Best MLB Players by Position

In my last post, I looked at best player per city/franchise. In this post, I’ll do so by position.

As I did last time, I’ll base this mostly on WAR. There’ll be a few exceptions, especially when it comes to the steroid era.

Finally, the player will have had to play the majority of his career at that position.

Alright? Let’s go!

Catcher – Johnny Bench

Hard to believe, but our first catcher comes in at #84. I guess I always assumed that that position is difficult enough that he’d be a lot higher (though I always did see Bench as #1).

Bench is a pretty solid pick here, with 2 MVPs, 2 league crowns for HRs, and 3 for RBIs. Seeing 4 World Series with the Big Red Machine (he was a Reds lifer), he was WS MVP in 1976. Oh, and let’s not forget those 10 Gold Gloves.

After Bench comes Gary Carter at #103, Ivan Rodriguez at #112, Carlton Fisk at #119, and Yogi Berra and Mike Piazza at #197.

1st Base – Lou Gehrig

First base is usually a pretty productive position. Sure enough, Gehrig comes in in the top 20, at #18. This one was a pretty easy guess as well.

Gehrig was MVP twice, led the league in RBIs 5 times, runs 4 times, and homers 3 times. He also finished just short of 500 HRs and 2000 RBIs. In 7 World Series, he batted 361 with 10 HRs and 35 RBIs. Oh, and then there was that streak, right?

Coming in a surprising 2nd is Cap Anson at #39, followed  closely by Jimmie Foxx at #41. Also in the top 75 are Roger Connor (55), Jeff Bagwell (65) and Dan Brouthers (70).

2nd Base – Rogers Hornsby

I’ve always been a huge fan of Hornsby, so this was a pretty easy pick too. He comes in at a very respectable #12.

What was  so good about Rajah? Well how about 11 league WAR titles, 7 batting titles (including 2 over 400), 2 MVPs, and 2 Triple Crowns?  He also had not quite 3000 hits and finished with the 3rd best career batting average ever.

What’s interesting is that Eddie Collins come right after him at #13. Nap Lajoie (24),  Joe Morgan (31) and Charlie Gehringer (53) round out the top 75. 

SS – Honus Wagner

Shortstop is another primo position for WAR. Not too suprisingly, we’ve got our top SS in the top 10 overall – Honus Wagner, right at #10. Pretty much guessed this one as well. Being a huge Pirates fan probably helped here.

Wagner was perhaps the original 5-tool player – hit for average, hit for power, run, field, and throw. He led the league 11 times in WAR, 8 in batting titles, and 5 in stolen bases. He was also an inaugural member at Cooperstown. 

Next is A-Rod, at # 16 (I would definitely bump him down some, though, for PEDs). The real old-timer George Davis comes in at #54. Finally, there are a number of shortstops in the 70s – Arky Vaughn (72), Robin Yount (73), Luke Appling (75), Ozzie Smith (76), and Bobby Wallace (77).

3rd Base – Mike Schmidt

As an old Oriole fan, I wanted so much for this to be Brooks Robinson (71) or Cal Ripken Jr. (35). That guy from just up I-95, though, comes in at #24. To be totally honest, this was a pretty easy pick as well.

Schmidt led the NL in homers no less than 8 times (finishing with 548), RBIs 4, and WAR 4 times. He was also a 3-time MVP and a 10-time Gold Glover. He also led the the Phils to their 1st World Series ever in 1980, winning the WS MVP to boot.

Adrian Beltre (40), Wade Boggs (43), and Jim Thome (90) are the only other 3rd basemen in the top 100. Little surprised at Beltre ranking so high.

OF – Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays

Yup, these are numbers 1 (Ruth), 5 (Mays), and 6 (Cobb). No real surprises except for maybe Mays. I would have thought Aaron (7), Williams (14), and maybe Musial (11) might have had a chance.  Tris Speaker, at #9 actually beat out two of those guys. Rickey Henderson (19), Mel Ott (20), Mickey Mantle (21), and Frank Robinson (23) round out the other OFs in the top 25.

Who’s not there is Barry Bonds, who came in at #4, but might have had a little too much help getting there.

SP – Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove

For starting pitchers, we’ve got numbers 2 and 3 (Johnson and Young), 15 (Alexander), and 26 (Grove). Those are my picks at least.

I’m actually leaving a few out this time – Roger Clemens (8, but a cheater), Kid Nichols (17, but just too long ago), and Tom Seaver (22). Faves of mine who didn’t make it were Christy Matthewson (27), Bob Gibson (47), Warren Spahn (32), and Sandy Koufax (337!).

Ditto

Closer – Mariano Rivera

This one was hard, as closers just don’t get any respect WAR-wise. Rivera, for example, comes in #233, tied with Johnny Damon (!?!?). 

The only others in the top 1000 are Lee Smith (933), Trevor Hoffman (979), and Billy Wagner (996). So, no Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersely, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm … Guys like Amos Strunk, Jouett Meekin, Reb Russell, and Denard Span all outrank them.

As for Rivera, he set MLB records for saves, games finished, and ERA+. He was also an All Star for 13 years, and lead the AL in saves for 4. He was the first and only player voted in to Cooperstown unanimously.

It’s in the postseason, though, where Mo really shone. I’m talking 32 different playoff series, an 8-1 record, 0.70 ERA, and 42 saves.