Longest Careers in MLB History Longevity doesn't always determine greatness in sports, but it does show how tough a player was. And the players who last the longest in any sport also end up being some of the greatest, most beloved and respected.
In baseball, the players with staying power are names we mostly know by heart. Each of them found their own ways to play for a long time.
These players had the longest careers in Major League Baseball history.
37. Mel Ott — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: March 2, 1909 (Gretna, Louisiana)
Died: Nov. 21, 1958 (age 49, New Orleans, Louisiana)
Position: Right field
Years played: 1926-47
Teams: New York Giants
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1933), 12-time All-Star (1934-45)
Bottom Line: Mel Ott Mel Ott's resume as a power hitter on its own was almost unrivaled. He led the National League in home runs six times and finished his career with 511 jacks.
Take into consideration that Ott was only 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, and it makes his accomplishments even more remarkable. Ott also made 11 consecutive All-Star teams and was the first National League player to reach 500 home runs.
37. Stan Musial — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 21, 1920 (Donora, Pennsylvania)
Died: Jan. 19, 2013 (age 92, Ladue, Missouri)
Position: Outfield/first base
Years played: 1941-44, 1946-63
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals
MLB Career highlights: Three-time World Series champion (1942, 1944, 1946), three-time National League MVP (1943, 1946, 1948), 24-time MLB All-Star (1943, 1944, 1946-63), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Stan Musial Stan Musial led the St. Louis Cardinals to three World Series titles and was a three-time National League MVP. He was also arguably the greatest left-handed hitter of all time.
Musial was elected to the All-Star team an MLB-record 24 times, named to the MLB All-Century Team in 1999 and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
In an interesting twist, Ken Griffey Jr. was born on Nov. 21, 1969, 49 years to the day after Musial was born, in the same hospital as Musial in Donora, Pennsylvania — meaning arguably the two greatest left-handed hitters in MLB history were born on the same day in the same hospital.
37. Harmon Killebrew — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: June 29, 1936 (Payette, Idaho)
Died: May 17, 2011 (age 74, Scottsdale, Arizona)
Position: First base/third base/left field
Years played: 1954-75
Teams: Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1954-74), Kansas City Royals (1975)
MLB Career highlights: American League MVP (1969), 13-time MLB All-Star (1959, 1961, 1963-71)
Bottom Line: Harmon Killebrew Harmon Killebrew led the American League in home runs six times in 22 seasons, playing all but one of them with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins. Killebrew was an understated, quiet star who played in the World Series just once, in 1965, when the Twins lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He hit at least 40 home runs in a season eight times and had his greatest season in 1969, when he racked up 49 home runs and 140 RBI on the way to winning American League MVP honors.
Killebrew died in 2011, at 74 years old.
37. Tom Glavine — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: March 25, 1966 (Concord, Massachusetts)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1987-2008
Teams: Atlanta Braves (1987-2002, 2008), New York Mets (2003-07)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1995), two-time Cy Young Award (1991-98), World Series MVP (1995), 10-time All-Star (1991-93, 1996-98, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006), five-time NL wins leader (1991-93, 1998, 2000), four-time Silver Slugger Award (1991, 1995, 1996, 1998)
Bottom Line: Tom Glavine Tom Glavine could have very well been a Hall of Famer in another sport. He was drafted in the fourth round of the NHL draft but instead chose to go with baseball.
Glavine, who was also one of the greatest hitting pitchers of all time, played 22 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014, his first year of eligibility.
37. Barry Bonds — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: July 24, 1964 (Riverside, California)
Position: Left field
Years played: 1986-2007
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)
MLB Career highlights: Seven-time National League MVP (1990, 1992, 1993, 2001-04), 14-time MLB All-Star (1990, 1992-98, 2000-04, 2007), 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1990-94, 1996, 1997, 2000-04), eight-time Gold Glove Award winner (1990-94, 1996-98)
Bottom Line: Barry Bonds Barry Bonds didn't need to use performance-enhancing drugs to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but he did it anyway.
Bonds was the central figure in baseball's steroids scandal, becoming the game's career home runs leader along the way and setting the MLB single-season record with 73 juiced-up home runs in 2001 — the same year he hit his 500th career home run.
What's also impossible to ignore is that Bonds was very, very good before it's believed he started using PEDs. He won three of his seven National League MVP awards by 1993, and he also led the league in slugging percentage a staggering seven times in his career.
WIll he ever make the Hall of Fame ? It's one of the more interesting debates in all of sports.
37. Babe Ruth — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Feb. 6, 1895 (Baltimore, Maryland)
Died: Aug. 16, 1948 (age 53, New York, New York)
Position: Outfield/left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1914-35
Teams: Boston Red Sox (1914-19), New York Yankees (1920-34), Boston Braves (1935)
MLB Career highlights: Seven-time World Series champion (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932), American League MVP (1923), two-time MLB All-Star (1933, 1934), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Babe Ruth Babe Ruth's dominance on the diamond came first as a pitcher, then as a hard-hitting outfielder who won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and four more with the Yankees. He hit his 500th home run in 1929 — 15 years into his 22-year career.
Ruth and Barry Bonds are the only two players in the top 10 for home runs, slugging percentage and ISO power. The idea that Ruth only hit home runs doesn't hold weight when you look closer at his stats. He also had 136 triples and 506 doubles.
37. Alex Rodriguez — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: July 27, 1975 (Manhattan, New York City)
Position: Shortstop/third base
Years played: 1994-2013, 2015-16
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1994-2000), Texas Rangers (2001-03), New York Yankees (2004-13, 2015-16)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (2009), three-time American League MVP (2003, 2005, 2007), 14-time MLB All-Star (1996-98, 2000-08, 2010, 2011), two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2002, 2003), 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1996, 1998-2003, 2005, 2007, 2008),
Bottom Line: Alex Rodriguez It's tough to look at Alex Rodriguez's 22 seasons and separate the baseball player he was from his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He served a one-year suspension in 2014 for using PEDs, a full seven years after he hit his 500th home run.
Rodriguez banked a whopping $440 million in career earnings over 22 seasons and also won three American League MVP awards, but how much of that can be attributed to being lit up on steroids is another question altogether.
For all of his accomplishments, Rodriguez won just one World Series, in 2009 with the New York Yankees.
37. Albert Pujols — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Jan. 16, 1980 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Position: First base/designated hitter
Years played: 2001-present
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (2001-11, 2022-present), Los Angeles Angels (2012-21)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (2006, 2011), three-time National League MVP (2005, 2008, 2009), NL Rookie of the Year (2001), NLCS MVP (2004), two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2006, 2010), six-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2001, 2003, 2004, 2008-10), Roberto Clemente Award (2008)
Bottom Line: Albert Pujols The second half of Albert Pujols' career looks a lot different than the first half, but he's still almost assuredly a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Pujols won two World Series championships and three National League MVP awards in the first decade and is just one of four players with 3,000 hits and 600 home runs alongside Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Alex Rodriguez.
Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels in 2011 and has played in the postseason just once since — a sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 ALDS.
37. Willie McCovey — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Jan. 10, 1938 (Mobile, Alabama)
Died: Oct. 31, 2018 (age 80, Stanford, California)
Position: First base
Years played: 1959-80
Teams: San Francisco Giants (1959-73, 1977-80), San Diego Padres (1974-76), Oakland Athletics (1976)
MLB Career highlights: National League MVP (1969), National League Rookie of the Year (1959), six-time MLB All-Star (1963, 1966, 1968-71)
Bottom Line: Willie McCovey One of the greatest left-handed power hitters of all time, Willie McCovey led the National League in home runs three times and is one of the greatest players to never win a World Series.
Want to know how intimidating a hitter McCovey was? Bob Gibson, possibly the most intimidating pitcher who ever lived, said McCovey, the 1959 National League Rookie of the Year and 1969 National League MVP, was one of only two hitters he ever faced who he feared, along with Reggie Jackson.
37. Ken Griffey Jr. — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 21, 1969 (Donora, Pennsylvania)
Position: Center field
Years played: 1989-2010
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1989-99, 2009-10), Cincinnati Reds (2000-08), Chicago White Sox (2008)
MLB Career highlights: American League MVP (1997), 13-time MLB All-Star (1990-2000, 2004, 2007), 10-time Gold Glove Award winner (1990-99), seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996-99), NL Comeback Player of the Year (2005), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Ken Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the most popular, electric players to ever step on a baseball diamond. He also was a second-generation MLB player following his father, Ken Griffey Sr.
The second half of Junior's career was overshadowed by baseball's steroids era, but the appreciation of his accomplishments was never more evident than when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 with a 99.32 percent vote, breaking Tom Seaver's 24-year-old record.
One thing Griffey Jr. never did in his 22 seasons? Play in the World Series.
37. Tris Speaker — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 4, 1888 (Hubbard, Texas)
Died: Dec. 8, 1958 (age 70, Whitney, Texas)
Position: Center Field
Years played: 1907-28
Teams: Boston Americans/Red Sox (1907-15), Cleveland Indians (1916-26), Washington Senators (1927), Philadelphia Athletics (1928)
MLB Career highlights: Three-time World Series champion (1912, 1915, 1920), American League MVP (1912), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Tris Speaker Almost 100 years after his final MLB season, Tris Speaker still holds MLB records for doubles (792) and outfield assists (449), double plays (143) and unassisted double plays by an outfielder (6).
At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, he was exceptionally well-built for his era, and it makes you wonder how he might have fared in today's MLB. We think his skill set would have probably made him an All-Star.
Speaker, like many of the players from his era, has a profoundly complicated legacy. Was he the villain some people have accused him of being , or was he someone who tried to help MLB change for the better ?
37. Cy Young — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: March 29. 1867 (Gilmore, Ohio)
Died: Nov. 4, 1955 (age 88, Newcomerstown, Ohio)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1890-1911
Teams: Cleveland Spiders (1890-98), St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals (1899-1900), Boston Americans/Red Sox (1901-08), Cleveland Naps (1909-11), Boston Rustlers (1911)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1903), Triple Crown (1901), five-time MLB wins leader (1892, 1895, 1901-03), two-time ERA leader (1892, 1901), two-time MLB strikeouts leader (1896, 1901)
Bottom Line: Cy Young MLB's career wins leader also threw three no-hitters and one perfect game. He also owns the career records for innings pitched (7356), starts (815) and complete games (749).
One year after Young's death, in 1956, the Cy Young Award was named for him to be given to baseball's best pitcher annually, and expanded to an award for both the NL and AL in 1967.
Young, who didn't even wear a glove until his sixth season, moved onto a friend's farm after his wife's death in 1933 and lived there until his death in 1955 at 88 years old.
37. Bert Blyleven — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 6, 1951 (Zeist, Netherlands)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1970-90, 1992
Teams: Minnesota Twins (1970-76, 1985-88), Texas Rangers (1976-77), Pittsburgh Pirates (1978-80), Cleveland Indians (1981-85), California Angels (1989-90, 1992)
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1979, 1987), two-time All-Star (1973, 1985)
Bottom Line: Bert Blyleven Bert Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but his family moved to Canada, then to California when he was just a small child.
He only made two All-Star teams in his career but also won two World Series titles, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins, respectively.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011 on his 14th try.
37. Harold Baines — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: March 15, 1959 (Easton, Maryland)
Position: Right field/designated hitter
MLB Years played: 1980-2001
Teams: Chicago White Sox (1980-89, 1996-96, 2000-01), Texas Rangers (1989-90), Oakland Athletics (1990-92), Baltimore Orioles (1993-95, 1997-99, 2000), Cleveland Indians (1999)
Career highlights: Six-time All-Star (1985-1987, 1989, 1991, 1999), Silver Slugger Award (1989)
Bottom Line: Harold Baines Harold Baines' career in the American League was defined as being a superstar player for a terrible team in the 1980s, the Chicago White Sox. He extended his career by at least a decade when he transitioned to being primarily a designated hitter.
Baines' induction into the Hall of Fame in 2019 might be one of the most hotly debated of all time. He never received greater than 6.1 percent of the vote while he was actually on ballots before the Today's Game Committee put him in Cooperstown.
37. Dave Winfield — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Oct. 3, 1951 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
Position: Right field
Years played: 1973-88, 1990-95
Teams: San Diego Padres (1973-80), New York Yankees (1981-88, 1990), California Angels (1990-91), Toronto Blue Jays (1992), Minnesota Twins (1993-94), Cleveland Indians (1995)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1992), 12-time MLB All-Star (1977-88), seven-time Gold Glove Award winner (1979, 1980, 1982-85, 1987), six-time Silver Slugger Award (1981-85, 1992)
Bottom Line: Dave Winfield Dave Winfield was a great athlete who also could have had a professional basketball career. He was a hoops star at the University of Minnesota and selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA draft and Utah Stars in the ABA draft.
Winfield chose baseball and was one of the greatest outfielders in MLB history, where he surpassed 3,000 hits and won six Gold Glove Awards.
One of the most notorious beefs in sports history was between Winfield and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who made Winfield the highest-paid player in MLB history with a 10-year, $23 million contract in 1981.
The problem? Steinbrenner misunderstood a "cost-of-living" clause in the contract and thought he was signing Winfield for $16 million.
37. Jim Thome — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Aug. 27, 1970 (Peoria, Illinois)
Position: First base/third base/designated hitter
Years played: 1991-2012
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1991-2002, 2011), Philadelphia Phillies (2003-05, 2012), Chicago White Sox (2006-09), Los Angeles Dodgers (2009), Minnesota Twins (2010-11), Baltimore Orioles (2012)
MLB Career highlights: Five-time MLB All-Star (1997-99, 2004, 2006), Silver Slugger Award (1996), Roberto Clemente Award (2002)
Bottom Line: Jim Thome Jim Thome based his batting stance on watching Roy Hobbs, the character played by Robert Redford in the 1984 film "The Natural." Thome also was one of the more gregarious personalities to play in the majors over the last 25 years.
Thome, who was influenced by getting turned down for an autograph from Dave Kingman as a youth, went out of his way to be kind to fans and had a flair for the dramatic. His 13 career walk-off home runs are still an MLB record.
37. Randy Johnson — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Sept. 10, 1963 (Walnut Creek, California)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1988-2009
Teams: Montreal Expos (1988-89), Seattle Mariners (1989-98), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08), New York Yankees (2005-06), San Francisco Giants (2009)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (2001), five-time Cy Young Award (1995, 1999-2002), World Series MVP (2001), 10-time All-Star (1990, 1993-95, 1997, 1999-2002, 2004), Triple Crown (2002), MLB wins leader (2002), four-time ERA leader (1995. 1999, 2001, 2002), nine-time MLB strikeouts leader (1992-95, 1999-2002, 2004)
Bottom Line: Randy Johnson Five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, at 6-foot-10, was likely the most intimidating pitcher of all time. Batters who faced Johnson in his prime routinely talked about their fear for their own physical safety at the plate over the entirety of his 22 seasons.
This fear was best (and most comically) evidenced by John Kruk's reaction when Johnson threw a fastball over his head during the 1993 All-Star Game.
37. Gary Sheffield — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 18, 1968 (Tampa, Florida)
Position: Outfield/third base
Years played: 1988-2009
Teams: Milwaukee Brewers (1988-91), San Diego Padres (1992-93), Florida Marlins (1993-98), Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2001), Atlanta Braves (2002-03), New York Yankees (2004-06), Detroit Tigers (2007-08), New York Mets (2009)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1997), nine-time All-Star (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998-2000, 2003-05), five-time Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 2003-05)
Bottom Line: Gary Sheffield Because Gary Sheffield wasn't always the greatest teammate, he probably doesn't get his due as one of the greatest hitters of all time. But he is.
The stat that stands out the most for Sheffield over his career is that in 22 seasons he only struck out over 80 times in a single season twice. Add in the fact that he hit over 500 home runs, and this is a player who probably should get more consideration for the Hall of Fame.
37. Gaylord Perry — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: Sept. 15, 1938 (Williamston, North Carolina)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1962-83
Teams: San Francisco Giants (1962-71), Cleveland Indians (1972-75), Texas Rangers (1975-77, 1980), San Diego Padres (1978-79), New York Yankees (1980), Atlanta Braves (1981), Seattle Mariners (1982-83), Kansas City Royals (1983)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time Cy Young Award (1972, 1978), five-time All-Star (1966, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979), three-time MLB wins leader (1970, 1972, 1978)
Bottom Line: Gaylord Perry Gaylord Perry was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues, with the Cleveland Indians in 1972 and the San Diego Padres in 1978.
Perry, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991, was notorious for doctoring pitches with anything he could, from Vaseline to hair grease to his own spit to powder from the rosin bag.
37. Rich Gossage — 22 Seasons (Tie) Born: July 5, 1951 (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1972-89, 1991-94
Teams: Chicago White Sox (1972-76), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977), New York Yankees (1978-83, 1989), San Diego Padres (1984-87), Chicago Cubs (1988), San Francisco Giants (1989), Texas Rangers (1991), Oakland Athletics (1992-93), Seattle Mariners (1994)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1978), nine-time MLB All-Star (1975-78, 1980-82, 1984, 1985)
(Note: 37 MLB players are tied with 22 seasons each, only 20 are featured here)
Bottom Line: Rich Gossage Rich "Goose" Gossage is one of the most well-known relief pitchers of all time, most notably from his time with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, including when he won a World Series championship with the Yankees in 1978.
Gossage had straight flames coming out of his powerful right arm, topping out at 103 miles per hour on a pitch during that 1978 season. Gossage also made nine All-Star teams.
21. Carl Yastrzemski — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Aug. 22, 1939 (Southampton, New York)
Position: Left field/first base
Years played: 1961-83
Teams: Boston Red Sox
MLB Career highlights: American League MVP (1967), Triple Crown (1967), 18-time MLB All-Star (1963, 1965-79, 1982, 1983)
All career stats are from Baseball-Reference .
Bottom Line: Carl Yastrzemski Carl Yastrzemski played all 23 years of his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox but never won a World Series. "Yaz" was an 18-time All-Star and had his best season in 1967, winning the American League Triple Crown and American League MVP.
He's still Boston's career leader in RBIs (1,844), runs (1,816), hits (3,419), singles (2,262), doubles (646), total bases (5,539) and games played (3,308) and is always mentioned as one of the greatest players to never win a World Series.
Yastrzemski, just 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, was a phenomenal athlete. He actually went to Notre Dame on a basketball scholarship before making the move to baseball full time.
21. Brooks Robinson — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 18, 1937 (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Died: Sept. 26, 2023, 86 years old (Baltimore, Maryland)
Position: Third base
Years played: 1955-77
Teams: Baltimore Orioles
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1966, 1970), 18-time MLB All-Star (1960-74), American League MVP (1964), World Series MVP (1970), 16-time Gold Glove Award (1960-75), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Brooks Robinson Brooks Robinson is in the discussion for greatest third baseman of all time. Defensively, no one holds a candle to the 16-time Gold Glove Award winner who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles.
Robinson led the Orioles to two World Series championships, in 1966 and 1970, with the Arkansas native bringing home World Series MVP honors in 1970.
21. Henry Aaron — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Feb. 5, 1934 (Mobile, Alabama)
Died: Jan. 22, 2021 (age 86, Atlanta, Georgia)
Position: Right field
Years played: 1954-76
Teams: Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-74), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1957), National League MVP (1957), 25-time MLB All-Star (1955-75), three-time Gold Glove Award winner (1958-60), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Henry Aaron Hank Aaron is still the MLB career leader in RBI (2,297) and extra-base hits (1,477) closing in on 50 years since his career ended.
Aaron broke one of the most hallowed records in sports when he became the MLB career leader for home runs in 1974, and his 755 career home runs stood as the record until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007. Aaron's forte was consistency. He averaged 32 home runs and 99 RBI for 23 seasons.
He died in 2021 at 86 years old.
21. Early Wynn — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Jan. 6, 1920 (Hartford, Alabama)
Died: April 4, 1999 (age 79, Venice, Florida)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1939, 1941-44, 1946-48, 1949-63
Teams: Washington Senators (1939, 1941-44, 1946-48), Cleveland Indians (1949-57, 1963), Chicago White Sox (1958-62)
MLB Career highlights: Cy Young Award (1959), nine-time All-Star (1947, 1955-60), two-time MLB wins leader (1954, 1959), AL ERA leader (1950), two-time AL strikeouts leader (1957, 1958)
Bottom Line: Early Wynn Early Wynn left high school in rural Alabama before graduating to sign with the Washington Senators for $100 a month and made his MLB debut in 1939 at just 19 years old.
One of the toughest, meanest pitchers to ever step on the mound, Wynn served two years fighting in World War II and won his only Cy Young in 1959, his 21st season.
21. Willie Mays — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 6, 1931 (Westfield, Alabama)
Position: Center field
Years played: 1951-52, 1954-73
Teams: New York Mets/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-72), New York Mets (1972-73)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1954), two-time National League MVP (1954, 1965), National League Rookie of the Year (1951), 12-time Gold Glove Award winner (1957-68), 24-time MLB All-Star (1954-73), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Willie Mays Willie Mays is one of the few baseball players who can claim GOAT status — truly one of the greatest to ever do it.
Mays came out of abject poverty in rural Alabama and was playing professionally in the Negro Leagues by the time he was 16 years old. He was in the majors by the time he was 19 years old with the New York Giants.
Mays still holds the MLB record with 22 extra-inning home runs and is one of just a handful of players to hit over 600 home runs and record 3,000 hits. Even with all that power, he still had a career .302 batting average.
21. Tony Perez — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 14, 1972 (Ciego de Avila, Cuba)
Position: First base/third base
Years played: 1964-86
Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1964-76, 1984-86), Montreal Expos (1977-79), Boston Red Sox (1980-82), Philadelphia Phillies (1983)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1975, 1976), seven-time MLB All-Star (1967-70, 1974-76)
Bottom Line: Tony Perez Tony Perez was a key part of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s when the franchise won back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976. He also made seven All-Star appearances.
Perez was one of the greatest power hitters in the National League for almost a decade. He had over 100 RBIs in seven consecutive seasons from 1970 to 1976.
Perez's son, Eduardo Perez, went on to play 13 seasons in the majors.
21. Greg Maddux — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 14, 1966 (San Angelo, Texas)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1986-2008
Teams: Chicago Cubs (1986-92), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Chicago Cubs (2004-06), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-08)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1995), four-time NL Cy Young Award (1992-95), eight-time All-Star (1988, 1992 ,1994-98), 18-time Gold Glove Award (1990-2002, 2004-08), three-time MLB wins leader (1992, 1994, 1995), four-time MLB ERA leader (1993-95, 1998)
Bottom Line: Greg Maddux Only Greg Maddux and fellow Hall of Famer Randy Johnson have won Cy Young Awards in four consecutive seasons. Maddux achieved the feat first from 1992 to 1995.
Two of Maddux's most telling career statistics are his MLB records of 18 Gold Glove Awards and 17 consecutive seasons with at least 15 wins.
21. Don Sutton — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 2, 1945 (Clio, Alabama)
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Years played: 1966-87
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1966-80, 1988), Houston Astros (1981-82), Milwaukee Brewers (1982-84), Oakland Athletics (1985), California Angels (1985-87)
MLB Career highlights: Four-time MLB All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977), MLB ERA leader (1980)
Bottom Line: Don Sutton Don Sutton spent just one season in the minor leagues before joining a Los Angeles Dodgers pitching rotation that included two other Hall of Famers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.
Sutton finished his career with 324 wins, but he was snakebit in the postseason. Not only was he winless in four trips to the World Series, but the Dodgers won the World Series twice right after he left the team, in 1981 and 1988.
21. Rusty Staub — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 1, 1944 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Died: March 29, 2018 (age 73, West Palm Beach, Florida)
Position: Right fielder/first baseman/designated hitter
Years played: 1963-85
Teams: Houston Colt. 45s/Astros (1963-68), Montreal Expos (1969-71), New York Mets (1972-75, 1981-85), Detroit Tigers (1976-79), Montreal Expos (1979), Texas Rangers (1980)
MLB Career highlights: Six-time MLB All-Star (1967-71, 1976)
Bottom: Rusty Staub Rusty Staub was only 19 when he became a full-time MLB player with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963 and played in 150 games.
Staub became a fan favorite on almost every team he played for but never was able to win a World Series championship in 23 seasons.
He came closest with the New York Mets, losing in the 1973 World Series and leaving the team in 1985 — the year before they won the World Series in 1986.
21. Dennis Martinez — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 14, 1955 (Granada, Nicaragua)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1976-98
Teams: Baltimore Orioles (1976-86), Montreal Expos (1986-93), Cleveland Indians (1994-96), Seattle Mariners (1997), Atlanta Braves (1998)
MLB Career highlights: Four-time MLB All-Star (1990-92, 1995)
Bottom Line: Dennis Martinez Dennis Martinez was the first Nicaraguan to play in the majors and set the record for most career wins by a pitcher from Latin America, finishing his career with 244 wins.
Martinez was a consistently great pitcher throughout his career. He led the majors in wins (14) in 1981 (a strike-shortened season) and led the majors in ERA (2.39) in 1991, the same year he pitched the 13th perfect game in MLB history.
21. Rabbit Maranville — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 11, 1991 (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Died: Jan. 6, 1954 (age 62, Queens, New York)
Position: Infielder
Years played: 1912-35
Teams: Boston Braves (1912-20), Pittsburgh Pirates (1921-24), Chicago Cubs (1925), Brooklyn Robins (1926), St. Louis Cardinals (1927-28), Boston Braves (1929-33, 1935)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1914), National Baseball Hall of Fame (1954)
Bottom Line: Rabbit Maranville Rabbit Maranville played all 23 seasons of his MLB career in the National League — a record that stood until Pete Rose broke it in 1986.
Maranville's play stood out, of course, but he's most remembered for his personality. Maranville remains one of the most eccentric people to ever play in the majors. He was known for his pranks and mocking of umpires, behavior largely attributed to his love of drinking.
21. Rogers Hornsby — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 27, 1986 (Winters, Texas)
Died: Jan. 5, 1963 (age 66, Chicago, Illinois)
Position: Second Base
Years played: 23 seasons (1915-37)
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1915-26, 1933), New York Giants (1927), Boston Braves (1928), Chicago Cubs (1929-32), St. Louis Browns (1933-37)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1926), two-time National League MVP (1925, 1929), two-time Triple Crown winner (1922, 1925), seven-time National League batting champion (1920-25, 1928), MLB All-Time Team
Bottom Line: Rogers Hornsby Perhaps the greatest second baseman of all time, Rogers Hornsby was one of the game's greatest hitters as well. He won two Triple Crowns and was named National League MVP twice in his 23 seasons in the majors.
Hornsby also was one of the first petulant, disliked superstars in league history. It was the reason such a great player switched teams so frequently. He was, by all accounts, the worst kind of person to be around. Hornsby didn't drink or smoke or engage in social activities with his teammates and more often than not derided those who didn't live like him.
In a huge plot twist, Hornsby's biggest flaw may have been a boulder-sized gambling habit on horse races. That habit not only lost him managerial jobs several times but also forced him to play pro ball into his 40s to make up for all the money he lost.
21. Tim Raines — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Sept. 16, 1959 (Sanford, Florida)
Position: Left field
Years played: 1979-2002
Teams: Montreal Expos (1979-90, 2001), Chicago White Sox (1991-95), New York Yankees (1996-98), Oakland Athletics (1999), Baltimore Orioles (2001), Florida Marlins (2002)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1996, 1998), seven-time All-Star (1981-87), Silver Slugger Award (1986), NL batting champion (1986)
Bottom Line: Tim Raines Tim Raines had elite speed. In high school, he was one of the nation's most sought-after running back recruits in football. He chose baseball, and the rest is history.
Raines defined the majors in the 1980s and led the National League in stolen bases four times. His career lasted a whopping 23 seasons and stretched out over four different decades.
He was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
21. Jack Quinn — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: July 1, 1883 (Stefuro, Austria-Hungary)
Died: April 17, 1946 (age 62, Pottsville, Pennsylvania)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1909-33
Teams: New York Highlanders (1909-12), Boston Braves (1913), Baltimore Terrapins (1914-15), Chicago White Sox (1918), New York Yankees (1919-21), Boston Red Sox (1922-25), Philadelphia Athletics (1925-30), Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers (1931-32), Cincinnati Reds (1933)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1929, 1930)
Bottom Line: Jack Quinn Jack Quinn was 49 years and 70 days old when he won a game as a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. That was the MLB record for oldest pitcher to win a game until Jamie Moyer broke it in 2012.
Quinn got his start as a baseball player in an unusual way, catching a foul ball as a 14-year-old in the stands at a minor league game in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and gunning it back to home plate, where it hit the catcher in the middle of his mitt. The throw impressed the team's manager that Quinn was offered a contract.
If it sounds familiar, that's because it's essentially the same thing that happened in the 1993 film "Rookie of the Year" when the Chicago Cubs discover middle-schooler Henry Rowengarter in the stands at one of their games.
21. Jim O'Rourke — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Sept. 1, 1850 (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Died: Jan. 8, 1919 (age 68, Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Position: Outfielder
Years played: 1872-93, 1904
Teams: Middletown Mansfields (1872), Boston Red Stockings/Red Caps (1873-78), Providence Grays (1879), Boston Red Caps (1880), Buffalo Bisons (1881-84), New York Giants (1885-92), Washington Senators (1893), New York Giants (1904)
MLB Career highlights: National League HR leader (1880), National Baseball Hall of Fame (1945)
Bottom Line: Jim O'Rourke Jim O'Rourke, known as "Orator Jim," was a renaissance man who recorded the first hit in National League history and found time to graduate from Yale Law School.
O'Rourke practiced law while he was a professional baseball player, which flew in the face of stereotypes about ballplayers at a time when it was known as a rough-and-tumble sport mainly suited for immigrants.
Still one of only 29 players in MLB history to play in four different decades, O'Rourke played his last MLB game in 1904, at 54 years old, 11 years after he'd last played in the majors.
21. Julio Franco — 23 Seasons (Tie) Born: Aug. 28 1953 (Hoto Mayor, Dominican Republic)
Position: Utility
Years played: 1982-94, 1996-97, 1999, 2001-07
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies (1982), Cleveland Indians (1983-88, 1996-97), Texas Rangers (1989-93), Chicago White Sox (1994), Milwaukee Brewers (1997), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1999), Atlanta Braves (2001-05, 2007), New York Mets (2006-07)
MLB Career highlights: MLB All-Star (1989-1991), Silver Slugger Award (1989-1991), MLB All-Star MVP (1991)
Bottom Line: Julio Franco There have been few batting stances as distinguishable as Julio Franco's — the over-the-top wagging of the bat, the knees bent inward at weird angles, the rest of his frame seemingly immobile. And that's what it boiled down to with Franco. The dude could really hit.
Franco was outstanding in the 1980s, but what he did after that is truly amazing. He's the oldest player in MLB history to hit a grand slam, home run and steal a base, doing it all when he was 49 years old.
Franco didn't stop playing ball after his MLB career either. In 2014, he went 6-for-27 playing Independent League baseball for the Fort Worth Cats. He was 56 years old.
11. Carlton Fisk — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: Dec. 26, 1947 (Bellows Falls, Vermont)
Position: Catcher
Years played: 1969-93
Teams: Boston Red Sox (1969-80), Chicago White Sox (1981-93)
MLB Career highlights: AL Rookie of the Year (1972), Gold Glove Award (1972), 11-time MLB All-Star (1972-74, 1976-78, 1980-82, 1985, 1991), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1981, 1986, 1988), National Baseball Hall of Fame (2000)
Bottom Line: Carlton Fisk Carlton Fisk remains one of the most well-known and well-respected catchers in MLB history. "Pudge" was one of three Fisk brothers drafted off the baseball team at Charlestown (New Hampshire) High alongside Calvin and Conrad.
Fisk's path was different. He played basketball and baseball at the University of New Hampshire before making it to the majors in 1969 with the Boston Red Sox, then breaking through in 1972 as the American League Rookie of the Year.
Fisk only played for two teams in his 24 years, going from the Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox in 1981.
11. Ty Cobb — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: Dec. 18, 1886 (Narrows, Georgia)
Died: July 17, 1961 (age 74, Atlanta, Georgia)
Position: Center field
Years played: 1905-28
Teams: Detroit Tigers (1905-26), Philadelphia Athletics (1927-28)
MLB Career highlights: American League MVP (1911), Triple Crown (1909), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Ty Cobb Ty Cobb is one of the legendary figures in sports history. A 12-time American League batting champion, Cobb also led the AL in stolen bases six times, RBI four times and still holds the MLB record for career batting average at .366.
What Cobb's legacy doesn't include is a World Series championship. But it does have a heaping of tragedy. He was 18 years old when he played his first game in the majors, which also came three weeks after his mother murdered his father.
11. Pete Rose — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 14, 1941 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Position: Utility
Years played: 1963-86
Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1963-78, 1984-86), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-83), Montreal Expos (1984)
MLB Career highlights: Three-time World Series champion (1975,1976,1980), National League MVP (1973), World Series MVP (1975), NL Rookie of the Year (1963), 17-time MLB All-Star (1965, 1967-71, 1973-83, 1985), two-time Gold Glove Award winner (1969, 1970), Silver Slugger Award (1981), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Pete Rose Pete Rose may never make the Hall of Fame after being banned from the game for betting on his own team, but you can't be taken away his records.
Rose, who has been retired for 35 years, still holds MLB career records for hits (4,256), singles (3,215), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and plate appearances (15,890).
Rose was also a winner. He won back-to-back World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976, then again with the Phillies in 1980.
11. Phil Niekro — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 1, 1939 (Blaine, Ohio)
Died: Dec. 26, 2020 (age 81, Flowery Branch, Georgia)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1964-87
Teams: Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1964-83, 1987), New York Yankees (1984-85), Cleveland Indians (1986-87), Toronto Blue Jays (1987)
MLB Career highlights: Five-time All-Star (1969, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1983), five-time Gold Glove Award (1978-80, 1982, 1983), two-time NL wins leader (1974, 1979), MLB ERA leader (1967), NL strikeout leader (1977)
Bottom Line: Phil Nieko Phil Niekro's 318 wins are the most for any primary knuckleball pitcher in MLB history, and the 539 combined wins between him and younger brother Joe Niekro are the most of any siblings in MLB history.
Phil grew up in Bridgeport, Ohio, playing childhood sports alongside another Hall of Famer in a different sport — Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek.
11. Roger Clemens — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: Aug. 4, 1962 (Dayton, Ohio)
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Years played: 1984-2006
Teams: Boston Red Sox (1984-96), Toronto Blue Jays (1997-98), New York Yankees (1999-2003, 2007), Houston Astros (2004-06)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1999, 2000), seven-time Cy Young Award (1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004), AL MVP (1986), two-time Triple Crown (1997, 1998), four-time MLB wins leader (1986, 1987, 1997, 1998), seven-time MLB ERA leader (1986, 1990-92, 1997, 1998, 2005), five-time AL strikeout leader (1988, 1991, 1996-98), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Roger Clemens Roger Clemens is the only member of the 300 win club not yet inducted into the Hall of Fame despite having been eligible for induction since 2013.
It's worth noting that the ultimate outcome of the thing keeping Clemens out of Cooperstown — accusations of steroid use — was one mistrial and one acquittal on all six counts of lying to Congress during its hearings on steroids in baseball.
11. Dennis Eckersley — (Tie) Born: Oct. 3, 1954 (Oakland, California)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1975-98
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1975-77), Boston Red Sox (1978-84, 1998), Chicago Cubs (1984-86), Oakland Athletics (1987-95), St. Louis Cardinals (1996-97)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1989), American League MVP (1992), American League Cy Young Award (1992), six-time MLB All-Star (1977, 1982, 1988, 1990-92), ALCS MVP (1988)
Bottom Line: Dennis Eckersley Perhaps the best-known relief pitcher of the 1980s and 1990s, Dennis Eckersley had his best years with his hometown team, the Oakland Athletics.
Eckersley helped lead the A's to a World Series championship in 1989 and was named American League MVP in 1992.
But he is still best known for the low point of his career, giving up a home run to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series , one of the most famous home runs in MLB history.
11. Omar Vizquel — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 24, 1967 (Caracas, Venezuela)
Position: Shortstop
Years played: 1989-2012
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1989-93), Cleveland Indians (1994-2004), San Francisco Giants (2005-08), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010-11), Toronto Blue Jays (2012)
MLB Career highlights: Three-time MLB All-Star (1998, 1999, 2002), 11-time Gold Glove Award (1993-2001, 2005, 2006)
Bottom Line: Omar Vizquel Omar Vizquel is definitely in the conversation for the greatest fielding shortstop of all time. He holds the MLB records for shortstops for best fielding percentage (.985), games played (2,968) and double plays turned (1,797).
Vizquel won 11 Gold Glove Awards, including nine consecutive, and was no slouch at the plate. He came perilously close to having 3,000 hits and 1,000 RBI for his career, finishing with 2,877 hits and 951 RBI.
Vizquel is one of just 29 players in MLB history to play in four different decades and the only shortstop to do so.
11. Rick Dempsey — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: Sept. 13, 1949 (Fayetteville, Tennessee)
Position: Catcher
Career: 24 seasons (1969-92)
Teams: Minnesota Twins (1969-72), New York Yankees (1973-76), Baltimore Orioles (1979-86, 1992), Cleveland Indians (1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988-90), Milwaukee Brewers (1991)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1983, 1988), World Series MVP (1988)
Bottom Line: Rick Dempsey Rick Dempsey crafted a reputation as being one of the best defensive catchers of his era and for being nails in the postseason.
Dempsey was a clutch part of two World Series championship teams — the Baltimore Orioles in 1983 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
Dempsey still isn't paying for drinks in Baltimore after he was named World Series MVP in 1983, when he batted .385 with a .923 slugging percentage in a 4-1 series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
11. Steve Carlton — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: Dec. 22, 1944 (Miami, Florida)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Career: 24 seasons (1965-88)
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1965-71), Philadelphia Phillies (1972-86), San Francisco Giants (1986), Chicago White Sox (1986), Cleveland Indians (1987), Minnesota Twins (1987-88)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1967, 1980), four-time Cy Young Award (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982), 10-time MLB All-Star (1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979-82), Triple Crown (1972), Gold Glove Award (1981), four-time NL wins leader (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982), NL ERA leader (1972), five-time NL strikeouts leader (1972, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983)
Bottom Line: Steve Carlton Steve Carlton was a true throwback. He's still the last pitcher to win 25 or more games in the National League and the last pitcher in all of MLB to throw 300 innings in a single season.
Carlton, who was also the first four-time Cy Young Award winner, refused to speak to the media starting in 1974 through the end of his career in 1988.
11. Jesse Orosco — 24 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 21, 1957 (Santa Barbara, California)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1979, 1981-2003
Teams: New York Mets (1979, 1981-87), Los Angeles Dodgers (1988, 2001-02), Cleveland Indians (1989-91), Milwaukee Brewers (1992-94), Baltimore Orioles (1995-99), St. Louis Cardinals (2000), San Diego Padres (2003), New York Yankees (2003), Minnesota Twins (2003)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1986, 1988), two-time MLB All-Star (1983, 1984)
Bottom Line: Jesse Orosco Jesse Orosco was at the peak of his powers in the late 1980s as a crafty, left-handed relief pitcher who helped lead two teams to World Series titles — first with the New York Mets in 1986, then with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
Orosco is one of only 29 players in MLB history to pitch in four different decades and still has the MLB career record with 1,252 games pitched.
And he was 46 years old when he pitched in his last game.
5. Eddie Collins — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 2, 1887 (Millerton, New York)
Died: March 25, 1951 (age 63, Boston, Massachusetts)
Position: Second base
Years played: 1906-26
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (1906-14, 1927-30), Chicago White Sox (1915-26)
MLB Career highlights: Six-time World Series champion (1910, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1929, 1930), American League MVP (1914)
Bottom Line: Eddie Collins Eddie Collins might be Exhibit A for what the dead-ball era did to elite players. He only hit 47 home runs in 21 seasons, which is the least amount of home runs for any player in the 3,000 hit club .
What Collins did better than almost any player in MLB history is win. He's the only non-New York Yankees player to win at least five World Series championships with the same team.
Collins won the World Series six times — five with the Philadelphia Athletics and one with the Chicago White Sox.
5. Bobby Wallace — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 4, 1873 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Died: Nov. 3, 1960 (age 86, Torrance, California)
Position: Right-handed pitcher/shortstop
Years played: 1894-1918
Teams: Cleveland Spiders (1894-98), St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals (1899-1901), St. Louis Browns (1902-16), St. Louis Cardinals (1917-18)
MLB Career highlights: National Baseball Hall of Fame (1953)
Bottom Line: Bobby Wallace Bobby Wallace started as a pitcher in the late 1800s before moving to the infield, where he'd spend the bulk of his career playing third base and shortstop.
Wallace spent the majority of his career in St. Louis, where he played for the Perfects, Cardinals and Browns. Wallace's record as the oldest shortstop to play in an MLB game stood from 1918, when he played at 44 years and 312 days old, until Omar Vizquel broke the record in 2012.
Wallace died on Nov. 3, 1960, one day before his 87th birthday.
5. Charlie Hough — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: Jan. 5, 1948 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Career: 25 seasons (1970-94)
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1970-80), Texas Rangers (1980-90), Chicago White Sox (1991-92), Florida Marlins (1993-94)
MLB Career highlights: MLB All-Star (1986)
Bottom Line: Charlie Hough Charlie Hough was a junior in high school when he spent the summer pitching against the collegiate competition in the Cape Cod League. Two years later, the Los Angeles Dodgers made him an eighth-round draft pick, touching off one of the longest careers in MLB history.
Hough received his first call-up in 1970 but didn't join the Dodgers' bullpen full-time until 1973.
Hough is probably still best known as being one of three pitchers who gave up three home runs to New York Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson on three consecutive pitches in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
5. Jim Kaat — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 7, 1938 (Zeeland, Michigan)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1959-83
Teams: Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1959-73), Chicago White Sox (1973-75), Philadelphia Phillies (1976-79), New York Yankees (1979-80), St. Louis Cardinals (1980-83)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1982), three-time MLB All-Star (1962, 1966, 1975), 16-time Gold Glove Award winner (1962-77), AL wins leader (1966)
Bottom Line: Jim Kaat Jim Kaat had an expansive career covering four different decades. He pitched his first MLB game in 1959 for the Washington Senators and his final game in 1983 for the St. Louis Cardinals, who also brought him the lone World Series title of his career in 1982.
After his pitching days were over, Kaat had a long run as a sportscaster. But he was a hard-luck Hall of Fame candidate in both attempts after his career and with the Veteran's Committee.
He finally got the call to Cooperstown in 2022 after the Golden Days Era Committee made him a baseball immortal.
5. Jamie Moyer — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 18, 1962 (Sellersville, Pennsylvania)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1986-2010, 2012
Teams: Chicago Cubs (1986-88), Texas Rangers (1989-90), St. Louis Cardinals (1991), Baltimore Orioles (1993-95), Boston Red Sox (1996), Seattle Mariners (1996-2006), Philadelphia Phillies (2006-10), Colorado Rockies (2012)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (2008), MLB All-Star (2003)
Bottom Line: Jamie Moyer For sheer longevity, Jamie Moyer deserves our respect.
When he returned from a one-year sabbatical for his final season with the Colorado Rockies in 2012, he twice became the oldest pitcher to win an MLB game — at 49, then 50 years old. Then, he became the oldest MLB batter to record an RBI at 50.
He also owns the record for most home runs allowed, 522 over 26 seasons.
5. Rickey Henderson — 25 Seasons (Tie) Born: Dec. 25, 1968 (Chicago, Illinois)
Position: Left field
Years played: 1979-2003
Teams: Oakland Athletics (1979-84, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998), New York Yankees (1985-89), Toronto Blue Jays (1993), San Diego Padres (1996-97, 2001), Anaheim Angels (1997), New York Mets (1999-2000), Seattle Mariners (2000), Boston Red Sox (2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2003)
MLB Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1989, 1993), American League MVP (1990), 10-time All-Star (1980, 1982-88, 1990, 1991), ALCS MVP (1989), Gold Glove Award (1981), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1981, 1985, 1990)
Bottom Line: Rickey Henderson Rickey Henderson was as dynamic and complete a baseball player who has ever lived. Henderson still owns MLB career records for stolen bases (1,406), runs (2,295) and leadoff home runs (81). He also owns the MLB single-season record with 130 stolen bases.
Henderson, who led the AL in stolen bases 12 times, played in the majors until he was almost 45 years old and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.
In an interesting twist of fate, Henderson was a big-time college football recruit out of high school in Oakland, but chose baseball after his mother, Bobbie, told him that baseball players had longer careers.
3. Tommy John — 26 Seasons (Tie) Born: May 22, 1943 (Terre Haute, Indiana)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Years played: 1963-75, 1976-89
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1963-64), Chicago White Sox (1965-71), Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-74, 1976-78), New York Yankees (1979-82, 1986-89), California Angels (1982-85), Oakland Athletics (1985)
MLB Career highlights: Four-time All-Star (1968, 1978-80)
Bottom Line: Tommy John "Tommy John surgery" has become synonymous with elbow problems for MLB pitchers over the last three decades, and it unfortunately overshadows the career of the actual man.
Tommy John pitched for an amazing 26 seasons and made All-Star teams in three different decades. But John somehow was never elected to the Hall of Fame, even though he had 288 career wins and his 164 wins post-surgery were just one less than Sandy Koufax's career total.
3. Deacon McGuire — 26 Seasons (Tie) Born: Nov. 18, 1863 (Youngstown, Ohio)
Died: Oct. 31, 1936 (age 72, Duck Lake, Michigan)
Position: Catcher
Years played: 1884-1912
Teams: Toledo Blue Stockings (1884), Detroit Wolverines (1885, 1888), Philadelphia Quakers (1886-88), Cleveland Blues (1888), Rochester Broncos (1890), Washington Statesman/Senators (1891-99), Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1901), Detroit Tigers (1902-03, 1912), New York Highlanders (1904-07), Boston Americans/Red Sox (1907-08), Cleveland Naps (1908, 1910)
MLB Career highlights: MLB record runners caught stealing (1,459), MLB record assists by catcher (1,860)
Bottom Line: Deacon McGuire No catcher held up better in MLB's early era than Deacon McGuire, who learned how to play baseball on cement lots before transitioning to semipro ball on the weekends while working in an iron foundry during the week.
McGuire, who was an MLB manager for several teams after his career ended, retired with MLB records for most career games for a catcher (1,612), most catcher assists (1,860), most catcher double plays (143), most runners caught stealing (1,459) and most stolen bases allowed (2,546).
1. Cap Anson — 27 Seasons (Tie) Born: April 17, 1852 (Marshalltown, Iowa)
Died: April 14, 1922 (age 69, Chicago, Illinois)
Position: First base
Career: 27 seasons (1871-97)
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (1872-75), Chicago White Stockings (1876-97)
MLB Career highlights: Six-time National League pennant winner (1876, 1880-82,1885-86)
Bottom Line: Cap Anson Cap Anson ended his career with 3,435 hits and was one of MLB's first stars. He also was one of the most racist professional athletes in history.
Anson refused to play with or against Black players during his career and fought for segregation in baseball throughout his career. In a long history of MLB villains , Anson might be the very worst.
1. Nolan Ryan — 27 Seasons (Tie) Born: Jan. 31, 1947 (Refugio, Texas)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Years played: 1966, 1968-93
Teams: New York Mets (1966, 1968-71), California Angels (1972-79), Houston Astros (1980-88), Texas Rangers (1989-93)
MLB Career highlights: World Series champion (1969), eight-time All-Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989), 11-time MLB strikeout leader (1972-74, 1976-79, 1987-90), two-time NL leader (1981, 1987), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Nolan Ryan Nolan Ryan became one of MLB's greatest pitchers over a 27-year career that included MLB career records with seven no-hitters and 5,714 strikeouts.
Ryan is one of just a handful of players to play in four different decades. Even more amazing is he pitched no-hitters in three different decades over the span of 18 years.
Ryan credited part of his longevity to unorthodox workouts, including throwing footballs in the offseason and to warm up. As any 1980s card collector kid will remember from this famous Upper Deck card .
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