MLB Legends

The Golden-Era Giants

The early titans set records that stood for generations.

• Babe Ruth — the "Sultan of Swat." His power hitting in the 1920s and '30s transformed baseball from a small-ball game into the home run era, and made the Yankees a dynasty.
• Lou Gehrig — the "Iron Horse," Ruth's Yankee teammate, whose consecutive-games streak and farewell speech made him an icon far beyond the box score.
• Jackie Robinson — broke baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, one of the most important moments in American sports history.
• Ted Williams — the "Splendid Splinter," the last man to hit .400 over a full season (1941) and, by reputation, the finest pure hitter who ever lived.
• Willie Mays — the "Say Hey Kid," a five-tool center fielder remembered for "The Catch" and for doing everything on a baseball field better than almost anyone.
• Hank Aaron — "Hammerin' Hank," who held the career home run record (755) for more than three decades and carried himself with quiet greatness through it all.
• Mickey Mantle — the switch-hitting heart of the mid-century Yankees and an October legend.

The Modern Greats

From the 1970s into the 2000s, these stars became household names.

• Nolan Ryan — the all-time strikeout king, who threw a record seven no-hitters across a career that spanned an astonishing 27 seasons.
• Cal Ripken Jr. — the "Iron Man," who played in 2,632 consecutive games and redefined durability at shortstop.
• Rickey Henderson — the greatest leadoff hitter ever and the all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored.
• Ken Griffey Jr. — "The Kid," owner of the sweetest swing of his generation and the face of 1990s baseball in Seattle.
• Tony Gwynn — a Padres lifer and one of the purest hitters the game has seen, with eight batting titles.
• Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martínez — the dominant pitchers of the '90s and 2000s, each an artist in his own way.
• Barry Bonds — the holder of the single-season and career home run records, and one of the most feared hitters ever to stand in a batter's box.
• Derek Jeter — the Yankees' captain and the steady October presence behind five championships.

Today's Superstars

The game is in good hands. These are the names defining baseball right now.

• Mike Trout — the most complete player of his generation.
• Shohei Ohtani — a two-way phenomenon who hits and pitches at an elite level, the kind of player the sport had not seen since Babe Ruth.
• Albert Pujols — a first-ballot legend who joined the 700-home-run club.
• Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, and Bryce Harper — modern MVPs carrying the torch.
• Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander — two of the finest pitchers of the past twenty years.