Every MLB Team's Mt. Rushmore Since 2000
The Mt. Rushmore debate is a classic prompt that never fails to spark good discussion, and it can be applied to such a wide variety of topics that it is truly a gold mine for sports banter.
Narrowing the scope to just the last 25 years of baseball history, we set out to name the four best players for each MLB franchise.
The focus was solely on what each player accomplished from the 2000 season forward, so someone like Derek Jeter did not get credit for his contributions to the 1998 and 1999 World Series champions, though he still did more than enough after the new millennium to earn a spot on the hypothetical Yankees monument.
Players who starred for multiple teams had their production with each team considered separately. In other words, only the 2000 and 2001 seasons were considered when looking at Jason Giambi's case for the Athletics, and those seasons were not part of the discussion when considering his case for the Yankees.
There were inevitably some extremely difficult omissions, but each team's four best players were ultimately selected based on their overall production, postseason success, importance to the team and potential standing as a fan favorite.
Let the debate begin!
Check out our other installments here:
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
SP Randy Johnson
1B Paul Goldschmidt
OF Luis Gonzalez
SP Brandon Webb
The Diamondbacks decision boiled down to two spots for three players, with Curt Schilling ending up on the outside looking in, despite his impact as the co-ace of the 2001 World Series champions.
Luis Gonzalez was the best offensive player in franchise history until Paul Goldschmidt came along, peaking with a 57-homer, 142-RBI season as an equally important part of the 2001 squad. Brandon Webb won 2006 NL Cy Young honors and finished runner-up in the voting in 2007 and 2008, giving him a slight accolade edge over Schilling.
Athletics
2 of 30
SP Barry Zito
SP Tim Hudson
3B Eric Chavez
1B Jason Giambi
With Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Eric Chavez all easy picks, the final spot for the Athletics came down to a pair of AL MVP winners who spent just a few seasons with the team in the early 2000s in Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada.
Giambi played only two years with the Athletics during the 2000s, but it was two of the best individual performances in franchise history. He won AL MVP in 2000 (187 OPS+, 43 HR, 137 RBI, 7.8 WAR) and followed it up with an even better season in 2001 (199 OPS+, 38 HR, 120 RBI, 9.2 WAR) when he was runner-up in the voting.
Atlanta Braves
3 of 30
3B Chipper Jones
1B Freddie Freeman
OF Andruw Jones
OF Ronald AcuĂąa Jr.
It feels wrong to not have any pitchers represented for a Braves organization that has long been built on its ability to develop arms, but the only real candidates were the tail end of John Smoltz's career or the beginning of Craig Kimbrel's, and both fell short of eclipsing any of the four players above.
Ronald AcuĂąa Jr. does not have the same career body of work as the other three players, but his 41-homer, 73-steal performance en route to 2023 NL MVP honors is reason enough to give him a spot.
Baltimore Orioles
4 of 30
OF Adam Jones
2B Brian Roberts
OF Nick Markakis
RP Zack Britton
How long before Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson push their way onto this list?
For now, homegrown All-Stars Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis join five-tool outfielder Adam Jones and standout closer Zack Britton to form a Mt. Rushmore that might be more appreciated by Orioles fans than it is on a national level.
There was a case for the first seven years of Manny Machado's career, but the 2016 season that Britton put together (69 G, 47/47 SV, 0.54 ERA, 9.9 K/9) was one of the best ever by a reliever.
Boston Red Sox
5 of 30
DH David Ortiz
SP Pedro MartĂnez
2B Dustin Pedroia
OF Mookie Betts
The Red Sox were by far the hardest team to narrow down to four players, especially since David Ortiz, Pedro MartĂnez and Dustin Pedroia were locked into three spots right out of the gates.
Mookie Betts won AL MVP and led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018, and he piled up 42.5 WAR over six seasons with the team before he was traded to the Dodgers.
That was enough for him to earn the final spot over Manny RamĂrez and a long list of other worthy candidates that included Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Jason Varitek, Chris Sale, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Kevin Youkilis and Tim Wakefield.
Chicago Cubs
6 of 30
1B Anthony Rizzo
SP Jon Lester
3B Kris Bryant
SP Kyle Hendricks
With all due respect to Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and late-career Sammy Sosa, it felt like the only way to approach things for the Cubs was to choose four players from the 2016 team that delivered a long-awaited World Series title.
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Jon Lester were easy picks, leaving the final spot as a toss-up between Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta. There is truly no wrong answer between those two standout starters, with Hendricks getting the nod here for his Game 7 performance and longer overall tenure with the North Siders.
Chicago White Sox
7 of 30
SP Mark Buehrle
1B Paul Konerko
1B JosĂŠ Abreu
SP Chris Sale
Mark Buehrle and Paul Konerko are two of the most underrated players of the last 25 years, with Buehrle a model of durability and consistency atop the staff and Konerko a prolific slugger who somehow quietly hit 439 home runs over an 18-year career.
It was tempting to try to find a spot for All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson, but there's not much of an argument for him or anyone else to claim the final two spots over first baseman JosĂŠ Abreu and left-hander Chris Sale who were both elite players at their White Sox peak.
Cincinnati Reds
8 of 30
1B Joey Votto
SP Johnny Cueto
2B Brandon Phillips
OF Adam Dunn
Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto were the obvious starting point for the Reds, and even with a rich franchise history they rank as two of the greatest players in team history. Brandon Phillips was also a relatively easy pick as a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and author of a 30/30 season in 2007.
That left the final spot as a head-to-head showdown between Adam Dunn (1,087 G, 130 OPS+, 270 HR, 16.6 WAR) and Jay Bruce (1,220 G, 110 OPS+, 233 HR, 17.3 WAR), and Dunn gets the nod on the strength of four straight 40-homer seasons.
Cleveland Guardians
9 of 30
SP Corey Kluber
3B JosĂŠ RamĂrez
OF Grady Sizemore
SP CC Sabathia
With a pair of Cy Young Awards during an elite five-year peak where he went 83-45 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 1,228 strikeouts in 1,091.1 innings, Corey Kluber stands as one of the greatest pitchers in Cleveland history. Current star JosĂŠ RamĂrez was also a clear choice, leaving two spots available for a handful of candidates.
Grady Sizemore was a five-tool superstar before injuries derailed his career and CC Sabathia began his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland where he won 2007 AL Cy Young. Those two round out the monument over fellow Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, shortstop Francisco Lindor and slugger Travis Hafner.
Colorado Rockies
10 of 30
1B Todd Helton
3B Nolan Arenado
SS Troy Tulowitzki
OF Charlie Blackmon
Todd Helton, Nolan Arenado and Troy Tulowitzki are the clear-cut three best players of the last 25 years for the Colorado Rockies, and behind Hall of Famer Larry Walker they have a solid case for being the No. 2-4 best players in franchise history.
That left one spot for Charlie Blackmon, Carlos GonzĂĄlez or Ubaldo JimĂŠnez, and while CarGo won a batting title and Jimenez produced arguably the best single-season pitching performance in club history in 2010, Blackmon gets the nod for his longevity and fan favorite status. Just imagine that magnificent beard carved in stone!
Detroit Tigers
11 of 30
1B/3B Miguel Cabrera
SP Justin Verlander
SP Max Scherzer
OF Curtis Granderson
Future Hall of Famers Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander stand alongside the likes of Ty Cobb, Al Kaline and the other all-time greats who spent their prime suiting up for the Detroit Tigers, so two spots were occupied right off the bat.
Max Scherzer only spent five seasons in Detroit, but it was a memorable five years, highlighted by 2013 AL Cy Young honors and two other top-five finishes in the balloting. The final spot was a tough call between power/speed center fielder Curtis Granderson and catcher IvĂĄn RodrĂguez who was a four-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner for the Tigers.
Houston Astros
12 of 30
2B Jose Altuve
1B/OF Lance Berkman
SP Roy Oswalt
3B Alex Bregman
Lance Berkman (146 OPS+, 326 HR, 1,090 RBI, 48.1 WAR) had a fantastic 12-year run with the Astros, while Roy Oswalt (143-82, 3.24 ERA, 1,932.1 IP, 45.7 WAR) is arguably the best pitcher in franchise history, which left only two spots for players from the World Series teams.
Jose Altuve was also an obvious lock, so that meant only one of Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and George Springer could make the final cut. There is a compelling argument to be made for each of them, and Bregman (1,111 G) got the nod thanks in large part to a longer Astros tenure than Springer (795 G) or Correa (752 G).
Kansas City Royals
13 of 30
C Salvador Perez
OF Carlos BeltrĂĄn
SP Zack Greinke
OF Alex Gordon
Carlos BeltrĂĄn (1999 AL Rookie of the Year) and Zack Greinke (2009 AL Cy Young) both took home significant hardware while playing for some bad Royals teams, and laid the foundation for their standout careers during their time in Kansas City.
The left two spots for players from the 2014 AL pennant and 2015 World Series winners, and Salvador Perez was the logical first pick as a franchise icon and one of the best catchers of his era. Standout left fielder Alex Gordon, who was a three-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, claimed the final spot over Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.
Los Angeles Angels
14 of 30
OF Mike Trout
DH/SP Shohei Ohtani
SP Jered Weaver
OF Vladimir Guerrero
Once Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were chiseled into their rightful place on the Angels monument, the final two spots were among the toughest to narrow down.
Jered Weaver sits alongside Nolan Ryan and Chuck Finley as the most accomplished pitchers in Angels history, ranking among the franchise leaders in wins (150, second), strikeouts (1,598, third), innings pitched (2,025, third) and pitching WAR (36.0, third).
Vladimir Guerrero rounds out the list on the strength of his 2004 AL MVP win, though Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson, Francisco RodrĂguez and John Lackey all received serious consideration.
Los Angeles Dodgers
15 of 30
SP Clayton Kershaw
RP Kenley Jansen
OF Mookie Betts
1B Freddie Freeman
For all the high-profile talent currently occupying the Los Angeles Dodgers roster, narrowing down their four best players of the last 25 years was a bit trickier than expected. Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen were elite staples at the front and back of the pitching staff for long enough to make them a good starting point, but after that things got tough.
Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger and Shawn Green all made their mark during their time with the franchise, but it's fair to ask if any of them had a bigger impact on the team than Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have already in their short time with the team.
Who gets the boot in a few years when Shohei Ohtani is a slam dunk choice?
Miami Marlins
16 of 30
OF Giancarlo Stanton
SS Hanley RamĂrez
SP Dontrelle Willis
3B/OF Miguel Cabrera
It's sad to realize the Marlins ended up trading away all four of the players listed above, including Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the same ill-fated deal with the Detroit Tigers.
Guys like Dan Uggla, Josh Johnson, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett had their moments, but this was one of the easier groups to narrow down to the final selections, and there is no one on the horizon challenging for a spot.
Milwaukee Brewers
17 of 30
OF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
OF Christian Yelich
SP Ben Sheets
There was a time when Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder were the most feared middle-of-the-order duo in the National League, with Fielder slugging 228 home runs over his six full seasons with the team and Braun logging back-to-back 30/30 seasons while winning 2011 NL MVP.
Christian Yelich also earns a spot with his elite two-year peak in 2018 and 2019, leaving the final spot to go to a pitcher. Ben Sheets is the best pitcher in franchise history and gets the nod, but the peak performance of Corbin Burnes also received serious consideration, while Yovani Gallardo, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta also deserve a mention.
Minnesota Twins
18 of 30
C Joe Mauer
SP Johan Santana
1B Justin Morneau
OF Torii Hunter
Catcher Joe Mauer won three AL batting titles in a span of four years and claimed 2009 AL MVP honors, making good on being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft and eventually earning first-ballot Hall of Fame induction.
Johan Santana (2004, 2006 AL Cy Young) and Justin Morneau (2006 AL MVP) also won some major hardware during their time with the Twins, and Santana had a five-year run where he was in the "best pitcher in baseball" conversation. The final spot goes to Torii Hunter, who was one of the best two-way center fielders in baseball history, ahead of closer Joe Nathan and slugging second baseman Brian Dozier.
New York Mets
19 of 30
3B David Wright
SP Jacob deGrom
OF Carlos BeltrĂĄn
SS Francisco Lindor
It's easy to forget just how good David Wright was at his peak, racking up 44.4 WAR while hitting .302/.384/.505 for a 138 OPS+ during a terrific nine-year stretch before spinal stenosis cut his career short. He is an easy choice alongside two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom and perennial 30/30 threat Carlos BeltrĂĄn who made good on his seven-year, $119 million deal.
That leaves a tough call between current stars Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, and while both are still adding to their Mets legacy, Lindor is on his way to perhaps being a top-five player in franchise history.
New York Yankees
20 of 30
SS Derek Jeter
RP Mariano Rivera
OF Aaron Judge
SP Andy Pettitte
The "Core Four" of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada won two of their four World Series rings during the 1990s, but it was still tempting to simply go with those four faces on the Yankees monument.
However, there is simply no denying that Aaron Judge has earned his place as he continues to build a legacy that could see him retire as one of the greatest right-handed hitters the game has ever seen.
CC Sabathia, Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens and Gerrit Cole have each taken their turn as staff ace, but none of them have the postseason credentials of Pettitte, who also went 138-81 with a 3.95 ERA in 1,752 regular-season innings in a Yankees uniform during the 2000s.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
2B Chase Utley
SS Jimmy Rollins
1B Ryan Howard
OF Bryce Harper
The homegrown trio of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard was the heart and soul of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies team that won a World Series title, and all three had standout tenures with the team as Howard and Rollins both won MVP honors and Utley racked up 62.0 WAR in 13 seasons.
It was tempting to go with left-hander Cole Hamels for the final spot, as he won NLCS and World Series MVP honors in 2008 at the onset of a stellar decade with the team. However, Bryce Harper is now the face of the franchise and has done enough over the first seven seasons of his 13-year, $330 million deal to warrant inclusion.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
OF Andrew McCutchen
SP Gerrit Cole
OF Jason Bay
C Russell Martin
Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole are hands down the two best homegrown players the Pittsburgh Pirates have produced in the last 25 years, though it appears to be only a matter of time before Paul Skenes crashes the party.
For now, the final two spots go to 2004 NL Rookie of the Year Jason Bay and catcher Russell Martin, who was instrumental in helping to snap a 25-year playoff drought as the club made the playoffs in both seasons of his two-year, $17 million deal. There might not be a better free-agent signing in franchise history.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
SP Jake Peavy
RP Trevor Hoffman
OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
3B Manny Machado
Jake Peavy won 2007 NL Cy Young honors and has a case for the title of best starting pitcher in franchise history, while Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman recorded 326 of his 601 career saves as a member of the Padres during the 2000s.
Current stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado snagged the final two spots, though it's worth giving a quick shoutout to AdriĂĄn GonzĂĄlez, Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin and Brian Giles.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
OF Barry Bonds
C Buster Posey
SP Madison Bumgarner
SP Tim Lincecum
During the eight-year stretch from the 2000 season through the end of his career, Barry Bonds hit .322/.517/.724 with 317 home runs and 59.0 WAR, setting the single-season home run record and winning four straight NL MVP awards.
Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner were the two most impactful players during the team's run to three World Series titles in five years during the 2010s, while Tim Lincecum won back-to-back NL Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009 during a short but memorable peak.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
OF Ichiro Suzuki
SP FĂŠlix HernĂĄndez
3B Kyle Seager
SP Jamie Moyer
Few teams have a more clear-cut answer to who their best hitter and best pitcher of the last 25 years was than the Seattle Mariners, who enjoyed the peak performances of Ichiro Suzuki and FĂŠlix HernĂĄndez.
Kyle Seager spent his entire 11-year career with the Mariners and had an underrated run in the big leagues, tallying 37.0 WAR with 242 home runs and 807 RBI while earning an All-Star selection and winning a Gold Glove along the way.
It's likely a matter of when, not if, Julio RodrĂguez makes his way onto this list, but for now the final spot still belongs to ageless wonder Jamie Moyer, who had a pair of 20-win seasons with the Mariners during the early 2000s while serving as ace of the staff for the 116-win team in 2001.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
1B Albert Pujols
C Yadier Molina
SP Adam Wainwright
OF Jim Edmonds
There was really only one decision to be made for the St. Louis Cardinals once Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright were accounted for, and there are several worthy candidates to consider.
Jim Edmonds posted a 143 OPS+ with 241 home runs and 37.9 WAR across eight seasons in St. Louis, also winning six straight Gold Glove Awards in center field. That earned him the final spot ahead of Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
3B Evan Longoria
SP David Price
OF Carl Crawford
2B/OF Ben Zobrist
Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford lead the Rays in virtually every offensive category, while David Price is far and away the best pitcher in franchise history with 2012 AL Cy Young honors to further that claim. Versatile utility man Ben Zobrist earned the final spot over 2018 AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who had an otherwise up-and-down run in Tampa Bay.
Defensive whiz Kevin Kiermaier, workhorse starter James Shields and slugger Carlos PeĂąa are the other leading candidates if there were a fifth spot to fill, but the top four here was as straightforward as any of the 30 teams.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
3B AdriĂĄn BeltrĂŠ
OF Josh Hamilton
SS Corey Seager
IF Michael Young
AdriĂĄn BeltrĂŠ elevated his legacy from solid all-around third baseman to one of the best to ever play the position during his eight seasons with the Texas Rangers at the end of his career, tallying 41.3 WAR with three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and his 3,000th career hit all coming while calling Arlington home.
Josh Hamilton (2010 AL MVP) and Corey Seager (2023 WS MVP) earn their spot thanks in part to some shiny hardware, while Michael Young rounds out an the group while checking in as the franchise's all-time leader in hits (2,230), total bases (3,286), doubles (415), triples (55) and games played (1,823).
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
SP Roy Halladay
OF JosĂŠ Bautista
1B Carlos Delgado
3B Josh Donaldson
Roy Halladay went 139-69 with a 3.40 ERA, WHIP and 1,400 strikeouts in 1,883.1 innings, winning 2003 AL Cy Young and recording six seasons with at least 5.0 WAR as one of the best pitchers in baseball and one of the last true workhorse starters.
JosĂŠ Bautista had a prolific peak as one of the best examples of a "late-bloomer" in recent memory, while Carlos Delgado posted a 154 OPS+ while averaging 37 doubles, 37 home runs, 118 RBI and 5.1 WAR over the first five seasons of the 2000s.
While Edwin EncarnaciĂłn, Vernon Wells and current star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all had better overall bodies of work, Josh Donaldson claimed the final spot thanks to his 2016 AL MVP win. That said, now that he is inked a long-term deal, it's only a matter of time before Vlad Jr. is an obvious choice.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
OF Bryce Harper
SP Stephen Strasburg
1B/3B Ryan Zimmerman
SP Max Scherzer
Stephen Strasburg (2009) and Bryce Harper (2010) delivered on impossibly high expectations, with Strasburg pitching like an ace when healthy and leading the charge during the 2019 World Series and Harper laying the foundation of a Hall of Fame career with 27.7 WAR and 184 home runs in seven years with the Nationals to start his career.
Ryan Zimmerman was the first true star following the team's move from Montreal, while Max Scherzer proved to be the missing piece in a title run and goes down as one of the greatest free-agent signings in MLB history.
