MLB Power Rankings: The 25 Greatest Players in AL East History
Today, baseball fans view the American League as the tougher league, due to its usage of the designated hitter. Within the American League, the Eastern division is regarded as the most talented and toughest division to play in. It has been this way for a long time.
So, when you have a division with such a notoriety, there had to have been a plethora of amazing players to give it that notoriety. That is what I will be examining today; the greatest of those amazing players that gave (or are still giving) the AL East the reputation it has today.
MLB implemented the division system in 1969, so any players that played for AL East teams before (and not after) that date are ineligible for inclusion on this list.
To avoid confusion with how the East division has been altered throughout the years, I am going to stick with players that have played for the current five members of the AL East. These teams are the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
C Jason Varitek (BOS)
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Jason Varitek debuted for the Red Sox in 1997 and has since established himself as one of the better catchers to play the game. Although his best days are well behind him, the Red Sox team captain is still hanging on as the backup catcher, due to his extraordinary ability to handle a pitching staff.
During his career, Varitek has caught a Major League-record four no-hitters. The pitchers whose no-hitters he caught were Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, and Jon Lester.
Varitek is a great defensive catcher as well as a leader on the field; one whose leadership was essential to Boston's World Series championships in 2004 and 2007.
3B Graig Nettles
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Graig Nettles is considered to be, right along with Alex Rodriguez, one of the best third basemen to ever wear the pinstripes. Nettles played for the Yankees from 1973-1983 and over that span he hit .253 with 250 home runs and 834 RBI.
He helped the Yankees win back-to-back World Series titles in 1977 and 1978 and was a great presence in the clubhouse, which eventually led to him being named Yankees' captain in 1982. Nettles was a great defensive third baseman, with a career .961 fielding percentage at the position.
Nettles was one of the better players in a highly competitive AL East during his time, which warrants him a spot on this list.
DH David Ortiz (BOS)
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Following a disappointing tenure in Minnesota, David Ortiz was released and subsequently signed a free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox. Once he finally stole the full-time DH role from Jeremy Giambi in June of '03, Ortiz transformed into a man that would quickly become one of the most feared sluggers in the game.
Ortiz helped lead the Red Sox to their first World Series championship in 86 years in 2004, earning ALCS MVP honors for his series-saving clutch hits, including his walk-off home run in Game 4. Big Papi put up year after year of MVP-caliber seasons through the 2007 season, when he helped lead the Red Sox to yet another World Series title.
Recently, Ortiz has struggled with injuries and early-season slumps, but can still be a force at the plate. Even with just those five monster seasons from 2003-2007, however, Big Papi would have still earned his place on this list.
David Ortiz in a short period of time has become one of the best designated hitters to ever play the game, and definitely the best to ever play in the AL East.
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LHP Andy Pettitte (NYY)
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Much of this past offseason was spent wondering whether or not Andy Pettitte would retire. In the end, he did in fact retire, and now there is nothing left to do but reflect on his career. Andy Pettitte was one of the best left-handed pitchers of his time, and one of the best in the history of the AL East.
During his career, which was spent almost entirely with the Yankees, except for a three-year hiatus in Houston, Pettitte posted a 240-138 record with a 3.88 ERA and 2251 strikeouts. He helped lead the Bombers to five World Series titles and was a reliable workhorse in the Yankees' rotation during the postseason, with a 19-10 record and a 3.83 ERA in 42 games.
Andy Pettitte was one of the best pitcher to ever wear the pinstripes and this year the Yankees will dearly miss him.
RHP Pedro Martinez (BOS)
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Pedro Martinez was the ace of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff for seven seasons from 1998-2004. During these seven seasons, Martinez posted a 117-37 record with a 2.52 ERA and 1683 strikeouts. He won the 1999 and 2000 AL Cy Young Awards.
In 2004, his last season with the Red Sox, Martinez led the Boston rotation to its first World Series title since 1918. Although he played for multiple other teams during his career, Martinez will always be remembered as a member of the Red Sox, and for his domination of the AL East.
1B Eddie Murray (BAL)
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Eddie Murray was one of the most reliable and productive hitters to ever play for the Orioles. From 1977-1988 and again in 1996, Murray played first base for the Orioles, hitting .294 with 343 home runs and 1224 RBI.
Murray won the 1977 AL Rookie of the Year Award, and helped lead the Orioles to their most recent World Series title in 1983. He was an All-Star seven times with the Orioles (1978, 1981-86), and won three Gold Gloves (1982-84) and two Silver Sluggers (1983, 1984) during his tenure in Baltimore.
Murray played for a bunch of other teams after the Orioles, and eventually reached 3000 hits, setting him up for a first ballot entry into Cooperstown in 2003.
RHP Jim Palmer (BAL)
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Jim Palmer was one of the best pitchers to ever pitch for the Baltimore Orioles. From 1965-1984, Palmer established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball.
He posted a 268-152 record with a 2.86 ERA and 2212 strikeouts, winning the AL Cy Young Award three times (1973, 1975, 1976), and helping the Orioles to three World Series victories in 1966, 1970, and 1983. Palmer also pitched a no-hitter on August 13, 1969.
In 1990, Palmer was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. His No. 22 is retired by the Orioles.
LF Carl Yastrzemski (BOS)
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Carl Yastrzemski would likely be referred to as the best left fielder in Red Sox history if it wasn't for his predecessor, "Teddy Ballgame." Yaz played his entire 23-season MLB career for the Boston Red Sox, and was present for the formation of the AL East in 1969, his ninth MLB season.
He hit .285 with 452 home runs and 1884 RBI over his career and was an 18-time All-Star (1963, 1965-79, 1982, 1983) and 7-time Gold Glove Award-winner (1963, 1965, 1967-1969, 1971, 1977).
Yaz is a member of the 3000-hit club, having amassed 3419 hits over his illustrious career, and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski is also one of a select few players to have their number retired by the Boston Red Sox, with his No. 8 to never again be worn by a Boston player.
RHP Dennis Eckersley (BOS)
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Dennis Eckersley is widely remembered for his time as a member of the Oakland Athletics, with whom he won a World Series, a Cy Young Award, and an MVP Award, but he had some great seasons in Boston in the AL East as well.
As a member of the Red Sox from 1978-1984 and again in 1998, Eckersely posted a 88-71 record with a 3.92 ERA and 771 strikeouts. What makes this impressive is that it is only a portion of his career numbers, which consist of a 197-171 record with a 3.50 ERA, 2401 strikeouts, and 390 saves; numbers as both a starter and a closer.
C Thurman Munson (NYY)
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Almost everyone knows the story of Thurman Munson. He was a great player who was prematurely taken from the game he loved. On August 2, 1979, Munson was involved in a tragic plane crash that ultimately resulted in his untimely death at the age of 32.
Before his death, Munson had played 11 seasons for the New York Yankees and in 1976, he had been named the Yankees' team captain. Throughout these 11 seasons, Munson batted .292 with 113 home runs and 701 RBI. He had won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1970, and in the same year that he was named Yankees' captain, he won the 1976 MVP Award.
He helped lead the Yankees to back-to-back World Series championships in 1977 and 1978, hitting .320 with a homer and 10 RBI over those two Series.
His death was a shock to the baseball world, and the Yankees organization made sure that he will never be forgotten by retiring his No. 15 and erecting a monument in his honor in Monument Park. Despite his short time in the AL East, Munson still is one of the best players to have ever played in the division.
C Carlton Fisk (BOS)
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Carlton Fisk is one of the best catchers to play in the AL East, and is the best catcher in Red Sox history. Fisk spent about half of his career in Boston before "changing his socks" and joining the White Sox in Chicago.
During his years in Boston, Fisk hit .284 with 162 homers and 568 RBI. He won the 1972 AL Rookie of the Year Award for Boston, but is best remembered for his dramatic, 12th-inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. That home run led to the left field foul pole being named the "Fisk Foul Pole," a name which stands today.
Fisk's No. 27 was retired in Boston, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. He will always be remembered as one of the all-time greats in Beantown, and in the AL East.
LHP Ron Guidry (NYY)
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"Louisiana Lightning" was one of the best lefties to ever pitch in the AL East. Ron Guidry spent his entire 14-year career with the New York Yankees in the AL East, and over that span he put up some amazing numbers.
For his career, Guidry posted a record of 170-91 with a 3.29 ERA and 1778 strikeouts. Guidry was essential in the Yankees' back-to-back World Series runs in 1977 and 1978. He won the AL Cy Young Award in the latter season with a record of 25-3, a 1.74 ERA, and 248 strikeouts, considered by many to be one of the greatest single-season pitching performances of all time.
Guidry served as the Yankees' captain over the final three years of his career, and his No. 49 was retired by the Yankees in his honor.
RHP Mike Mussina (BAL, NYY)
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Mike Mussina was one of the most reliable pitchers of his era. He started out with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991 and played 10 seasons for the Birds, posting a 147-81 record with a 3,53 ERA and 1535 strikeouts.
After the 2000 season, Mussina became a free agent and signed a contract to play for his former division rivals, the New York Yankees, who were fresh off of a dynastic run in the late '90s capped off with a championship to start the new millennium. For the Yankees, Mussina posted a 123-72 record with a 3.88 ERA and 1278 strikeouts.
Unfortunately, Mussina became known throughout his career as "Mr. Almost." He almost won a World Series in 2001, he almost won a Cy Young Award in 1999, and he almost threw a perfect game...twice.
Mussina pitched in an AL East that produced 11 AL Champions and eight World Series Champions, and was still always able to shut down his opposition, making him an easy choice for one of the greatest players in AL East history.
2B Roberto Alomar (TOR, BAL)
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Roberto Alomar is one of the two newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was elected on the second ballot with 90 percent of the vote in 2011. During his Hall of Fame career, Alomar played for two AL East teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
With the Blue Jays from 1991-1995, Alomar hit .307 with 55 home runs and 342 RBI, doing enough to earn himself a place on the Blue Jays "Level of Excellence." With the Orioles from 1996-1998, he hit .312 with 50 home runs and 210 RBI.
During both of these stints, Alomar was an All-Star and a Gold Glover, and helped the Blue Jays win their only two World Series titles in their history in 1992 and 1993. Roberto Alomar will always be remembered as one of the finest second basemen to ever play in the AL East, as well as one of the best to play the game.
CF Bernie Williams (NYY)
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Bernie Williams was one of the best players on one of the best teams in the history of the AL East. He played for the Yankees from 1991-2006, and over that time he hit .297 with 287 home runs and 1257 RBI.
As well as being a fan-favorite, Williams was one of the integral pieces of the late-90s Yankee dynasty that won four World Series titles in five years from 1996-2000. Bernie hit in the heart of the order on those Yankees teams, providing the production necessary for that level of success.
Since his unofficial retirement following the 2006 season, Bernie's No. 51 has not been re-issued by the Yankees, leading many to believe it will eventually be retired in his honor.
LF Manny Ramirez (BOS, TB)
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Once an AL East player, always an AL East player. Such is the case for the man simply known as "Manny."
Manny Ramirez first joined the AL East in 2001 after signing a mega-deal to play for the Boston Red Sox in the preceding offseason. Manny was worth every cent, though, as he hit .312 with 274 homers and 868 RBI over 8 years with the Red Sox.
He played a tremendous part in ending the 86-year "Curse of the Bambino" in Boston, as he carried the Red Sox on his back during a 2004 World Series in which he was named the MVP, and then contributed heavily again in bringing another trophy home to Boston in 2007.
Manny may have had a bit of a rough exit in 2008 when he forced his way out of Boston, but considering all he has done for the franchise, he will always be a hero in Beantown. The saga will continue in 2011, as Manny has signed a contract to play as the DH for the Tampa Bay Rays. It should be a fun season to watch if you're an AL East fan.
OF Dave Winfield (NYY, TOR)
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Dave Winfield played for two AL East teams during his illustrious career, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.
WInfield spent the majority of his career with the Yankees, playing nine seasons in the Bronx from 1981-1990, and later on played a season in Toronto in 1992. With the Yankees, Winfield batted .290 with 205 homers and 818 RBI, although he played for them during one of the few eras in which they did not win a World Series.
However, Winfield did secure one World Series ring as an AL East player when he won it all in his single season with Toronto, a season in which he batted .290 with 26 home runs and 108 RBI...at the age of 40! Now, Winfield is a Hall-of-Famer, having been elected in 2001 on the first ballot.
1B Don Mattingly (NYY)
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"Donnie Baseball" was one of the greatest players to ever don the pinstripes. Unfortunately, back issues derailed what would have been a surefire Hall of Fame career. Despite these struggles, Mattingly still posted impressive numbers, hitting .307 with 222 homers and 1099 RBI over 14 seasons.
Another unfortunate part of Mattingly's career was that it spanned from 1982-1995, right in the midst of the longest playoff drought in the history of the Yankees. They finally made it back to the postseason as the Wild Card team in 1995, but were defeated in five games by the Seattle Mariners, who at the time had Tino Martinez and a young Alex Rodriguez on their roster.
The Yankees would go on to win four titles in five years after Mattingly's departure. However, despite not having much success on a team-level, Mattingly had enough success on an individual level to warrant his inclusion on this list and, in my opinion, a place in Cooperstown as well.
3B Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
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Despite playing the majority of his career thus far in the AL West, Alex Rodriguez has still earned his place on this list. He has won two MVP awards with the Yankees in 2005 and 2007, and also helped lead them to their 27th World Series title in 2009.
As a Yankee, A-Rod has hit .296 with 268 home runs and 841 RBI over seven seasons. Those are some impressive numbers alone, and when you add in his numbers with Seattle and Texas, Rodriguez has already had a Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Unfortunately, he was busted for steroid use during his Texas years (2001-2003), which will undoubtedly hurt his case, even if he does do what everyone expects him to, and breaks the all-time home run record of 761.
RHP Roy Halladay (TOR)
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It wasn't too long ago that Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in the best division in baseball, even if it was for one of the worse teams, the Toronto Blue Jays. Roy Halladay has become even more of a household name since joining the Phillies, tossing a perfect game and a postseason no-hitter en route to the 2010 NL Cy Young Award.
However, one can never forget his roots, and Halladay will surely never forget his in Toronto, as facing the powerhouses of the AL East have prepared him to tackle any foe. During his tenure with the Blue Jays, which spanned from 1998-2009, Halladay pitched to a record of 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA and 1495 strikeouts.
He won the 2003 AL Cy Young Award for the Jays, and the only reason he even left the only team he ever knew was because he was desperate to win, having never even made it to the postseason before his trade to the Phillies in 2010.
Halladay will always be one of the best pitchers to have ever pitched in the AL East, and may one day be called one of the greatest to ever pitch, period.
3B Wade Boggs (BOS, NYY, TB)
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Wade Boggs spent his entire career, from 1982-1999, in the AL East. During this time, Boggs played for three East teams; the Red Sox, Yankees, and Devil Rays.
The beginning and majority of his career was spent with the Red Sox, who Boggs played for for 11 seasons. He left Boston after the 1992 season, choosing to sign with the rival New York Yankees because he felt that they gave him the best chance to win.
Boggs spent five years with the Yankees from 1993-1997 and in 1996 he accomplished his goal as the Yankees won the 1996 World Series over the Braves, the only championship Boggs would ever win.
After the 1997 season, Boggs signed with his third AL East team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It was in Tampa in 1999 that Boggs reached the 3000-hit milestone, becoming the only player to do so by hitting a home run. Boggs finished his career with a .328 batting average, 118 home runs, 1014 RBI, and 3010 hits, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 on the first ballot.
SS Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL)
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Cal Ripken, Jr. is one of the best shortstops to ever play baseball. He spent his entire career, which spanned from 1981-2001, with the Baltimore Orioles. He won the 1981 AL Rookie of the Year Award and then, two seasons later, won the 1983 AL MVP Award and led the Orioles to the lone World Series title Ripken would win in 1983. Ripken also won the 1991 AL MVP Award for the Orioles.
He was an AL All-Star for 19 consecutive seasons from 1983-2001, and during his career he hit .276 with 431 home runs and 1695 RBI, amassing 3184 hits along the way. The most impressive feat of his career, however, is his famous MLB-record 2632 consecutive games-played, breaking Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record of 2131. Ripken was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2007, receiving 98.53 percent of the vote.
SS Derek Jeter (NYY)
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Derek Jeter has been a New York Yankee since 1995, and if he retired today, he would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The Yankee captain since 2003, Derek has led the Bombers to five World Series championships over his career, in 1996, 1998-2000, and recently in 2009.
Jeter has a career .314 batting average, and has established himself as one of, if not the best shortstop to ever play the game. He will reach the milestone 3000-hit plateau this season at the age of 36, and despite a weak 2010, it looks as though No. 2 still has some good years left in the tank.
RHP Roger Clemens (BOS, TOR, NYY)
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Roger Clemens is undoubtedly the best starting pitcher to ever pitch in the AL East. The "Rocket" broke in with the Boston Red Sox in 1984 and stayed with them until 1996. In Boston, Clemens won three AL Cy Young Awards (1986, 1987, 1991) as well as the 1986 AL MVP Award.
Following the 1996 season, Clemens signed with his second AL East team, the Toronto Blue Jays. During both years he played for the Blue Jays, Clemens won the pitching Triple Crown and, subsequently, won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards.
Following the 1998 season, Clemens was traded to his third AL East team, the New York Yankees. He helped the Bombers win back-to-back World Series titles in 1999 and 2000, and then won his sixth and final AL Cy Young Award in 2001 (he would win the NL honors in 2004).
Clemens stayed with the Yankees through 2003, when he signed with his hometown Houston Astros. After "retiring" following the 2006 season, Clemens returned to help the Yankees down the stretch in 2007. Clemens career statistics are 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts, cementing him as one of the best pitchers to ever play the game.
RHP Mariano Rivera (NYY)
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Much like his teammate Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera has been a Yankee throughout his entire career, and if he retired today, would gain entry to the Hall on the first ballot. After becoming the Yankees' closer since 1997, Rivera has established himself as the best closer to ever play the game.
The great "Mo" has become one of the most reliable pitchers to ever take the mound, and he continues to leave hitters frustrated by getting them out with one pitch, his masterful cutter. Rivera's cutter is considered by many to be the best pitch any pitcher has ever thrown. Every hitter walks to the plate knowing he will see it, and almost all of them still can't.
Mariano currently has converted 559 saves, which is 42 shy of the all-time record, set by the newly-retired Trevor Hoffman. Rivera will undoubtedly break that record, and has the possibility to do so this season.
He seems to be almost ageless, and many joke that he could pitch until he's 50. Whether he does so or not is irrelevant however, as Mariano Rivera is already the best player to ever play in the AL East.
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