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Sporting News' Top 50 MLB players
Posted: May 20, 2009
Sporting News

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols tops Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest players in baseball today, as selected by a panel of 100 Hall of Famers, major award winners and other baseball personalities.

Pujols, who appears on the cover of the latest Sporting News magazine, was a runaway winner, picking up 55 first-place votes from our panel, which includes 13 Hall of Famers, 13 Cy Young Award winners and 12 league MVPs. Among the MLB legends who filled out ballots for SN: Willie McCovey, Stan Musial, Brooks Robinson, Tony Gwynn, Tom Seaver, Rollie Fingers and Greg Maddux.

1. Albert Pujols
1B, Cardinals

2. Alex Rodriguez
3B, Yankees

3. Johan Santana
SP, Mets

4. Manny Ramirez
LF, Dodgers

5. Hanley Ramirez
SS, Marlins

6. Chase Utley
2B, Phillies

7. Roy Halladay
SP, Blue Jays

8. Derek Jeter
SS, Yankees

9. Mariano Rivera
RP, Yankees

10. Chipper Jones
3B, Braves

11. Ryan Howard
1B, Phillies

12. Grady Sizemore
CF, Indians

13. David Wright
3B, Mets

14. Justin Morneau
1B, Twins

15. Jimmy Rollins
SS, Phillies

16. Josh Beckett
SP, Red Sox

17. Mark Teixeira
1B, Yankees

18. Dustin Pedroia
2B, Red Sox

19. Tim Lincecum
SP, Giants

20. Evan Longoria
3B, Rays

21. Lance Berkman
1B, Astros

22. Jose Reyes
SS, Mets

23. Carlos Beltran
CF, Mets

24. Ian Kinsler
2B, Rangers

25. Zack Greinke
SP, Royals

26. Josh Hamilton
CF, Rangers

27. Alfonso Soriano
LF, Cubs

28. Miguel Cabrera
1B, Tigers

29. CC Sabathia
SP, Yankees

30. Ichiro Suzuki
RF, Mariners

31. Brandon Webb
SP, Diamondbacks

32. Ryan Braun
LF, Brewers

33. Dan Haren
SP, Diamondbacks

34. Francisco Rodriguez
RP, Mets

35. Matt Holliday
LF, A's

36. Kevin Youkilis
1B, Red Sox

37. Vladimir Guerrero
RF, Angels

38. Jake Peavy
SP, Padres

39. Joe Mauer
C, Twins

40. Carlos Quentin
LF, White Sox

41. Jason Bay
LF, Red Sox

42. Chad Billingsley
SP, Dodgers

43. Cliff Lee
SP, Indians

44. Torii Hunter
CF, Angels

45. Victor Martinez
C/1B, Indians

46. Roy Oswalt
SP, Astros

47. Carlos Delgado
1B, Mets

48. Carlos Zambrano
SP, Cubs

49. Cole Hamels
SP, Phillies

50. Brian McCann
C, Braves

For much more ...
The entire 10-page MLB Top 50 players package is in the latest edition of Sporting News Magazine, which hits newsstands later this week. Find it at all Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.

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Comments
Doc
hab_rap on Wed May 20, 2009 01:13 pm
No matter how great other players may be today, Roy Halladay is in my top 3.
Most complete pitcher in the world today.
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Re: Doc
middle linebacker 77Blog on Wed May 20, 2009 01:34 pm
hab_rap wrote:
No matter how great other players may be today, Roy Halladay is in my top 3.
Most complete pitcher in the world today.

yeah, roy should be number 2, and this is coming from a yankee fan. we would know better than anyone.
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guiltyspark2 on Wed May 20, 2009 01:45 pm
i like greinke and all but just because he did decent last year is doing amazing so far this year does not put him in front of CC. Though he hasn't been himself so far this year, you can't knock CC's dominance over the past five years.
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Wildcat Blue 322Blog on Wed May 20, 2009 02:07 pm
I'm sorry, but I can't see how A-Rod & Manny can be placed in the Top 5 with all their Steroid baggage. Sure its not Hall-of-Fame, but it still sends the wrong message.
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Pantz13 on Wed May 20, 2009 02:29 pm
Speaking of which, how can Cliff Lee be on this list? He's had one good season, and isn't even off to that great of a start like Greinke is this year. Cy Young or not, I thought this was the best 50 PLAYERS in the game today, not the best 50 single seasons by players still playing today...
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cowboysfan on Wed May 20, 2009 03:05 pm
Halladay should easily be top 3 and probably ahead of santana. And the above poster about cliff lee, I agree 100% and I dont even know if he should even be on the list as he only had one good season and had Halladay not been hurt at the end of the year would have won the CY young for sure.
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hab_rap on Wed May 20, 2009 03:13 pm
cowboysfan wrote:
Halladay should easily be top 3 and probably ahead of santana. And the above poster about cliff lee, I agree 100% and I dont even know if he should even be on the list as he only had one good season and had Halladay not been hurt at the end of the year would have won the CY young for sure.

I'm curious as to how popular Halladay is in the States. Here in Ontario, he's the image of baseball. We're very well aware of baseball studs around the league, but Doc really is the complete package.
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Jeter is (again) over-rated
osfania on Wed May 20, 2009 03:15 pm
#8?? Are you kidding me??? And Vlad Guerrero should even be on the list. I thought this list was "up to date," but where you have these two says more like 2002. And where is Nick Markakis?
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jimi99 on Wed May 20, 2009 03:24 pm
This must be based on this 1/4 season only, otherwise how can Ichiro, Berkman and Guerrero be so low?
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Raul Ibanez?
bryan1945 on Wed May 20, 2009 03:43 pm
Close to the top in BA, HR, and RBIs? More than Utley, Howard, and the slumping JRo?

Of course, the article is not clear as to greatest today- just this season or over their careers. If it is for career, then I have no complaint about excluding Raul.

Needs to be a bit more specific in the writing.
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