1. Ted Williams
The greatest hitter that ever lived, Ted Williams impressive numbers would have been even better had he not lost five years to service in the Marines, serving as a fighter pilot in World War Two and the Korean War.
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Famous for being the last player to hit .400 in a season, Williams’ exploits with the bat were legendary. He was a six time batting leader, and led the American League in on base percentage twelve times. He had nine seasons where he scored 100 runs and had 100 RBI, and sixteen seasons with twenty or more home runs. A seventeen time All-Star, Williams won two MVP awards and finished second four other times.
His career numbers were truly great: a .344/.482/.634 batting line with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI. The career leader in on base percentage, Williams would have easily gotten over 3,000 hits and could have approached both the 700 home run mark and the career RBI lead had he not missed time in the military. As it stands, Williams ranks eighth in batting average, second in slugging, 19th in home runs, 14th in RBI and fourth in walks.
While his accomplishments with the bat stand out, Williams was a solid left fielder as well. His strong arm and the short field in left served him well, as Williams was consistently among the league leaders in assists. Overall, Williams ranks ninth among left fielder in putouts, 11th in assists and tenth in double plays.
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Ted Williams impressive career numbers could have been even better, if not for World War Two and the Korean War. Even with those five missing seasons, he was still the greatest player in MLB history.