No other sport compares to the storied history of Major League Baseball.
It has been the national sport for generations, ever evolving yet remaining the same.
Every 20 years, a new face breaks onto the scene and dominates the league, calling to question whether or not they are the greatest player of all-time.
However, baseball is nearly impossible to pick just a single player.
The moment that you pull on one thread, you are led in many different directions for who the best player is.
To get an idea of who is truly the GOAT, you have to break it down generationally.
Here are the five candidates in the GOAT conversation:
1. Babe Ruth (1914-1935)
Babe Ruth singlehandedly changed the sport of baseball.
He became the first true superstar, having one of the most recognizable faces in American history.
His memory lives on as if it is a folktale, being the first athlete who was seen as an American hero.
Much of this was because he had the stats to back it up.
Ruth put up a staggering amount of home runs in a time when they were not commonplace: the career home run record was just 138 before Ruth slugged 714 in his career.
He also had a .342 career batting average, with a staggering 162.1 wins above replacement (WAR).
Oh, and he was also one of MLB’s best pitchers for the first seven years of his career, going 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA.
Babe Ruth won an ERA title (1916) before winning his first HR title (1918) pic.twitter.com/wOVNXzT8UJ
— CirclinTheBases (@CirclinTheBases) December 9, 2020
2. Willie Mays (1951-1973)
It would be hard to argue that the “Say Hey” kid doesn’t belong on this list.
Many have seen “The Catch” from Willie Mays, but some may have not seen this angle before. I absolutely love it. #SayHeyKid pic.twitter.com/TtJGyrIv5E
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) December 12, 2020
A true five-tool player, Mays was one of the best players in the sport’s history in every way.
With over 3,000 hits, 660 home runs, a .302 batting average, 338 stolen bases and a 136.6 WAR, Mays is statistically towards the top in most categories.
Pair that with two MVPs, 12 Gold Gloves and 20 All-Star appearances, Mays certainly belongs in the GOAT question.
3. Mickey Mantle (1951-1968)
Now, Mantle may not quite have the numbers the other players on this list have, but he may be the most talented player ever.
The stout, switch-hitting center fielder is one of the strongest and most skilled players ever.
However, Mantle was hindered by drinking problems and unbearable pain in his knees that he could hardly play through.
Regardless, Mantle has one of the best peaks of his career of anyone in the sport.
Over a four season stretch (1955-1958) #Yankees legend Mickey Mantle posted a WAR of 40.9, or 2.2 greater than Harold Baines (38.7) generated over 22 seasons pic.twitter.com/51Vvt6WN8r
— CirclinTheBases (@CirclinTheBases) December 13, 2020
In 1956 and 1957, Mantle won back-to-back MVP awards, slugging 52 and 34 home runs, and hitting .353 and .365.
He finished his career with 2,415 hits, 536 home runs and a .298 batting average.
For Mantle though, it is a “what-if” type of question: I may take a healthy Mickey Mantle over anyone else in baseball history.
4. Barry Bonds (1986-2007)
No matter your stance on his steroid scandal, it is hard to deny that Bonds is one of the sport’s best players ever.
Barry Bonds should be in the HOF 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zBpH3MMS2v
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) November 25, 2020
Before he even reportedly starting juicing, Bonds was on pace for an all-time career.
From 1986-1998, before he used PEDs, he had 411 home runs, 445 stolen bases and a .996 OPS.
He is the definition of a five-tool player, and many people forget that.
In the first eight years of his career, he won three MVP awards, being a consistent 30 home run and 30 steals player.
Not only is he the sole member of the 400/400 club, he is the only member of the 500/500 club as well.
His discipline at the plate, something steroids wouldn’t help with, is by far the best in MLB history.
The on-base percentages he would put up were astronomical, and a career .444 OBP is just silly.
With 762 home runs, Bonds sits atop the career total.
That is a misrepresentation of how many he truly could have hit.
If pitchers actually threw to him, rather than intentionally walking him 120 times like in 2004, then Bonds would have been comfortably in the 800-home run range.
On top of all this, he was forced out of the game when nobody signed him after 2007, even though he still was producing at the plate.
In an era when much of baseball’s talent was elevated, Bonds still stood head-and-shoulders above the rest.
Seven…. SEVEN MVP awards should tell that.
5. Mike Trout (2011-present)
Of course, it is far too early to have Trout on this list but he is here for projection purposes.
However, it is important to recognize the generational talent that is before our eyes in the MLB today.
Mike Trout’s swing is special pic.twitter.com/cfrLv2w4qE
— homerunenergy (@homerunenergy) December 10, 2020
In his 10 years in the league, Trout has been the league’s best player.
He is on record pace with his career, and he seems to be getting better.
With three MVP awards already, Trout has never finished outside of the top-five in voting.
While he may strikeout a lot, he has turned himself into a consistent 35 HR/year threat, hitting right around .300.
He is also playing in a time when the raw talent in the MLB has never been better, and he still remains the league’s premier player.
If he continues his career on these projections, he will certainly be a contender in this conversation soon.
Who Is The GOAT?
Whether you love him or hate him, Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player of all-time.
Yes, he may have used steroids, but every generation of ball player has taken advantage of something to make them better.
Statistically, Bonds is the greatest and it isn’t close.
He is by far the most feared hitting in history, and he proved it against modern talent.
If you placed him into any generation, at any point in his career, he would dominate the competition.
That is good enough to crown him the GOAT.
Now, he deserves to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame.
NEXT: 3 Pitchers Who Will Be Cy Young Award Contenders In 2021
Anonymous says
How is Barry Bonds the greatest of all time? Babe Ruth may not have been a better hitter, but he also pitched and was really good at it. Babe Ruth had a superb arm and good range in the outfield. He literally popularized the sport of baseball. And you might say “Barry Bonds played in a tougher era”, that may be true but Babe Ruth still had to face some of the best pitchers ever including: Walter Johnson, Lefty grove, and even Pete Alexander. Babe Ruth IS the greatest of all time, and there’s no debate about it.
Anonymous says
I agree with his accomplishment, but to they require an asterisk because he didn’t play against the best talent in his time. He only played against whites. But, no one can take away from him that he’s one of the greatest.
Anonymous says
Ruth is a legend but IMO he can’t be called the GOAT because he didn’t face the best talents in his era. He only faced white players. Otherwise, definitely a legend and baseball is what it is today in part because of him.
gerald says
what about jackie robinson?
Nobody says
What about Ken Griffey Jr. Who is better than anyone else on this list.
MJ says
The only way to answer the GOAT question, is to respond with who their peers considered the best. Answers (in order of their career, roughly): Wagner, Cobb, Ruth, Gibson, Charelston, Williams, Mays, Bonds, Griffey, Pitchers: Mathewson, Johnson, Paige, Koufax, Marichal, Ryan, Clemens.
Anonymous says
Baseball was THE main sport in Ruth’s era. The greatest athletes played baseball. Imagine if the blacks played then. They would destroy these muscle bound always hurt, juiced balls and bats., band box fields. Get real. Ruth is best athlete evef.
Anonymous says
Agreed
J says
Ted Williams would run circles around willie Mays Ted was the greatest modern day ball player of all time and if he didn’t miss all those years in the service would’ve had over 700 home runs
J says
Ruth
Williams
A healthy Mantle
It’s a disgrace you placed Bonds names on this list
Mantle would have hit
1000 home runs if you want steroids
Anonymous says
Hank aaron IS THE GOAT AND BARRY BONDS SHOULD BE ELECTED TO THE HALL OF SHAME LOL
Butch Shackleford says
Babe Ruth is the G.O.A.T. of baseball. Look at the number of games it took Ruth to accomplish all his feats. It took Mays and Bonds many more at bats and game to accomplish what Ruth did. The Studiums in Ruths time were huge. The studiums today are cracker boxes. Also Ruth played in the dead ball era. The balls today fly out of the studiums Cobb And Aaron.are 2 and 3.
Anonymous says
Bonds and Ruth. There is no one else
William Preston says
The GOAT should be great in ALL aspects of the game
That leaves only Willie Mays
Chuck Smith says
Nobody mentioned the kid. I got Griffey jr. Down in my book. The Ted Williams cannot be ignored. The Splendid Splinter. It wasn’t for service to the war here is we have over 600 home runs cetera.
Nobody says
Thank you, finally somebody with a brain
PBinLostAngeles says
Get real, Ricky Henderson is the greatest non-pitcher ever to play the game, in any “era” –
* 3,000+ CAREER HITS More than Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds, Al Kaline, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams.
* With a 110.7 Ricky tops the CAREER WAR ~ Wins Above Replacement ~ of Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Carl Yastrzemski, Cal Ripken, Roberto Clemente, Pete Rose, Joe Dimaggio, and Reggie Jackson. Essentially, a team had a better chance of winning a game by keeping Rickey in it, than that of the players above.
* 1,000+ CAREER RBIs
* 4th in GAMES PLAYED – Only Hank Aaron, Carl Yastrzemski and Pete Rose played in more.
What is every team’s goal when playing a baseball game? To win, obviously and what is the only inarguable AND measurable factor that without a doubt wins games? Runs!
Scoring 2,295 times in his career, Rickey has more CAREER RUNS SCORED than Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose and EVERY OTHER PLAYER in history.
And oh yes, did I mention steals?
Gold Glove Winner (can’t forget his defensive skills…) Silver Slugger, MVP and 10X All-Star. A true 5-Tool player. On top of having more SB’s than everyone, more leadoff HR’s than everyone and more unintentional walks than everyone, he played more games than Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson and Cal Ripken, had more hits than Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, and most importantly, had more runs than everyone, including Ty Cobb, Pete Rose and Hank Aaron.
Rickey Henderson is the greatest baseball player of all time, period!
FTOP says
Couldn’t be said better.
Ricky is a HOF player on 1/2 his stats. In aggregate, he is the GOAT