Which MLB players have the most career WAR?

Babe Ruth is often the first name that comes to mind when discussing historically great baseball players — and for good reason. The left-handed slugger played in the major leagues for 22 seasons, and in many of them was far and away the best hitter in the sport. Ruth led the league in home runs 12 different times on his way to 714 career big flies, he helped the Yankees win seven World Series titles, and to this day owns the best SLG%, OPS, and OPS+ in MLB history. He finished with a career slash line of .342/.474/.690, and oh, by the way, he also pitched in 163 big-league contests. Ruth was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936, and even now, 88 years after last appearing in a professional game, his 182.6 WAR are the most of all-time.

The question of who is the best pitcher in major league history is a complicated and subjective one, and there honestly might not be a correct answer. But you could certainly not be questioned for suggesting that righty Walter Johnson deserves as much consideration as anyone. The Humboldt, KS-born hurler pitched all 21 of his big-league seasons in Washington D.C. with the Senators and put together a resume that gets more impressive every time you look at it. Johnson compiled 417 wins, earned five ERA titles, and led the league in strikeouts 12 times. He consistently tossed more than 300 innings, completed 531 of his 666 starts, and holds the all-time record with 110 shutouts. He helped Washington win the World Series in 1924, twice was named league MVP, and was a shoe in to Cooperstown in 1936. His 165.1 lifetime WAR is the highest total ever for a pitcher. 

As you likely could have surmised on your own, the man whom the award given to the best pitcher in each league is named after, Cy Young, was tremendously prolific on the mound during his career. The right-hander spent 22 years in the Major Leagues and is still baseball's all-time leader in starts, wins, complete games and innings pitched. He won a World Series ring with the Boston Americans in 1903, earned two ERA titles, and was the pitching Triple Crown winner in 1901. Young retired following the 1911 season after compiling a ridiculously lofty WAR of 163.6, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937. 

Longtime big-league outfielder Barry Bonds' legacy is likely to forever be tarnished due to his usage of performance-enhancing drugs, but he was far from the only guilty party during the game's infamous steroid era. Putting aside your personal feelings on what was going on in the sport during the late '90s and early 2000s, it's hard to argue against the fact that at his peak, Bonds was simply astonishing to watch. In 22 seasons he blasted an astounding 762 home runs, while slashing .298/.444/.607. He was named the MVP of the National League seven times, earned two batting titles, was invited to participate in 14 All-Star Games, won eight Gold Gloves, and took home a dozen Silver Slugger awards. Bonds retired following the 2007 season but not before compiling an impressive 162.8 WAR — second to only Babe Ruth among offensive players. 

From one historic Giants' outfielder to another, let's talk about the great Willie Mays. The 'Say Hey Kid' starred for the Giants for 21 years, both in New York and San Francisco, before coming back to the Big Apple to finish his career with the Mets. In just over 3,000 career games, Mays slashed .304/.385/.564 with 660 home runs,1,909 RBI, 525 doubles, 141 triples, and 339 stolen bases. He won a pair of MVP awards, 12 Gold Gloves, participated in 24 All-Star Games, earned a batting title, was the 1951 NL Rookie of the Year, and helped the Giants win the World Series in 1954. Most relevant to this gallery, Mays finished his career with a WAR of 156.1 — good for the fifth most all-time. 

Left-handed swinging Ty Cobb played nearly two and a half decades in the major leagues, and even now, coming up on 100 years since he last played, the Narrows, GA native is still remembered as one of the best pure hitters in the sport's illustrious history. Cobb finished his long career with a remarkable .366 batting average — the highest mark in history among qualified hitters. He won a phenomenal 12 batting crowns, was named American League MVP in 1911, and led the league in hits in eight different campaigns. Cobb was inducted into the Hall of Fame nearly unanimously in 1936, and finished his career with a 151.5 WAR. 

Hank Aaron is still commonly referred to as MLB's true home run king, as a plethora of baseball purists refuse to acknowledge Barry Bonds' steroid boosted accomplishments. While the right-handed slugger from Mobile, AL never hit more than 47 long balls in a single season, consistency and longevity helped him deposit 755 balls over the fence in his 23-year career. Aaron is still the sport's all-time leader in both RBI and total bases, and his complete resume simply speaks for itself. He won the National League MVP award in 1957, earned a pair of batting titles, was selected to 25 all-star teams, earned three Gold Gloves and helped the Braves win the World Series in 1957. Aaron was ushered into Cooperstown in 1982, and finished his career with a WAR of 143.0. 

Like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens has found that his name doesn't hold nearly as much weight today as it would have had he not involved himself with performance-enhancing drugs. And the sad part is, he really didn't need the extra boost. Clemens was electric in Boston early in his career, winning three consecutive ERA titles from '90-'92. After a two-year stint in Toronto in '97 and '98 — during which he won the Cy Young award both seasons — he moved on to the Bronx, where he dominated for a third AL East team. In total, Clemens won seven Cy Young awards and an MVP, while earning seven ERA titles and participating in 11 all-star contests. He's a two-time World Series winner, notched 354 major league victories, and finished his 24-year career with an unbelievable 3.12 lifetime ERA. Yet, he's not in the Hall of Fame due solely to the fact that through the lens of many baseball pundits, he's a cheater. 

Tris Speaker began his career all the way back in 1907, and the scrappy center fielder carved out a nice career for himself in the 22 years that followed. In 2,789 major league games, Speaker slashed .345/.428/.500 with 1,131 extra-base hits, 1,531 RBI, and 436 stolen bases. He was the American League MVP in 1912, the batting champion in 1916, and a three-time World Series champion. Speaker's 792 career doubles are still the major league record, and he was an easy selection to the Hall of Fame in 1937. He finished his career with a WAR of 134.9, fitting him firmly in the top 10 all-time. 

Honus Wagner's name may not generate nearly as much attention as Roberto Clemente's, but the scrappy shortstop was arguably just as impactful during his time with the Pirates. In 21 career seasons (18 of which were spent in Pittsburgh), Wagner slashed .328/.391/.467 with 996 extra-base hits and 723 stolen bases. Wagner was not much of a power hitter, but very few offensive players could match his bat-to-ball skills, as evidenced by the eight batting titles he earned. Wagner helped the Pirates win the World Series in 1909 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936. Fans today may associate him with having one of the rarest and most valuable trading cards, but it's important for the younger generation to also appreciate just how dominant he was between the lines during his prime. The 131.0 WAR he accumulated during his career is incredibly impressive — and good for 10th-most all-time. 

The St. Louis Cardinals are an organization rich with history, but a discussion about the franchise's all-time greats simply can't start with anyone other than left-handed slugger Stan Musial. The Donora, PA-born Musial played all 3,026 of his major league games in a Redbirds uniform, and for most of his career was among the best players in the National League. Musial slashed a lifetime .331/.417/.559 with 475 home runs, 1,951 RBI, and 725 doubles. He led the league in hits six times, won three MVP awards, earned seven batting titles, and most importantly helped the Cardinals win three World Series championships. Musial was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969, and finished his career with an outstanding 128.6 WAR. 

Long before Stan Musial starred in St. Louis, the Cardinals' premier attraction was Rogers Hornsby, who became the face of the organization for more than a decade. During his 23-year career — most of which was spent in St. Louis — Hornsby slashed an excellent .358/.434/.577 with 301 home runs, 1,584 RBI, 541 doubles, 169 triples, and 135 steals. He was named the MVP of the National League in both 1925 and 1929, won two Triple Crowns, seven batting titles, and earned a World Series ring with the St. Louis Browns in 1926. Hornsby was ushered into Cooperstown in 1942 after compiling a career WAR of 127.1. 

Speedy second baseman Eddie Collins was a menace for opposing teams to deal with as a member of both the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago White Sox. In over 2,800 career major league games he slashed .333/.424/.429 with 672 extra-base hits, 1,299 RBI, and 741 stolen bases. Collins was named the MVP of the American League in 1914 and earned an enviable six World Series rings during his 25-year career. He's still MLB's all-time leader in sacrifice bunts, and the Millerton, NY native earned entry into Cooperstown in 1939. 

For almost two decades Red Sox legend Ted Williams was arguably the greatest offensive force in baseball, and it's astonishing to think of the numbers he could have put up had he not taken a three-year military hiatus early in his career. In the 2,292 games Williams played with Boston he was nearly unstoppable, slashing .344/.482/.634. The .482 OBP in the middle of that remains the highest total in history. He crushed 521 homers, drove in 1,839 runs, doubled 525 times, and even added 71 triples. Williams was awarded American League MVP honors twice, earned six batting crowns, and took home the offensive Triple Crown in both 1942 and 1947. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1966 after compiling a lifetime 121.8 WAR.

Right-hander Grover Alexander pitched for three different major league teams during his career, and was splendid for every one of them. Alexander took the mound 696 times during his two decades in the big leagues, and more often than not baffled opposing hitters. He earned 373 victories in the majors while pitching to a dominant 2.56 ERA across 5,190 innings. Alexander earned five ERA titles, led the league in wins six times, and tossed more innings than anyone else in seven different seasons. He led the league in WHIP twice and strikeouts six times, and was a big reason the Cardinals won the World Series in 1926. Alexander was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1938, eight years after retiring with a career 119.3 WAR. 

Alex Rodriguez was undeniably one of the most polarizing players to ever play Major League Baseball, and his career came with more twists and turns than anyone else in recent memory. When he debuted with the Mariners in the mid-'90s, Rodriguez was clearly a special talent on his way to stardom, and it didn't take long for him to blossom into one of, if not the very best, player in the sport. Unfortunately for fans in the Pacific Northwest, he chose their division-rival Rangers as a free agent in 2001, and would eventually move on to the Bronx. In 22 total seasons at the sport's highest level, A-Rod slashed .295/.380/.550 with 696 homers, 2,086 RBI, 548 doubles, and 329 stolen bases. He was a three-time AL MVP, two time Gold Glove winner, won the batting title in 1996, earned 10 Silver Sluggers, and played in 14 All-Star Games. He was also a high-profile admitted PED user, which has kept him out of the Hall of Fame, and dramatically skewed the way many pundits of the sport view his legacy. 

Righty Kid Nichols pitched in the big leagues long before anyone reading this was even born, but you don't have to look too long at his statistics to appreciate just how good he was. In 15 major league seasons, Nichols earned 362 victories and pitched to a stellar 2.96 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across 5,067.1 innings. He led the league in wins three years in a row from 1896-1898, threw more than 300 innings twelve times, and completed 532 of his 562 starts. Nichols finished his career with 116.3 WAR, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Old-Timers Committee in 1949. 

First baseman Lou Gehrig played all 17 of his major league seasons in the Bronx, and was simply one of the greatest offensive players of his era. In 2,164 career games, Gehrig slashed an unbelievable .340/.447/.632 with 493 home runs, 1,995 RBI, 534 doubles, 163 triples, and even 102 stolen bases. He was named the MVP of the American League in 1927 and 1936, won the batting title in 1934, and was selected to represent the Yankees in seven All-Star Games. Gehrig drove in more than 100 runs in an incredible 13 consecutive seasons, and led the league in RBI five times. Most importantly, he helped the Yankees win seven World Series titles before his story took a tragic turn when a battle with ALS took his life in 1941. Gehrig was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1939 via a special election, and finished his career with 113.8 WAR. 

Outfielder Rickey Henderson is the greatest stolen base artist in baseball history, and it's not particularly close. During his incredible two and a half decades in the Major Leagues, Henderson swiped 1,406 bases — easily the most all-time. He led the league in steals 12 times, which helped allow him to score 2,295 runs in the big leagues — also the all-time mark. But Henderson was far from a one-trick pony. He slashed a lifetime .279/.401/.419 with 297 home runs, 1,115 RBI, and 510 doubles. He won the AL MVP award in 1990, was selected to 10 all-star teams, earned three Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, and is the owner of a pair of World Series rings. Henderson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, and finished his career with a lifetime 111.2 WAR. 

Gretna, LA-born Mel Ott was one of the most dynamic players to ever suit up for the New York Giants, and his legacy has stood the test of time. The left-handed slugger played all 22 of his seasons in New York, slashing a tremendous .304/.414/.533. He blasted 511 homers, drove in 1,860 runs, and added 488 doubles and 72 triples. Ott led the league in home runs six times, paced the senior circuit in RBI in 1934, and helped lead the Giants to a World Series title in 1933. He was selected to appear in a dozen All-Star Games, and was easily elected to join the Hall of Fame in 1951. 

Legendary Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle is someone whose name still resonates with kids today, though it's hard to even comprehend just how dominant he was using today's standards. Mantle spent his entire career in New York, slashing a tremendous .298/.421/.557 in 2,401 major league games. He connected on 536 home runs, compiled 1,509 RBI, while adding 344 doubles, 72 triples and 153 stolen bases. Mantle won the American League MVP award three times, won a batting title, a Triple Crown, a Gold Glove, and was selected to an unbelievable 20 all-star contests. He also helped the Yankees win an unfathomable seven World Series championships, and was a shoo-in to Cooperstown in 1974. 

Right-hander Tom Seaver is the most iconic player to ever done a New York Mets uniform, and the Fresno, CA-born hurler is unquestionably one of the greatest starting pitchers in baseball history. In 656 big-league outings, Seaver won 311 games and pitched to a crisp 2.86 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP, while punching out 3,640 hitters in 4,783 innings. He earned three ERA titles in a four-year period from '70-'73, led the league in wins three times, and impressively completed 231 of his 647 starts. Seaver paced the league in strikeouts five times, won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1967, earned three Cy Youngs, and led the Mets to their first World Series championship in 1969. He was ushered into Cooperstown in 1992, and finished his career with 109.9 WAR. 

Right-handed slugger Frank Robinson suited up for five different major league teams during his career, but he'll always be most remembered for his time in Cincinnati with the Reds. To be fair, though, Robinson was incredibly productive in every city he called home. In 2,808 total games spanning 21 seasons, he slashed an eye-opening 294/.389/.537 with 586 homers, 1,812 RBI, 528 doubles, 72 triples and 204 stolen bases. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1956, won two MVP's, a batting title, a Triple Crown, and a Gold Glove. Robinson participated in 14 All-Star Games, is the owner of a pair of World Series rings, and was named the MVP of the Fall Classic in 1966. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1982 after a career that saw him accumulate a phenomenal 107.3 WAR. 

Infielder Nap Lajoie split his career between Philadelphia and Cleveland, and was so beloved in Ohio that for a brief time the Cleveland organization's official name was the Cleveland Naps. Wherever he called home, Lajoie could simply hit. In 2,480 career games he slashed .338/.380/.466 with 902 extra-base hits and 380 stolen bases. He won four batting titles during his career, and at different points in his career led the league in hits, runs, doubles, home runs and RBI. He was voted into Cooperstown in 1937 and finished his career with a tremendous 106.9 WAR. 

Southpaw Lefty Grove was one of baseball's premier starting pitchers both with the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. Grove took the mound in the big-leagues 616 times and earned exactly 300 victories while pitching to a 3.06 ERA in 3,940.2 innings. He won a sensational nine ERA titles, completed the pitching Triple Crown twice, was named the MVP of the American League in 1931, and led the league in strikeouts in each of his first seven seasons. Grove threw 298 complete games — including 35 shutouts — and was easily voted into Cooperstown in 1947. 

Dayton, OH native Mike Schmidt is not only the greatest player in Philadelphia Phillies history, he's also in the conversation to be the best third baseman of all-time. In 18 major league seasons — all of them spent in the City of Brotherly Love — Schmidt slashed .267/.380/.527 with 548 home runs, 1,595 RBI, 408 doubles, 59 triples and 174 stolen bases. He won three National League MVP awards, earned six Silver Sluggers, took home 10 Gold Gloves, and represented the Phillies in a dozen All-Star Games. Schmidt led the league in homers an impressive eight different times, and paced the league in OBP in three consecutive seasons from '81-'83. Most importantly to fans in Philly, he led the team to a World Series title in 1980 — and was named the MVP of the series to boot. Schmidt was nearly unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995 and finished his excellent career with 106.8 WAR. 

Righty Greg Maddux began his career in Chicago with the Cubs, but he's undoubtedly most remembered now as one of the faces behind the Braves dominance over the rest of the NL East in the '90s. In 23 total Major League seasons, Maddux earned an eye opening 355 victories while pitching to a 3.16 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP. He struck out 3,371 hitters in just over 5,000 innings, and fired an impressive 109 complete games — including 35 shutouts. Maddux earned four Cy Young awards and won four ERA titles, while also becoming the standard for defending position number one as he took home a record 18 Gold Glove awards. He pitched in eight All-Star Games, helped the Braves win the 1995 World Series, and was easily voted into Cooperstown in 2014. 

Righty Christy Mathewson pitched all but one of his 636 Major League games in a New York Giants uniform, and is unanimously considered the greatest pitcher in the franchise's history. The Factoryville, PA native earned 373 wins during his career while pitching to a fantastic 2.13 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP, and striking out 2,507 hitters in 4,788.2 innings. He earned five ERA titles, captured two pitching Triple Crowns, and earned a World Series ring with the Giants in 1905. Mathewson led the league in strikeouts five different times, and tossed over 300 innings in 11 different campaigns. He finished his career with an impressive 106.5 WAR, and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1936. 

First baseman Albert Pujols is the most recently retired player on this list, and someone whose greatness modern-day fans were able to witness on a near-nightly basis. The big right-handed slugger played parts of 22 seasons in the big leagues, slashing .296/.374/.544 with 703 home runs, 2,218 RBI and 686 doubles. He was named the MVP of the National League three times in a five-year span from '05-'09, was the Rookie of the Year recipient in 2001, and his full list of accomplishments simply jump off the page. Pujols won six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, a batting title, was selected to 11 All-Star Games and helped the Cardinals win two World Series titles. He led the league in total bases four times, drove in more than 100 runs in 14 different seasons, and has a spot in the Hall of Fame waiting for him as soon as he's eligible. 

During his prime, left-hander Randy Johnson was the most intimidating starting pitcher in the sport, and someone opposing hitters had nightmares about facing. Johnson bounced around the league more than you would think someone of his caliber would, pitching for six different clubs in his 22-year career, but he was mostly fantastic in every one of his stops. In 618 lifetime outings, 'The Big Unit' went 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA in 4,135.1 innings. He punched out an eye-opening 4,875 hitters, fired 100 complete games, and authored an impressive 37 shutouts. Johnson won five Cy Young awards, four ERA titles, earned a pitching Triple Crown, and led the Diamondbacks to a World Series championship in 2001 —and was named MVP of the Fall Classic in the process. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after finishing his career with 101.1 WAR. 

Left-handed swinging Joe Morgan is considered one of the best second baseman to ever play the game, and he was a huge part of a Reds team that enjoyed tremendous success during the 1970's. Morgan played 2,649 games in the Major Leagues, and slashed .271/.392/.427 with 268 home runs, 1,133 RBI, 449 doubles, 96 triples, and 689 stolen bases. He led the league in OBP four times in five years from '72-'76, was named the MVP of the National League in both 1975 and 1976, earned a Silver Slugger, five Gold Gloves, and was selected to go to 10 all-star games. Morgan won two World Series titles with Cincinnati, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990, and finished his career with an impressive 100.4 WAR. 

Southpaw Warren Spahn pitched in the Major Leagues until he was 44-years-old, and his longevity helped him reach some pretty spectacular career statistics. In 750 big-league outings, the Buffalo, NY born hurler won 363 games and pitched to an excellent 3.09 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. He threw an unfathomable 382 complete games, tossed more than 250 innings 16 times, and led the league in strikeouts four years in a row from 1949-1952. Spahn earned three ERA titles, won the Cy Young award in 1957--the same season he earned a World Series ring---and appeared in 17 all-star games. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1973 and is one of just 32 players to accumulate a WAR of at least 100.