1 Legend from Every MLB Team Who Deserves to Have Their Number Retired
The New York Yankees announced last week that outfielder Paul O'Neill will have his No. 21 retired by the team on Aug. 21, becoming the 21st player to have his number retired by the organization.
A one-and-done on the MLB Hall of Fame ballot, O'Neill nevertheless meant a ton to the Yankees during the late 1990s and early 2000s, hitting in the middle of a lineup that carried the Yankees to four World Series rings in a span of five years.
This is an excellent example of how a player doesn't need to be an all-time great to be significant enough to his team's history to have his number retired.
With that in mind, we've come up with one retired player from each of the 30 teams who is also deserving of having his jersey number removed from circulation and appropriately honored.
Enjoy!
AL East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Mike Mussina (No. 35)
Mussina spent the first 10 seasons of his 18-year Hall of Fame career in Baltimore after the Orioles selected him in the first round of the 1990 draft. He trails only Jim Palmer in pitcher WAR (47.7) and strikeouts (1,535) in the franchise record books, and he was a five-time All-Star with the Orioles.
Boston Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia (No. 15)
Pedroia won AL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and AL MVP in 2008, making the same type of immediate impact in Boston that Nomar Garciaparra had a decade earlier. He was a four-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner, and his 51.9 WAR ranks 10th all-time in Red Sox history. Not bad for a guy who played just nine games after his age-33 season.
New York Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (No. 52)
It might be a few years before the Yankees retire another number following the Paul O'Neill announcement, but when the time comes, Sabathia has a compelling case. The big left-hander spent 11 seasons in pinstripes, and he ranks among the franchise top 10 in starts (306, seventh), wins (134, 10th) and strikeouts (1,700, fourth).
Tampa Bay Rays: OF Carl Crawford (No. 13)
The obvious answer for the Rays is third baseman Evan Longoria, but he's not eligible here since he's still active. Instead, it was a toss-up between Crawford and Ben Zobrist, with Crawford getting the nod as a homegrown star who is the franchise's all-time leader in hits (1,480) and steals (409).
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Dave Stieb (No. 37)
The Blue Jays have the "Level of Excellence," where 11 players have been honored, but the only retired numbers in club history are Roberto Alomar (No. 12) and Roy Halladay (No. 32). Stieb deserves to join that group as Toronto's all-time leader in WAR (56.8), wins (175), strikeouts (1,658), innings pitched (2,873), complete games (103) and shutouts (30). His 140 wins during the 1980s were the second-highest total of the decade.
AL Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: 3B Robin Ventura (No. 23)
Ventura is the greatest third baseman in White Sox franchise history, and he starred alongside Frank Thomas during the 1990s. He won five Gold Glove awards during his 10 seasons on the South Side while posting a 117 OPS+ with 171 home runs and 741 RBI. His 46.1 WAR led all third basemen during the 1990s. He also managed the team for five seasons.
Cleveland Guardians: OF Kenny Lofton (No. 7)
The most dynamic leadoff hitter of the 1990s, Lofton led the AL in steals for five straight seasons to begin his career. He hit .300/.375/.426 with 1,512 hits, 975 runs scored and 452 steals in three different stints with the team, earning five All-Star nods and winning four Gold Glove awards while tallying 48.6 WAR along the way.
Detroit Tigers: C Lance Parrish (No. 13)
The Tigers have already retired the numbers of Jack Morris, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker from the 1984 World Series team. Parrish led that squad in home runs (33) and RBI (98), and during his 10 seasons in Detroit, he was a six-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner. He also launched 212 home runs and posted a 114 OPS+ as one of baseball's top catchers.
Kansas City Royals: OF Alex Gordon (No. 4)
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Gordon took some time to develop into a star, but once he did, he was at the center of the Royals' success during their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015. He won eight Gold Glove awards in left field and was a three-time All-Star, and his 34.4 WAR is the eighth-highest total in franchise history.
Minnesota Twins: OF Torii Hunter (No. 48)
No one had worn Hunter's No. 48 since he retired until Alex Colome did in 2021, but that doesn't mean it can't one day be removed from circulation. He was a walking highlight reel in center field, winning seven straight Gold Glove awards in Minnesota. The homegrown star also logged a 103 OPS+ with 214 home runs and 128 steals during his time with the team.
AL West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: RHP J.R. Richard (No. 50)
One of the best pitchers in baseball during his brief peak, Richard had back-to-back 300-strikeout seasons in 1978 and 1979, finishing in the top five in Cy Young voting both years. Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke during his age-30 season that brought his career to a premature end, but he deserves to be honored among the club's all-time greats.
Los Angeles Angels: OF Tim Salmon (No. 15)
Arguably the best player in the last 50 years to never make an All-Star appearance, Salmon spent his entire 14-year career with the Angels. He won AL Rookie of the Year in 1993 with a 31-homer, 5.3-WAR season, and he went on to post a 128 OPS+ with 299 home runs, 1,016 RBI and 40.6 WAR before retiring in 2006.
Oakland Athletics: 3B Sal Bando (No. 6)
The captain of the Oakland Athletics teams that won three straight World Series titles from 1972-74, Bando was a staple at the hot corner and a solid middle-of-the-order run producer. In his nine seasons as an everyday player with the team, he posted a 129 OPS+ while averaging 21 home runs, 88 RBI and 5.6 WAR, finishing in the top five in MVP voting three times.
Seattle Mariners: LHP Randy Johnson and OF Ichiro Suzuki (No. 51)
Similar to the Chicago Cubs when they simultaneously retired No. 31 for both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux in 2009, the Mariners have two franchise icons who wore the same number. The "Big Unit" was a five-time All-Star and won the first of his five Cy Young awards in 10 seasons in Seattle, while Ichiro hit .321 with 2,542 hits, a pair of batting titles and 2001 AL MVP honors in 14 years with the team.
Texas Rangers: RHP Charlie Hough (No. 49)
The Rangers retired the numbers of Adrian Beltre and Michael Young in 2019, removing two obvious candidates from this discussion. Two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez declined his induction into the team Hall of Fame, so he's likely not a candidate. On the pitching side of things, Hough is the team's all-time leader in wins (139), strikeouts (1,452) and pitching WAR (32.6), and the knuckleballer spent 11 years with the team.
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NL East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: OF Andruw Jones (No. 25)
One of the most hyped prospects ever, Jones was just 19 years old when he homered twice in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. He went on to play 12 seasons in Atlanta, posting a 114 OPS+ with 368 home runs, 1,117 RBI and 61.0 WAR while winning 10 straight Gold Gloves. He received 41.4 percent of the vote in his fifth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, and enshrinement might be the first step toward his number being retired.
Miami Marlins: RHP Jose Fernandez (No. 16)
According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, former Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria talked about retiring Fernandez's number, but it never happened, and now there's a new ownership group in place. His tragic death at the age of 24 rocked the Marlins organization and the MLB world as a whole, and his performance on the field and impact off it in the Miami community has created an enduring legacy.
New York Mets: 3B David Wright (No. 5)
It's hard to believe that no one from the 1986 World Series team has their number retired, but the off-field issues of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry has likely led to the team's hesitancy. Injuries cut short Wright's career, but he was a legit superstar at his peak, and his 2007 season is one of the greatest in club history. That year, he hit .325/.416/.546 with 42 doubles, 30 home runs, 34 steals and 8.3 WAR.
Philadelphia Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins (No. 11) and 2B Chase Utley (No. 26)
From the time Utley debuted in 2003 until Rollins left in free agency following the 2014 season, the homegrown duo was a staple up the middle for the Phillies. They combined for nine All-Star appearances and 109.6 WAR during their time in Philadelphia and won a ring together in 2008. There's also a case to be made for Ryan Howard to join them as a third honoree from that era.
Washington Nationals: 1B/3B Ryan Zimmerman (No. 11)
Zimmerman was the first ever draft pick by the Washington Nationals after they moved from Montreal, going No. 4 overall in the 2005 draft. He made his MLB debut later that year, finished runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting the following season and went on to tally 284 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 40.1 WAR in a 16-year career spent entirely with the Nationals before retiring this offseason.
NL Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (No. 34)
Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith belongs in the conversation here, but Lester's importance to the team's 2016 World Series run can't be understated. The six-year, $155 million deal he signed with the Cubs signaled the end of their rebuild, and he went 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 35.2 innings during the 2016 playoffs, including three huge innings of relief in Game 7 of the World Series. The 38-year-old announced his retirement in January.
Cincinnati Reds: OF Eric Davis (No. 44)
Few players in MLB history have possessed the raw tools that Davis did in his prime. In 1987, he hit .293/.399/.593 for a 155 OPS+ with 37 home runs, 100 RBI, 120 runs scored, 50 steals and 7.9 WAR while also winning a Gold Glove in center field.
Milwaukee Brewers: OF Ryan Braun (No. 8)
With a PED suspension on his resume, Braun likely won't be inducted into Cooperstown any time soon, but that doesn't mean he can't be honored by the Brewers. The 2011 NL MVP is the franchise's all-time leader in home runs (352), and he's behind only the legendary duo of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor in hits (1,963) and WAR (47.1).
Pittsburgh Pirates: OF Dave Parker (No. 39)
Andrew McCutchen will be a solid candidate for the Pirates once he retires, but for now, we'll turn our attention to one of the stars of the 1970s. Parker spent the first 11 seasons of his 19-year career with the Pirates, winning back-to-back NL batting titles in 1977 and 1978 and taking home NL MVP in '78 when he hit .334/.394/.585 with 30 home runs, 117 RBI and 20 steals.
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Chris Carpenter (No. 29)
Yadier Molina (No. 4), Albert Pujols (No. 5) and Adam Wainwright (No. 50) will all have their numbers retired shortly after they hang up their spikes. In the meantime, Carpenter is deserving of a place among the franchise's legends. The 2005 NL Cy Young winner ranks fourth on the club's all-time list in strikeouts (1,085) and he made five Opening Day starts in his nine years with the team.
NL West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Brandon Webb (No. 17)
A short career that was all but over before his age-30 season makes it easy to forget just how good Webb was at his peak. He won NL Cy Young in 2006 while finishing runner-up in the voting in 2007 and 2008, and his 19.0 WAR during that three-year stretch trailed only Johan Santana (19.8) among all pitchers. Otherwise, the D-backs are likely waiting until Paul Goldschmidt hangs it up before they retire another number.
Colorado Rockies: SS Troy Tulowitzki (No. 2)
Todd Helton (No. 17) and Larry Walker (No. 33) are the only players to date who have had their number retired by the Rockies, and while it's tempting to pick someone from the "Blake Street Bombers" era, Tulowitzki is the most deserving candidate. When healthy, he was arguably the best shortstop in baseball, logging six 5-WAR seasons in his 10 years in Colorado. His 39.5 WAR is fourth in team history behind Helton, Walker and Nolan Arenado.
Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Fernando Valenzuela (No. 34)
The fact that no one has worn No. 34 for the Dodgers since Valenzuela played his final game with the team in 1990 speaks volumes. "Fernando-mania" was a very real thing when he burst onto the scene as a 20-year-old in 1981 and won NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young while helping lead the Dodgers to a World Series title.
San Diego Padres: RHP Jake Peavy (No. 44)
The gap between Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield and Trevor Hoffman and the rest of Padres franchise history is a big one. The only other player with at least 25 WAR in a Padres uniform is Peavy, who won NL Cy Young in 2007 and went 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA in 1,342.2 innings with the team.
San Francisco Giants: C Buster Posey (No. 28)
With a .302/.372/.460 line and 129 OPS+ in 12 seasons, Posey retired earlier this offseason as one of the best offensive catchers in MLB history. He also has a Rookie of the Year, MVP and three World Series rings on his resume, and he was the face of the franchise during one of their most impressive runs of success. It's a question of when, not if, his number is retired.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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