Top 10 New York Yankees of All Time

The Top 10 New York Yankees of all time may be the toughest list to make. The Yankees dominated much of an entire century, and you must also compare eras. It’s a formidable list to make, but today, we will take our best shot at it!

10) Red Ruffing

Ruffing won seven of his nine decisions in World Series play with the Yankees and posted a 2.63 ERA during his postseason career, helping New York win championships in 1932, 1936-39, and 1941. During the Yankees’ four consecutive title seasons from 1936-39, Ruffing won at least 20 games each year. Ruffing’s record as a Yankees pitcher was an incredible 231-124 in 15 seasons with the Yankees.

Red Ruffing (1960) Interview by Cliff Evans

9) Don Mattingly

Mattingly was arguably the best player in Major League Baseball for a six-year span from 1984 to 1989, averaging 27 homers and 114 RBIs while slashing .327/.372/.530. The .530 slugging percentage led all qualified hitters, while Mattingly also paced MLB in extra-base hits (428) and RBIs (684) during that span. Although Mattingly was a complete player, his nine Golden Glove awards can attest; he also won the AL MVP in 1985. In addition, he hit at least one home run in 8 consecutive games and finished his career with a .306 lifetime batting average.

Don Mattingly WAS the FACE of the YANKEES! The former MVP did it all for them! (Donnie Baseball)

8) Mariano Rivera

Rivera pitched 15 straight years with at least 28 saves, and in 11 of those seasons, his ERA was under 2.00. Rivera was even better known for his post-season exploits, where the Yankees won five World Series titles during his 19-season career in New York while advancing to the postseason 17 times. He was the World Series MVP in 1999 and ALCS MVP in 2003.

Watch Mariano Rivera’s Hall of Fame career highlights

7) Whitey Ford

Ford finished his career with a 236-106 for a .690 winning percentage that is the best among modern pitchers with at least 200 victories. Ford was 10-8 with a 2.71 ERA in the postseason and set a record with a stretch of 33 1/3 shutout innings. He was named the World Series MVP in 1961.

Whitey Ford Baseball Career highlights

6) Derek Jeter

Jeter never played a position other than shortstop, and he was one of the greatest ever to play that position and in his 2,674 games in the field, and reached the 200-hit plateau in eight seasons. Over 158 postseason games, Jeter hit .308 with 111 runs, 200 hits, 32 doubles, 20 homers, 61 RBIs, and 66 walks. Jeter was unanimously voted the AL Rookie of the Year in 1996 after batting .314. He helped lead the Yankees to their first title in 18 years. The Yankees never missed the postseason over the next 11 seasons, winning 1998, 1999, and 2000. Jeter collected 14 All-Star appearances and five Gold Glove Awards yearly among the league leaders in hits and runs scored.

Top 10 Moments of Derek Jeter’s Career | Yankees legend inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame!

5) Yogi Berra

Berra is the second greatest catcher to ever play the game behind the great Johnny Bench for my money. So often, people forget how good of a player Berra was because a lot of times, the things he said were so mind-blowing and interesting you could have forgotten he played baseball! Berra finished a 15-time All-Star, a three-time American League MVP, and a 10-time World Series champion.

8 minutes in remembrance of No. 8 Yogi Berra

4) Joe Dimaggio

Joe Dimaggio was more than just a baseball player; he was a cultural icon. But, more importantly, he was a cultural icon that could hit a baseball, and his most impressive achievement was his 56 game hitting streak which will never be broken, and really nobody has even come close.

Joe DiMaggio Baseball Career Highlights

3) Mickey Mantle

Mantle was an extraordinary player, and without multiple injuries that hindered him throughout childhood and his career, he may even rank number one ahead of Babe; he was that good. Mantle went on to be an All-Star for an amazing 18 consecutive seasons. From 1953-1955, Mantle, a switch hitter, averaged 28 home runs, 98 RBIs, and 118 runs per season. He led the AL in 1954 with 129 runs, and in 1955, he topped the AL with 37 homers, a .431 on-base percentage, and a .611 slugging percentage. In 1956, Mantle won the AL Triple Crown, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs, and won the first of two consecutive AL Most Valuable Player awards. Mantle was a winner, to put it mildly.

1964 WS Gm3: Mantle hits a walk-off home run

2) Lou Gehrig

Gehrig played in a record 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees; Gehrig owned that streak until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it. Gehrig usually batted fourth behind Babe Ruth and was often overshadowed by him. Gehrig scored more than 100 runs and recorded at least 100 RBIs for 13 straight seasons. He led the AL in runs four times, in-home runs three times, in RBIs five times, in on-base percentage five times, and batting average once. The Babe often overshadowed him, and that’s a shame because Gehrig was maybe the best first baseman in baseball history.

Gehrig delivers his famous speech at Yankee Stadium

1) Babe Ruth

Ruth was the first batter to hit 50 home runs in a season, 60 homers in a season, and 500 home runs in a career. Ruth was also a two-time All-Star, a seven-time World Series champion, the 1923 AL MVP, and a 12-time AL home run champion. Ruth was as dominant as anybody that has ever played the game.

CLE@NYY: Yankees retire Babe Ruth’s iconic No. 3