3. Babe Ruth
One of the first stars to transcend baseball, Babe Ruth was a larger than life personality whose power hitting, mammoth home runs, and love of the good life made him an icon. To this day, Ruth is one of the first players that one thinks of when talking about the greats of the game, and amazing feats on the diamond are considered ‘Ruthian.’
It is easy to understand why this would be the case. The first true power hitter in baseball history, Ruth shattered the perception of what baseball was supposed to be, making the home run a more common occurrence. Once he left the mound and became a full time outfielder, he regularly destroyed baseballs, hitting over 40 home runs 11 times, and leading the league on 12 occasions. He had 13 years with 100 RBI and twelve with 100 runs, and led the league in slugging another 13 times.
During his career, Ruth produced a .342/.474/.690 batting line, holding the MLB record in slugging percentage and OPS. He hit 714 home runs, currently third in MLB history, and is second with 2,214 RBI. He ranks second in on base percentage, third in walks, fourth in runs scored, and tenth in batting average. He was far more than just a slugger; Ruth was a fearsome hitter who could do just about anything with the bat.
He was also quite the excellent pitcher before transitioning full time to the outfield. Ruth twice won over 20 games in a season, and had three years with over 200 innings. In 1916, he led the league with a 1.75 ERA and nine shutouts. All told, Ruth posted a 94-46 record with a 2.28 ERA and a 1.159 WHiP. Given that production, he could have been a Hall of Fame caliber pitcher as well if he remained healthy.
To this day, when we think of the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth will immediately come to mind. The loveable Babe, a player that was worshipped by the masses, still casts a large shadow over the game today, helping make baseball into the game we know and love today.
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