Derek Jeter and the 20 Best Baseball Players To Wear Just One Uniform

Just a few days ago Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees agreed to a contract of three years for $51 million with an option for the fourth year. The deal almost certainly guarantees that the future Hall of Famer will never play in any other uniform.

With that, let's take a look at the top 20 players of all time who played their entire career for one organization and how Jeter ranks among them.  

*It is important to note, however, that filing to be a free agent was not an option until December 1975, so some of the older players had less say about the team they played for than others on this list.

Number 20: Craig Biggio

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HOUSTON - JUNE 28: Craig Biggio #7 of the Houston Astros celebrates while scoring on a Carlos Lee game winning grand slam in the 11th inning against the Colorado Rockies on June 28, 2007 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/G

Starting the list at number 20 is Houston Astros infielder Craig Biggio. With career highlights including 3000+ hits, seven All-Star appearances and four Gold Glove awards, Biggio is a leadoff hitter any team would be lucky to have. In August 2008, the Houston Astros retired the number seven to honor Biggio's career. 

Craig Biggio's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Craig Biggio	IF	Houston Astros	1988-2007	20	1844	3060	291	1175	281	363

Number 19: Charlie Gehringer

Next on our list was a second baseman for the Detroit Tigers from 1924-1942. Charlie Gehringer may not be a name known to all baseball fans, but with accolades like a career .320 batting average, six-time All-Star, a member of the 1935 Detroit Tiger championship team and the AL MVP in 1937, he is certainly worthy of being on this list. His number two is retired by the Detroit Tigers and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949.

Charlie Gehringer's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Charlie Gehringer	2b	Detroit Tigers	1924-1942	19	1774	2839	146	1427	.320	.404

Number 18: Robin Yount

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ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 12: Robin Yount #19 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the game against the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium on April 12, 1992 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ken Levine/Getty Images)

Number 18 on our list is another middle infielder, the Milwaukee Brewers' Robin Yount. Yount boasts two AL MVP awards (1982, 1989) as well as a Gold Glove award, three All-Star selections and over 3,000 hits. His number 19 has been retired by the Brewers and he was elected into Cooperstown in 1999. 

Robin Yount's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Robin Yount	Shortstop	Milwaukee Brewers	1974-1993	20	1632	3142	251	1406	285	342

Number 17: Cal Ripken Jr.

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30 Sep 2001: Carl Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles in action during his final game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Allsport

The Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr. is number 17 on the list. Among the many records that Ripken Jr. holds includes the most consecutive games played (2,632) and the most consecutive All-Star game starts (17); he also has 3,184 career hits. Number eight was retired by the Orioles organization in 2001 and Ripken was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, gaining 98.53 percent of the votes on the first ballot.  

Cal Ripken Jr.'s Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Cal Ripken Jr.	IF	Baltimore Orioles	1981-2001	21	1647	3184	431	1695	.276	.340

Number 16: Derek Jeter

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees hits a triple in the third inning against Tommy Hunter #35 of the Texas Rangers in Game Four of the ALCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 19, 2010 in the Bronx borough

Coming in at number 16 is the Yankees' captain, Derek Jeter. Arguably one of the greatest Yankees of all time, Jeter has many awards to lend credence to his name being on this list: five World Series rings, 11 All-Star selections and the hits record for the Yankees (currently at 2,926). Number two is bound to be retired by the Yankees shorty after his retirement and his election to the Hall of Fame is inevitable. 

Derek Jeter's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Derek Jeter	Shortstop	New York Yankees	1995-Present	16	1685	2926	234	1135	314	385

Number 15: Mariano Rivera

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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: Mariano Rivera #42 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Texas Rangers in Game Five of the ALCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 20, 2010 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burto

The first appearance of a pitcher on our list is Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees closer. In addition to locking Jeter up for the remainder of his career this offseason, the Yankees also seemed to ensure Mariano Rivera will be a Yankee for life by giving him a two-year, $30 million contract.

Unlike Jeter's negotiations, Rivera's went smoothly and seemed to start and end very quickly. Although Rivera was courted by other teams, including the Red Sox, he ultimately decided to finish his illustrious career where it started.

Although Rivera only pitches one inning per game most of the time, it's hard to argue Rivera doesn't belong on this list with postseason stats of 42 saves, a 0.71 ERA and a .776 WHIP. In my opinion, Rivera is the best relief pitcher baseball has ever seen. What's even more impressive is that all of his success comes from mainly one pitch, his cutter. Even though hitters know it's coming, they still can't hit it because of the amazing movement and accuracy Rivera has with it; that's domination!

Mariano Rivera's Career Numbers: 

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	W-L Record	ERA	Saves	IP	SO	WHIP
Mariano Rivera	CP	New York Yankees	1995-PResent	16	74-55	2.23	559	1150	1051	1.003

Number 14: Tony Gywnn

With 15 All-Star appearances, seven Silver Slugger Awards, over 3,000 hits and a career .338 BA, Tony Gywnn is the definition of a natural hitter and his inclusion on this list is an obvious choice. He may not have hit the ball the farthest, but few have hit harder line drives as consistently as Gywnn did throughout his career. The Padres have retired number 19, and in 2007 he was elected to Cooperstown with 97.6 percent of the votes on his first ballot. 

Tony Gywnn's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Tony Gywnn	OF	San Diego Padres	1982-2001	20	1383	3141	135	1138	.338	.388

Number 13: Jackie Robinson

Number 13 on our list is Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson. Probably one of the most well-known baseball players of all time, Robinson has arguably done more for baseball than any other player ever. Although he had a short career, only 10 seasons, the statistics he accumulated during that time is nothing short of impressive. The Hall of Famer was the 1949 NL MVP, a six-time All-Star and a member of the 1955 World Series Championship team. In addition to this, Robinson's number 42 has been retired by every MLB team to honor his contributions to the game. 

Jackie Robinson's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Jackie Robinson	Infielder	Brooklyn Dodgers	1947-1956	10	947	1518	137	734	.311	.409

Number 12: Roberto Clemente

Fifteen All-Star selections, 12 Gold Gloves, two World Series rings, the 1966 NL MVP, the 1971 World Series MVP and a partridge in a pear tree, Roberto Clemente has done it all.

One of the most well-rounded baseball players, Clemente's career, although cut short because of an unfortunate incident while he was trying to help others, can be described with one word: exceptional. Number 21 has been retired by the Pirates to honor his legacy and in 1973 he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. 

Roberto Clemente's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Roberto Clemente	OF	Pittsburgh Pirates	1955-1972	18	1416	3000	240	1305	.317	.359

Number 11: Al Kaline

You know you are talented when you go straight from high school to the major leagues. In 1953, at 18 years old, Al Kaline made his first appearance for the Detroit Tigers. Known as "six" in the Tigers' clubhouse (because that was his number), Kaline would go on to receive 18 All-Star selections and 10 Gold Glove Awards. He would also help his team win the 1968 World Series during his career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. 

Al Kaline's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Al Kaline	OF	Detroit Tigers	1953-1974	22	1622	3007	399	1583	.297	.376

Number 10: Whitey Ford

The second pitcher to grace our list is the Yankees lefty Whitey Ford. Accumulating 10 All-Star selections, six World Series rings, a Cy Young Award and a World Series MVP award, Ford is clearly a winner. He was elected to Cooperstown in 1974 and finished his career with an ERA of 2.75.

Whitey Ford's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	W-L Record	ERA	Saves	IP	SO	WHIP
Whitey Ford	SP	New York Yankees	1950-1967	16	236-106	2.75	10	3170.1	1956	1.215

Number 9: Carl Yastrzemski

Inching closer to our top player to ever play the game in just one uniform for his whole career, number 9 is the Red Sox's slugging outfielder, Carl Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski amassed 18 All-Star selections, seven Gold Gloves, is a member of the 3,000 hit club and was the 1967 AL MVP, winning the Triple Crown during this season as well. His number 8 has been retired by the Red Sox and he was elected to Cooperstown in 1989 with 94.63 percent of the total votes. 

Carl Yastrzemski's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Carl Yastrzemski	OF	Boston Red Sox	1961-1983	23	1816	3419	452	1844	.285	379

Number 8: Mel Ott

Number 8 on our list is the infielder/outfielder for the New York Giants, Mel Ott. Ott gained 12 All-Star selections during his career and was a member of the 1933 World Series champion Giants. He shares the MLB record for drawing a walk in seven consecutive at-bats and is one of only five players to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded. The Giants retired his number 4, and Ott was admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. 

Mel Ott's Career Numbers: 

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Mel Ott	OF/IF	New York Giants	1926-1947	22	1859	2876	511	1860	.304	.414

Number 7: Mickey Mantle

Number 7, both on our list and on the back of his uniform, is the Yankee legend Mickey Mantle. A household name, and for a good reason, Mantle has a Gold Glove, three AL MVPs, seven World Series rings and 20 All-Star selections; he also won the Triple Crown in 1956. The Yankees have retired Mantle's number and in 1974 he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot he appeared on. 

Mickey Mantle's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Mickey Mantle	OF	New York Yankees	1951-1968	18	1676	2415	536	1509	.298	.421

Number 6: Sandy Koufax

The third pitcher to make an appearance on our list is the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax. Not much needs to be said to justify Koufax's high rank on this list, so instead here are some his accolades (*his career was shortened significantly because of an arthritic condition): seven All-Star selections, four World Series championships, three Cy Young Awards, 1963 NL MVP, two World Series MVPs, three times a Triple Crown winner, four no-hitters and a perfect game in 1965. Enough said. His number 32 was retired by the Dodgers and he was elected to Cooperstown on his first ballot in 1972.

Sandy Koufax's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	W-L Record	ERA	Saves	IP	SO	WHIP
Sandy Koufax	SP	Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers	1955-1966	12	165-87	2.76	9	2324.1	2396	1.106

Number 5: Joe Dimaggio

Joe "Joltin Joe" DiMaggio comes in at number five on our list. Dimaggio is most well known for his invincible 56 consecutive games with a base hit record. He also was elected to 13 All-Star games, was a three-time AL MVP and helped the Yankees win nine World Series championships. Number five was retired by the Yankees and in 1955 DiMaggio was elected into the Hall of Fame...on the third ballot. Who voted no for DiMaggio that he didn't get in till the third ballot, and how you justify that?

Joe DiMaggio's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Joe DiMaggio	OF	New York Yankees	1936-1951	13	1390	2214	361	1537	.325	.398

Number 4: Stan Musial

Stan 'The Man' Musial comes in at number four. Musial finished his career with 24 All-Star appearances, three World Series rings and three NL MVP awards. In 1948 Musial finished one HR shy of winning the Triple Crown. He's a member of the 3,000 hit club and had his number 6 retired by the Cardinals.

When Musial retired he held, or shared, 17 major league records, 29 National League records and nine All-Star game records. He was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969, getting 93.2 percent of the votes on the first ballot.

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Stan Musial	OF/1B	St. Louis Cardinals	1941-1963	22	1949	3630	475	1951	.331	.447

Honorable Mentions and Future Names That May Appear on This List

Before we go on to the top three baseball players who wore only one uniform for their entire career, I want to list my honorable mentions and players, who are still currently playing, that may appear on this list in the future. 

Honorable mentions include Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, Willie Stargell, Kirby Puckett and Bernie Williams. 

Future names that may appear on this list are Albert Pujols, Ichiro and Chipper Jones.

Number 3: Ted Williams

"The Kid" Ted Williams rounds out the top three of our list. Williams was selected to 19 All-Star games and won two AL MVP awards. Despite interrupting his career twice so that he could serve in the military, Williams led the league in batting six times and won the Triple Crown once.

He holds a career .344 batting average and a .482 career on-base percentage! He is also the most recent player to hit over .400 in a single season. The Red Sox retired his number nine, and he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 with 93.38 percent of the votes on his first ballot.

Ted Williams' Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Ted Williams	OF	Boston Red Sox	1939-1960	19	1798	2654	521	1839	.344	.482

Number 2: Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig, also known as The Iron Horse, is number two on our list. Gehrig's achievements include seven All-Star appearances, six World Series rings and two AL MVP awards. He also hit four HR in one game in 1932.

Gehrig's consecutive games streak (2,130) stood until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it. Gehrig, however, still holds the records for most career Grand Slams (23) as well as the most RBI in one season (184). He was the captain of the Yankees from 1935-1939 and had his number four retired by the team soon after his own retirement. He was voted, unanimously, into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. 

Lou Gehrig's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
Lou Gehrig	1B	New York Yankees	1923-1939	17	1888	2721	493	1995	.340	.447

Number 1: Walter Johnson

And the best baseball player to ever play the game in only one uniform is..."The Big Train" Walter Johnson.

Johnson was a three-time Triple Crown winner, a two-time AL MVP winner and a World Series champion. He also holds the major league record for most shutouts with 110 and is second on the all-time wins list with 417.

Johnson pitched for the Washington Senators and was nothing short of dominant, posting a career ERA of 2.17 and a career WHIP of 1.061!

He was so dominant that it wasn't until his 11th season in professional baseball that his ERA for any given season went above 2.00. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. 

Walter Johnson's Career Numbers:

	Position	Team	Career	# of Seasons	W-L Record	ERA	Saves	IP	SO	WHIP
Walter Johnson	SP	Washington Senators	1907-1927	21	417-279	2.17	34	5914.1	3509	1.061