The 200 Greatest Major League Baseball Players of All Time, 2012 Ed. 191-200

The introduction, including methodology, is here.


191.       Buddy Bell 3B 1972-89 Indians/Rangers

           WAR+WARP/2=             55.4
           Translated BA/OBP/SLG: .284/.348/.428
           OPS+ 109
           PA: 10,000
           MVPQ=none

192.    CC Sabathia LHP Indians 2001-

           55.35
           179-121
           ERA+ 125
           IP: 2300
           MVPQ=none

193.   Andy Pettitte LHP 1995-2010 Yankees
          55.2
          212-185
          ERA+ 117
          IP: 3000
          MVPQ=none

194.    Bret Saberhagen RHP 1984-01 Royals
           54.95
           188-113
           ERA+ 126
           IP: 2500
           MVPQ=1989

195.       Bernie Williams CF 1991-06 Yankees
           54.85
           .296/.381/.477
           OPS+ 125
           PA: 9000
           MVPQ=none

196.    Hank Greenberg 1B 1930-47 Tigers
           54.6
           .294/.386/.616
           OPS+ 158
           PA: 6100
           MVPQ=1937


197. Jesse Burkett 1890-05 Spiders LF
        54.4
        OPS+ 140
        .320/.407/.490
        PA: 9600
        MVPQ: 1901

198.    Zack Wheat LF Dodgers 1909-27
           54.25
           .302/.360/.487
           OPS+ 129

           PA: 10,000
           MVPQ=none


199.    Robin Ventura 3B White Sox 1989-04
           54.2
           .273/.367/.450
           OPS+ 114
           PA: 8300
           MVPQ=none

200.    Bobby Bonds RF Giants 1968-81
           53.85
          .272/.360/.513
          OPS+ 129
           PA: 8100
           MVPQ=none

It's a Giants cluster at the edge of the rankings, with Jack Clark/Bill Terry just outside and Bobby Bonds manning the gates, and there's a whole gaggle of Yankees at the top of this section.

Let's talk about the bats.  Greenberg has the best we've seen so far, the first with an OPS+ over 150 and a translated slugging over .600.  He only had 2/3 of the plate appearances of Stargell, which accounts for his depressed value.  But Greenberg's the best of the position players on the list so far.  Burkett also had an MVPQ season and almost gets to my favorite translated slashline, a 3/4/5 - missing just 10 slugging points.

Saberhagen/Sabathia/Steib all have approximately the same ERA+; Sabes is the only one with an MVPQ season; obviously Sabathia will continue to accumulate more value, but he's only 200 IP behind Saberhagen right now.  Let's say Saberhagen is the best pitcher on the list because of that one big year.

So - if I'm starting my baseball team (as opposed to measuring how much value they accumulated in their careers) my all time team right now would have two members:

1B Greenberg (the OPS+ of 150, the translated slugging of .600 and the MVPQ season)
RHP Saberhagen (the MVPQ season)

Onto the next ten.