decade before he went a hysterical 55-5 for the 1875 Boston Red Stockings. That historic season helped him complete his career with the best winning percentage of all time (.796). Spalding also had the lowest walk per nine innings ratio ever (0.5), although I'm pretty sure the rules were a little different back then.

2.14 ERA (9th)
253 wins (44th)
.796 PCT (1st)

T-39. Randy Johnson (182 points)

Randy Johnson is a slightly different pitcher than was the man with whom he is tied on this list. While the 6'10" southpaw may never have won 55 games in one season, he has won five Cy Youngs—the second most ever behind another man who will appear on the Top 50. The 46-year-old is one of only two active pitchers on this list.

303 wins (22nd)
.646 PCT (30th)
4,875 Ks (2nd)

T-39. Rafael Palmeiro (182 points)

And here's another one of those few men of questionable integrity that will appear on this list. But the Top 50 cares only about statistics, and Rafael Palmeiro had those in spades.

1,663 runs (30th)
3,020 hits (24th)
585 doubles (16th)
569 homers (10th)
1,835 RBI (14th)
1,353 walks (30th)

38. Rickey Henderson (187 points)

1990 AL MVP Rickey Henderson is the greatest base stealer of all time. The recent first ballot Hall of Fame inductee also scored more runs than anyone else in baseball history.

2,295 runs (1st)
3,055 hits (21st)
510 doubles (43rd)
2,190 walks (2nd)
1,406 steals (1st)

37. John Ward (188 points)

John Ward is one of only two players on this list to earn points as both a pitcher and hitter. You'll meet the other one a little later. The Hall of Famer's pitching accolades alone would've placed him 47th, but his 540 stolen bases bump him up to 37th.

2.10 ERA (7th)
1.044 WHIP (5th)
540 steals (28th)

36. Cap Anson (190 points)

Unlike his fellow 19th century Hall of Famers, Cap Anson wasn't a hit-and-run Major Leaguer. A mainstay of the Cubs organization from 1876-97, the first baseman played 27 seasons, and, more than a hundred years later, he remains in the top eight of three major offensive categories. That's impressive.

1,996 runs (8th)
3,418 hits (7th)
581 doubles (18th)
2,076 RBI (3rd)
.333 AVG (29th)

35. Frank Robinson (192 points)

Frank Robinson burst onto the scene as the NL Rookie of the Year in 1956 and later added MVPs in '61 and '66, when he won the Triple Crown by hitting .316 with 49 homers and 122 RBI. But that doesn't even tell the whole story of that magical year. Robinson also led the league in runs, on-base percentage, slugging, and sacrifice flies!

1,829 runs (14th)
2,943 hits (30th)
528 doubles (33rd)
586 homers (7th)
1,812 RBI (18th)
1,420 walks (23rd)
.537 SLG (40th)

34. Mel Ott (193 points)

Mel Ott, one of the greatest Giants ever, received Most Valuable Player Award votes in 11 of 12 seasons from 1934-45.

1,859 runs (12th)
2,876 hits (38th)
511 homers (23rd)
1,860 RBI (11th)
1,708 walks (8th)
.414 OBP (27th)
.533 SLG (45th)

T-32. Gaylord Perry (205 points)

In 1972—one of Gaylord Perry's two Cy Young years—he went 24-16 with a 1.92 ERA and 29 complete games. That's 18 more complete games than any single team had in 2009. Perry also completed 29 games the following season.

314 wins (17th)
3,534 Ks (8th)
53 shutouts (16th)

T-32. Bert Blyleven (205 points)

This could be my most controversial entry in this list, considering that Bert Blyleven has failed to gain induction into the Hall of Fame during his 12 years of eligibility. However, the right-hander still has three more shots, and is often considered the best pitcher without a plaque in Cooperstown.

More than a third of his points come from having the ninth most shutouts, a category I'm sure many of you are wondering why I have included in my formula. But when you consider the fact that Blyleven was putting up four or five shutouts a year in the '80s, when relievers were becoming a bigger part of the game, that makes this distinction all the more impressive.

287 wins (27th)
3,709 Ks (5th)
60 shutouts (9th)

31. Rube Waddell (207 points)

Hall of Famer Rube Waddell held the American League single season strikeout record of 349 for 69 years until Nolan Ryan broke it with 383 in 1973.

2.16 ERA (10th)
1.102 WHIP (19th)
2,316 Ks (43rd)
50 shutouts (19th)

30. Warren Spahn (213 points)

From 1956-61, Warren Spahn finished in the top three of the Cy Young vote five out of six years, winning the award in '57 with a 21-11 record and a 2.69 ERA. Starting that season, he led the league in complete games, seven straight times.

363 wins (6th)
2,583 Ks (25th)
63 shutouts (6th)

29. Rogers Hornsby (219 points)

From 1922-25, Rogers Hornsby hit over .400 three times. In the 84 years since, every Major League baseball player has combined to hit .400 a grand total of twice.

1,579 runs (48th)
2,930 hits (33rd)
541 doubles (26th)
169 triples (25th)
1,584 RBI (35th)
.358 AVG (2nd)
.434 OBP (8th)
.577 SLG (12th)

28. Addie Joss (222 points)

If illness didn't cut his life short at age 31, they may be handing out Addie Joss Awards to the best pitcher in each league. Cleveland's right-hander is the all-time career leader in WHIP at .968 and has the second lowest ERA ever at 1.89. He pitched a perfect game in 1908, and tossed another no-hitter in '10.

1.89 ERA (2nd)
.968 WHIP (1st)
45 shutouts (29th)

27. Don Sutton (224 points)

Longtime Dodger Don Sutton was one of the five best pitchers in the National League from 1972-76 and he continued to put up consistently good numbers until his retirement in '88 after 23 seasons.

324 wins (14th)
3,574 Ks (7th)
58 shutouts (10th)

26. Carl Yastrzemski (225 points)

Carl Yastrzemski is the last man to hit for the Triple Crown, batting .326 with 44 homers and 121 RBI in 1967, when he also won the AL MVP. Over his 23 year career with the Red Sox, Yaz was named to 18 All-Star teams.

1,816 runs (16th)
3,419 hits (6th)
646 doubles (8th)
452 homers (33rd)
1,844 RBI (12th)
1,845 walks (6th)

25. Steve Carlton (227 points)

Steve Carlton is tied for third all-time with four Cy Young Awards.

329 wins (11th)
4,136 Ks (4th)
55 shutouts (14th)

T-22. Joe Wood (235 points)

In the 19th century, pitchers would consistently win more than 30 games in a season, but since 1912, only one man has won more games in a season than Joe Wood did that year, and his name is Walter Johnson. In 1912, Wood went 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA and 10 shutouts. Amazingly, the right-hander was still alive two years after I was born, when he finally died at age 95 in 1985.

2.03 ERA (4th)
.672 PCT (9th)
1.085 WHIP (12th)

T-22. Pedro Martinez (235 points)

Whichever team signs Pedro Martinez to pitch for them in 2010 will be employing the 12th best hurler that ever lived. The three-time Cy Young winner is the highest ranked active player on this list, and with good reason.

Among those with the 17 lowest career WHIPs of all time, Pedro is the only starter to pitch after 1927. In a time of small ballparks and long home runs, the right-hander has put up Dead Ball era numbers. Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 was the second lowest since 1968, behind Greg Maddux's microscopic 1.63 in 1995.

.687 PCT (6th)
1.054 WHIP (6th)
3,154 Ks (13th)

T-22. Jimmie Foxx (235 points)

Jimmie Foxx had one of the best two-year stretches in baseball history from 1932-33, when he won back-to-back MVPs. During the first season, he smacked 58 homers, a total that would remain in the top four for the next 66 years.

The following year, Foxx won the Triple Crown by hitting .356 with 48 home runs and 163 RBI. He won his third Most Valuable Player Award in 1938.

1,751 runs (20th)
534 homers (17th)
1,922 RBI (8th)
1,452 walks (21st)
.325 AVG (41st)
.428 OBP (10th)
.609 SLG (5th)

21. Nolan Ryan (240 points)

Nolan Ryan's 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters are Major League records. While he never won a Cy Young, he finished in the top nine in the voting on eight different occasions.

324 wins (14th)
5,714 Ks (1st)
61 shutouts (7th)

T-18. Grover Cleveland Alexander (248 points)

Grover Cleveland Alexander is one of only four pitchers to rank in the top 50 of five major statistical categories.

2.56 ERA (49th)
373 wins (3rd)
.642 PCT (32nd)
1.121 WHIP (34th)
90 shutouts (2nd)

T-18. Honus Wagner (248 points)

There's a reason why Honus Wagner's baseball card is the most expensive on the market. The Flying Dutchman ranks in the top 10 in hits, doubles, triples, and steals.

1,736 runs (21st)
3,415 hits (8th)
640 doubles (9th)
252 triples (3rd)
1,732 RBI (20th)
722 steals (10th)
.327 AVG (38th)

T-18. Willie Mays (248 points)

Some consider Willie Mays to be the best all-around player ever, but his 12 Gold Gloves don't factor into my formula, so he only comes in at 18th. The Say Hey Kid is tied for the most all-time All-Star appearances with 24 and won NL MVP Awards in 1954 and '65.

2,062 runs (7th)
3,283 hits (11th)
523 doubles (36th)
660 homers (4th)
1,903 RBI (10th)
1,464 walks (20th)
.557 SLG (21st)

17. Eddie Plank (249 points)

The greatest left-handed pitcher of all time is Hall of Famer Eddie Plank, who had 13 seasons with a sub-2.40 ERA between 1903 and '17. He also led the league in shutouts in '07 and '11.

2.35 ERA (22nd)
326 wins (13th)
1.119 WHIP (31st)
2,246 Ks (48th)
69 shutouts (5th)

T-15. Ed Walsh (255 points)

Longtime Chicago White Sox right-hander Ed Walsh is the all-time leader in ERA. He also places second on the career WHIP list.

1.82 ERA (1st)
1.000 WHIP (2nd)
57 shutouts (11th)

T-15. Eddie Collins (255 points)

From 1915-16, the Chicago White Sox had on their team each of the two players tied for 15th on this list. Seven times Eddie Collins finished in the top six of MVP voting, winning the Award in '14 when he hit .344 with a MLB best 122 runs scored for the Philadelphia Athletics.

1,821 runs (15th)
3,315 hits (10th)
438 doubles (12th)
1,499 walks (18th)
744 steals (7th)
.333 AVG (26th)
.424 OBP (14th)

14. Tom Seaver (257 points)

Tom Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 with the highest-ever percentage of votes (98.84%), and it's easy to understand why. The '67 Rookie of the Year won three Cy Youngs and finished in the top eight of the voting seven other times.

311 wins (18th)
1.121 WHIP (32nd)
3,640 Ks (6th)
61 shutouts (8th)

13. Cy Young (260 points)

The all-time leader in wins, complete games, starts, innings, and batters faced, also ranks first in losses, and hits, and earned runs allowed, keeping him out of the top five pitchers to ever play the game.

511 wins (1st)
1.130 WHIP (37th)
2,803 Ks (20th)
76 shutouts (4th)

T-11. Mordecai Brown (268 points)

Pitching around the same time as Cy Young, Hall of Famer Mordecai Brown had a far better winning percentage, ERA, and WHIP. His 1.04 ERA in 1906 is the third best ever and helped lead the Chicago Cubs to a record 116 wins.

2.06 ERA (6th)
.648 PCT (29th)
1.066 WHIP (9th)
55 shutouts (4th)

T-11. Roger Clemens (268 points)

Alleged steroid use aside, what Roger Clemens did in an era dominated by hitting is absolutely incredible. His seven Cy Young Awards are the most ever, and what may be even more amazing is that he won his first at age 23 and his last at 41.

354 wins (9th)
.658 PCT (20th)
4,672 Ks (3rd)
46 shutouts (26th)

10. Hank Aaron (286 points)

Hank Aaron, the all-time leader in RBI and total bases, received Most Valuable Player Award votes every year from 1955-73 and was selected for 21 consecutive All-Star games.

2,174 runs (4th)
3,771 hits (3rd)
624 doubles (10th)
755 homers (2nd)
2,297 RBI (1st)
1,402 walks (25th)
.555 SLG (26th)

9. Tris Speaker (295 points)

1912 MVP Tris Speaker led the Majors in doubles eight times making it easy to see why he is the career leader in two-base hits. The Grey Eagle also hit at least .300 every year but once between 1909 and '27.

1,882 runs (11th)
3,514 hits (5th)
729 doubles (1st)
222 triples (6th)
1,529 RBI (45th)
1,381 walks (28th)
.345 AVG (6th)
.428 OBP (11th)

8. Ted Williams (311 points)

Who knows how high Ted Williams would rank on this list if he didn't leave baseball for four years during the prime of his career to go fight in World War II? The Splendid Splinter is one of only two players (Rogers Hornsby being the other) to hit for the Triple Crown twice (in 1942 and '47).

Teddy Ballgame also won the MVP in 1946 and '49 and finished in the top four seven other times. He is the only player in the past 79 years to hit .400 and he is the all-time leader in on-base percentage.

1,798 runs (17th)
525 doubles (35th)
521 homers (18th)
1,839 RBI (13th)
2,021 walks (4th)
.344 AVG (7th)
.482 OBP (1st)
.634 SLG (2nd)

7. Lou Gehrig (314 points)

Lou Gehrig is another player who definitely would've been even further up this list if his career hadn't been cut short, in his case, by disease. The Iron Horse won the AL MVP during the Yankees' incredible 1927 championship season and again in '36. He finished in the top five of the vote six other times. Gehrig recorded three of the top six RBI seasons of all time, including his 184 in 1931.

1,888 runs (10th)
534 doubles (30th)
163 triples (33rd)
493 homers (26th)
1,995 RBI (5th)
1,508 walks (16th)
.340 AVG (17th)
.447 OBP (5th)
.632 SLG (3rd)

6. Stan Musial (354 points)

Stan Musial was the most complete offensive player of all time. He is the only man in baseball history to rank in the top 50 in 10 of the 11 categories being used to compile this list, and Stan the Man only missed out in steals. The lifetime Cardinal won three MVPs from 1943-48 and proceeded to finish runner-up the following three seasons.

1,949 runs (9th)
3,630 hits (4th)
725 doubles (3rd)
177 triples (19th)
475 homers (28th)
1,951 RBI (6th)
1,599 walks (13th)
.331 AVG (31st)
.417 OBP (23rd)
.559 SLG (20th)

5. Barry Bonds (361 points)

Believe me, I'm not happy about this, but I'm only dealing with pure statistics on this list. Barry Bonds' body sure did change a lot after he won the 1986 Rookie of the Year with the Pirates, but during his career he set all-time records with seven MVPs, 2,558 walks, 688 intentional walks, 73 homers in a season, and, of course, 762 career home runs.

2,227 runs (3rd)
2,935 hits (31st)
601 doubles (14th)
762 homers (1st)
1,996 RBI (4th)
2,558 walks (1st)
514 steals (32nd)
.444 OBP (6th)
.607 SLG (6th)

4. Ty Cobb (379 points)

Ty Cobb was the greatest hitter in the history of baseball. He is the all-time leader in batting average, and ranks second in runs, hits, and triples. In 1909, the Georgia Peach won the Triple Crown by hitting .337 with 107 RBIs and just nine homers. That year, he also led the league in runs, hits, steals, on-base percentage, and slugging.

2,246 runs (2nd)
4,189 hits (2nd)
724 doubles (4th)
295 triples (2nd)
1,937 RBI (7th)
1,249 walks (49th)
892 steals (4th)
.366 AVG (1st)
.433 OBP (9th)

3. Walter Johnson (411 points)

Batters were terrified to face lifetime Washington Senator Walter Johnson, and not just because he hit more batters (203) than anyone in the history of the game. Hitters knew they also had very little chance of driving in a run off the right-hander. Johnson's 110 career shutouts are the most all time and the 11 he threw in his MVP 1913 season are more than 21 TEAMS had this past year.

2.17 ERA (11th)
417 wins (2nd)
1.061 WHIP (8th)
3,509 Ks (9th)
110 shutouts (1st)

2. Christy Mathewson (440 points)

Christy Mathewson was the greatest pitcher to ever live. He is the only hurler in baseball history to rank in the top 50 in wins, winning percentage, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts and shutouts. In fact, he is in the top 29 in each of those categories.

Mathewson won at least 22 games in 12 consecutive seasons for the New York Giants, including his 1908 campaign, when he went 37-11 and led the league in ERA (1.43), games (56), starts (44), complete games (34), shutouts (11), saves (5), innings (390 2/3), strikeouts (259), and WHIP (0.837).

2.13 ERA (8th)
373 wins (3rd)
.665 PCT (16th)
1.059 WHIP (7th)
2,502 Ks (29th)
79 shutouts (3rd)

1. Babe Ruth (490 points)

If Babe Ruth never picked up a bat, he would've still been the 63rd best player of all time. That's what makes the legend of The Bambino border on mythology, and makes arguments that Barry Bonds is the greatest player ever simply comical.

Over his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Ruth was on his way to becoming a Hall of Fame pitcher. In 1916, he went 23-12 and led the American League with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts. Then, in 1920, he was traded to the New York Yankees and went on to become the greatest power hitter in history.

The Sultan of Swat was launching home runs when almost no one else was. When he retired in 1935, Ruth had more round trippers than the men in second and third place on the all-time list combined.

He is, without a doubt, the greatest baseball player ever. And it's not even close. The 50 points separating him and Mathewson is a greater gap than between 31st and 50th on this list.

2,174 runs (4th)
2,873 (39th)
506 doubles (45th)
714 homers (3rd)
2,217 RBI (2nd)
2,062 walks (3rd)
.342 AVG (9th)
.474 OBP (2nd)
.690 SLG (1st)
2.28 ERA (16th)
.671 PCT (10th)

1. Babe Ruth (490 points)

If Babe Ruth never picked up a bat, he would've still been the 63rd best player of all time. That's what makes the legend of The Bambino border on mythology and arguments that Barry Bonds is the greatest player ever simply comical.

Over his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Ruth was on his way to becoming a Hall of Fame pitcher. In 1916, he went 23-12 and led the American League with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts. Then in 1920, he was traded to the New York Yankees and went on to become the greatest power hitter in history.

The Sultan of Swat was launching home runs when almost no one else was. When he retired in 1935, Ruth had more round trippers than the men in second and third place combined.

He is, without a doubt, the greatest baseball player ever. And it's not even close. The 50 points separating him and Mathewson is a greater gap than between 31st and 50th on this list.

2,174 runs (4th)
2,873 (39th)
506 doubles (45th)
714 homers (3rd)
2,217 RBIs (2nd)
2,062 walks (3rd)
.342 avg (9th)
.474 obp (2nd)
.690 slg (1st)

2.28 ERA (16th)
.671 pct (10th)