“America’s pastime” – at least until the NFL performs a hostile takeover of the moniker – baseball has been sewn into the fabric of American life since the end of the 19th century.
From Babe Ruth to Jackie Robinson to more contemporary superstars like Ken Griffey Jr., baseball players have always captured the imagination of fans young and old, with generations of kids on the playground dreaming of growing up to be baseball’s next MVP.
When it comes to the history of – especially more recent – baseball history, we must address the elephant in the room: Steroids.
While Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens may never get into the Baseball Hall of Fame, they’re on our list as two of the 30 greatest players in history. Bonds, the all-time Home Run King, and Clemens, the seven-time Cy Young winner, have both been tied to PEDs but were never suspended by MLB – unlike Alex Rodriguez, who misses out on the list for that reason.
Now, as America celebrates its 250th birthday and teams are handing out $765 million contracts, here’s a look at 30 of the greatest United States-born baseball players in history.
About USA TODAY’s ‘250 for 250’ series
Now through July 4, USA TODAY Sports is releasing our “250 for 250” list of America’s top homegrown athletes of all time. Each week we’ll bring you all-time standouts from across the sports world, and give readers a chance to vote on who should be featured.
USA TODAY’s best American baseball players of all time
Babe Ruth, St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys (MD)
Perhaps the greatest player in baseball history. He was such a prolific slugger that he out-homered every team in the American League in 1920 when he shattered the single-season record with 54 homers. He out-homered 90 teams in his career, and wound up with 714 homers, a record that stood until Hank Aaron in 1974. Oh yes, he could pitch, too.
Jackie Robinson, John Muir Technical High School (CA)
No player in MLB history had a greater impact than Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His uniform number, 42, is the only one permanently retired throughout baseball. Robinson not only integrated baseball, but played an integral role in civil rights in this country. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King lauded Robinson’s impacting, saying, “Without him, I would never have been able to do what I did.’’
Hank Aaron, Allen Institute (AL)
Aaron will forever be known as baseball’s all-time home run king by baseball purists, breaking Babe Ruth’s record of 714 in 1974, and retiring with 755 homers. Aaron, who fought through racist hate mail and death threats en route to breaking Ruth’s record, was much more than just a home-run hitter. He was a 25-time All-Star, and even if you turned his 755 homers into outs, he still would have finished with more than 3,000 hits.
Ty Cobb, Franklin County HS (GA)
Cobb was hardly considered warm and fuzzy by players during his era, but perhaps no one was more feared, setting 90 MLB records in his career. He still has the MLB record with 12 batting titles, hitting at least .300 in the final 23 years of his career, including .400 in three seasons, and finishing with a career .366 batting average. Cobb’s all-around greatness was reflected in the inaugural 1936 Hall of Fame ballot when he received 222 out of a possible 226 votes, with his 98.2% approval ranking the highest until pitcher Tom Seaver in 1992.
Lou Gehrig, HS of Commerce (NY)
The original “Iron Horse,’’ Gehrig played in a record 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees, a record that stood for 56 years until Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. eclipsed it in 1995. A six-time World Series champion with the Yankees, he was the first MLB player to ever have his number (4) retired. He died at the age of 37 of complications from ALS, which is now referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.’’
Ted Williams, Herbert Hoover HS (CA)
Williams, a two-time Triple Crown winner is widely considered one of the greatest pure hitters in baseball history. He’s the last player in MLB to hit .400 (.406) in 1941, with a career .344 batting average and .488 on-base percentage, the highest in history. Williams not only was a star on the field, but also a war hero, flying 39 combat missions. He served three years in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in World War II, and also parts of two years as a Marine combat aviator in the Korean War, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Roberto Clemente, Julio C. Vizarrondo (Puerto Rico)
Born an American citizen in Puerto Rico, Clemente, the first Caribbean player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, is honored by MLB as not only as one of the greatest right fielders in history as a 12-time Gold Glove winner, but also a humanitarian. The Roberto Clemente award is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual’s contribution to his team.’’ Clemente, who was still playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was killed on New Year’s Eve in 1972 when his chartered plane crashed while delivering emergency reliever good for the survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua.
Satchel Paige, Mobile (AL)
Paige was not only the greatest pitcher in the Negro Leagues, but the ultimate showman. Once Jackie Robinson integrated baseball, Paige became the oldest player to make his MLB debut for Cleveland at the age of 42, and the first Black pitcher. He also was the oldest player to ever appear in an MLB game when he pitched at the age of 59. He was the first electee of the Negro League Committee to be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1971.
Josh Gibson, Allegheny HS (PA)
Gibson was widely acclaimed the “Black Babe Ruth’ in the Negro Leagues, and after his Negro League statistics were incorporated by MLB in 2024, now is considered one of greatest players in MLB history. Gibson, who died just months before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, is officially the all-time MLB leader in career batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.718), and OPS (1.177). Gibson, who played 14 years primarily for the Homestead Grays, also has the highest single-season batting average of .466 in 1943.
Ernie Banks, Booker T. Washington HS (TX)
Simply “Mr. Cub,” Banks was the greatest player in franchise history, hitting 512 home runs, yet exemplified their barren century without a championship: The man who coined the phrase, “Let’s play two” never played in a playoff game.
Cal Ripken Jr., Aberdeen HS (MD)
The “Iron Man,” he captivated a baseball industry reeling from the 1994-95 work stoppage by breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played in 1995. A two-time MVP, Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games, a remarkable feat for a shortstop/third baseman.
He won five World Series championships, earned the coveted Yankees captaincy and rapped 3,465 career hits, with a .310 average. The greatest modern postseason player, he racked up a season of playoff baseball: 158 games, a .308 average and .838 OPS and championships in 1996, 1998-2000 and 2009.
Ken Griffey Jr., Archbishop Moeller HS (OH)
Destined for greatness since he was the No. 1 overall pick in 1987, The Kid captivated with his center field brilliance and complete offensive game, hitting 630 home runs, winning four AL home run titles with a .907 career OPS.
Nolan Ryan, Alvin HS (TX)
Author of a record seven no-hitters, Ryan overcame early control problems to set the modern single-season strikeout record with 383 in 1973 and the career mark of 5,714. Threw his final no-hitter at age 44 in 1991.
Sandy Koufax, Lafayette HS (NY)
The most dominant left-handed pitcher in history, Koufax was a four-time World Series champion who finished his career with five consecutive ERA titles before retiring due to arm pain.
Reggie Jackson, Cheltenham HS (PA)
Mr. October indeed, Jackson was a five-time World Series champion with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees, sealing his legend with three first-pitch home runs off three Dodgers pitchers to clinch the championship in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
Mike Trout, Millville Senior HS (NJ)
One of the most dominant young players in major league history, Trout won the first of his three MVPs at age 22 in 2014 and has 414 home runs and a lifetime .977 OPS.
Greg Maddux, Valley HS (NV)
The most devastating pitcher of the 1990s even as his repertoire failed to test the limits of a radar gun, Maddux won 355 games, four NL Cy Young Awards, four ERA titles and the 1995 World Series with Atlanta.
Barry Bonds, Junipero Serra HS (CA)
He’s not in the Hall of Fame because of PED ties, but you can’t tell the story of baseball without its Home Run King, who finished with 765 homers and seven MVP awards. The son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, Barry also holds the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001.
Cy Young, Gilmore, (OH)
Cy Young’s name is literally the measure of a pitcher’s greatness. Young pitched 22 seasons from 1890 to 2011 and is baseball’s all-time leader in wins (511) and losses (315), two records that will surely never be broken.
Joe DiMaggio, Galilio HS (CA)
“The Yankee Clipper” won nine World Series titles in 13 years with the Yankees and holds the record for the longest hitting streak in baseball history at 56 games. DiMaggio served in the USAAF in World War II and missed the 1943-1945 seasons, finishing his career with a .325 batting average.
Honus Wagner, Carnegie (PA)
One of the greatest shortstops to ever grace the diamond, Wagner played 21 seasons from 1897-1917. He ranks 10th all time in stolen bases and was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936 alongside Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.
Mickey Mantle, Commerce HS (OK)
Mantle debuted for the Yankees at age 19 and went on to become a 20-time All-Star and arguably the greatest switch hitter to ever play the game. A three-time MVP, the kid from Oklahoma finished with 536 home runs a .977 career OPS.
Walter Johnson, Fullerton Union HS (CA)
Born in Kansas, Johnson pitched 21 seasons for Washington from 1907-1927, racking up 417 career wins, two MVP awards and a World Series title in 1924. The right-hander had a 2.17 ERA in 5,914.1 career innings.
Stan Musial, Donora HS (PA)
Musial spent his entire 22-year career with St. Louis from 1941 to 1963, missing the 1945 season to serve in the WAR. With a sweet left-handed swing, Musial totaled 3,630 hits – fourth on the all time list – and won World Series titles with St. Louis in 1942, 1944 and 1946.
Roger Clemens, Spring Woods HS (TX)
Another all-time great denied entry to the Hall of Fame due to PED dies, Clemens is the only pitcher to win seven Cy Young awards. “The Rocket” ranks third all-time with 4,672 strikeouts and ninth with 354 career wins after leading the Texas Longhorns to a national titles in 1983.
Frank Robinson, McClymonds HS (CA)
One of the greatest power hitters of all time with 586 caree home runs in 21 seasons, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star and won World Series titles with the Baltimore Orioles in 1960 and 1970. Robinson went on to become the league’s first Black manager and managed more than 2,000 games.
Rickey Henderson, Oakland Technical HS (CA)
Baseball’s all-time stolen base king, Henderson’s 25-year career spanned four different decades from 1979-2003. He holds the single-season record with 130 steals and is baseball’s all-time leader in runs, playing 14 seasons for his hometown Oakland Athletics.
Randy Johnson, Livermore HS (CA)
“The Big Unit” harnessed the power from his 6-foot-10 frame, won 303 career games, led the major leagues in strikeouts eight times and ranks second all-time with 4,875 punchouts.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best US-born baseball players: 30 players from Babe Ruth to Barry Bonds
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