I have been a fan of the MLB for pretty much all of my life. This list of the top all-time players can be a difficult one to come up with because there are so many players who have merit to be on this list. As such it will be one of the most thorough and most thought-out out lists I have done in my career here at Total Apex Sports! With that being said, let’s dive right into it with my list of the Top 5 MLB players of all time!
1. Jackie Robinson
The first name on my list is Jackie Robinson. He was one of the guys who helped pioneer the modern game as he broke the color barrier in the game of baseball. Robinson, in his career, had a 63.9 career WAR, 1563 hits, 141 home runs, 761 RBIs, and 200 stolen bases. With a .313 career average and .887 career OPS, he was the MLB’s first African American player. Although he may not be one of those guys that the stats don’t jump off as a top-five player of all time, but the impact he made on the game warrants that placement at least for me.
2. Barry Bonds
Now we get to the heavy hitters that most people have on their top-five list, starting with Barry Bonds. Bonds has 762 home runs in his career, obviously, but some of the other numbers that stick out and even more impressive to me are the 514 career stolen bases for example. Then there’s his 1.051 career OPS, as well as the 8 gold gloves, and the 7 MVP awards. Barry Bonds should be in the Hall of Fame, but we know why the writers won’t ever vote him in. However, if you look at his career in Pittsburgh alone, it’s a HOF resume, but the fact that he did steroids in the Steroid Era will always go against Bonds, unfortunately.
3. Ken Griffey Jr
Ken Griffey Jr introduced the swagger to the game with his effortless play in the outfield and his ability to swing the bat. The 3x Home Run Derby Champion, 7x Silver Slugger, and Hall of Famer had 630 Home Runs in his career. Along with that he also had 1836 RBIs, 524 doubles, 2781 hits, and all with a .907 OPS. The backward hat during the derby, the beautiful swing through the ball, the plenty of highlights catches in Seattle, so forth and so forth, made “The Kid” one of the most amazing players to watch play in the MLB in general including me as a kid and as a teenager in his days at Cincinatti.
4. Randy Johnson
“The Big Unit,” in my estimation, is the best pitcher to ever step onto an MLB field; his frame, along with his delivery to the plate, made him one of the most unhittable pitchers in the history of the MLB. The 5x Cy Young and 2001 World Series Champion has 303 wins in his career with a 101.1 WAR. Johnson has 4875 strikeouts with a 3.29 ERA in his Hall of Fame Career. He also killed a BIRD with a pitch, let me repeat myself, he demolished a Bird with a fastball! That is a memory that I still can’t get out of my head ever since I saw that highlight as a kid.
5. Derek Jeter
Finally, I have to mention the guy who got me to fall in love with the game of baseball in the first place as a kid, “The Captain” Derek Jeter. Jeter is one of those guys who gets maligned nowadays because of his defensive stats, but the Hall of Famer Jeter is the ultimate winner, as he has five World Series Championships along with five Gold Gloves.
Jeter has 3465 hits, 260 Home Runs, .817 OPS, 1311 RBIs, and 544 doubles in his 20-year career with the New York Yankees. His leadership and his demeaor, when it came to the game of baseball, were the best things about his game that should translate to the youngsters of today who will follow the MLB through the rest of their lives!
Conclusion
Some honorable mentions for top MLB players of all time for me include John Smoltz, David Wright, Cal Ripken Jr, Ichiro, Jimmy Rollins, Mike Trout, Mariano Rivera, and Babe Ruth. This list was probably the toughest list I had to come up with in my time here at Total Apex Sports because it had to make me think into my memory banks. But I am glad to share my list with the public as I think that these five players all have a huge impact on the game of baseball today. Total Apex Sports also has articles on all major sports, including the NBA, NFL, College Sports, NHL, etc.
