5 best baseball players of your lifetime

[MU82]

Btw, my homie’s stepson has his MLB debut tonight. Starting on the hill for KC

That's cool. Good luck to him.

[#UnleashSean]

In my lifetime....

Bonds
Nolan Ryan
Greg Maddux
Ken Griffey JR
Shohei


Honorables to:

Randy Johnson
Mike Trout

[Lighthouse 84]

Gwynn was very, very good. IMO just not top 5 of his era or my lifetime. Amazing hitter no doubt. I see him as basically very much the same player as Rod Carew, who I would rate as very , very good but not top 5.

As good of a hitter as Rod Carew was, and he was prettay, prettay......prettay good, he and Tony Gwynn played about the same number of years (19 for Carew and 20 for Gwynn), and had about the same number of at bats ( Carew 9,315 v. 9,288 for Gwynn).  Gwynn struck out 424 times v. 1,028 for Carew in their careers!  Gwynn had many years of over 500+ at bats and less than 20 strike outs each year. with the maximum number of strike outs in a year of 40!.  The guy was a flippin' amazing hitter.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

As good of a hitter as Rod Carew was, and he was prettay, prettay......prettay good, he and Tony Gwynn played about the same number of years (19 for Carew and 20 for Gwynn), and had about the same number of at bats ( Carew 9,315 v. 9,288 for Gwynn).  Gwynn struck out 424 times v. 1,028 for Carew in their careers!  Gwynn had many years of over 500+ at bats and less than 20 strike outs each year. with the maximum number of strike outs in a year of 40!.  The guy was a flippin' amazing hitter.

#strikeoutsnomatta

[Lighthouse 84]

#strikeoutsnomatta

I'm not sure he's top 5 in my lifetime, but, #.338mattas  No one other than Boggs or Carew are even close in the last 70+ years to him in career BA.  A great average hitter?  He was a phenomenal hitter for average.

[PGsHeroes32]

Every list has to include Ohtani

[Uncle Rico]

#strikeoutsnomatta

They should.

I’m well aware of why they don’t anymore but after years of reflection, I now disagree

[Jockey]

Every list has to include Ohtani

Why?

I have him on my list but 5 1/2 years does not constitute GOAT.

At this point in time, he is the greatest to ever walk on a diamond. But if he gets hurt next week and never plays another game, he is not on the GOAT list (see Bo Jackson).

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I'm not sure he's top 5 in my lifetime, but, #.338mattas  No one other than Boggs or Carew are even close in the last 70+ years to him in career BA.  A great average hitter?  He was a phenomenal hitter for average.

No question that he was an amazing hitter, there is no disputing it. Where I disagree is that he was one of the best 5 of his era. There are many overlapping and sometimes contradicting ways to evaluate it-- Carew has a lifetime WAR much higher than Gwynn for example-- but not sure that incredibly low strikeout totals are a significant factor.

Well, unnatural carnal knowledge, now you are making me sound like BeeJay, thanks for nothing.

[Lighthouse 84]

No question that he was an amazing hitter, there is no disputing it. Where I disagree is that he was one of the best 5 of his era. There are many overlapping and sometimes contradicting ways to evaluate it-- Carew has a lifetime WAR much higher than Gwynn for example-- but not sure that incredibly low strikeout totals are a significant factor.

Well, unnatural carnal knowledge, now you are making me sound like BeeJay, thanks for nothing.

You give me way too much credit. You’ll never sound that smart.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

You give me way too much credit. You’ll never sound that smart.

Or homophobic. Or misogynistic. Or religiously insane. Or like an incel. Or childishly pedantic...the list goes on.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Tony Gwynn was not top 5 in my lifetime. Never was considered the best player for a single season when he played. It would be a stretch to even say top 10.

Bonds, Clements, ARod, Rickey, Maddux.

[Jay Bee]

Tony Gwynn was not top 5 in my lifetime. Never was considered the best player for a single season when he played. It would be a stretch to even say top 10.

Bonds, Clements, ARod, Rickey, Maddux.

Can’t argue w Clements hey? Lol

Ps - schilling has to be up there

[MU82]

Every list has to include Ohtani

This is his third season as a full-time ballplayer. Before that, he had battled injuries, had pitched in a total of 12 games and hadn't had a 400-AB season.

I'll stick with what I said earlier -- if he has 2 more years anything like these last 2 1/2 seasons, he'll zoom to the top of my list.

[4everwarriors]

Eddie Mathews
Hank Aaron
Sandy Koufax
Willie Mays
Nolan Ryan



Close behind...Rico Carty and Rico Petrocelli, hey?

[Lennys Tap]

Bonds was one of the top players of all time even before steroids.

He was on the way to the Hall pre steroids so Smitty is dead wrong. But assuming you’re talking top 5, 10 or even 20 players - you’re wrong, too.

[swoopem]

Miguel Cabrera isn’t getting any love. Up until 5 or so years ago we was an absolute stud. Even his rookie year he was the one who lead the marlins to the World Series (which sucked cuz I’m a cubs game)

[Lennys Tap]

My top 5:

Mays
Aaron
Clemente
Ichiro
Trout

Pitchers:
Koufax
Gibson
Maddox
Randy Johnson
Ryan

Favorites:
Dick Allen
Minnie Minoso

[Jockey]

My top 5:

Mays
Aaron
Clemente
Ichiro
Trout

Pitchers:
Koufax
Gibson
Maddox
Randy Johnson
Ryan

Favorites:
Dick Allen
Minnie Minoso

Dick Allen was my favorite player all the way back to when he was Richie Allen.

[muwarrior69]

Come on guys 5? These are the players I saw in person play.

Joe DiMaggio
Ted Williams
Stan Musial
Yoggi Berra
Mickey Mantle
Jackie Robinson
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron
Roberto Clemente

I could go on. As a kid, though I am a Yankee fan, I went to quite a few Dodger and Giants games when they were in Brooklyn and New York.

[dgies9156]

Eddie Mathews
Hank Aaron
Sandy Koufax
Willie Mays
Nolan Ryan



Close behind...Rico Carty and Rico Petrocelli, hey?

Rico Carty? First time I have heard his name in ages. He did a broken English Gillette commercial that was a hoot.

[PGsHeroes32]

This is his third season as a full-time ballplayer. Before that, he had battled injuries, had pitched in a total of 12 games and hadn't had a 400-AB season.

I'll stick with what I said earlier -- if he has 2 more years anything like these last 2 1/2 seasons, he'll zoom to the top of my list.

I get this statement and its why in the other thread I wouldnt make him the GOAT of baseball, yet.

But this thread is about the five best players any of us have witnessed in our liftimes. Ohtani could stop playing right now, and there is not a chance on earth we have seen 5 players play baseball better than him. Even if its a short stretch.

Hes already a two time MVP(yes im just handing him this years) and would be 3 time if not for a home run record being broken.

We got people mentioning tony freaking gwynn on their lists. That guy played 20 seasons. In 3 of those seasons was his OPS higher than Ohtanis career average OPS.  He had to hit .370, .372 and .394 to achieve those.

And thats just batting anyways. Completely ignores that Ohtani is a Cy young candiate as well.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Ohtani’s body of work is too small

Stan Musial.  Who missed ball for WW11 and the Korean War and came back both times to dominate
Pete Rose
Willy Mays
Mantle
Clemente

Pitchers
Nolan Ryan
Gibson
Maddox
Leroy Satchel Page
Koufax

[MU82]

I get this statement and its why in the other thread I wouldnt make him the GOAT of baseball, yet.

But this thread is about the five best players any of us have witnessed in our liftimes. Ohtani could stop playing right now, and there is not a chance on earth we have seen 5 players play baseball better than him. Even if its a short stretch.

Hes already a two time MVP(yes im just handing him this years) and would be 3 time if not for a home run record being broken.

We got people mentioning tony freaking gwynn on their lists. That guy played 20 seasons. In 3 of those seasons was his OPS higher than Ohtanis career average OPS.  He had to hit .370, .372 and .394 to achieve those.

And thats just batting anyways. Completely ignores that Ohtani is a Cy young candiate as well.

I'll stick with what I said. But I do admit you make a compelling argument.

Of course, one also could say you make a compelling argument for Pujols, as he had not-since-Ted-Williams numbers his first 10 seasons.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

He was on the way to the Hall pre steroids so Smitty is dead wrong. But assuming you’re talking top 5, 10 or even 20 players - you’re wrong, too.

Well, here is exactly what I said:

"Bonds: very good player pre-steroids, but far from top-5. Can't agree that steroid Barry should be included but realize that is a whole separate discussion that has already spilled an infinite amount of digital ink.

IMO, he was very good in his prime, but far from top players all time. Pre-steroids, was he in the same conversation with Ruth, Williams, Spahn, Mays, Matthews, et al?

Steroids, of course, allowed him to be beyond top players of all time at a time in his career when others are barely hanging on or out of the game."

So grats on proving I was dead wrong about something I didn't say.