They proved that if you embrace the fans, their love lasts forever. Their greatness was forged through that bond.
“It’s a great day for a ball game; let’s play two!”
Famous words from the effervescent Ernie Banks, who played 19 seasons for the Chicago Cubs and never once reached the postseason. Despite his club’s futility, Banks demonstrated a daily verve for baseball, the Cubs, and their fans. This attitude, along with his sensational play, earned him the adoration of fans.
Banks, along with the other nine members of this next group in our ongoing SN 140: Baseball’s Greatest Players project, share similar stories.
Fans journeyed to the park to see them, showed up early and stayed late, bought their jerseys, and some even named children after them. This special group didn’t merely excel on the diamond. They fostered relationships with their communities and supporters that endured beyond their playing careers.
They were, and remain, The Beloved.
BASEBALL’S GREATEST PLAYERS
Immortals | Artists | Unicorns | Juggernauts | Supernovas | Unsung | Showmen | What-Ifs | Pioneers | Prodigies | Stalwarts
(Editor’s note: Each hyperlinked name takes you to that player’s page within the digitized SN Archive. Once registered (it’s free!), readers have instant access to every article and cover related to each player, as they originally appeared in print.)
Baseball’s Greatest Players: The Beloved
Ernie Banks
With a smile on his face, Ernie Banks redefined what it meant to be a great shortstop and endeared himself to a fan base that will adore him forever.
Banks’ 2,528 career games are most in Cubs history and most by any player without a postseason appearance in MLB history.
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski arrived in Boston with the impossible task of replacing Ted Williams and retired 23 years later having become irreplaceable himself.
At Fenway Park, Yaz played 1,676 games, recorded 1,822 hits, and accumulated 1,063 RBI; each of those figures remain the most by any player in any stadium in MLB history.
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Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell inspired fear across baseball with his bat and affection in Pittsburgh with his warmth, where Pops became part of the family.
Stargell played 21 seasons for the Pirates, a Pittsburgh record that stood until Sidney Crosby played his 22nd in 2026.
George Brett
Through sheer force of will, George Brett shifted the fortunes of a franchise that will always rest upon his broad shoulders.
Brett hit .390 in 1980, highest in an MVP-winning season since the BBWAA began voting for the award in 1931.
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter was perfectly cast as the face of baseball and born to captain the Yankees.
Jeter collected 3,665 hits with the Yankees (including postseason); only Ty Cobb (3,919 Tigers) had more with any one franchise.
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Gary Carter
Gary Carter never outgrew his childlike love of baseball, drawing fans to him as an adopted son in Montreal and the final ingredient in Queens.
Carter ranked among the NL’s top 10 players in WAR eight times, three more than any catcher in the league’s history (Johnny Bench: 5).
Buster Posey
The Giants played 52 seasons in San Francisco without winning a World Series before capturing three in five years, with Buster Posey as the backbone of each.
Posey caught 14 postseason shutouts, five more than any catcher; he was the Giants’ 3-or-4-hole hitter in all 14 of those games.
Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman found a home in Atlanta and a homecoming in Los Angeles, embraced by both cities as few ballplayers have ever been.
Freeman posted a 130 OPS+ in nine seasons in which his team reached the postseason; only Mickey Mantle (10) and Josh Gibson (10) did that more times.
Buck Leonard
Buck Leonard gave the Homestead Grays dynasty its heartbeat, a middle-of-the-order mainstay whose dignity made him one of baseball’s most cherished men.
Leonard reached base 312 times for every 162 games he played (200 H, 107 BB, 5 HBP), 4th in MLB history (Ted Williams 333, Babe Ruth 322, Lou Gehrig 320).
SN Archive (1972): Buck Leonard on why he’s the Lou Gehrig of Black Baseball
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Christy Mathewson
The virtuous Christy Mathewson transformed baseball’s reputation while becoming a boyhood idol to millions.
Mathewson is the only pitcher to record three shutouts in a single postseason, and he did so in a six-day span (1905 World Series).
Our process for Baseball’s Greatest Players
Every week through the end of the World Series, we’ll unveil one room at a time — 10 players along with the numbers that define them — culminating in the Inner Circle, the 10 greatest to ever play, period.
We researched and considered over 500 names, weighing not only fundamental changes to the game, but also factoring in modern metrics, recently uncovered Negro Leagues data, shifting league demographics and the evolution of today’s stars. We stripped away preconceptions and applied objective, critical analysis to every player under consideration.
SN140: Baseball’s greatest 25 teams since 1886
Once we landed on 140 names, we decided that traditional rankings simply don’t work for baseball. How is one to honestly assess if Cy Young — a pitcher whose career began in the 19th century — is greater than Albert Pujols, a 21st-century slugger? How do you compare Josh Gibson in the Negro Leagues to Jackie Robinson in the National League?
Instead, we created 14 position-less rooms, each representing and articulating varying archetypes of greatness.
From there, we slotted 10 players into each room with careers connected by defining common threads.
We factored in modern metrics, recognized and utilized now accessible Negro Leagues data, contextualized changing league demographics, considered functional changes to the game such as strike zone and mound height adjustments, and included active players alongside their historical counterparts.
The result?
The most unique, comprehensive and celebratory evaluation to date of Baseball’s Greatest Players.
