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Who are the top five-tool players in MLB history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Dave Winfield: also drafted by both NBA and NFL teams, Winfield had 3,110 hits, 465 home runs, and 223 stolen bases in his long MLB career, and also won seven Gold Gloves in right field.
9. Mike Trout: currently the best player in baseball, Trout won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 with a 30-30 season (30 home runs and 49 stolen bases) and is a .300+ career hitter who plays an outstanding center field and has never finished lower than fourth in the MVP voting; by the time he retires, he could be much higher on this list.
8. Tris Speaker: playing in the dead-ball era, Speaker is baseball’s all-time doubles leader (792); in addition, he sports a .345 career batting average, 3,514 career hits, and 436 career stolen bases, and was considered the top center fielder of his time.
7. Alex Rodriguez: with 3,115 hits, 696 home runs, 329 stolen bases, a 40-40 season (42 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 1998), and two Gold Gloves at shortstop in his career, Rodriguez could do everything on the baseball field, but steroid usage has clouded his legacy.
6. Barry Bonds: baseball’s all-time home run king, Bonds also won two batting titles and essentially hit .300 for his career (.298); in his younger days, he was known for his defense (8x Gold Glover) and is the only player in baseball history in either the 400-400 or 500-500 club (762 home runs and 514 stolen bases), as well as one of four members of the 40-40 club (42 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1996), though his achievements are also clouded by steroids.
5. Ken Griffey Jr.: during his prime with the Seattle Mariners in the 1990s, Griffey was considered the best all-around player in baseball – he could hit for power (630 career home runs) and average (7x hitting .300+ in a season), could run (10x with double-digit steals), and played a magnificent center field in his prime (10 consecutive Gold Gloves as a Mariner).
4. Hank Aaron: while Aaron is best remembered for breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record, he was also a career .300+ hitter who won two batting titles and accumulated 3,771 career hits, stole 240 career bases, and won three Gold Gloves.
3. Mickey Mantle: though injuries and alcohol would plague him throughout his career, at his peak Mantle had an unparalleled combination of power and average (1956 Triple Crown, 2x 50+ home runs), and was also a Gold Glove center fielder who could run when necessarily (six straight seasons with double-digit stolen bases in the late 1950s/early 1960s).
2. Ty Cobb: until Pete Rose came along, Cobb owned both the highest career batting average (.366) and most career hits (4,189) in baseball history; he also led the league in stolen bases 6x (including a career-high 96 in 1915), played a strong center field, and despite playing most of his career in the dead-ball era, was considered one of the elite power hitters of the time, as evidenced by his Triple Crown in 1909.
1. Willie Mays: in addition to 3,283 career hits, 660 career home runs and a batting title, Mays also swiped 338 career stolen bases (making him one of eight members of the 300-300 club) and won 12 Gold Gloves in center field, making him arguably the best all-around player in baseball history.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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