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1. Martin Dihigo
Babe Ruth is considered the gold standard for two way players. He was not close to the player that Martin Dihigo was from a pure baseball standpoint.
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Dihigo was one of the greatest players in the negro Leagues with the bat. He was known to have won two batting titles, and led the league in homers twice. He led his various leagues in doubles and slugging as well, while playing every position on the field, excluding catcher.
As brilliant as he was at the plate and in the field, Dihigo stood out on the mound. He was one of the more dominant pitchers of his time, credited with over 250 victories in his storied career. His dominance was such that he posted a 0.19 ERA in the Mexican League one season, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and winning percentage. Bob Gibson‘s 1968 campaign had nothing on Dihigo.
Johnny Mize once said that Dihigo was the best player he ever saw. Given his prowess in every facet of the game, it would be hard to argue that assessment. He certainly made an impact in every league he played in, as Dihigo was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
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Martin Dihigo was one of the best pure baseball players of all time. He was truly the greatest all around player to come out of the Negro Leagues.