Top 5 MLB Players of All-Time

Albert Pujols has had quite a career. His latest homers have made me decide to rank my best five of all-time…and I’m starting at the top.
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1. Babe Ruth. It’s easy. He will always be the best homerun hitter to anyone who knows the game of baseball. Hank Aaron passed him and so did Bonds, with steroids. Yet this guy was a pitcher until about the sixth year of his career. In his final year as a pitcher he hit 29 homers. If he’d of had more plate appearances in those years, Ruth would have 900 big ones.

Putting aside his 714 homeruns, 2,213 RBIs, 2,174 runs, and a career batting average of .342, the guy was a dominant pitcher too. Who else can you say that about!? Best ever.

2. Willie Mays. If you haven’t mimicked the over the shoulder Mays catch, you’re not a baseball fan. He had a glove. Actually, he had 12 gold ones, in a row. We often forget how good of a hitter he was because of all the dazzling catches he had.
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500 doubles, 660 homeruns, and the second best to ever grace the field. He was a great player but he’s an even better man. When he sits down to tell old stories interviewers become children again. Begging to hear more stories from the once-titled MVP. Baseball knowledge files out of his mouth like carbon dioxide does out of mine. Truly, a great.

3. Nolan Ryan. Cy Young was great but the award should be called Nolan Ryan. When a pitcher gets 250 strikeouts it’s fantastic. So, when a player eclipses that eight times what’s that?
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Ryan was the intimidater. He put guys in headlocks when he was balding so age wasn’t a factor. When he was 42, he won 16 games and struck out batters. No one does those things anymore. That’s why he’s the best pitcher of all-time.

4. Honus Wagner. So far I listed a pitcher and two outfielders but this guy was a shortstop. It’s arguably the hardest position to play in the field because right handers hit to the left and right of position number six.

Honus didn’t hit homeruns but he had a few RBIs. He also stole 722 bases in his day. Fun facts: his baseball card is one of the most valued of all-time, he was only in the post season twice, and his real name isn’t Honus it’s John Peter. If you’re ever bored look up Wagner’s stats because their ridiculous.

5. Ted Williams. I would put Bonds here but he played during the most difficult era to describe in baseball history. Williams was the last to hit .400 in a season and no one will ever do it again. Period.
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He served our country over playing ball and for that we thank him. On top of his good character, there was a mighty fine player. He was a true power-hitter and RBI machine. However, he had a clean average to go with it. He only eclipsed 50 strikeouts three times and it was in his first four seasons. Take that Adam Dunn! Finally, there’s something to say for playing your entire career with one team. Boston was lucky to have him.

These players will never be duplicated. They’ll probably never be topped either. Guys like Bonds and A-Rod can try but they did it the wrong way. Pujols could end up on this list if he keeps up what has become the best 10 year stretch ever. Who knows, maybe a Nationals player could make it on here. Probably not after a crucial arm injury though. Ouch Washington.