THE LIST

Caution: Corny baseball post.

Writing that last blog got me pumped about my list, so I'm just going to throw it out there right now and with no introduction or explanation (for the time being). Without further ado, this is Texas Tom' official list of the greatest hitters who ever played major league baseball (excluding anyone who began their career during or after 1985 {coincidentally, the year in which Jose Canseco joined Major League Baseball}).

Group III Hitters
29. Sam Crawford (1899-1917; Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers; HOF 1957) - 2517 Games, .309 BA, 2961 Hits, career-high .378 BA (1911)

28. Harmon Killebrew (1954-1975; Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals; HOF 1984) - 2435 Games, 573 HR, .256 BA, 1583 RBI, career-high 49 HR (1964 & 1969)

27. Reggie Jackson (1967-1987; Kansas City Athletics/Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, California Angels, HOF 1993) - 2820 Games, 563 HR, .262 BA, 1702 RBI, 1551 R, 2597 K,

26. Hank Greenberg (1930-1941, 1945-1947; Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, HOF 1956) - 1394 Games (missed 1942-1944 due to military service), .313 BA, 331 HR, .605 SLG, .412 OBP, career-high 58 HR (1938), career-high 183 RBI (1937)

25. Eddie Mathews (1952-1968; Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves/Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, HOF 1978) - 2391 Games, .271 BA, 512 HR

24. Eddie Collins (1906-1930; Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, HOF 1939) - 2826 Games, 3315 hits, .333 BA, 744 SB

23. Harry Heilmann (1914, 1916-1930, 1932; Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, HOF 1952) - 2148 Games, .342 BA, 1539 RBI, career-high .403 BA (1923)

22. Willie Stargell (1962-1982; Pittsburgh Pirates, HOF 1988) - 2360 Games, 475 HR, 1540 RBI, .282 BA, career-high 48 HR (1971)

21. Mike Schmidt (1972-1989; Philadelphia Phillies, HOF 1995) - 2404 Games, 548 HR, 1595 RBI, .267 BA, career-high 48 HR (1980)

20. Joe Dimaggio (1936-1942, 1946-1951; New York Yankees, HOF 1955) - 1736 Games (missed 1943-1945 due to military service), .325 BA, 361 HR, 1537 RBI, 1390 R, career-high .381 BA (1939), .579 SLG, career-high 155 RBI (1948)

19. Dick Allen (1963-1977; Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics) - 1749 Games, .292 BA, 351 HR, 1119 RBI ,1099 R

18. Johnny Mize (1936-1942, 1946-1953; St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, New York Yankees, HOF 1981) - 1884 Games, .312 BA, 359 HR, 1337 RBI, career-high 51 HR (1947)

17. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (1908-1920; Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps/Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, banned from baseball in 1920) - 1332 Games, .356 BA, .423 OBP, career-high .408 BA (1911)

16. Napoleon Lajoie (1896-1916; Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps; HOF 1937) - 2480 Games, 3242 hits, .338 BA, 657 doubles, 1599 RBI, 1504 R, career-high .426 BA (1901)

15. Willie McCovey (1959-1980; San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics; HOF 1986) - 2588 Games, 521 HR, 1555 RBI, .270 BA, career-high .656 SLG (1969)

14. Mel Ott (1926-1947; New York Giants, HOF 1951) - 2730 Games, 511 HR, 1860 RBI, 1859 R, .304 BA

13. Frank Robinson (1956-1976; Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Cleveland Indians; HOF 1982) - 2808 Games, 586 HR, 1812 RBI, 1829 R, 2943 Hits, .294 BA, career-high 49 HR (1966)

Group II Hitters
12. Willie Mays (1951-1952, 1954-1973; New York Giants/San Francisco Giants, New York Mets; HOF 1979) - 2992 Games, 660 HR, .302 BA, 1903 RBI, 2062 R, 523 Doubles, 140 Triples, career-high 52 HR (1965), career-high .667 SLG (1954)

11. Honus Wagner (1897-1917; Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates; HOF 1936) - 2792 Games, 1732 RBI, 1736 R, .327 BA, .391 OBP, career-high .381 BA (1900)

10. Henry "Hank" Aaron (1954-1976; Milwaukee Braves/Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers; HOF 1982) - 3298 Games, 755 HR, .305 BA, 2297 RBI, 2174 R, 3771 Hits, 624 Doubles

9. Tris Speaker (1907-1928; Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Athletics; HOF 1937) - 2789 Games, .345 BA, 3514 Hits, 1882 Runs, 792 Doubles, 222 Triples, 1529 RBI, 432 SB, .428 OBP, struck out 8 times in 523 at-bats in 1927

8. Stan Musial (1941-1944, 1946-1963; St. Louis Cardinals; HOF 1969) - 3026 Games, .331 BA, 1949 Runs, 3630 Hits, 725 Doubles, 177 Triples, 475 HR, 1951 RBI, .417 OBP

7. Jimmie Foxx (1925-1942, 1944-1944; Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies; HOF 1951) - 2317 Games, .325 BA, 534 HR, .428 OBP, 1922 RBI, 1751 R, career-high 58 HR, 169 RBI, .749 SLG (1932)

6. Mickey Mantle (1951-1968; New York Yankees; HOF 1974) - 2401 Games, .298 BA, 536 HR, .421 OBP, 1509 RBI, 1677 R, career-high 54 HR (1961), career-high .705 SLG (1956)

5. Lou Gehrig (1923-1939; New York Yankees; HOF 1939) - 2164 Games, .340 BA, 493 HR, 163 Triples, 534 Doubles, .447 OBP, 1995 RBI, 1888 R, .632 SLG, career-high .765 SLG (1927), career- high 49 HR (1936 & 1934)

4. Rogers Hornsby (1915-1937; St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns; HOF 1942) - 2259 Games, .358 BA, 1584 RBI, 1579 R, 2930 Hits, 541 Doubles, 169 Triples, 301 HR, .434 OBP, career-high .424 BA, .507 OBP (1924), career-high .722 SLG (1922)

3. Ty Cobb (1905-1928; Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics; HOF 1936) - 3035 Games, .366 BA, 724 Doubles, 295 Triples, 2246 R, 4189 Hits, 1937 RBI, 892 SB, .433 OBP, career-high .420 BA (1911)

Group I Hitters
2. Ted Williams (1939-1942, 1946-1960; Boston Red Sox; HOF 1966) - 2292 Games, .344 BA, 521 HR, 525 Doubles, 1798 R, 1839 RBI, .482 OBP, .634 SLG, career-high .406 BA, .553 OBP, .735 SLG (1941)

1. Babe Ruth (1914-1935; Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves; HOF 1936) - 2503 Games, .342 BA, 714 HR, .690 SLG, .474 OBP, 2217 RBI, 2174 R, 506 Doubles, 136 Triples


PS
Don't look too closely at the stats I list, they play a minor role in the rankings (especially the rate statistics, which include years in which the players were not in their respective primes). They are just the most common or traditional stats or stats with which people typically identify these players. Stolen bases are sometimes listed but were not considered in these rankings (Stolen bases have nothing to do with "hitting").