Leo's Post War Top 100

  Alex Rodriguez SS/3B 1994-2016 14x All Star, 3x MVP 696 HR I was 11 when Arod hit the show. He was the most hyped prospect I remmeber (Griffey was already killing by the time I was paying attention). Arod jumped off the screen at you even at 18 years old. The next year he came up to stay and the Mariners made the playoffs (falling to my beloved Indians in a great ALCS) but Arod was now in our lives for the long haul. People din't like the money stuff, people didn't like his act, later people really didn't like when he got popped for PEDs, there were (stupid) arguments between him Jeter and Nomar...so many people seemed in denial that this was the best player in baseball. There was the brief terrible moment when he was going to be a Boston Red Sox, before he ended up (plot twist) wiht the Yankees where he somehow got even better despite moving to 3B even though he was a better SS than Jeter.  The numbers are ridiculous. 696 homers with 3115 hits. 14 All Star teams, 2 Gold ...

  Yogi Berra C 1946-1965 3x MVP, 18x All Star Baseball Hall of Fame 1972 Yogi Berra is better known for saying funny things than he is for playing ball nowadays and that's crazy. The man is basically the Bill Russell of baseball. He played in 14 World Series, he won 10 World Series. (Added 3 more rings as a coach).  He was far and away the best hitting catcher of his time, and he never finished below 4th in MVP voting from 1950-1957. He is still third on the all time World Series HR list with 12.  Just to recap the man won 10 World Series titles. He retired as the all time HR leader among catchers. He is still 5th all time in WAR by a cacther. He is also currently 5th all time in HR by a catcher.  He lead the league for games caught in 7 straight seasons. He might be the greatest winner the game has ever known.  He was elected to Cooperstown in 1972 Anthony Leonelli is a 37 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this...

  Mariano Rivera P 1995-2013 13x All Star, All Time Saves Leader Baseball Hall of Fame 2019 Sometimes you're just the best that's ever done something. Mariano Rivera is the best ever at closing out games. He's the all time leader in saves, he's the all time leader in games finished.He saved over 40 games in a season nine times. He aved over 30 another 6!  He had a career .70 ERA in the postseson and another 42 saves there.  Only 3 men ever appeared in more games as a pitcher. He won the rolaids relief award 5 times and they've since named the best reliever in the American League award after him. A 13 time All Star, he has 5 World Series rings. Craziest of all he was signed out of Panama after having been mostly a position player, and against all odds found himself in the major leagues. After a year as a set up man he became the best closer the game has ever seen.  In 2019 he bcame the first man ever unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Anthony Leon...

 Jackie Robinson 2B 1947-1956 6X All Star, MVP Baseball Hall of Fame 1962 Sometimes it's about more than stats. Sometimes it's about stats, and importance to the game and the nation, and the eye test, and a sense of history. Jackie Robinson didn't get to the major leagues until he was 28 years old. Things like college, millitary service, that pesky color barrier saw to that.  Obviously you know Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball - that the weight of an entire race sat on his shoulders (and Larry Doby's) - but Robinson was a truly truly great player. One could argue that he is the most important player of all time (along with Curt Flood) but look at his numbers for his shortened career. A lifetime .307 hitter. He averaged 16 HR per 162 games which is tremendously high for a middle infielder in that area. He as a game changing base stealer- helping to alter the strategy of the league.  He made 6 straight all star teams, and finsihed in t...

Mike Schmidt 3B 1972-1989 3x MVP, 500 HR, 12x All Star Baseball Hall of Fame 1995 File under guy the kids today don't know was an absolute legend. He was the Sporting News "Player of the 80s" which was a pretty solid baseball decade all things considered. He's a member of the 500 HR club, the defining Phillie of all time, and a 10 time gold glove third baseman. He won 3 MVPs including back to back in 1980 and 1981.  He's beloved as much by the advanced metrics as the traditional stats as he is 19th all time in WAR among position players. \ He won 8 home run crowns. He's 16th on the all time list. He's 18th all time in walks. He's 18th all time in sac flies.  He was the Phillies and he may just have been the best third baseman to ever play the game.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995. Anthony Leonelli is a 37 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this list came together check here  criteria . He...

  Ken Griffey JR CF 1989-2010 13X All Star, 10 Time Gold Glove Baseball Hall of Fame 2016 I started following baseball in 1990 so I got to see a lot of great hitters do a lot of great things. Of all the guys I saw (for most of his career) the least likely to change the channel if a guy was coming up belt belonged to Ken Griffey JR.  The prettiest swing, the joy involved as he swung it. The absurd place the balls landed. Couped with playing a great center field, making baseball in Seattle relevent, making baseball cool as a young black athlete who dared to wear his hat backwards in BP.  At age 29 you thought he was destined to be the best ever. He had already lead the league in homers 4 times, already won an MVP, already won TEN gold gloves. He went to Cincy and he was better there than people remember, he made a few all star teams, but the way he played caught up to him and he was a human. His first 10 can ride with anyone and his second 10 were still very good, but you w...

Mike Trout CF 2011-Present 3X MVP, 8X All Star .304 Lifetime Hitter, ROY This was the hardest one to peg so far. His first 10 years indicate he'll be in the single digits by the time this is all done. Even if he course corrects and has a more human second half life a Pujols or Griffey, he's still an immortal.  The baseball reference comparison tool is spotty sometimes but his most comperable players through his age are Mickey Mantle and Frank Robinson. He's 29 years old and already has accumulated 1380 hits and 302 home runs. He'sbeen the best player in the game more or less since he came up. He's the active leader in OPS and is 8th all time. He's also an electricfying athlete, a true old school 5 tool guy. A throwback who can hit the ball out of the park and steal you base and play a pretty excellent center field. Where will he end up? I'm not sure, but with what he's already I can't imagine him falling in stature, and he's already a legend, He...

  Joe Morgan 2B 1963-1984 2X MVP, 10X All Star Baseball Hall of Fame 1990 Has there ever been a better second baseman? Depends on what kind of stats you're into and what kind of player you're into, but for my money you're at least talking about Joe Morgan in the discussion. The 1975 and 1976 Reds are widely regarded as some of the best teams of all time, who was the league MVP both of those years...Joe Morgan.  Although he's shy of some of those magic numbers like 3000 hits (he had 2517) he was an on base monster in a time before it was valued (.392 lifetime). He hit over 20 homers 4 times (a huge amount for a 2B in that era) and stole 40 or more bases 8 times and for his career stole bags at an 80% plus clip.  He won 5 gold gloves for his play at second base, and if you're a modern metrics guy he's #18 in offensive WAR all time.  He's 11th all time in steals and 5th all time in walks. Joe Morgan could beat you a lot of ways.  He was inducted in Cooperstown ...

  Albert Pujols 1B/3B/OF 2001-Present 3X MVP, 10X All Star 600 HR, 3000 Hits By the time 2001 rolled around it was hard for a prospect to sneak up on you. Guys were hyped as they climbed the minor league ladder and some made it and some didn't. Albert Pujols was different, he spent one year in the minors depsite being a 13th round pick. Showed up in camp with the Cardinals in 2001 and made the team, won a job, won Rookie of the Year for the NL and finished 4th in MVP voting, and has never ever looked back. The most fearsome hitter in the game for the first 10 yearts of his career and still a threat into his 40s. Pujols is a right handed bad the likes of which we haven't seen in the game in a long long time. He's won a batting title, 2 HR crowns and 3 MVP awards. He's won 2 World Series titles as the best player on his team. He's a .323 career hitter in the playoffs with 19 HRs. He even won a couple gold gloves before age robbed him of his monility. He's currentl...

  George Brett 3B/1B 1973-1993 13X All Star, 3X Batting Champ Baseball Hall of Fame 1999 George Brett won batting titles in 3 decades. How cool is that? Brett was one of the best players in baseball from the time he showed up in 1974. He's a career .300 hitter, the face of the Kansas City franchise.  He's a member of the 3,000 hit club, and in 1980 he had a magical season where he chased .400 for most of the summer (ending up at .390), he also lead the Royals to their first World Series.  He hit .337 in the post season for his career and hit .377 lifetime in the World Series.  He's 18th on the all time hits list, and 7th on the all time doubles list. He's 6th all time in sacrifice flies.  The 13 time All Star was a classic red ass who was revered by teammates and fans by how hard he played.  "A reporter once asked 3 time batting champion and Hall of Famer George Brett what he wanted to do in his last at-bat before retiring, he gave the following r...

  Rod Carew 1B-2B 1967-1985 18X All Star, 7X Batting Champ Baseball Hall of Fame 1991 You ever hear the expression "so and so can flat hit". Rod Carew could flat hit. The man hit .328 for his career! He won 7 batting titles, 6 of them in the 70s, 4 of them in a row. He hit .388 in 1977 which is the closest anyone not named George Brett has gotten to .400 in a lifetime.  The Panama born Carew was remarkably consistent he hit over .300 for FIFTEEN STRAIGHT SEASONS.  He had 3000 hits. He won an MVP. He was an 18 time all star.  He's 34th in WAR among position players. He's unquestionably among the best hitters that ever lived.  He is also one of the rare men to play over 1000  games at 2 positions and was  servicable at first and second base.  He was elected to Cooperstown in 1991.  Anthony Leonelli is a 37 year old College Basketball Coach and amateur baseball arguer. If you wanna know how this list came together check here  criteria . He ...

Miguel Cabrera 1B/3B 2003- 11X All Star, 2X MVP Winner of 2012 Triple Crown Miguel Cabrera appeared seemingly fully formed in 2003 and helped the Florida Marlins to a World Series title at age 20. He has been among the best hitters in the game ever since and his career numbers are entering a staggering range. He is a lifetime to date .313 hitter. His lifetime OPS to date is .931. He is knocking on the door of 500 homers and 3,000 hits and he has won 4 batting titles. He is 24th all time in RBI at the time of this writing.  He has not won a title since that magical rookie year in Florida but still has 13 career post season home runs. If you're an advanced stats guy he's 3rd among active players in WAR for position players and he's second among active players in Hits, Homers, and RBI and first in career batting average. Someday soon Miggy is going to retire and a guy that we have maybe taken for granted for the last 18 summers will be gone. - in his wake will be a career of...