Derek Jeter Gets 3,000th Hit: Ranking Jeter Among the Top 15 Yankees Ever

Hi there, I've got a quick question for you.

What do Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio have in common?

If you said they all played for the New York Yankees, are all members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, or are all legendary baseball players, pat yourself on the back.You are correct.

If you said "five people who have never been in my kitchen", kudos to you.

You, good sir or madam, are simply awesome.

Kudos.

Speaking of awesome, I'd say Derek Jeter is pretty darn awesome in his own right.

What he has done, that those I named have not, is collect at least 3,000 hits in his career.

A remarkable achievement to be sure.

But how remarkable is it, when compared to the Yankee greats who came before him?

This is probably a conversation we should not have, because there is no right answer.

Things may be said on both sides. Feelings may be hurt. Emotions will definitely run high.

But I'm feeling saucy, so let's give it a shot.

After the jump, the top 15 Yankees of All-Time—including Derek Jeter but excluding Wayne Tollesson.

15. Ron Guidry

Years with Yankees: 1975 to 1988

Statistics with Yankees: 170-91, 3.29 ERA, 2,392 IP, 2,198 H, 633 BB, 1,778 K, 1.18 WHIP

A two-time World Series Champion, "Louisiana Lightning" spent his entire 14-year career with the Yankees.

Guidry would appear in three All-Star Games, winning five gold glove awards and the 1978 AL Cy Young award along the way. Arguably, he should have also won the 1978 AL MVP Award as well, which he lost to Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox.

Guidry's 1978 season was a thing of legend—a "Bob Gibson-esque" type of season: 25-3, 1.74 ERA, 273.2 IP, 187 H, 72 BB, 248 K and a 0.95 WHIP. He also threw nine shutouts and 16 complete games.

His 170 career victories rank fifth for the Yankees all time.

14. Bernie Williams

Years with Yankees: 1991 to 2006

Statistics with Yankees: .297 BA, .381 OBP, .477 SLG,  287 HR, 1,257 RBI

A four-time World Series Champion, Bernie played like an inferno in CF for the duration of his career.

Williams was often overshadowed by the flashier CF of his day—namely Ken Griffey Jr. But Bernie would appear in five All-Star Games, win four consecutive gold glove awards from 1997 to 2000 a batting title and the 1996 ALCS MVP award. He also hit over .300 for eight consecutive seasons, from 1995 to 2002.

Arguably, Bernie's best season came in 1998: .339 BA, .422 OBP, .0.575 SLG, 26 HR, 97 RBI.

Never the biggest superstar for the teams he played on, Bernie was always a consistent contributor, and he carried on the legacy of great Yankees center fielders with class and dignity.

Bern baby Bern.

13. Andy Pettitte

Years with Yankees: 1995 to 2003; 2007 to 2010

Statistics with Yankees: 203-112, 3.98 ERA, 2,535.2 IP, 2,688 H, 820 BB, 1,823 K, 1.36 WHIP

Mariano Rivera is the Yankees closer—Andy Pettitte was the Yankees stopper.

A five-time World Series champion, Pettitte had the uncanny ability (and timing) to take the mound during a Yankees losing streak—and more often then not, Pettitte would rise to the occasion, leading the Yankees to victory.

Many agree that Pettitte never should have left the team in the first place—concern about the health and stability of his arm led him into the arms of his hometown Houston Astros for three seasons—but Andy eventually came home.

Many point to his 1996 season as the standout year of his career, but I believe 1997 was more impressive.

While he went 21-6 in '96, his 18-7 record in '97 had better peripherals: 2.88 ERA, 240.1 IP, 233 H, 65 BB, 166 K, 1.24 WHIP.

His 203 wins place him third on the Yankees all-time list.

12. Don Mattingly

Years with Yankees: 1982 to 1995

Statistics with Yankees: .307 BA, .358 OBP, .471 SLG, 222 HR, 1,099 RBI

Donald Arthur Mattingly was on his way to a Hall of Fame career until his back betrayed him, sapping him of his power and derailing one of the sweetest swings the game has seen in the past 30 years.

A six-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, Mattingly hit over .300 for six consecutive seasons, from 1984 through 1989.

The 1985 AL MVP, Mattingly's best season came in 1986: .352 BA, 31 HR, 113 RBI, 53 doubles.

His 442 doubles rank fourth on the Yankees all-time list.

11. Red Ruffing

Years with Yankees: 1930 to 1946

Statistics with Yankees: 231-124, 3.47 ERA, 3,168.2 IP, 2995 H, 1,066 BB, 1,526 K, 1.28 WHIP

Like another player on this list, Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing started his career with the Boston Red Sox.

Like another player on this list, the Red Sox had no clue what they were doing and traded him to the Yankees in May of 1930 for Cedric Durst and $50,000.

Who?

Exactly.

A six-time World Series champion and six-time All-Star, Ruffing would win at least 20 games for four consecutive seasons, from 1936 through 1939.

Ruffing's best season came in 1939: 21-7, 2.93 ERA, 233.1 IP, 211 H, 75 BB, 95 K, 1.23 WHIP. That year, he would also throw 22 complete games to go along with a league leading five shutouts.

His 261 complete games are nearly 100 more than the man who sits in second place for the Yankees, Lefty Gomez.

10. Thurman Munson

Years with Yankees: 1969 to 1979

Statistics with Yankees: .292 BA, .346 OBP, .410 SLG, 113 HR, 701 RBI

It is possible that no player since Mickey Mantle connected with the city more then Thurman Munson did.

He was a man's man. He was the kind of guy you didn't want to run into in a dark alley, yet you would jump at the chance to have a beer with him.

A two-time World Series champion, seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove award winner, in 1976 Munson became the first player to be named team captain since Lou Gehrig.

His entire 11-year career was spent with the Yankees.

The 1970 AL Rookie of the Year and 1976 AL MVP, his best season probably came the following season in 1977: .308 BA, .351 OBP, .462 SLG, 18 HR, 100 RBI.

An amateur pilot, Munson tragically died while practicing takeoffs and landings at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport on August 2, 1979 at the age of 32.

9. Bill Dickey

Years with Yankees: 1928 to 1943: 1946

Statistics with Yankees: .313 BA, .382 OBP, .486 SLG, 202 HR, 1,209 RBI

Another career Yankee, Bill Dickey spent each of his 17 years in the major leagues in the Bronx.

If it were not for the man he took under his wing, Dickey would unquestionably be considered the greatest catcher in Yankees history.

A 14-time World Series champion and 11-time All-Star, amazingly Dickey was never the recipient of any yearly awards—though he finished in the Top 10 of the MVP voting five times.

His best season came in 1936: .362 BA, .428 OBP, .617 SLG, 22 HR, 107 RBI.

Dickey had a cannon for a throwing arm, played above-average defense and had a temper to go along with it.

On July 4, 1932, the Yankees played the Washington Senators. Washington RF Carl Reynolds slid hard into home resulting in a violent collision with Dickey.

Dickey, who had been knocked unconscious the night before against the Boston Red Sox after a similar collision, was livid.

He promptly punched Reynolds in the face, breaking his jaw in two places. Dickey was suspended for 30 days and fined $1,000.

8. Whitey Ford

Years with Yankees: 1950: 1953 to 1967

Statistics with Yankees: 236-106, 2.75 ERA, 3,170.1 IP, 2,766 H, 1,086 BB, 1,956 K, 1.22 WHIP

A six-time World Series champion and 10-time All-Star, Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is the greatest starting pitcher to ever wear the pinstripes.

1961 was a great year for Whitey: his team won the World Series and he won both the AL Cy Young Award winner and World Series MVP. To top it off, Whitey also had his best season: 25-4, 3.21 ERA, 283 IP, 242 H, 92 BB, 209 K, 1.18 WHIP.

Whitey spent 1951 and 1952 as a member of the United States Army, fighting in the Korean War.

His 236 wins rank first in the Yankees record books, and his 2.75 ERA is first amongst Yankee starting pitchers.

7. Mariano Rivera

Years with Yankees: 1995 to present

Statistics with Yankees: 75-56, 2.22 ERA, 1,183 IP, 916 H, 272 BB, 1,079 K, 1.00 WHIP, 580 SV

Mariano Rivera is the greatest pitcher in Yankees history.

Never before has someone dominated the ninth inning as Rivera has since becoming the Yankees full-time closer in 1997.

A five-time World Series champion and 12-time All-Star, Rivera has spent all 17 years of his career in the Bronx and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

His best season to date came in 2005: 7-4, 1.38 ERA, 78.1 IP, 50 H, 18 BB, 80 K, 43 SV, 0.87 WHIP.

Even more impressive are his postseason numbers: In 139.2 postseason innings, Rivera has 42 saves and an insane ERA of 0.71.

The greatest relief pitcher the game has ever seen, Rivera is arguably the most dominant pitcher of the past 15 years—starter or reliever.

6. Derek Jeter

Years with Yankees: 1995 to present

Statistics with Yankees: .313 BA, .383 OBP, .450 SLG, 237 HR, 1,159 RBI

Oh yeah, add in 3,003 hits—and counting.

The only Yankee to accumulate 3,000 hits, Derek Jeter is a 12-time All-Star, five-time World Series champion and five-time Gold Glove award winner.

The 1996 AL Rookie of the Year, 1996 ALCS MVP and winner of the MVP award in both the All-Star game and World Series in 2000, Jeter holds multiple records for the Yankees and is the most prolific postseason hitter in baseball history.

"Captain Clutch" had his best season in 1999: .349 BA, .438 OBP, .552 SLG, 24 HR, 102 RBI.

Jeter's 331 stolen bases are five more then the man in second place in the Yankees record books—the most prolific base stealer in history and fellow member of the "3,000 Hit Club", Rickey Henderson.

Earlier this afternoon, we took a look at Jeter's 10 Most Memorable Hits—take a gander and share your thoughts.

5. Joe DiMaggio

Years with Yankees: 1936 to 1942: 1946 to 1951

Statistics with Yankees: .325 BA, .398 OBP, .579 SLG, 361 HR, 1,537 RBI

A nine-time World Series champion and 13-time All-Star (every season he played), Joe DiMaggio's career could have been even more prolific than it was, were it not for that pesky skirmish known as World War II.

DiMaggio joined the United States Air Force, though he did not see any action overseas. DiMaggio spent his time as a physical education instructor, spending time at bases in California, Hawaii and New Jersey prior to being discharged in 1946.

Three-times the AL MVP, "the Yankee Clipper" holds what could be the most unbreakable record in all of sports—his 56-game hitting streak in 1941.

Of his 13 year career, 11 seasons saw him hit over .300, the most prolific being in 1939: .381 BA, .448 OBP, .671 SLG, 30 HR, 126 RBI.

As you may or may not know, DiMaggio almost ended up as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

In April of 1947, Yankees owner Dan Topping and Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, over drinks, agreed on a Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams trade, only to see Yawkey back out the following day. "The people in Boston think Williams is better. If you want to make the deal, you've got to throw in your little left fielder."

It's a good thing the Yankees decided to walk away from the trade.

That little left fielder is coming up on our list.

4. Mickey Mantle

Years with Yankees: 1951 to 1968

Statistics with Yankees: .298 BA, .421 OBP, .557 SLG, 536 HR, 1,509 RBI

The greatest switch-hitter in baseball history, Mantle is probably the greatest athlete in Yankees' history.

A seven-time World Series Champion, 20-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, Mantle is one of the most iconic figures of the past 60 years.

Mantle's best season came in 1956 when he won the American League Triple Crown: .353 BA, .464 OBP, .705 SLG, 52 HR, 130 RBI.

Although his career was dotted with injuries, Mantle's 2,401 games played are the most played by any Yankee.

In second place, a mere 39 games back?

Derek Jeter.

3. Yogi Berra

Years with Yankees: 1946 to 1963

Statistics with Yankees: .285 BA, .348 OBP, .483 SLG, 358 HR, 1,430 RBI

Remember that "little left fielder" the Red Sox owner wanted along with Joe DiMaggio in return for Ted Williams?

That was none other than Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra.

Good move by the Yankees walking away from that trade.

A 13-time World Series champion, 18-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, Yogi Berra is one of the most affable players to ever wear the pinstripes.

Yogi's best season came in 1954: .307 BA, .367 OBP, .488 SLG, 22 HR, 125 RBI.

Five times, Yogi finished the season with more home runs then strikeouts.

His name is all over the Yankee record books, and he is the greatest catcher the team has ever had.

2. Lou Gehrig

Years with Yankees: 1923-1939

Statistics with Yankees: .340 BA, .447 OBP, .632 SLG, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI

A six-time World Series champion, seven-time All-Star (the first All-Star game was not until 1933) and three-time AL MVP, "the Iron Horse" was a rock for the Yankees.

Up until Cal Ripken broke what many considered to be unbeatable in 1995, Gehrig's 2,130 consecutive games played was one of the most impressive records in all of professional sports.

Gehrig's best season came in 1931, a year he did not win the MVP award: .341 BA, .446 OBP, .662 SLG, 41 HR, 184 RBI.

His 46 HR and 184 RBI led the league, along with his 163 runs scored and 211 hits.

Gehrig is one of only 15 players to have hit four home runs in one game, accomplishing the feat on June 3, 1932 in a 20-13 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.

Of course, if Gehrig is second on the list, there is only one choice to put ahead of him.

1. George Herman "Babe" Ruth

Years with Yankees: 1920-1934

Statistics with Yankees: .349 BA, .484 OBP, .690 SLG, 1.19 OPS, 659 HR, 1,971 RBI

Babe Ruth is the most iconic baseball player who ever played the game.

Babe Ruth is the most prolific power hitter who has ever played the game.

Babe Ruth is the greatest Yankee who ever played the game.

In his 15 years wearing pinstripes, Ruth was arguably the best player alive.

As a Yankee, he led baseball in multiple offensive categories multiple times, including home runs, RBI, runs scored, walks, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

Ruth would only win the MVP award once, in 1923, but that was by no fault of his own. From 1922-1929 a committee of eight writers voted on the award, with one rule being that once you won, you were ineligible to win again.

Had that ludicrous rule not been in place, Ruth certainly would have multiple wins under his belt.

A four-time World Series champion, Ruth's name litters the top 10 of all-time leaders in nearly every offensive category for both the Yankees and all of baseball.

It had to be the Babe—lest we forget—Yankee Stadium was the "house that Ruth built."

Closing Thoughts and Honorable Mentions

This undertaking was much harder then I first expected it to be.

With as many outstanding players the Yankees have had over their illustrious history, picking the top 15 was very difficult.

Me, along with my partners, myself and I, spent countless hours pouring over statistics, dust-covered video tape and drank entirely too much coffee.

Really. Way too much coffee.

Some players who barely missed the cut: Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs, Elston Howard, Dave Winfield, Phil Rizzuto, Allie Reynolds, Reggie Jackson, Jorge Posada, Jack Chesbro and Lefty Gomez.

So what say you, Yankee fans?

Agree with these rankings?

Let's hear your thoughts in comments.