Greatest MLB Powers Hitters of All Time Barry Bonds set the MLB single-season record with 73 home runs in 2001. Baseball changed in 1919. That's when a 24-year-old Boston Red Sox outfielder named Babe Ruth started hitting home runs at a rate thought impossible. His league-leading 29 home runs that year were just an appetizer for what was to come. He went on to hit over 40 home runs in a season 12 times and forever altered our perception of a great hitter.
After the Bambino, it was all about hitting for power. Over the years, analytics have created several ways we can gauge a great power hitter, including the underrated ISO Power stat created by Branch Rickey and Allan Roth in the 1950s, which measures how often a player gets extra-base hits.
We used all that and a little bit more to determine the greatest power hitters in MLB history.
30. Carlos Delgado Carlos Delgado is one of just a handful of players to hit at least 30 home runs in 10 consecutive seasons. Note: ISO Power can be calculated by subtracting batting average from slugging percentage. For context, .250 is an excellent ISO rating , .200 is good, .170 is above average and .140 is average.
Born: June 25, 1972 (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico)
Career: 17 seasons (1993-2009)
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1993-2004), Florida Marlins (2005), New York Mets (2006-09)
Position: First base
Stats: 473 HR, 2,038 H, .546 SLG
ISO Power: .266
Career highlights: World Series champion (1993), two-time MLB All-Star (2000, 2003), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1999, 2000, 2003), Roberto Clemente Award (2006)
Bottom Line: Carlos Delgado Carlos Delgado is one of just 15 players to hit four home runs in one game. He did it on Sept. 25, 2003, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
He's also one of only six players in MLB history to hit at least 30 home runs in 10 consecutive seasons. Delgado's career is probably greatly underappreciated because he never won a World Series that he played in.
He sat the bench for the Toronto Blue Jays when they won the World Series in 1993 as a rookie.
29. Sammy Sosa Sammy Sosa's emergence as a star in the late 1990s helped save baseball. Born: Nov. 12, 1968 (San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic)
Career: 18 seasons (1989-2005, 2007)
Teams: Texas Rangers (1989, 2007), Chicago White Sox (1989-91), Chicago Cubs (1992-2004), Baltimore Orioles (2005)
Position: Right field
Stats: 609 HR, 2,408 H, .534 SLG
ISO Power: .261
Career highlights: National League MVP (1998), seven-time MLB All-Star (1995, 1998-2002, 2004), six-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1995, 1998-2002), Roberto Clemente Award (1998)
Bottom Line: Sammy Sosa Of all the players from the steroid era, few can trace their fame and success directly to PED use as much as Sammy Sosa, who is the only player in MLB history to hit 60 or more home runs in a season three times.
One of just seven players to hit 600 career home runs, Sosa reached 400 home runs quicker than any player in MLB history. Sosa is unlikely to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He'll go off the ballot in 2023 and needs at least 75 percent of voters to select him in order to be inducted.
In 2020, he received 13.9 percent of the vote.
28. Ralph Kiner Back injuries ended Ralph Kiner's career after 10 seasons. Born: Oct. 27, 1922 (Santa Rita, New Mexico)
Died: Feb. 6, 2014 (age 91, Rancho Mirage, California)
Career: 10 seasons (1946-55)
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1946-53), Chicago Cubs (1953-54), Cleveland Indians (1955)
Position: Left field
Stats: 369 HR, 1,451 H, .548 SLG
ISO Power: .269
Career highlights: Six-time MLB All-Star (1948-53), seven-time National League home run leader (1946-52)
Bottom Line: Ralph Kiner Ralph Kiner's career only lasted 10 seasons because of a debilitating back injury, but he set the MLB record by leading the National League in home runs for seven consecutive seasons.
Kiner, who was married to tennis star Nancy Chaffee for 17 years, was the first National League player with multiple 50-home run seasons.
Post-career, Kiner had one of the longest broadcasting careers in MLB history, calling games for the New York Mets for 53 years.
27. Nelson Cruz Nelson Cruz set the MLB record with six home runs in the 2011 ALCS. Born: July 1, 1980 (Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic)
Career: 19 seasons (2005-present)
Teams: Milwaukee Brewers (2005), Texas Rangers (2006-13), Baltimore Orioles (2014), Seattle Mariners (2015-18), Minnesota Twins (2019-21), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), Washington Nationals (2022), San Diego Padres (2023-present)
Position: Right field/designated hitter
Stats: 462 HR, 2,043 H, .513 SLG
ISO Power: .239
Career highlights: Seven-time MLB All-Star (2009, 2013-15, 2017, 2018, 2021), ALCS MVP (2011), four-time Silver Slugger Award (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), Roberto Clemente Award (2021)
Bottom Line: Nelson Cruz Nelson Cruz makes this list based on sheer analytics. His career .595 slugging percentage and .ISO Power average of .251 are among the best in MLB history.
Cruz is also responsible for one of the greatest power-hitting displays in MLB postseason history in 2011, when he was named ALCS MVP after leading the Texas Rangers past the Detroit Tigers with an MLB-record six home runs and 13 RBI in the series.
Cruz, who only hit 22 home runs in his first four seasons, was suspended for 50 games in 2013 for using PEDs.
26. Frank Robinson Frank Robinson won MVP honors in both the American League and National League. Born: Aug. 31, 1935 (Beaumont, Texas)
Died: Feb. 7, 2019 (age 83, Los Angeles, California)
Career: 21 seasons (1956-76)
Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1956-65), Baltimore Orioles (1966-71), Los Angeles Dodgers (1972), California Angels (1973-74), Cleveland Indians (1974-76)
Position: Outfield
Stats: 586 HR, 2,943 H, .537 SLG
ISO Power: .243
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1966, 1970), National League MVP (1961), American League MVP (1966), World Series MVP (1966), Triple Crown (1966), NL Rookie of the Year (1956), Gold Glove Award (1958), 14-time MLB All-Star (1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1965-67, 1969-71, 1974)
Bottom Line: Frank Robinson Frank Robinson was a 14-time All-Star, hit over .300 nine times in his career and is considered one of the best all-around players in baseball history.
He's also one of the few players to win MVP honors in both the National League and the American League.
His greatest season was 1966, when he won the Triple Crown, American League MVP and World Series.
25. Joe DiMaggio Joe DiMaggio is one of the most well-known professional athletes of all time. Born: Nov. 25, 1914 (Martinez, California)
Died: March 8, 1999 (age 84, Hollywood, Florida)
Career: 13 seasons (1936-42, 1946-51)
Teams: New York Yankees
Position: Center field
Stats: 361 HR, 2,214 H, .579 SLG
ISO Power: .254
Career highlights: Nine-time World Series champion (1936-39, 1941, 1947, 1949-51), three-time American League MVP (1939, 1941, 1947), 13-time MLB All-Star (1936-42, 1946-51), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Joe DiMaggio Few athletes in history have captured the public's imagination like New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio, who owns one of the more unbreakable records in MLB annals with his 56-game hitting streak in 1941.
DiMaggio, who was once married to actress Marilyn Monroe, led the American League in batting average, home runs and RBI multiple times in his career and was also a three-time American League MVP.
DiMaggio insisted on being announced as the "Greatest Living Player" at events, and the one time it didn't happen was when Yankees fan Billy Crystal introduced DiMaggio and declined to say the phrase at an event honoring Mickey Mantle. DiMaggio responded by punching Crystal in the stomach .
24. Willie Stargell Willie Stargell swept the National League MVP, NLCS MVP and World Series MVP awards in 1979. Born: March 6, 1940 (Earlsboro, Oklahoma)
Died: April 9, 2001 (age 61, Wilmington, North Carolina)
Career: 21 seasons (1962-82)
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates
Position: Left field/first base
Stats: 475 HR, 2,232 H, .529 SLG
ISO Power: .247
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1971, 1979), National League MVP (1979), NLCS MVP (1979), seven-time MLB All-Star (1964-66, 1971-73, 1978), Roberto Clemente Award (1974)
Bottom Line: Willie Stargell Willie Stargell was the greatest power hitter of the 1970s, leading all of MLB with 296 home runs and 906 RBI in the decade along with leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a pair of World Series championships in 1971 and 1979.
Stargell is still the only player in MLB history to sweep the National League MVP, NLCS MVP and World Series MVP awards in one season when he did it in 1979. Stargell's true legacy may have been how he acted off the field as one of the more affable professional athletes of all time.
"There were 600 players (in MLB) when I played, and 599 of them loved Willie Stargell," Hall of Famer Joe Morgan once said. "There's nobody else I could ever say that about."
23. Manny Ramirez Manny Ramirez retired instead of serving a 100-game PED suspension in 2011. Born: May 30, 1972 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Career: 19 seasons (1993-2011)
Teams: Cleveland Indians (1993-2000), Boston Red Sox (2001-08), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-10), Chicago White Sox (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011)
Position: Left field/right field
Stats: 555 HR, 2,574 H, .585 SLG
ISO Power: .273
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (2004, 2007), World Series MVP (2004), nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1995, 1999-2006), 12-time MLB All-Star (1995, 1998-2008)
Bottom Line: Manny Ramirez Manny Ramirez was one of the worst fielding outfielders of all time, but he more than made up for his lack of fielding prowess by hitting at a level few have ever matched.
Ramirez also was one of the game's greatest, most irreverent personalities and one of the stars on Boston's epic run to the 2004 World Series title.
Ramirez was suspended 50 games for PED use in 2009 and was set to be suspended for 100 games for PED use in 2011, but chose to retire instead.
22. Willie McCovey Willie McCovey was one of the most feared hitters of all time. Born: Jan. 10, 1938 (Mobile, Alabama)
Died: Oct. 31, 2018 (age 80, Stanford, California)
Career: 18 seasons (1959-76)
Teams: San Francisco Giants (1959-73, 1977-80), San Diego Padres (1974-76), Oakland Athletics (1976)
Position: Left field/first base
Stats: 521 HR, 2,211 H, .515 SLG
ISO Power: .245
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 Willie McCovey was one of the greatest left-handed power hitters of all time and led the National League in home runs three times. He also is one of the greatest players to never win a World Series.
Want to know how intimidating a hitter McCovey was? None other than Bob Gibson, possibly the most intimidating pitcher who ever lived, admitted McCovey was one of only two hitters he ever faced who he feared.
The other was Reggie Jackson.
21. Giancarlo Stanton Giancarlo Stanton was named National League MVP in 2017. Born: Nov. 8, 1989 (Panorama City, California)
Career: 14 seasons (2010-present)
Teams: Florida/Miami Marlins (2010-17), New York Yankees (2018-present)
Position: Outfield/designated hitter
Stats: 382 HR, 1,397 H, .537 SLG
ISO Power: .273
Career highlights: National League MVP (2017), five-time MLB All-Star (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022), MLB All-Star Game MVP (2022), two-time Silver Slugger Award (2014, 2017), Wilson Defensive Player of the Year (2012)
Bottom Line: Giancarlo Stanton We can start with Giancarlo Stanton's contract. He signed what was then the richest deal in MLB history when he received a 13-year, $325 million deal from the Marlins in 2014, and has been with the New York Yankees since 2019.
And the reason he got that kind of money is he's shown he's one of the most dynamic power hitters in MLB history. His ISO Power average of .278 already is one of the best in MLB history, as is his .546 career slugging percentage.
One thing he hasn't done? Win a World Series.
20. Frank Thomas Frank Thomas was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. Born: May 27, 1968 (Columbus, Georgia)
Career: 19 seasons (1990-2008)
Teams: Chicago White Sox (1990-2005), Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008), Toronto Blue Jays (2007-08)
Position: First base/designated hitter
Stats: 521 HR, 2,468 H, .555 SLG
ISO Power: .254
Career highlights: Two-time American League MVP (1993, 1994), five-time MLB All-Star (1993-97), four-time Silver Slugger Award (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000)
Bottom Line: Frank Thomas Frank Thomas saw many of his greatest years somewhat overshadowed by baseball's steroid era, but Thomas never used PEDs and was the only player to willingly participate in the Mitchell Report.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. And unlike many power hitters, Thomas hit for average really well and won an American League batting title in 1997.
19. David Ortiz David Ortiz hit 13 walk-off home runs in his 20-year career. Born: Nov. 18, 1975 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Career: 20 seasons (1997-2016)
Teams: Minnesota Twins (1997-2002), Boston Red Sox (2003-16)
Position: Designated hitter/first base
Stats: 541 HR, 2,472 H, .551 SLG
ISO Power: .265
Career highlights: Three-time World Series champion (2004, 2007, 2013), World Series MVP (2013), ALCS MVP (2004), 10-time MLB All-Star (2004-08, 2010-13, 2016), Roberto Clemente Award (2011)
Bottom Line: David Ortiz David Ortiz was the leader on the legendary Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series in 2004, snapping the franchise's 86-year streak without a title.
Ortiz, a 10-time All-Star, led the Red Sox to two more World Series titles, was the ALCS MVP in 2004 and the World Series MVP in 2013. Ortiz is regarded as one of the greatest clutch hitters of all time, with 13 career walk-off home runs in the regular season and postseason combined.
He's also the career leader for designated hitters for home runs, RBI and hits.
18. Mike Schmidt Mike Schmidt was a rare combination of fielding prowess and power hitting. Born: Sept. 27, 1949 (Dayton, Ohio)
Career: 18 seasons (1972-89)
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Third base
Stats: 548 HR, 2,234 H, .527 SLG
ISO Power: .260
Career highlights: World Series champion (1980), three-time National League MVP (1980, 1981, 1986), World Series MVP (1980), 12-time MLB All-Star (1974, 1976, 1977, 1979-84, 1986, 1987, 1989), 10-time Gold Glove Award winner (1976-84, 1986), six-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1980-84, 1986)
Bottom Line: Mike Schmidt Mike Schmidt was one of the greatest third basemen in MLB history. A 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, Schmidt also led the National League in home runs eight times — one of the best combinations of fielding and power we've ever seen.
Schmidt played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies and was a three-time National League MVP. Tony Lucadello, perhaps the greatest baseball scout of all time, reportedly began scouting Schmidt when he was still in Little League.
17. Mickey Mantle Mickey Mantle led the New York Yankees to seven World Series championships in 18 seasons. Born: Oct. 20, 1931 (Spavinaw, Oklahoma)
Died: Aug. 13, 1995 (age 63, Dallas, Texas)
Career: 18 seasons (1951-68)
Teams: New York Yankees
Position: Center field
Stats: 536 HR, 2,415 H, .557 SLG
ISO Power: .259
Career highlights: Seven-time World Series champion (1951-53, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962), three-time American League MVP (1956, 1957, 1962), 20-time All-Star (1952-65, 1967, 1968), Triple Crown (1956), Gold Glove Award (1962), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Mickey Mantle Mickey Mantle was a frightening combination of speed and power, and was once clocked at a blazing 3.1 seconds from home plate to first base.
Probably the greatest switch-hitter who ever played the game, Mantle's ability to hit for average and for power was never more on display than when he won seven World Series championships for the New York Yankees.
He still holds World Series records for most home runs (18), extra-base hits (26) and total bases (123).
16. Hank Greenberg Hank Greenberg served 47 months in the military and missed almost five entire seasons in the prime of his career. Born: Jan. 1, 1911 (New York City, New York)
Died: Sept. 4, 1986 (age 75, Beverly Hills, California)
Career: 13 seasons (1930, 1933-41, 1945-47)
Teams: Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933-41, 1945-46), Pittsburgh Pirates (1947)
Position: First base
Stats: 331 HR, 1,628 H, .605 SLG
ISO Power: .292
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1935, 1945), five-time MLB All-Star (1937-40, 1945), two-time American League MVP (1935, 1940)
Bottom Line: Hank Greenberg Hank Greenberg was one of the greatest sluggers in MLB history and did so despite serving in World War II longer than any player in the majors, missing almost all of five seasons in his prime during his 47-month enlistment.
Greenberg — "The Hebrew Hammer" — was also the first Jewish superstar in pro sports and was one of just a handful of opposing players who openly supported and welcomed Jackie Robinson when he broke the color barrier in MLB in 1947.
15. Reggie Jackson Reggie Jackson led two different franchises to five World Series championships. Born: May 18, 1946 (Abington Township, Pennsylvania)
Career: 21 seasons (1967-87)
Teams: Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1967-75, 1987), Baltimore Orioles (1976), New York Yankees (1977-81), California Angels (1982-86)
Position: Right field
Stats: 563 HR, 2,584 H, .490 SLG
ISO Power: .228
Career highlights: Five-time World Series champion (1972-74, 1977, 1978), American League MVP (1973), 14-time MLB All-Star (1969, 1971-75, 1977-84), two-time World Series MVP (1973, 1977), two-time Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1982)
Bottom Line: Reggie Jackson Reggie Jackson was one of the more popular, well-known players in the history of the game. He also was one of baseball's greatest power hitters.
Jackson led the Oakland Athletics to three consecutive World Series titles in the early 1970s, then led the New York Yankees to two more World Series titles in 1977 and 1978.
Jackson had one of the greatest seasons in MLB history in 1973 when he led the Oakland Athletics to the World Series, led the American League in home runs and RBI, and swept American League MVP and World Series MVP honors.
14. Ted Williams Ted Williams left the Boston Red Sox for three years in his prime to serve in the United States military during World War II. Born: Aug. 30, 1918 (San Diego, California)
Died: July 5, 2002 (age 83, Inverness, Florida)
Career: 19 seasons (1939-42, 1946-60)
Teams: Boston Red Sox
Position: Left field
Stats: 521 HR, 2,654 H, .634 SLG
ISO Power: .289
Career highlights: Two-time American League MVP (1946, 1949), two-time Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947), 19-time MLB All-Star (1940-42, 1946-51, 1953-60), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Ted Williams "The Splendid Splinter" was simply the greatest pure hitter baseball has ever seen — only Pete Rose is somewhat comparable. The last player to hit over .400, Williams won the American League Triple Crown in 1942 before taking three years off to fight for the U.S. in World War II. Then, he won the Triple Crown again in 1947.
We've said this before, but Richard Ben Cramer's 1986 Esquire article, "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now? " is perhaps the greatest piece of sports journalism ever written.
And finally, ask yourself what Williams' numbers might have been had he not lost three years in his prime? It seems as if he would've cruised past both 600 home runs and 3,000 hits.
13. Albert Pujols Albert Pujols was named National League MVP three times in his first eight seasons. Born: Jan. 16, 1980 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Career: 22 seasons (2001-22)
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (2001-11), Los Angeles Angels (2012-21), Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), St. Louis Cardinals (2022)
Position: First base/designated hitter
Stats: 703 HR, 2,218 H, .544 SLG
ISO Power: .248
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), 11-time MLB All-Star (2001, 2003-10, 2015, 2022), NL Comeback Player of the Year (2022)
Bottom Line: Albert Pujols Albert Pujols is a lock as a first-ballot Hall of Famer despite seeing his career drastically decline in its second half — he finished out his career in 2022 by passing 700 home runs.
That being said, the first half of his career alone likely is what got him to Cooperstown. In his first 10 years, Pujols won two World Series titles, three National League MVP awards and was a nine-time All-Star.
He's also one of just four players in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 600 home runs alongside Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Alex Rodriguez.
12. Harmon Killebrew Harmon Killebrew was one of the more quiet, understated stars in MLB history. Born: June 29, 1936 (Payette, Idaho)
Died: May 17, 2011 (age 74, Scottsdale, Arizona)
Career: 22 seasons (1954-75)
Teams: Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1954-74), Kansas City Royals (1975)
Position: Outfield/first base/third base
Stats: 573 HR, 2,086 H, .509
ISO Power: .252
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, all but one of which he spent 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.
11. Mike Trout Mike Trout won three American League MVP awards in his first 10 seasons. Born: Aug. 7, 1991 (Vineland, New Jersey)
Career: 13 seasons (2011-present)
Teams: Los Angeles Angels
Position: Center field
Stats: 363 HR, 1,600 H, .585 SLG
ISO Power: .282
Career highlights: Three-time American League MVP (2014, 2016, 2019), 10-time MLB All-Star (2012-19, 2021, 2022), AL Rookie of the Year (2012), nine-time Silver Slugger Award (2012-16, 2018-20, 2022), Wilson Defensive Player of the Year (2012), three-time All-MLB Team (2019, 2020, 2022),
Bottom Line: Mike Trout You won't find many players on this list who led the league in stolen bases, but Mike Trout did so in 2012 and is also the greatest power hitter of his generation.
His .581 career slugging percentage and .ISO Power average of .278 are among the best in MLB history, and Trout is already a three-time American League MVP just one decade into his career.
Trout, who has yet to win a World Series, signed a six-year, $144.5 million contract in 2014 before he signed the richest contract in MLB history in 2019 — 12 years for $426 million. You would think all that money might be able to buy some postseason success.
10. Jim Thome Jim Thome created his batting stance after watching "The Natural" starring Robert Redford. Born: Aug. 27, 1970 (Peoria, Illinois)
Career: 22 seasons (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)
Position: First base/third base/designated hitter
Stats: 612 HR, 2.328 H, .554 SLG
ISO Power: .278
Career highlights: Five-time MLB All-Star (1997-99, 2004, 2006), Silver Slugger Award (1996), Roberto Clemente Award (2002)
Bottom Line: Jim Thome You can't make this stuff up. Jim Thome based his batting stance on Roy Hobbs, the character played by Robert Redford in the 1984 film "The Natural" about an aging baseball star.
One of the more gregarious personalities to play in the majors over the last 25 years, Thome was influenced by getting turned down for an autograph from Dave Kingman as a youth and crafted one of the more prolific power-hitting careers of anyone who ever played the game.
Thome also had a flair for the dramatic. His 13 career walk-off home runs are still an MLB record.
9. Ken Griffey Jr. The second half of Ken Griffey's Jr. was overshadowed by MLB's steroid era. Born: Nov. 21, 1969 (Donora, Pennsylvania)
Career: 22 seasons (1989-2010)
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1989-99, 2009-10), Cincinnati Reds (2000-08), Chicago White Sox (2008)
Position: Center field
Stats: 630 HR, 2,781 H, .538 SLG
ISO Power: .254
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 more popular, electric players to ever step on a baseball diamond.
The second half of his career was overshadowed by baseball's steroids era, but Griffey never got mixed up with any performance-enhancing drugs. He didn't need to.
And the appreciation of his accomplishments was never more evident than when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 with a record 99.32 percent vote.
8. Willie Mays Willie Mays won one World Series championship in 22 seasons. Born: May 6, 1931 (Westfield, Alabama)
Career: 22 seasons (1951-52, 1954-73)
Teams: New York Mets/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-72), New York Mets (1972-73)
Position: Center field
Stats: 660 HR, 3,283 H, .558 SLG
ISO Power: .256
Career highlights: World Series champion (1954), two-time National League MVP (1954, 1965), NL Rookie of the Year (1951), 12-time Gold Glove Award winner (1957-68), 24-time MLB All-Star (1954-73), Roberto Clemente Award (1971), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Willie Mays Willie Mays might be the greatest all-around baseball player of all time. He was playing professional baseball in the Negro Leagues by the time he was 16 years old and made it to the majors by the time he was 19.
Mays won his only World Series with the New York Giants in 1954, was a two-time National League MVP and 12-time Gold Glove winner.
One MLB record Mays still holds speaks to his power at the plate — 22 extra-inning home runs.
7. Alex Rodriguez Alex Rodriguez served a one-year suspension for PED use in 2014. Born: July 27, 1975 (Manhattan, New York City)
Career: 22 seasons (1994-2013, 2015-16)
Teams: Seattle Mariners (1994-2000), Texas Rangers (2001-03), New York Yankees (2004-13, 2015-16)
Position: Third base/shortstop
Stats: 696 HR, 3,115 H, .556 SLG
ISO Power: .255
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 Alex Rodriguez's career was defined, in the end, by the massive contracts he signed and the extent he cheated. After years of denials, he admitted to using steroids in 2009 and ultimately served a one-year suspension in 2014.
Modern medicine helped Rodriguez cash out approximately $440 million in salary during his career, but we can never be sure how much of his eye-popping career numbers can be attributed to his steroid use.
Even with all of that, Rodriguez won just one World Series, in 2009 with the New York Yankees.
6. Jimmie Foxx Jimmie Foxx was playing in the majors by the time he was 17 years old. Born: Oct. 22, 1907 (Sudlersville, Maryland)
Died: July 21, 1967 (age 59, Miami, Florida)
Career: 20 seasons (1925-42, 1944-45)
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics (1925-35), Boston Red Sox (1936-42), Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944), Philadelphia Phillies (1945)
Position: First base
Stats: 534 HR, 2,646 H, .609 SLG
ISO Power: .284
Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1929, 1930), three-time American League MVP (1932, 1933, 1938), nine-time MLB All-Star (1933-41), Triple Crown (1933)
Bottom Line: Jimmie Foxx Jimmie Foxx was playing in the majors by the time he was 17 years old and was the youngest player to reach 500 home runs, at 32 years old.
He won the American League MVP three times and led the Philadelphia Athletics to back-to-back World Series titles in 1929 and 1930. He also led the American League in home runs four times and RBI three times, and won the Triple Crown in 1933.
Foxx died after choking on a piece of food when he was 59 years old.
5. Lou Gehrig Lou Gehrig won the Triple Crown in 1934. Born: June 19, 1903 (Yorkville, Manhattan, New York City)
Died: June 2, 1941 (age 37, Riverdale, Bronx, New York City)
Career: 17 seasons (1923-39)
Teams: New York Yankees
Position: First base
Stats: 493 HR, 2,721 H, .632 SLG
ISO Power: .292
Career highlights: Six-time World Series champion (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936-38), two-time American League MVP (1927, 1936), seven-time MLB ALl-Star (1933-39), Triple Crown (1934), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Lou Gehrig Lou Gehrig — "The Iron Horse" — was the greatest first baseman of all time and retired with MLB career records for consecutive games played and grand slams, both of which stood for over a half-century before being broken by Cal Ripken Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, respectively.
Gehrig was also a two-time American League MVP and won the Triple Crown in 1934 — one of the years he didn't win the MVP.
Tragically, Gehrig died in 1941 of ALS at just 37 years old.
4. Mark McGwire Mark McGwire hit a home run approximately once every 10.6 at-bats in his entire career. Born: Oct. 1, 1963 (Pomona, California)
Career: 16 seasons (1986-2001)
Teams: Oakland Athletics (1986-97), St. Louis Cardinals (1997-2001)
Position: First base
Stats: 583 HR, 1,626 H, .588 SLG
ISO Power: .325
Career highlights: World Series champion (1989), 12-time MLB All-Star (1987-92, 1995-2000), AL Rookie of the Year (1987), Gold Glove Award (1990), three-time Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 1998), MLB All-Century Team
Bottom Line: Mark McGwire Mark McGwire admitted to steroid use for almost the entirety of his career before he was hired as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, and the volume of home runs (583) against his total hits (1,626) is really mind-blowing, as is his career ISO Power average of .325.
Those numbers led directly to two of McGwire's MLB records — the least amount of at-bats to reach 500 home runs (5,487) and the fewest career at-bats per home run (10.6).
3. Barry Bonds Barry Bonds was named National League MVP seven times. Born: July 24, 1964 (Riverside, California)
Career: 22 seasons (1986-2007)
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-92), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)
Position: Left field
Stats: 762 HR, 2,935 H, .607 SLG
ISO Power: .309
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 set the MLB single-season record with 73 juiced-up home runs in 2001.
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 in the early 1990s.
2. Hank Aaron Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974. Born: Feb. 5, 1934 (Mobile, Alabama)
Career: 22 seasons (1954-76)
Teams: Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-74), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76)
Position: Right field
Stats: 755 HR, 3,771 H, .555 SLG
ISO Power: .250
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: Hank Aaron Hank Aaron is still the home run champion in most people's hearts and minds. He holds the MLB career record with 2,297 RBI and, in the greatest testament to his power hitting, 1,477 extra-base hits.
Born into abject poverty in Alabama, "Hammerin' Hank" honed his skills as a child hitting bottle caps with sticks and trying to craft baseball equipment out of whatever materials he could scrounge up.
Only $50 more from the Boston Braves in his contract led him to pick the team. The other offer was from the New York Giants and would have paired Aaron in the same outfield as Willie Mays. Can you imagine?
1. Babe Ruth Babe Ruth had a surprising 136 triples in his 22-year career. Born: Feb. 6, 1895 (Baltimore, Maryland)
Died: Aug. 16, 1948 (age 53, New York, New York)
Career: 22 seasons (1914-35)
Teams: Boston Red Sox (1914-19), New York Yankees (1920-34), Boston Braves (1935)
Position: Outfield/pitcher
Stats: 714 HR, 2,873 H, .690 SLG
ISO Power: .348
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.
Ruth and Barry Bonds are the only two players in the Top 10 for home runs, slugging percentage and ISO Power, and 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.
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