Baseball’s origin is still the subject of debate for more than a hundred years. Many believe it is a derivative of various running and bat-ball games such as fetch-catch and round ball. Today, the greatest baseball players of all time dominate the sport. The New York Knickerbockers is one of the first baseball teams to play the games under modern rules.
Eventually, baseball has grown to become one of the most-watched and played games in America. This is thanks to several exceptional players who left their marks on the hearts of millions of baseball fans. Let’s count down the three most influential baseball players of all time.
Greatest Baseball Players of all Time: Barry Bonds
Some say that Barry Bonds was a steroid user and not deserving of a spot on this list. However, for many baseball fans, he is the steroid era’s poster boy, but he was already on his way into the Hall of Fame before the scandals. Barry had unparalleled eye-hand coordination that led to a high 2,558 career walks and a .444 staggering on-base percentage.
Barry scored over 30 home runs in one season and 13 consecutive times between 1992 and 2004. He has also won the prestigious Gold Glove Award several times and the Silver Slugger Award. Barry is Nation League’s most valuable player seven times and has made 14 appearances at the All-Star games, which makes him an excellent candidate for one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Greatest Baseball Players of all Time: Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is still holding on to his spot as one of the greatest baseball players. Nicknamed “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat,” Ruth showed incredible talent in the twenties. Major accolades include:
- Two-time MLB All-Star
- 12-time MLB AL Home Run Leader
- Seven-time MLB World Series Champion
Greatest Baseball Players of all Time: Willie Mays
Willie Mays has won the Golden Gloves 12 times. His entire career has been in the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants as the centerfielder. Fans call him the “Say Hey Kid” and he was the 1951 NL Rookie of the Year. Mays won the 1954 World Series championship and eventually became NL’s Most Valuable Player and MLB’s All-Star Game MVP twice.
Mays has made it to the All-Star position 24 times and was second in 1999 The Sporting News’ 100 Greatest Baseball Players list. The award is one of the highest for any living player. Mays has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1979. We hope you liked this list of the greatest baseball players of all time.