Who are the top 10 major league baseball players of all time?

Question

Position players only, too tough to mix pitchers into this argument! Any era, and by any criteria you deem them worthy of the top 10. Mine goes like this:
1) Babe Ruth
2) Ted Williams
3) Willie Mays
4) Hank Aaron
5) Ty Cobb
6) Honus Wagner
7) Joe DiMaggio
8) Mickey Mantle
9) Frank Robinson
10) Lou Gehrig

I didn't put anyone still playing on this list, as I'll wait for the chips to fall. Honorable mention: Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, Jimmie Foxx.

I like how you put 5 spaces between Babe and anybody else! But I have a few "arguments" with your post. Isn't it something to applaud that DiMaggio hung it up at the top of his game? I would equate that with Barry Sanders in football. And with Pete Rose, singles and doubles will win you a lot of games. Ichiro is one of the best in baseball today, and he has no power.

I know that what Jackie Robinson did was very important to baseball, but I can't imagine how anyone could put him in the top 10. Eddie Collins, Joe Morgan and Rogers Hornsby were all better second basemen.

Johnny boy must be smoking crack. 6-10 are stupid. Are you nuts? How anybody can put somebody other than Ruth at number 1 is mindblowing.

Answer 1

I like your list with a few exceptions

Dimaggio only played 13 years and didn't have the down side to his career, which would have lowered his batting average, OBP and SLG.

I also would never include Rose in this list (has nothing to do with the gambling either). He hit singles and doubles and got to this 'great' career record by putting himself in the lineup.
Yes, he hustled which is great, but if all you are known for is hitting and you hit .303 career with very little else to distinguish you, then I don't consider that great.

My list would be

1) Babe Ruth




2) Ted Williams
3) Willie Mays
4) Lou Gehrig
5) Ty Cobb
6) Honus Wagner
7) Hank Aaron
8) Mickey Mantle
9) Mike Schmidt
10) Frank Robinson

Edit to asker:
I guess one could say that it's honourable that Dimaggio hung it up, but his #'s look better because you only get prime years, especially when you compare one career to another.
On Rose, honestly, I would rather have Tony Gwynn, who in his early days, could steal a base or 54.
Lastly, I totally agree with you on Robinson. Broke the colour barrier, fantastic, about time, but from a play perspective, he wasn't close to the top 10 (in my opinion)

Answer 2

10. Rogers Hornsby
9. Honus Wagner
8. Walter Johnson
7. Ty Cobb
6. Lou Gehrig
5. Stan Musial
4. Hank Aaron
3. Ted Williams
2. Babe Ruth #
1. Willie Mays*
# I took away Ruth's pitching ability
* Would have had more homers than Ruth if in better ballpark

Answer 3

1) Babe Ruth
2) Ted Williams
3) Stan Musial
4) Willie Mays
5) Josh Gibson
6) Hank Aaron
7) Lou Gehrig
8) Jimmie Foxx
9) Honus Wagner
10) Joe Dimaggio

The top 4 are in my mind, unchallenged. Babe, Williams, & Mays most everyone agrees on. But Stan Musial is the most overlooked player in baseball history. And he belongs with those 3. Jimmie Foxx doesn't get the credit he deserves also. And people rarely remember the great ***** league players of which Gibson & 'Cool Papa' Bell were the best.

Close but no cigar to Mel Ott, Mantle, Robinson, Hank Greenburg, and Schmidt.

Answer 4

1) Babe Ruth
2) Ted Williams
3) Lou Gehrig
4) Jimmie Foxx
5) Rogers Hornsby
6) Willie Mays
7) Stan Musial
8) Hank Greenberg
9) Joe Dimaggio
10) Ty Cobb / Mickey Mantle / Hank Aaron

Honorable Mention: Alex Rodriguez, Joe Jackson, Honus Wagner, Al Simmons

Answer 5

I've worked with several baseball simulations that factor in career offensive numbers AND defense, and more often than not, the list will come out this way:

Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Willie Mays
Ted Williams
Mickey Mantle
Rogers Hornsby
Joe Dimaggio
Charlie Gehringer
Honus Wagner
Frank Robinson

Not to say this list is any more legitimate than any other list, but it's interesting that several sims yield comparable results.

Coming in just below that: Cobb, Harry Heilmann, Mike Schmidt, Yogi Berra, Hank Aaron.

EDIT: Although Hornsby's defense wasn't outstanding, it was really about average for his day. No GG.

Answer 6

I'll go with the no-current idea as well.
I am also going to take away Ruth's pitching, just to shake things up.
Honus Wagner
Ted Williams
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Henry Aaron
Lou Gehrig
Stan Musial
Mike Schmidt
Rogers Hornsby (esp. if I can make him a DH as he is my only bad defensive player)
Mickey Mantle

Clemente is #91 in Black Ink, #82 in Grey Ink, not in the top #100 in OPS+, #66 in Runs Created...his highest career ranking in any offensive stat is #14 in grounding into double plays.
People need to stop conflating the man and the ball-player.

Answer 7

Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
Willie Mays
Pete Rose
Joe-D
Ted Williams
Stan Musial
Hank Aaron
Tris Speaker

Answer 8

1- Babe Ruth
2- Jackie Robinson
3- Johnny Bench
4- Pete Rose
5- Micky Mantle
6- Joe DiMaggio
7- Ty Cobb
8- Hank Aaron
9- Lou Gehrig
10- Willie Mays

Honorable mentions: Reggie Jackson (he would of been my next choice), Ted Williams

CURRENT:
1- Derek Jeter
2- A-Rod
3- Ken Griffey JR
4- Ichiro
5- Vladdy
6- Melky Cabrera (i know hes still young but hes got a GREAT arm!!)
7- prince fielder
8- howard
9- david wright
10- jose reyes

Answer 9

Jackie Robinson was WAY overrated. Sure he broke the color barrier, but he wasn't THAT good of a ball player. Hell, I'd rather take Ryne Sandberg at second base. Sandberg was the best fielding second baseman in baseball history, and had more pop than Robinson.

Answer 10

Yours is an excellent list. Since you have honorable mentions, one I would add would be Cal Ripkin. Iron horse of a man - fantastic player. Numbers might not measure up to the above - but he still deserves mention because of his longevity record.