The 20 Most Intimidating MLB Players

Have you ever found yourself watching a baseball game while sitting on your couch, with a bag of chips and a coke in hand?

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that everyone reading this article has been there before.

But have you ever been a little shocked or intimidated while watching a baseball game?

If no is your answer, think about it for a second.

Has your heart ever skipped a beat when you saw Prince Fielder swing his bat so quickly that you never even saw the ball hit the bat?

Have you ever cringed when you saw Aroldis Chapman throw a 102 mph fastball up around someone's face?

Let's face it, there are some pretty intimidating players in MLB right now, and if we fans get scared watching them on TV at times, I can only imagine how the players feel having to face them in real life.

Here is the list of the 20 most intimidating players in the MLB.

Honorable Mention No. 1: Randy Johnson

I had to put Randy Johnson on this list because he is arguably the most intimidating pitcher to ever play the game.

I even get a little scared seeing Johnson in his Just For Men commercials.

A 6'10" lefty that threw a 100-plus mph fastball at such an awkward arm slot...

Yeah, no thanks.

Honorable Mention No. 2: Mike Fetters

In my opinion, Mike Fetters had the most intimidating stare a pitcher could possibly have when looking in to the catcher for the signs.

One second he was looking at his third baseman, and the next second he was whipping his head around at the batter with that typical relief-pitcher stare.

I'm convinced that Fetters wouldn't have been nearly as successful as he was if he didn't have that stare.

Honorable Mention No. 3: Mike Fontenot

Just kidding...

At 5'8" and 165 pounds, I doubt anyone in the league is really intimidated by Mike Fontenot.

And that is with all due respect, Mr. Fontenot.

20. Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson, the 6'7", 252-pound flamethrower, is one of the premier pitchers in the game when healthy.

However, that is exactly the problem with Johnson: He is rarely pitching at 100 percent health.

But when he is healthy, Johnson is known to have the best country-hard fastball in the majors.

19. Carlos Marmol

You never know what you are going to get from Carlos Marmol when he comes in to close games for the Chicago Cubs.

You're either going to get a closer with arguably the best stuff in the game, or you're going to get a pitcher who can implode and blow a three-run lead in the blink of an eye. 

However, what makes Marmol so intimidating is his uncanny ability to strike people out.

In 2010, Marmol fanned 138 batters in 77.2 innings pitched—a strikeout-to-nine-innings-pitched ratio of 16.0—which is simply jaw-dropping.

18. Mike Stanton

Mike Stanton has a similar story to the previously mentioned Carlos Marmol.

When Stanton comes to the plate, you're either going to see a strikeout or a baseball hit over 400 feet.

The Florida Marlins' young slugger is only 21 years old and is already one of the premier power hitters in the league.

He has hit the third-farthest home run in 2011 by smacking a ball 474 feet in Coors Field.

17. Justin Upton

Justin Upton has hit a home run that has flown halfway across the world this season.

Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he still hit one 478 feet, which is simply hard to fathom.

He also has one of the prettiest right-handed swings in all of baseball, and when he hits the ball, there is a good chance that it will leave the stadium.

16. John Rauch

Being 6'11" and 290 pounds speaks for itself.

15. John Axford

John Axford has established himself as one of the league's top closers.

He also has one of the more fitting nicknames in baseball: the Ax Man.

Axford actually kind of looks like an ax man with his long hair and burly goatee.

He certainly has the closer look down pat.

14. Carlos Quentin

I can hear it now.

"And Quentin drives one deep to left-center field. You can put it on the board, yes!

Thanks to Ken Harrelson for the call.

13. Josh Hamilton

When talking about the most feared left-handed hitters in the MLB, Josh Hamilton definitely needs to be included in the discussion.

When Hamilton was on the top of his game in 2010, he hit .359 with 32 home runs and 100 runs batted in. If this was last year, I would say that Hamilton is the most feared player in the MLB.

12. Carlos Zambrano

Carlos Zambrano isn't one of the best pitchers in MLB, but when the most intimidating players in the majors are being discussed, Zambrano has to be on this list.

Let's just say that if you happen to be playing him on a day he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, chances are you'll be looking at a couple of bruises on your arm after the game.

11. Travis Hafner

Travis Hafner looks like one of those batters who could hit a home run every time he is up to the plate.

At 6'3" and 240 pounds of pure muscle, I'm surprised to see Hafner do anything but hit a home run every time I watch him bat.

10. Jose Valverde

It isn't his success as a closer that makes Jose Valverde one of the more intimidating players in MLB; it is simply the way he looks and carries himself on the mound.

From his goggles to the primal scream and dance he dishes out at the end of every game, Valverde is definitely one of the wackiest players the game has to offer. 

9. Craig Kimbrel/Jonny Venters

Now you may be thinking, "Hey, that's not fair. You can't have two players in one slot!"

That is a valid point.

However, Craig Kimbrel and Johnny Venters have been mentioned in the same sentence so many times that it's almost like they are conjoined twins. 

Even though that is not the case, the fact that they are continuously mentioned in the same breath is actually a compliment to them both.

The one-two punch of Venters and Kimbrel in the back of the bullpen is the best combination in all of baseball hands down.

If the Braves have a lead going into the eight inning, chances are they're going to win.

8. Jose Bautista

It seems like every night you turn on ESPN to catch your daily fix of baseball highlights, Jose Bautista hits another home run.

Sometimes he'll even hit two!

If Bautista can string together a couple more seasons similar to the one he is having now, he will become the most intimidating player in MLB.

7. CC Sabathia

If you didn't know who was pictured here, and I told you that he was a professional athlete, you might guess he was an offensive lineman in the NFL.

You'd be wrong.

He's actually one of the best left-handed pitchers in MLB who throws a fastball in the mid-'90s.

As it turns out, I know someone who played against Sabathia in high school and proclaimed that he threw just as hard back then as he does now.

Fortunately enough for my source, he got hit in the side by a Sabathia fastball and still has the scar near his hip to prove it over 10 years later.

6. Miguel Cabrera

Players like Miguel Cabrera don't come around too often.

At 6'4" and 240 pounds, Cabrera manages to consistently hit for both power and average.

In five out of his seven full seasons in the big leagues, Cabrera has hit over .320 and smacked at least 25 home runs.

In the two years he failed to reach those numbers, he still batted right around .290 with over 30 home runs in each seasons.

Trust me on this one, every pitcher in the MLB takes a sigh of relief if they somehow manage to keep Cabrera off of the basepaths.

5. Justin Verlander

I feel sorry for any batter who has to face Justin Verlander.

I mean, what can possibly be going through the mind of a hitter when Verlander has two strikes on him?

Maybe something like this:

"Okay, I'm going to sit fastball, even though it's going to be coming at me at over 100 mph with a ton movement."

"But what if he doesn't throw me that fastball? Then I'm going to be all off balance when he throws that big-looping curveball of his at 80 mph."

"Shoot, I forgot he even has an 87 mph backup slider that he occasionally throws to batters who are trying to guess what pitch he is going to throw next!"

"And after all that, he throws a mid-'80s changeup in the dirt, and I had no chance."

That just doesn't seem fair to me.

4. Aroldis Chapman

If you can throw a 105 mph fastball in a major league game—the fastest recorded pitch ever—then you will be ranked high on this list.

Also, if you can throw a fastball through the protective netting behind home plate, you will be ranked high on this list.

Chapman has done both. No big deal.

3. Brian Wilson

When you're facing Brian Wilson at the plate, you are already at an extreme disadvantage since there are two intimidating things looking down at you from the mound: Brian Wilson and his beard.

Despite his exuberant personality off the field, Wilson is a completely different human being when he toes the rubber in the ninth inning.

His game face takes over and doesn't leave until the job is finished.

Whether you like Wilson's antics off the field, you have to respect his game on the field because he is one of the best closers in MLB.

2. Prince Fielder

What happens when Prince Fielder puts every ounce of his 5'11", 275-pound frame into a swing?

This happens.

If you blink at the wrong time while watching that video, you will miss the bat's contact with the ball.

Fielder swings harder than anyone else in MLB, and it is truly a sight to see when he gets ahold of one.

If that video wasn't enough to convince you, Fielder has also hit the farthest home run in 2011 by smacking it 486 feet.

See for yourself.

1. Albert Pujols

Yes, "The Machine" is still the most intimidating player in baseball despite his "down year."

It's hard to believe that someone could be having a down year while he is hitting .289 with 31 home runs and 77 runs batted in.

Pujols has the power, plate discipline, ability to hit the ball the other way and enough ice in his veins to get a hit when his team needs it most.

If you asked every National League pitcher who the most intimidating player in MLB was, the answer would be unanimous: Albert Pujols.