It should be no surprise that the best player to ever wear the number 42 is all-time saves leader and Yankee legend Mariano Rivera.
There is really no way to truly describe the greatness that is Mariano Rivera. He spent his entire 19-year-career with the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2013.
He was the team’s closer for 17 seasons and won more awards and big games that one can even imagine.
“Mo” or the “Sandman” as many people called him won five World Series Titles with the Yankees.
He was named the Rolaids Relief Pitcher four times. The name of that award is now the Mariano Rivera Relief Pitcher Award.
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Mariano was named to an incredible 13 American League all-star teams in 19 years and won the game’s MVP one year.
He was named the MVP of the World Series in 1999 and the MVP of the American League Championship Series in 2003.
Rivera basically used one pitch to get hitters out, his unpredictable cut fastball that would practically drop off the face of the earth every time a hitter went to swing at it.
Nine times out of ten, if Rivera was pitching the ninth inning, the Yankees would end up victorious.
Only five players ever hit a walk-off home run against him and he is considered the greatest closer and relief pitcher of all time.
Rivera only retired in 2003 but his five-year wait to be on the Hall of Fame ballot is quickly approaching and there is no doubt that the former Yankee will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
No one has yet compared to Rivera in excellence and the grace he should on the field, much like Jackie Robinson.
Next to Robinson, Rivera is by far the best player to ever don the number 42.
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Is Mariano Rivera the greatest Yankee of all time? But what about Babe Ruth? You decide.