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Who are the top switch-hitters in MLB history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Bernie Williams: an integral and consistent part of the New York Yankees dynasty of the 1990s and early 2000s that won four World Series titles, Williams was a career .297 hitter who hit .300+ for eight straight seasons in his prime, won a batting title, made five All-Star Games, and won four Gold Gloves.
9. George Davis: one of baseball’s 19th century stars, Davis hit .295 for his career with nearly 2,700 hits, scoring 100+ runs 5x and driving in 100+ runs 3x while winning the World Series in 1906 with the Chicago White Sox.
8. Carlos Beltran: one of only eight MLB players in the 300-300 club (300 career home runs and 300 career stolen bases), Beltran was one of the best all-around players of his generation with nine All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, a Rookie of the Year award, and a World Series in the twilight of his career.
7. Tim Raines: arguably the best base-stealer of the 1980s not named Rickey Henderson, Raines was a 7x All-Star and batting title champion who began his career with four straight stolen base crowns and six consecutive seasons of 70+ stolen bases, ultimately racking up 2,600+ career hits and 808 career stolen bases
6. Frankie Frisch: perhaps overshadowed by some of the other great players of his era, Frisch hit .316 for his career with 2,880 total hits while leading the league in stolen bases 3x; he won the 1931 NL MVP and was also part of the first three All-Star Games.
5. Roberto Alomar: coming from a family of baseball players (father Sandy and brother Sandy Jr. were also major leaguers), Alomar was a 12x All-Star who accumulated 2,700+ career hits and won more Gold Gloves (10x) than any other second baseman in MLB history.
4. Eddie Murray: as steady and consistent as they came, Murray played for 21 years and reached the career milestones of both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits; moreover, he earned AL Rookie of the Year, eight All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and back-to-back AL MVP runner-up finishes while also winning the World Series in 1983.
3. Chipper Jones: the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise for nearly 20 years, Jones was one of the best switch-hitters in MLB history; the 8x All-Star and 1999 NL MVP is one of five players ever with 2,500+ hits, 1,500+ walks, 500+ doubles, 450+ home runs, and 1,500+ runs batted in with a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage.
2. Pete Rose: baseball’s all-time hits king, Rose played 24 MLB seasons and won three World Series titles; moreover, he made 17 All-Star teams, won three batting titles and led the league in hits 7x, won a pair of Gold Gloves while playing numerous positions, and was NL MVP in 1973.
1. Mickey Mantle: though injuries and alcohol would plague him throughout his career, at his peak Mantle had an unparalleled combination of power and average which resulted in 20 All-Star selections, three MVP awards, and the 1956 Triple Crown; in terms of team success, he was part of seven World Series championship teams with the Yankees.
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Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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