100 Greatest First Basemen of All-Time

ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS

Baseball's All-Time Greatest First Basemen Ranked From 1 to 100

RANKNAMEFROMTOCAREERLONG PEAKSHORT PEAKPRIME
1Albert Pujols20012022101.661.727.644.6
2Lou Gehrig19231939114.167.831.847.2
3Jimmie Foxx1925194593.159.528.643.0
4Frank Thomas1990200873.845.121.131.8
5Johnny Mize1936195371.348.822.434.2
6Miguel Cabrera2003202367.344.722.033.6
7Joey Votto2007202364.446.822.930.9
8Paul Goldschmidt2011202361.745.322.430.6
9Todd Helton1997201361.846.525.037.4
10Hank Greenberg1930194755.747.722.533.8
11Jim Thome1991201272.941.620.826.9
12Willie McCovey1959198064.544.821.632.5
13Eddie Murray1977199768.738.919.228.7
14Dick Allen1963197758.845.924.931.6
15Jeff Bagwell1991200579.948.323.434.5
16Freddie Freeman2010202355.839.018.825.1
17Keith Hernandez1974199060.341.120.528.6
18John Olerud1989200558.139.021.027.2
19Will Clark1986200056.536.020.428.2
20Harmon Killebrew1954197560.438.118.625.6
21Tony Perez1964198654.036.519.128.0
22Fred McGriff1986200452.636.018.126.6
23Mark Teixeira2003201650.637.720.329.3
24George Sisler1915193054.047.225.337.1
25Buck Leonard1935194872.638.920.028.7
26Jose Abreu2014202331.827.514.919.3
27Don Mattingly1982199542.435.719.928.8
28Bill Terry1923193655.841.421.029.7
29Norm Cash1958197452.033.818.825.4
30Adrian Gonzalez2004201843.633.718.225.8
31Orlando Cepeda1958197450.134.518.123.5
32Carlos Delgado1993200944.434.518.626.2
33Anthony Rizzo2011202339.732.217.824.2
34Gil Hodges1943196343.934.217.426.3
35David Ortiz1997201655.335.017.425.0
36Dolph Camilli1933194543.239.219.327.9
37Jason Giambi1995201450.542.224.034.8
38Mark Grace1988200346.429.613.919.8
39Rafael Palmeiro1986200571.938.818.926.3
40Mark McGwire1986200162.241.920.429.8
41Pedro Guerrero1978199234.331.920.226.8
42Bill White1956196938.632.116.826.3
43Cecil Cooper1971198736.030.016.624.4
44Kevin Youkilis2004201332.431.318.326.7
45Frank Chance1898191445.835.718.929.1
46Matt Olson2016202329.129.218.122.6
47Mule Suttles1924194446.938.521.522.8
48Boog Powell1961197739.130.916.719.4
49Steve Garvey1969198738.128.314.422.9
50Elbie Fletcher1934194933.128.615.624.8
51Ben Taylor1911192946.937.519.025.0
52Jack Fournier1912192740.934.917.822.9
53George Scott1966197936.430.216.022.5
54Kent Hrbek1981199438.427.414.119.9
55Carlos Santana2010202335.525.912.916.7
56Derrek Lee1997201134.327.216.619.3
57Ted Kluszewski1947196132.329.218.125.1
58Ed Konetchy1907192146.330.715.022.4
59Brandon Belt2011202329.623.112.318.4
60Luke Easter1939195439.029.115.820.2
61Mickey Vernon1939196034.525.414.615.8
62Andres Galarraga1985200431.526.414.916.1
63Joe Judge1915193446.926.512.016.9
64Joe Harris1914192826.323.712.317.3
65Ron Fairly1958197835.223.912.316.3
66Jim Bottomley1922193735.328.815.121.6
67Mike Hargrove1974198530.324.212.517.1
68Frank McCormick1934194834.828.317.119.8
69Justin Morneau2003201627.324.713.219.6
70Rudy York1934194834.728.416.219.4
71Ferris Fain1947195527.023.913.417.8
72Fred Tenney1894191143.928.614.519.2
73Carlos Pena2001201425.124.115.420.1
74Phil Cavarretta1934195534.625.214.720.3
75Harry Davis1895191738.628.415.322.3
76John Mayberry1968198224.823.317.320.6
77Prince Fielder2005201623.824.215.618.9
78Yuli Gurriel2016202313.013.310.413.1
79Hal Trosky1933194630.528.315.121.0
80Joe Adcock1950196633.523.912.515.3
81Lu Blue1921193336.727.914.116.7
82Tino Martinez1990200528.821.812.817.1
83Jake Daubert1910192439.125.912.017.7
84Earl Torgeson1947196132.923.713.515.3
85Bob Watson1966198428.224.112.616.3
86John Kruk1986199525.022.813.617.3
87Travis Hafner2002201324.824.716.319.7
88Stuffy McInnis1909192734.325.214.819.3
89Buck O'Neil1937195531.227.316.017.6
90Lee May1965198227.121.912.617.2
91Mike Sweeney1995201024.721.713.518.7
92Jason Thompson1976198624.822.414.016.3
93George Burns1914192934.225.215.016.0
94Max Muncy2015202319.720.114.517.5
95Paul Konerko1997201427.621.411.612.5
96Chris Chambliss1971198827.420.410.514.7
97Wally Pipp1913192831.423.512.115.3
98Roy Sievers1949196525.622.811.917.3
99Dan McGann1896190834.126.714.416.7
100Bill Skowron1954196726.920.612.015.6
EXPLANATION OF TABLE DATA
CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
We use bWAR.
LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons.
SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons.
PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons.

How Do We Rank The Players?

That's a Great Question. In short, it isn't Simple.

We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate.

Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: 

  • Career Value
  • Long Peak
  • Short Peak
  • Career Prime Value
  • Contribution to Championship Teams

We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player.

Generally, a player’s Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. That leaves half or just under half from his long peak (seven best seasons), short peak (three best seasons), and prime (five best consecutive seasons). The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases.

Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists.

We feel it’s important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. It doesn’t make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated.