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 Cabrera2003202267.744.722.033.6
7Joey Votto2007202264.346.822.930.9
8Todd Helton1997201361.846.525.037.4
9Paul Goldschmidt2011202258.545.322.430.6
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
16Keith Hernandez1974199060.341.120.528.6
17John Olerud1989200558.139.021.027.2
18Will Clark1986200056.536.020.428.2
19Freddie Freeman2010202249.036.117.724.7
20Buck Leonard1935194872.638.920.028.7
21Harmon Killebrew1954197560.438.118.625.6
22Tony Perez1964198654.036.519.128.0
23Fred McGriff1986200452.636.018.126.6
24Mark Teixeira2003201650.637.720.329.3
25George Sisler1915193054.047.225.337.1
26Jose Abreu2014202231.927.514.919.3
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 Rizzo2011202239.232.217.824.2
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
43Mule Suttles1924194446.938.521.522.8
44Cecil Cooper1971198736.030.016.624.4
45Kevin Youkilis2004201332.431.318.326.7
46Ben Taylor1911192946.937.519.025.0
47Frank Chance1898191445.835.718.929.1
48Boog Powell1961197739.130.916.719.4
49Steve Garvey1969198738.128.314.422.9
50Elbie Fletcher1934194933.128.615.624.8
51Jack Fournier1912192740.934.917.822.9
52George Scott1966197936.430.216.022.5
53Kent Hrbek1981199438.427.414.119.9
54Derrek Lee1997201134.327.216.619.3
55Ted Kluszewski1947196132.329.218.125.1
56Ed Konetchy1907192146.330.715.022.4
57Carlos Santana2010202232.825.812.916.7
58Luke Easter1939195439.029.115.820.2
59Mickey Vernon1939196034.525.414.615.8
60Brandon Belt2011202227.623.112.315.9
61Andres Galarraga1985200431.526.414.916.1
62Joe Judge1915193446.926.512.016.9
63Joe Harris1914192826.323.712.317.3
64Ron Fairly1958197835.223.912.316.3
65Jim Bottomley1922193735.328.815.121.6
66Mike Hargrove1974198530.324.212.517.1
67Frank McCormick1934194834.828.317.119.8
68Justin Morneau2003201627.324.713.219.6
69Rudy York1934194834.728.416.219.4
70Ferris Fain1947195527.023.913.417.8
71Fred Tenney1894191143.928.614.519.2
72Carlos Pena2001201425.124.115.420.1
73Phil Cavarretta1934195534.625.214.720.3
74Harry Davis1895191738.628.415.322.3
75John Mayberry1968198224.823.317.320.6
76Prince Fielder2005201623.824.215.618.9
77Yuli Gurriel2016202213.413.510.413.1
78Matt Olson2016202221.721.614.419.0
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
84Buck O'Neil1937195531.227.316.017.6
85Earl Torgeson1947196132.923.713.515.3
86Bob Watson1966198428.224.112.616.3
87John Kruk1986199525.022.813.617.3
88Travis Hafner2002201324.824.716.319.7
89Stuffy McInnis1909192734.325.214.819.3
90Lee May1965198227.121.912.617.2
91Mike Sweeney1995201024.721.713.518.7
92Cody Bellinger2017202217.817.916.718.7
93Jason Thompson1976198624.822.414.016.3
94George Burns1914192934.225.215.016.0
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.