Do you want big names? Big numbers? Big personalities? Welcome to All-Time #MLBRank, our ranking of the top 100 players in baseball history.
To create our list, an ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups of 162 players, based on both peak performance and career value.
The top 100 will roll out next week. This week, we bring you the top 10 at each position. Thursday brings the top 10 infielders by position of all time, followed by pitchers and catchers on Friday.
Have fun!
TOP 10 RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS
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10. Bob Feller
Teams
Cleveland Indians (1936-41, '45-56)
Honors
Eight-time All-Star (1938-41, '46-48, '50), Hall of Fame ('62)
Championships
1 - Cleveland (1948)
Career stats
W-L: 266-162, 44 shutouts, 3,827.0 innings pitched, 3.25 ERA, 2,581 strikeouts, 1.316 WHIP
The player
Bob Feller is the only pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter on Opening Day, marking the only time that every player's batting average on one team was exactly the same after the game as it was before the game. -- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN senior writer
To me, Feller is simultaneously underrated and overrated. His fastball, maybe the fastest ever, has kept his place in history firmly alive. And what would his career numbers look like if he hadn't missed nearly four full seasons while serving in World War II? His innings totals -- 371 in 1946 -- are absurd compared to modern pitchers. On the other hand, he led his league only once in ERA and his walk rates were crazy high. I think he's on the level below the elite Johnson/Seaver/Clemens/Maddux/Pedro group. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer
While I wouldn't rank Feller No. 1 in this exercise, he's one of the most important players of the 20th century, not just for what he did on the field or because of his readiness to serve (volunteering the day after Pearl Harbor), but because his integrated barnstorming tours on the West Coast after the war ended both helped drag baseball into overdue inclusion of black and Latin players, it also got the owners to think about moving teams west of the Mississippi. Feller's pro-player, pro-inclusion stance was a reminder of what people in the game could do, and in his case, did do. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN MLB writer
9. Satchel Paige
Teams
Pittsburgh Crawfords (1931-34, '36)*, Kansas City Monarchs ('35, '40-47)*, Cleveland Indians ('48-49), St. Louis Browns ('51-53), Kansas City A's ('65)
*Negro League teams
Honors
Two-time AL All-Star (1952-53), Hall of Fame ('71)
Championships
4 -- Pittsburgh (1933), Kansas City Monarchs (1940, '42, '46)
Career stats*
W-L: 28-31, 4 shutouts, 476.0 innings pitched, 3.29 ERA, 288 strikeouts, 1.279 WHIP
*Major League stats
The player
I don't have a Satchel Paige story but my father does, and it's too good not to share: Satchel Paige spent his offseasons barnstorming through the country pitching for whomever he could -- the kind of games towns hung posters advertising and all of the locals came out to see. This particular time he was with the Baltimore Elite Giants, facing the Riverhead (N.Y) Falcons. The game started like many for Satchel, with a 1-2-3 first inning -- he even retired Carl Yastrzemski's father for one of the outs. But then things took a twist. A player named Jerry McCarthy, who had a cup of coffee with the 1948 St. Louis Browns, belted a triple off the center-field fence. Satchel stood there shaking his head in disbelief, and then he did exactly what you're heard legend of but have never been sure if it actually happened: He pulled all of his players except his catcher off the field, telling them to sit down and watch. Nine pitches and three strikeouts later, McCarthy was left stranded at third. -- Dan Mullen, ESPN senior MLB editor
The greatest pitcher we didn't really get to see. Dizzy Dean said he was the best pitcher he'd ever seen, having barnstormed with Paige. He didn't make his MLB debut until after his 42nd birthday in 1948; in his last MLB appearance, when he was almost 60, he retired nine of the 10 batters he faced. Put him in any league in his prime, and he changes everything: scoring levels, who's a contender, you name it. Belongs in the middle of this ranking at the least. -- Kahrl
8. Tom Seaver
Teams
New York Mets (1967-77, '83), Cincinnati Reds ('77-82), Chicago White Sox ('84-86), Boston Red Sox ('86)
Honors
NL Rookie of the Year (1967), 12-time NL All-Star ('67-73, '75-78, '81), three NL Cy Youngs ('69, '73, '75), Hall of Fame ('92)
Championships
1 -- New York (1969)
Career stats
W-L: 311-205, 61 shutouts, 4,783.0 innings pitched, 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts, 1.121 WHIP
The player
There are few in baseball, shy of Babe Ruth, who can say that they turned the fate of a franchise around. Tom Seaver can say that. What he did in helping turn the Mets from lovable losers to successful champions was nothing short of remarkable. Wins Above Replacement, applied retroactively, ranks Seaver as the seventh-best pitcher of all-time, second-best of anyone whose career began after World War II (only Roger Clemens is better). -- Mark Simon, ESPN Stats & Info
Before Maddux, Clemens and Pedro, I might have leaned toward pegging Tom Terrific as the best ever. His 106.3 WAR were the highest for any pitcher after integration until Clemens blew right by, and his seven best seasons ranked with Gibson's for best peak value since 1947 before Clemens blew by that as well. If you saw him pitch, you recognized him instantly, not just for the stocky build but for that dirty knee on his plant leg as he got down and drove the ball into the zone. -- Kahrl
7. Christy Mathewson
Teams
New York Giants (1900-16), Cincinnati Reds ('16)
Honors
Hall of Fame (1936)
Championships
1 -- New York (1905)
Career stats
W-L: 373-188, 79 shutouts, 4,788.2 innings pitched, 2.13 ERA, 2,507 strikeouts, 1.058 WHIP
The player
I'd compare him to Greg Maddux, a guy who relied on pinpoint control and remarkable durability, plus his "fadeaway" pitch (now called a screwball). He was the game's greatest pitcher in the first decade of the 20th century and he was a giant among Giants, one of the NL's powerhouse teams throughout his career. One of the game's first college graduates, he was beloved as a gentleman who helped baseball out of its rowdy and dirty play of the 1890s. Once viewed as maybe the best pitcher ever, his adjusted ERA ranks 10th all time among those with 2,000 innings, so he's probably properly evaluated in some second tier of greatness. -- Schoenfield
With five ERA titles during the dead ball era, the obvious pitching star of the period, but not somebody I'd put in the top 10 over Jim Palmer, just to drop a name. -- Kahrl
6. Bob Gibson
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1959-75)
Honors
Nine-time All-Star (1962*, '65-70, '72), two-time World Series MVP ('64, '67), nine Gold Gloves ('65-73), two Cy Youngs ('68, '70), MVP ('68), Hall of Fame ('81)
*Played in two All-Star Games in '62
Championships
2 -- St. Louis (1964, '67)
Career stats
W-L: 251-174, 56 shutouts, 3,884.1 innings pitched, 2.91 ERA, 3,117 strikeouts, 1.188 WHIP
The player
He was intimidating, fierce and competitive, flailing wildly off the mound toward the first-base line as he delivered his fastballs and sliders (pitching coaches would try to fix such a motion today). He once told his catcher Tim McCarver to go back behind the plate, admonishing, "The only thing you know about pitching is how hard it is to hit." His 1968 season with the infamous 1.12 ERA ranks as one the best ever, but his legacy resides in his World Series record: Nine games started, 7-2, 1.89 ERA, eight complete games, two shutouts and still-standing record of 17 strikeouts in one game. -- Schoenfield
All the scary stories they tell you about Nolan Ryan or Don Drysdale, yeah, they're scary. But if you want final-boss-grade scary, you try to imagine stepping in against Gibson. He put in a year with the Harlem Globetrotters before starting his baseball career, where he naturally made a name for himself dunking. In the '50s, because he had to be intimidating doing that too. The signature pitcher of 1968's "Year of the Pitcher," he ranks between Curt Schilling and Mike Mussina in career WAR; all three belong in the Hall of Fame, but Gibson is the one who's in. -- Kahrl
5. Roger Clemens
Teams
Boston Red Sox (1984-96), Toronto Blue Jays ('97-98), New York Yankees ('99-2003, '07), Houston Astros ('04-06)
Honors
AL MVP (1986), All-Star MVP ('86), nine-time AL All-Star ('86, '88, '90-92, '97-98, 2001, '03), two-time NL All-Star ('04-05), six AL Cy Youngs ('86-87, '91, '97-98, 2001), NL Cy Young (2004)
Championships
2 -- New York (1999-2000)
Career stats
W-L: 354-184, 46 shutouts, 4,916.2 innings pitched, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 strikeouts, 1.173 WHIP
The player
I remember coming home from school that April day in 1986 and seeing Roger Clemens mow down the Mariners with a record 20 strikeouts. Nineteen years later, he won his seventh Cy Young Award. The year after that he led the NL with a 1.87 ERA. Unusual? Not necessarily. Three of Nolan Ryan's best seasons by adjusted ERA came when he was 40, 42 and 44. Warren Spahn averaged 21 wins a season from 36 to 42. How much might Clemens have been helped by PEDs? We don't know. But seven Cy Youngs and seven ERA titles speak to his greatness. -- Schoenfield
4. Cy Young
Teams
Cleveland Spiders (1890-98), St. Louis Perfectos ('99), St. Louis Cardinals (1900), Boston Americans ('01-08), Cleveland Naps ('09-11), Boston Rustlers (1911)
Honors
Hall of Fame (1937)
Championships
1 -- Boston Americans (1903)
Career stats
W-L: 511-316 (all-time leader in both), 76 shutouts, 7,356 innings pitched (all-time leader), 2.63 ERA, 2,803 strikeouts, 1.130 WHIP, 815 games started (all-time leader), 749 complete games (all-time leader),
The player
Yes, you can argue he's the best pitcher ever. Hey, they named the award after him. He also won the most games and has the highest career WAR. He threw more than 1,000 more innings than the No. 2 guy and 2,000 more than Nolan Ryan, who pitched forever. But am I comfortable saying a guy born in 1867 is the best? Nope. For starters, Young didn't necessarily do things others even in his era were doing. He actually threw the most innings just twice, led in ERA just twice, and strikeouts twice. He did lead in WAR six times and had impeccable control for his era, but it was his longevity that made him so unique and valuable. -- Schoenfield
3. Greg Maddux
Teams
Chicago Cubs (1986-92, 2004-06), Atlanta Braves ('93-03), Los Angeles Dodgers ('06, '08), San Diego Padres ('07-08)
Honors
Eight-time All-Star (1988, '92, '94-98, 2000), 18 Gold Gloves ('90-02, '04-08), four Cy Youngs ('92-95), Hall of Fame ('14)
Championships
1 -- Atlanta (1995)
Career stats
W-L: 355-227, 35 shutouts, 5,008.1 innings pitched, 3.16 ERA, 3,371 strikeouts, 1.143 WHIP
The player
The smartest pitcher who ever lived. Maddux lived by painting the corners and getting great movement on his sinking fastball, and knowing exactly what to throw when the batter expected something else. His seven-year peak from 1992 to 1998 -- most of that in the heart of the steroids era -- ranks as one of the best ever, with a 2.15 ERA and four Cy Young Awards. He was amazingly durable with perfect mechanics, making 30-plus starts every year of his career except his first and two strike-shortened seasons. He won 355 games and somehow 16 voters didn't vote for him for the Hall of Fame. -- Schoenfield
Known as the smartest pitcher ever, Greg Maddux was always one step ahead of hitters. What he lacked in velocity or 80-grade stuff, he made up for with the ability to put the ball wherever he wanted. From 1992-95, Maddux won four straight Cy Young Awards and had a 1.98 ERA, nearly a full run less than any other starter over that span (Jose Rijo, 2.82). -- Lee Singer, ESPN Stats & Information
Instructional videos teaching young pitchers about the concept of "command" should be done using footage of Greg Maddux. He new exactly where he wanted to throw a pitch and how he needed to throw it to get a batter out. He knew how to get hitters out and was actually able to execute his game plans. -- Kenneth Woolums, ESPN Stats & Information
Of all of these pitchers, you know something about the talent. What they threw, what they did, how they did it, how long they did it. With Maddux, the numbers put him in the conversation for No. 1 all time. What they don't tell you is how beautiful it was to watch him work, dicing up lineups and making it look easy. -- Kahrl
2. Pedro Martinez
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-93), Montreal Expos ('94-97), Boston Red Sox ('98-2004), New York Mets ('05-08), Philadelphia Phillies ('09)
Honors
Four-time NL All-Star (1996-97, 2005-06), four-time AL All-Star ('98-00, '02), NL Cy Young (1997), two AL Cy Youngs (1999, 2000), All-Star MVP ('99), Hall of Fame ('15)
Championships
1 -- Boston (2004)
Career stats
W-L: 219-100, 17 shutouts, 2,827.1 innings pitched, 2.93 ERA, 3,154 strikeouts, 1.054 WHIP
The player
Pedro Martinez' 1999-2000 seasons might be the two greatest pitching seasons back-to-back in major league history. Those two years, the AL ERA was 4.89. Pedro's ERA was 1.90. -- Kurkjian
The numbers say Pedro Martinez, at his peak, is probably the most dominant pitcher ever. His 1.74 ERA in 2000 ranks as the best ever when adjusted for the league run scoring environment. His strikeout rate of 37.4 percent in 1999 -- 313 K's in 203 IP -- is the highest ever for a starter. He was one of the hardest throwers in the game and had a great slider, but what made him so unhittable was the best changeup in the game's history, thrown with the same arm action as his fastball. And just to make things a little tougher, he'd throw one under your chin every now and then. -- Schoenfield
The short list of best pitches of all-time almost has to include Pedro Martinez's changeup. He could throw it for an easy strike, use it as a strikeout pitch and use it as a pitch to get himself out of jams. While his prime was short-lived, an argument could be made that his peak was the best for any right-handed pitcher in history. In particular, his 1999-2000 stretch might be the best two-year stretch a pitcher has ever produced. -- Woolums
The first time I saw Pedro Martinez pitch in person was in 1997. Sure, he had been an All-Star the year before but, to me, he was still Ramon's brother, the guy the Dodgers traded to get Delino DeShields. The game was at Coors Field, pre-humidor, height-of-the-steroid era, double-digit ERAs Coors Field. When Pedro took the mound, he seemed skinny and short. Then he pitched a shutout, striking out 13. Nobody did that in that ballpark. Nobody. But Pedro did. And nothing I saw him do after that ever surprised me again. -- Mullen
1. Walter Johnson
Teams
Washington Senators (1907-1927)
Honors
AL MVP (1913, '24), Hall of Fame ('36)
Championships
1 -- Washington (1924)
Career stats
W-L: 417-279, 110 shutouts (all-time leader), 5,914.1 innings pitched, 2.17 ERA, 3,509 strikeouts, 1.061 WHIP
The player
Walter Johnson is the greatest pitcher of all time. He had a record 110 shutouts. Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Clayton Kershaw have 113 combined. -- Kurkjian
Was Johnson the hardest thrower of all time? Maybe. Or maybe he was simply the first to throw hard throughout the game. We know this: He didn't really need his curveball until later in his career, his blazing fastball from whip-like sidearm delivery sufficing to dominate batters. From 1910 to 1924, he led the AL in strikeouts 12 times. Yes, he compiled ridiculous numbers in the dead ball era, but he remained successful into the lively ball era, even though he was in his mid- and late-30s. Many from his era may be overrated, but the Big Train is not. -- Schonefield
The gentleman flamethrower, because Johnson wasn't simply the hardest-throwing pitcher of his era, he reportedly wouldn't throw inside for fear of hurting someone. In the dead ball era, he threw a shutout basically once every five starts; the move to the live ball in 1920 dropped his career clip to 1 in 10. He's not my No. 1 of all time, but he belongs in this conversation. -- Kahrl