Top 50 New York Yankees
This might be the hardest list that we have ever done.Maybe we have said this before, but how can this not be?
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As such, how do you decide who are the top players for a team without hurting feelings?
The answer is that you can’t.
There are superstars who didn’t make this list (Roger Clemens, Mark Teixeira, Roger Peckinpaugh, Jason Giambi) for example who didn’t make it. The next fifty that we would have picked are better than over half of the top 50 of the other Major League teams. We easily understand the argument for those. We understand the backlash we will hear over the fact that Reggie Jackson barely made this list and could be only a few seasons away from dropping off of this completely.
There was nothing easy about this.
We have our shield on as you read this.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff performance, and post-season accolades. This is a list up to the end of the 2024 Season.
When the Yankees chose Thurman Munson in the first round of the 1968 draft, they were not only selecting a highly skilled catcher from Kent State but also embodying the spirit of a new generation. Munson, a stocky and straightforward individual with a thick mustache, displayed a blue-collar determination that won over the Bronx fans. He played with unmatched fervor, diving into plays behind the plate, and eventually became the first team captain in pinstripes since Lou Gehrig. His professional ascent was immediate and historic. Stepping into the everyday catching role, Munson earned the 1970 American League Rookie of the…
When Robinson Canó assumed daily second base duties in the Bronx in May 2005, manager Joe Torre noted that the rookie's smooth and effortless presence at the plate reminded him of Hall of Famer Rod Carew. Canó not only met those high expectations but also spent nine seasons showcasing a rhythmic, pure hitting style that made him one of the most visually appealing and effective second basemen to step into a Yankee Stadium batter's box. Canó showcased a relaxed yet precise hitting style. His remarkably quick and smooth left-handed swing allowed him to easily line outside fastballs into left field…
Holy Cow! Philip Francis Rizzuto was cut by the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants as a teenager because of his 5-foot-6 frame—told by Casey Stengel to "go get a shoeshine box.” Few predicted he would become the key infield anchor of baseball's greatest dynasty. The Brooklyn native didn't let rejection slow him, arriving in Bronx in 1941 to start at shortstop and change organizational control of the diamond. "The Scooter" served as the quintessential counterbalance to the formidable identity of the "Bronx Bombers." He did not achieve fame by consistently hitting baseballs over the fences, amassing only 38 home…
A New York Yankee for all seventeen of his MLB seasons, Jorge Posada was a very good Catcher who was a member of New York’s “Core Four” along with Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera. Posada and the other three assisted the Yankees to win four World Series Championships in that time frame.
Posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee in 1991, Tony Lazzeri was a very popular member of the famed Murderers Row lineup that the Yankees had in the late ’20s and early ’30s. Over a twelve-year stint with New York, Lazzeri accumulated 169 Home Runs with 1,784 Hits and a .294 Batting Average and was a major part of assisting New York to win five World Series Championships.
Bob Shawkey is an underappreciated member of Yankees history, but when you play alongside the likes of Babe Ruth, that is easy to see why.
One of the most highly regarded defensive Third Baseman in the game’s history Graig Nettles also brought some pop to the New York Yankees when he arrived prior to the 1973 season. Nettles would provide New York with eight seasons of twenty plus Home Runs (including seven in a row) one of which was enough to win the American League Home Run title (1976). The year after, he would actually hit more Home Runs (though would not win the title) and would finish 5th in MVP voting. The season after Nettles would finish 6th.
A New York Yankee for all fifteen of his seasons of Major League Baseball career, Roy White provided solid service over that time. White was a two-time All-Star who put up a decent On Base Percentage and would lead the AL in Walks in 1972. He would also finish in the top ten in Power/Speed seven times and had 160 Home Runs with 223 Stolen Bases.
Earl Combs played with New York for all of his twelve seasons in Major League Baseball and he was one of the sweetest hitters in the game. Combs would bat over .300 eight years in a row and had a very impressive career average of .325. He also had excellent plate discipline with an On Base Percentage of .397 and six campaigns exceeding the .400 mark six times.
Gil McDougald would play all ten of his seasons in the Majors with the New York Yankees, where his defensive versatility would be his calling card.
Does this rank seem high?Admittedly it did for us too when we put this together but there is a reason why the New York Yankees have held on to the contract of Brett Gardner for so long…he is sneaky good.
Many Yankees fans know Mel Stottlemyre as the Pitching Coach who helped his staff and the team win four World Series rings. Perhaps because he played for New York at a time when they were not regular fixtures in the Fall Classic, the contributions of Stottlemyre on the mound, is not celebrated as much as it should be.
Yet another player that the Yankees fleeced from the Boston Red Sox, Herb Pennock would prove to be an incredibly more productive player in pinstripes than in crimson stockings.
Playing his entire career with the New York Yankees, Tommy Henrich had one of the best nicknames in sports, “The Clutch”. This stemmed from his World Series exploits most significantly hitting the first ever walk off Home Run in World Series history (Game 1 in 1949). Basically, while there may have been bigger stars around Henrich, this was the guy you wanted at the plate when it counted the most.
The American League MVP in 1942, Joe Gordon brought a very well rounded game to the New York Yankees.
Mike Mussina won more games and played more seasons as a Baltimore Oriole. He also was never named an All-Star as a New York Yankee. Still, there is no doubt in our minds that Mussina belongs on this list.
The New York Yankees really knew how to pluck talent away from the Red Sox for a time didn’t they?
It took longer than it should have for the New York Yankees but in 1955 when they finally signed their first African-American they picked a great one in Elston Howard.
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You know the story of Roger Maris.If you don’t, why are you here?