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.
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TOP 10 THIRD BASEMEN
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10. Ron Santo
Teams
Chicago Cubs (1960-73), Chicago White Sox ('74)
Honors
Nine-time NL All-Star (1963-66, '68-69, '71-73), five Gold Gloves ('64-68), Hall of Fame (2012)
Championships
None
Career stats
.277/.362/.464, OPS -- .826, Hits -- 2,254, HRs -- 342, RBIs -- 1,331
The player
His Hall of Fame case was a heated debate for years until the Veterans Committee finally elected him, after he had passed away. He should have gone in much sooner as the National League's premier third baseman of the 1960s, a player with power, on-base ability and Gold Glove defense. -- David Schoenfield, ESPN.com senior writer
One of the victims of the Hall of Fame's frequently clueless processes for recognizing its best, Santo ranks ninth all time among third basemen in WAR, sixth all time in offensive WAR and fourth all time in WAR across his best seven seasons. That the electorate missed everything he was doing on the field is an indictment of them, not him. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com MLB writer
9. Edgar Martinez
Teams
Seattle Mariners (1987-2004)
Honors
Five Silver Sluggers (1992, '95, '97, 2001, '03), seven-time All-Star ('92, '95-97, '00-01, '03)
Championships
None
Career stats
.312/.418/.515, OPS -- .933, Hits -- 2,247, HRs -- 309, RBIs -- 1,261
The player
Martinez gets a bum rap for being a designated hitter for most of his career, because he should really be celebrated for his accomplishments with the bat. He batted .312/.418/.515 in a career of 2,055 games. Only Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had better numbers than Martinez in all three triple-slash categories while appearing in at least as many games in their careers, and all of them are in the Hall of Fame. -- Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN.com senior writer
Yes, he's really a DH more than a third baseman, although he did play more than 500 games there and was moved only because of injuries and not an inability to play the position. His peers regarded him as maybe the best right-handed hitter in the game while active, a doubles machine who hit .312 lifetime with an OBP over .400. The greatest DH of all time? Well, his career WAR is significantly higher than David Ortiz's. Just sayin'. -- Schoenfield
8. Adrian Beltre
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Seattle Mariners ('05-09), Boston Red Sox ('10), Texas Rangers ('11-present)
Honors
NL Silver Slugger ('04), three AL Silver Sluggers ('10-11, '14), four AL Gold Gloves ('07-08, '11-12), four-time AL All-Star (2010-12, '14)
Championships
None
Career stats*
285/.337/.476, OPS -- .813, Hits -- 2,856, HRs -- 425, RBIs -- 1,522
*Stats through July 10, 2016
The player
Beltre has always received recognition for his glove, but I don't know that people realize how good a hitter he is. He has 11 seasons of at least 250 total bases, tied with Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews for the lead at the position, eight seasons of at least 25 home runs, and his 404 career homers hit while playing third base trail only Schmidt (509) and Mathews (461). -- Cockcroft
Late in his career, everyone has come around to appreciate his greatness, and he's now widely considered a future Hall of Famer. He's going to reach 3,000 hits -- he's already over 2,800 -- and will come close to 500 home runs, a credit to his durability and aging well as he enters his late 30s. In his prime, he was a gifted third baseman, one of the best ever at charging bunts. -- Schoenfield
If he's elected to the Hall of Fame -- and his candidacy grows exponentially with each passing year -- maybe he finally will allow someone to pat him on the head. Have you ever seen a player look more impressive making flat-footed, sometimes-sidearm throws from third base? -- Scott Lauber, ESPN.com Red Sox reporter
7. Paul Molitor
Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (1978-92), Toronto Blue Jays ('93-95), Minnesota Twins ('96-98)
Honors
Seven-time All-Star (1980, '85, '88, '91-94), four Silver Sluggers ('87-88, '93, '96), World Series MVP (1993), Hall of Fame (2004)
Championships
1 -- Toronto (1993)
Career stats
.306/.369/.448, OPS -- .817, Hits -- 3,319, HRs -- 234, RBIs -- 1,307
The player
The first time I saw Paul Molitor play, he had two hits. Or at least I assume he did. Because Molly always had two hits. Unless he had more. Some might downgrade him for his time as a designated hitter, but they're missing the point -- hitter is the only word that should come to mind when you are talking about Molitor. His 3,319 career hits say that loud and clear. -- Dan Mullen, ESPN.com senior MLB editor
David Ortiz was all ears when the Twins called him up to play with Molitor in 1997. It's no wonder. Molitor is the only player in the post-integration era with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 lifetime average and 500 steals. -- Lauber
He could have played shortstop for the Brewers, but there was a guy named Robin Yount there.
6. Wade Boggs
Teams
Boston Red Sox (1982-92), New York Yankees ('93-97), Tampa Bay Rays ('98-99)
Honors
Eight Silver Sluggers (1983, '86-89, '91, '93-94), 12-time All Star ('85-96), two Gold Gloves ('94-95), Hall of Fame (2005)
Championships
1 -- New York (1996)
Career stats
.328/.415/.443, OPS -- .858, Hits -- 3,010, HRs -- 118, RBIs -- 1,014
The player
In his day, Boggs was actually underrated, as people focused on the lack of home runs and ignored the high OBPs in that generally pre-sabermetric era. But he won five batting titles -- since 1960, only Tony Gwynn topped Boggs' five .350 seasons -- six OBP crowns and topped 3,000 career hits even though he didn't reach the majors until he was 24 and drew all those walks. -- Schoenfield
When Rich Donnelly was a coach with the Rangers, and Wade Boggs was hitting the ball all over the field every year, 200 hits a year, Donnelly devised a strategy to stop Boggs: "All nine fielders should line up behind the pitcher's mound, and when the ball is released, they should just scatter. It would work better than it has been working.'' -- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN senior writer
5. Brooks Robinson
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1955-77)
Honors
18-time All-Star (1960-74*), 16 Gold Gloves ('60-75), MVP (1964), All-Star MVP ('66), World Series MVP ('70), Hall of Fame ('83)
*Played in two All-Star Games in '60, '61 and '62
Championships
2 -- Baltimore (1966, '70)
Career stats
.267/.322/.401, OPS -- .723, Hits -- 2,848, HRs -- 268, RBIs -- 1,357
The player
The all-time leader at third base in value generated on defense with 38.8 WAR on defense alone, Robinson is sort of like Bill Mazeroski at second base -- a big postseason performance or two plus best-ever defense plus a bat that's good enough gets you to Cooperstown. His '64 and '68 seasons are inner-circle awesome. -- Kahrl
Brooks Robinson came before my time. I've seen the highlights, but I've never seen the man play live. But I know just how good he was at baseball's hot corner -- and you do, too -- because I have seen some pretty good third basemen play the game, and every time one of them makes an incredible play -- every time -- someone who has seen Robinson play says the EXACT same thing: "Shades of Brooks Robinson." And there's no way they could all be wrong. -- Mullen
Brooks Robinson drove in the only run in 10 1-0 victories in his career, a major league record. He is the nicest, unassuming great player ever. After Robinson's retirement, a Baltimore sportswriter said at a banquet, "In New York, they named a candy bar after Reggie Jackson. Here in Baltimore, we name our children after Brooks Robinson.'' -- Kurkjian
4. Chipper Jones
Teams
Atlanta Braves (1993, 1995-2012)
Honors
Eight-time All-Star (1996-98, 2000-01, '08, '11-12), MVP ('99), two Silver Sluggers ('99-00)
Championships
1 -- Atlanta (1995)
Career stats
.303/.401/.529, OPS -- .930, Hits -- 2,726, HRs -- 468, RBIs -- 1,623
The player
Chipper should waltz into the Hall of Fame when he gets on the ballot for the first time, after hitting .303 with 468 home runs. It's odd to say this about a contemporary player, but I feel like he's almost underappreciated. He did win an MVP Award, but he didn't put up some of the same monster numbers as his peers (he hit 40 home runs just once). All he did was hit .300 almost every season, get on base at a high rate and play on our TV screens every October. And ask Mets fans about his clutch ability. He's right up with George Brett, Wade Boggs and Eddie Mathews in the line behind Mike Schmidt. -- Schoenfield
In spending all 19 years of his professional playing career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones racked up eight All-Star appearances, two Silver Slugger awards and 468 home runs. Jones was also named the National League MVP in 1999, earned the NL batting title in 2008 with an average of .364 and went 14 straight seasons hitting 21 home runs or more. -- Katie Strang, ESPN.com Tigers reporter
3. Eddie Mathews
Teams
Boston Braves (1952), Milwaukee Braves ('53-65), Atlanta Braves ('66), Houston Astros ('67), Detroit Tigers ('67-68)
Honors
12-time NL All-Star (1953, '55-62*), Hall of Fame ('78)
*Played in two All-Star Games in '59, '60, and '61
Championships
2 -- Milwaukee (1957), Detroit ('68)
Career stats
.271/.376/.509, OPS -- .885, Hits -- 2,315, HRs - 512, RBIs -- 1,453
The player
Kind of a forgotten star of the 1950s and early '60s, Mathews hit .302 with 47 home runs at age 21 and spent the rest of his career trying to live up to expectations, unfair since he finished with 512 home runs. Similar to Mike Schmidt in many ways -- lots of power, lots of walks -- except he wasn't quite the same defensive player. -- Schoenfield
Before Hank Aaron, Mathews was the Braves slugger. The only player to play in all three cities where the Braves franchise called home, he hit 40 homers in a season four times in his career, including three straight seasons (1953-55) in which his slash line was .294/.414/.611 with a 1.025 OPS. He averaged 43 HRs, 112 RBIs and 107 walks in that time. Strong. Oh, and another neat nugget -- he was on the cover of the first Sports Illustrated in 1954. -- Peterson
2. George Brett
Teams
Kansas City Royals (1973-93)
Honors
13-time All-Star (1976-88), MVP ('80), three Silver Sluggers ('80, '85, '88), Gold Glove ('85), Hall of Fame ('99)
Championships
1 -- Kansas City (1985)
Career stats
.305/.369/.487, OPS -- .857, Hits -- 3,154, HRs - 317, RBIs -- 1,596
The player
The value here is almost all on offense -- his 88.4 offense-only WAR ranks fourth, against just 1.2 dWAR -- which is reflected in how few scaled peaks as memorable as Brett's; between the .390 season in 1980 or the 1985 season, he thoroughly outhit Don Mattingly but didn't get the MVP Award. I'm pretty sure settling for a ring more than made up for it. -- Kahrl
The term "baseball player" gets thrown around too often. It shouldn't. Not in a sport that has known George Brett. Need a hit? He's got 3,145 of them. A home run? Yeah, he could do that, too. An intense competitor? Go to Google, type in "Pine Tar Incident" and let me know what you think. I grew up watching George Brett in the 1980s, and everything No. 5 did is exactly what baseball is to me. -- Dan Mullen, ESPN senior MLB editor
One of four players ever to rack up 3,000 hits, 300 homers and a career .300 batting average. The others: Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Enough said. -- Lauber
When George Brett, in his final season, was asked what he'd like his last at-bat in the major leagues to be like, he said, "I want to hit a really hard ground ball to the second baseman and run as hard as I can to first so all the young players understand how the game is supposed to be played.'' -- Kurkjian
1. Mike Schmidt
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (1972-89)
Honors
12-time All-Star (1974, '76-77, '79-84, '86-87, '89), 10 Gold Gloves ('76-84, '86), World Series MVP ('80), three-time MVP ('80-81, '86), six Silver Sluggers ('80-84, '86), Hall of Fame ('95)
Championships
1 -- Philadelphia (1980)
Career stats
.267/.380/.527, OPS -- .908, Hits - 2,234, HRs -- 548, RBIs - 1,595
The player
So Schmidt hit just .267 in his career? As Bill James once said, well, if he'd hit for a higher average he'd be the greatest player of all time. Schmidt dominated the home run leaderboards in his era, winning eight home run crowns, was one of the best-fielding third basemen ever with nine Gold Gloves, had good speed early in his career and annually drew 100-plus walks. He's the best third baseman ever and there isn't really much debate. -- Schoenfield
Mike Schmidt was one of the great combinations of power and finesse with 548 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves at third base: He could play the piano, and move it, too. -- Kurkjian