Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2021 revision of our top 50 New York Yankees of all-time.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
There are two new additions on our Top 50, but nothing affecting our top five. As always, we announce them here.
They are:
1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
4. Joe DiMaggio
5. Derek Jeter
The two new additions were reflective of the advanced metric changes from Baseball Reference. This has pushed up five-time World Series infielder, Red Rolfe to #46 and seven-time World Series Outfielder,Hank Bauer enters at #50. They replace Dave Righetti and Roger Peckinpaugh. Other minor tinkering took place that altered the overall list, but nothing major.
The only active player on the list is Brett Gardner, who moved up two spots to #36. Aaron Judge, is on his way up, but has not yet made our top fifty.
We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.
Yogi Berra, a short and stocky kid from St. Louis's Italian-American neighborhood "The Hill,” had just returned from serving in World War II. During the Normandy landings, he operated a rocket boat as a Navy seaman. His raw, unrefined athletic build led many early observers to underestimate his potential in baseball. However, behind his many paradoxical "Yogisms" that turned him into a cherished figure in American sports history, there was much more to his story.
Berra was a legendary and notoriously aggressive "bad-ball" hitter, capable of hitting pitches well out of the strike zone while rarely striking out, as evidenced by his 1950 season, when he struck out only 12 times in 597 at-bats. He reached a personal peak by winning three American League Most Valuable Player Awards (1951, 1954, and 1955) and finishing as runner-up twice. From 1950 to 1957, he maintained an exceptional level of peer recognition, never ranking lower than fourth in MVP voting, and he was a key part of the Yankee lineup as an 18-time All-Star.
While his bat dominated the middle of the card with 358 home runs and 1,430 RBIs, Berra combined this powerful offense with exceptional defensive work and skillful management of the pitching staff. He was a dedicated professional who played in both games of 117 doubleheaders, set a record with 173 career shutouts, and was instrumental in Don Larsen's legendary perfect game during the 1956 Fall Classic. His leadership laid the groundwork for the most glorious era in sports history; he participated in 14 World Series as a player, achieving a record 10 championships.
The long Bronx journey ended after the 1963 season, when he moved into management, leading the Yankees to the 1964 pennant, and he spent a brief 1965 stint with the Mets. His significant impact made his post-career recognition inevitable. In 1972, Cooperstown inducted him into the Hall of Fame, and the Yankees retired his No. 8 to Monument Park, cementing his pinstripe legacy.