In the history of Major League Baseball, from 1876 through May 12 of this year, there has been 20,063 players who have worn the MLB uniform. So who have been the best ever to play the game? Who is the Mount Rushmore of MLB?
Trying to pick the 4 best players out of 20,063 is a near impossible task, so I have bent the rules a bit. For this article, I’m only going to focus on the position players. And to make it even a little bit easier, I have created a separate Mount Rushmore for modern day players (after 1940) with another for the players who played the gist of their career prior to 1940.
It’s nearly impossible to compare the early era players to the modern era players due to the changes in equipment (different baseball, smaller gloves back in the day) not to mention the absence of minority players in the early days of baseball. The use of bullpens has also changed drastically over the years.
Let’s start with the Mount Rushmore for the early era players – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx. The first 3 choices are obvious to me.
Ruth is hands down the greatest player of all time. A .342 lifetime hitter he hit 714 homeruns (3rd all-time) and had 2,214 RBIs (2nd all time). He also possessed an amazing .474 on-base % due to 2,062 walks. His 2,174 runs scored is 4th all-time. His 162-game career average was 46 HRs with 143 RBIs.
And if that wasn’t enough, he was also a pitcher at the beginning of his career. He had a career 94-46 win-loss record with an ERA of 2.28.
Gehrig played in the shadow of Ruth, but his career was almost equal to that of the Babe. He was a .340 lifetime hitter with 493 HRs and 1,995 RBIs (7th all-time). He scored 1,888 runs and drew 1,508 walks. He had 2,721 hits and a remarkable .447 on-base%.
If not for the disease (now named after him) that cut short his career, his lifetime stats would have been even more impressive. In his last full season at the age of 35 he hit .295 with 29 HRs and 114 RBIs, so he still had something left in the tank. His 162-game average was 37 HRs with 149 RBIs (higher than Ruth).
Cobb’s career started earlier than Ruth & Gehrig’s when home runs weren’t as prevalent, but his stats were impressive none the less. His .366 career batting average is the highest of all time with his 4,198 hits 2nd all time. While he only hit 117 HRs, he did have 1,944 RBIs and scored the 2nd most runs in the game with 2,245. His on-base% was .433.
2 things that separated Cobb from the other greats was speed and defense. He stole 897 bases in his career and had more outfield assists than anyone in the history of MLB.
Foxx as the 4th member of Rushmore is a bit more contentious, which just proves the excellence of players in the early era of the game. Foxx hit .325 for his career and had 534 homeruns while his 1,922 RBIs ranks 10th all-time. He had 1,452 walks leading to a career on-base % of .428. His 162-game average of 37 HRs and 134 RBIs compares favorably to Ruth & Gehrig.
3 other players who could make a good case to be on Mount Rushmore are:
Rogers Hornsby – 2nd highest average all-time at .358. 301 HRs, 1,584 RBIs, 1,579 runs, on-base% of .434 with 2,930 hits.
Honus Wagner – While the shortstop didn’t possess the power of some of his contemporaries with 101 HRs, he did have 3,420 hits and an average of .328. He also had 1,733 RBIs and .391 on-base %. He also stole 723 bases.
Tris Speaker – He had a career similar to that of Wagner with 3,514 hits and a .345 average. He had 117 HRs and 1,531 RBIs to go with a .428 on-base % and 436 stolen bases. And let’s not overlook that he is MLB’s all-time leader in doubles, 6th in triples and 2nd in outfield assists.
Now for the modern era Mount Rushmore, of which you will be much more familiar with the names and may have actually seen some of them play. To me the 4 on the mount are no brainers – Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ted Williams and Stan Musial. I should say at this point that any player tainted by steroids (Hello Barry Bonds and A-Rod) was not eligible to be considered.
Aaron possessed an average of .305, but is better know for his power. His 755 HRs are 2nd all-time while his 2,297 RBIs are the best all-time. He also was 3rd all-time in hits with 3,771 and his 1,402 walks contributed to his .374 on-base %.
Mays hit .301 with 660 HRs and 1,909 RBIs. He also scored 2,068 runs, which is 7th all-time. He had 3,293 hits and 1,468 walks which led to a .384 on-base %. What also led to the legend of the “Say hey kid” was his speed & defense. He stole 338 bases and won 12 gold gloves.
Many people consider Williams to be the greatest hitter of all-time. His average of .344 was much higher than his contemporaries. His career figures would have been much higher had he not missed 3 seasons due to World War II in the middle of his prime. Despite missing those 3 seasons, he still hit 521 HRs and drove in 1,839 runs. He scored 1,798 runs and his 2,021 walks rank 4th all-time. His on-base % of .482 ranks 1st in the history of the game!
Musial, outside of people in St. Louis, is one of the most unheralded greats of the game in my opinion. He’s not usually mentioned with the likes of Aaron, Mays & Williams, but he should be. He possessed a career average of .331 and his 3,630 hits ranks 4th all-time. He hit 475 home runs while his 1,951 RBIs ranks 8th all-time. He had an on-base % of .417.
Other players who fell short of the modern-day Rushmore were:
Mickey Mantle – .298 with 536 HRs and 1,509 RBIs. 1,733 walks and an on-base % of .421.
Albert Pujols – He is still active, but as of 5/12/22 his career stats are .297 with 683 HRs and 2,162 RBIs (3rd all-time). He has also scored 1,883 runs with 3,316 hits and an on base % of .375.
Ken Griffey Jr. – .284 with 630 HRs and 1,836 RBIs. He was also an elite defender in centerfield.
Mike Trout – He’s still too young (30 years old) to be considered for Mount Rushmore, but be thankful you get to see one of the all-time greats perform in his prime. A 3-time MVP, he already has hit 322 HRs to go with 203 stolen bases and a .419 on-base %. In 10 years he may just make it to Mount Rushmore.
Joe DiMaggio – Since his career spanned from 1936-1951 he could qualify for both Rushmore’s. Like Williams, his career was also interrupted for 3 years by World War II. He hit .325 with 361 HRs and 1,537 RBIs. His on-base % was .398. His 162-game average was an outstanding 34 home runs and 143 RBIs.
So there you go. Some good arguments could be made for others to be on the dual Mount Rushmore’s, but I am comfortable with the ones I selected.
Stay tuned for the Mount Rushmore of pitchers.
