Ranking Every No. 1 Overall Pick in MLB Draft History

The 2024 MLB draft will kick off this Sunday during the 2024 All-Star festivities, with the Cleveland Guardians on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick after winning the second annual draft lottery.

Oregon State infielder Travis Bazzana, Georgia outfielder Charlie Condon and West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt appear to be the leading candidates to hear their name called first, and this year's opening pick will join a short list of players who have headlined their respective draft classes.

Ahead, we've ranked all 56 of them going all the way back to the inaugural amateur draft back in 1965, with three notable exceptions who did not sign with the team that drafted them No. 1 overall.

Former Seattle Mariners teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer and active stars Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Correa and Adley Rutschman are among the notable players with the distinction of being the top picks in their draft class.

Who claimed the No. 1 spot in these rankings?

Note: Only players who signed when they were taken No. 1 overall were included in these rankings, so Danny Goodwin (1971), Tim Belcher (1983) and Brady Aiken (2014) are not part of the conversation.

56. C Steven Chilcott (1966): Played seven pro seasons with the Mets, Expos and Yankees, but he never reached the majors. The No. 2 pick in the 1966 draft was Reggie Jackson, so "Mr. October" could have started his career with the Mets.

55. LHP Brien Taylor (1991): Viewed as a generational talent on the mound and the No. 1 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1992 season, he suffered what amounted to a career-ending shoulder injury defending his brother in a fight during the 1993-94 offseason.

54. OF Shawn Abner (1984): Hit .227/.269/.323 with minus-1.3 WAR in 392 games over six seasons with the Padres, Angels and White Sox.

53. OF Al Chambers (1979): Hit .208/.326/.292 with minus-0.4 WAR in 57 games over three seasons with the Mariners.

52. RHP Bryan Bullington (2002): Posted a 5.62 ERA and minus-0.3 WAR in 81.2 innings with four different teams. Zack Greinke was taken five picks later by the Kansas City Royals.

51. C Danny Goodwin (1975): Did not sign as the No. 1 pick in the 1971 draft, then went No. 1 again four years later after attending college. Hit .236/.301/.373 with minus-1.7 WAR in 252 games over seven seasons with the Angels, Twins and Athletics.

50. RHP Mark Appel (2013): Failed to advance above Triple-A in five pro seasons before stepping away from organized baseball for three years. Made a comeback in 2021 and finally reached the majors in 2022, posting a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings out of the Phillies bullpen before suffering an elbow injury. He was released in March 2023.

49. SS/RHP Matt Bush (2004): The No. 1 pick when Justin Verlander went No. 2 overall. Hit .219 in 812 plate appearances and dealt with multiple off-field issues, including a DUI that resulted in the injury of a motorcyclist and landed him in prison for 51 months. Made his MLB debut as a 30-year-old pitcher in 2016. Had a 3.75 ERA and 9.7 K/9 in 217 appearances with the Rangers and Brewers.

48. LHP David Clyde (1973): Made MLB debut 20 days after his final high school start. Contract called for him to make his first two pro starts with the big leagues club, but Rangers kept him up the rest of the season due to a spike in attendance when he pitched. Had a 5.01 ERA in 93.1 innings as an 18-year-old rookie and a 4.38 ERA in 117 innings the following year before developing arm problems.

47. RHP Matt Anderson (1997): Called a "closer all the way" in his predraft scouting report after showcasing a high-octane fastball and max-effort mechanics at Rice University. Had 22 saves in 2001, but he finished with a 5.19 ERA and minus-0.6 WAR in 257 appearances over seven seasons.

46. C/OF Henry Davis (2021): Still just 24 years old, but his .197 average and minus-1.7 WAR in 91 games has inspired little confidence. Money was a motivating factor, with four other 2021 first-round picks securing a larger signing bonus.

45. SS Tim Beckham (2008): Never panned out with the Rays, but he had a brief run of productivity in his late-20s. Posted a 110 OPS+ with 22 home runs and 2.5 WAR during the 2017 season, but he had just 0.7 WAR in 347 games the remainder of his career.

44. OF Mickey Moniak (2016): Showed post-hype potential last year with a 113 OPS+ and 37 extra-base hits in a 2.2-WAR season, but he has regressed to a .196 average and 55 OPS+ in 233 plate appearances this year. Still only 26 years old, though, and could climb.

43. 3B Dave Roberts (1972): Had a 21-homer, 3.3-WAR season with the Padres in 1973, but he proved to be a one-year wonder. Hit .218 with a 71 OPS+ and minus-2.4 WAR in 482 games the rest of his career.

42. 1B Spencer Torkelson (2020): Will last year's 31-homer, 94-RBI performance be his one productive MLB season? Hit .201/.266/.330 in 230 plate appearances to start the year before he was optioned to the minors, and his performance back at Triple-A has been lackluster. Lots of upside at 24 years old, but also growing bust potential.

41. 2B/SS Jackson Holliday (2022): Opened 2024 as the No. 1 prospect in baseball and still has huge upside even after falling flat in his first MLB action. Slotting him ahead of all the clear busts and behind all the productive big leaguers feels like the right move for now, but he could fly up this list once he gets another shot in the majors.

40. RHP Casey Mize (2018): Moved quickly through the minors and joined the MLB rotation for the abridged 2020 season. He then posted a 3.71 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 150.1 innings the following year. Tommy John surgery wiped out most of 2022 and all of 2023, but he has returned strong with a 4.23 ERA in 78.2 innings over 16 starts this year.

39. SS Bill Almon (1974): Hit .254/.305/.343 for an 84 OPS+ in 3,659 plate appearances over 15 seasons. Received down-ballot AL MVP support in 1981 when he batted .301/.341/.375 with 2.1 WAR in 103 games as the starting shortstop for the White Sox.

38. RHP Paul Wilson (1994): One-third of "Generation K," which was the nickname for a hyped trio of pitching prospects in the Mets system in the mid-90s that also included Jason Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher. Had a brief run as a solid innings-eater for the Reds in 2003 and 2004. Posted a 4.86 ERA and 88 ERA+ in 941.2 career innings.

37. RHP Luke Hochevar (2006): Had a 5.39 ERA in 771 innings pitching almost exclusively as a starter over the first six seasons of his career. Enjoyed a nice career renaissance with a move to the bullpen, posting a 1.92 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 in 58 appearances in 2013. Tossed 10.2 scoreless innings across nine appearances in the playoffs during Kansas City's World Series run in 2015.

36. SS Tim Foli (1968): Starting shortstop on the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series. Tallied 5.7 WAR in 1,696 games over 16 seasons in the majors. Fit the mold of light-hitting, defensive-minded shortstops from the era. Had a long coaching career after playing days were over.

35. 1B Mike Ivie (1970): Had a 110 OPS+ and 7.2 WAR over 11 seasons, though he only topped 100 games played five times. Led the 1979 San Francisco Giants in home runs (27), RBI (89) and OPS+ (152) while posting a career-high 2.9 WAR in 133 games.

34. DH Ron Blomberg (1967): Holds the distinction of being the first designated hitter in baseball history. Injuries kept him from fully showcasing his offensive talents, but he posted a 140 OPS+ in 1,493 career plate appearances when healthy. Only played eight seasons and never topped 400 plate appearances in a year.

33. 3B Royce Lewis (2017): Will he ever stay on the field long enough to fully break out? A .303/.361/.584 career hitter with 27 home runs, 75 RBI and 4.0 WAR in 94 games, but that is spread over parts of the last three seasons. Still only 25 years old and could fly up this list with better health. Currently sidelined with a groin strain.

32. OF Delmon Young (2003): Tallied 1,162 hits, 109 home runs, 566 RBI and 3.2 WAR in 10 MLB seasons. Batted .298/.333/.493 with 46 doubles, 21 home runs and 112 RBI with the Twins in 2010 to finish 10th in AL MVP voting. Also had an .833 OPS with nine home runs and 22 RBI in 37 career playoff games.

31. RHP Kris Benson (1996): Made exactly 200 career starts in the big leagues, going 70-75 with a 4.42 ERA and 100 ERA+ in 1,243.2 innings pitching for the Pirates, Mets, Orioles, Rangers and Diamondbacks. Reached 200 innings pitched twice and tallied double-digit wins five different times in a 13.1-WAR career.

30. RHP Paul Skenes (2023)

Skenes was by far the toughest person to slot in these rankings since he's only 10 starts and 59.1 innings into his big league career, but his performance has been impressive enough to earn him a spot on the NL All-Star team. The 22-year-old has a 2.12 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 78-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and looks like a potential generational talent on the mound.

29. 1B Jeff King (1986)

With peak seasons in 1996 (117 OPS+, 30 HR, 111 RBI) and 1997 (104 OPS+, 28 HR, 112 RBI), King put together a solid 11-year career with the Pirates and Royals. He averaged 30 doubles, 21 home runs, 96 RBI and 2.3 WAR per 162 games, and he was a solid run producer in the middle of some bad lineups.

28. SS Shawon Dunston (1982)

A staple at shortstop for the Chicago Cubs for 12 seasons, Dunston racked up 1,597 hits, 150 home runs, 668 RBI, 212 steals and 11.6 WAR over 18 years in the majors. He was an All-Star in 1988 and 1990, and later in his career, he carved out a role as a valuable utility player and pinch-hitter for a number of contenders.

27. 3B Phil Nevin (1992)

A late-bloomer who did not truly breakout until his age-28 season, Nevin put together a solid seven-year run with the San Diego Padres, hitting .288/.359/.503 for a 129 OPS+ with 156 home runs and 17.8 WAR in 806 games. He had a 41-homer, 126-RBI, 5.8-WAR season in 2001 when he also earned his lone All-Star selection.

26. OF Jeff Burroughs (1969)

One of the unlikeliest MVP winners in MLB history, Burroughs took home the AL hardware in 1974 when he hit .301/.397/.504 with 33 doubles, 25 home runs and an AL-leading 118 RBI for the Texas Rangers. He posted a 121 OPS+ with 1,443 hits, 240 home runs, 882 RBI and 17.7 WAR across 16 seasons in the big leagues.

25. 3B Bob Horner (1978)

Horner hit .278/.340/.508 for a 128 OPS+ with 215 home runs and 652 RBI over the first nine seasons of his career, winning 1978 NL Rookie of the Year honors and following that up with a pair of 30-homer seasons in his age-21 and age-22 seasons.

Collusion by the MLB owners prior to the 1987 season led him to sign a one-year deal with the Yakult Swallows in the Japanese League, and he suffered a shoulder injury upon his return stateside in 1988 that effectively ended his career.

24. SS Dansby Swanson (2015)

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded Swanson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller before he ever made his MLB debut, and that stands as one of the more ill-advised moves in the franchise's history.

The 30-year-old has never quite developed into a full-blown star, but he played well enough in Atlanta to earn a seven-year, $177 million deal from the Chicago Cubs in free agency. He has been an All-Star and the NL Gold Glove winner at shortstop each of the past two seasons, and with 20.4 WAR for his career, he is steadily climbing these rankings.

23. RHP Ben McDonald (1989)

McDonald helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, tossing complete game victories against South Korea and Puerto Rico. He then won 1989 Golden Spikes honors, and less than a month after signing with the Orioles, he made his MLB debut on Sept. 6 after just two starts in the minors.

His MLB production never quite lived up to the hype, but he still put together a solid nine-year career, going 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA and 115 ERA+ in 1,291.1 innings with the Orioles and Brewers. He had three seasons with at least 200 innings pitched and recorded 20.8 WAR for his career.

22. RHP Floyd Bannister (1976)

Bannister made just seven starts in the minors before making his MLB debut, and he finished fourth in 1977 NL Rookie of the Year voting with a 4.04 ERA in 142.2 innings. He peaked in 1982 with the Seattle Mariners when he earned his lone All-Star selection and racked up an AL-leading 209 strikeouts while going 12-13 with a 3.43 ERA in 247 innings.

All told, he went 134-143 with a 4.06 ERA, 102 ERA+ and 1,723 strikeouts in 2,388 innings, piling up 26.4 WAR over 15 seasons.

21. 1B/OF Pat Burrell (1998)

Burrell hit .442/.577/.886 with 61 home runs and 187 RBI in 162 games during his three seasons at the University of Miami, taking home 1998 Golden Spikes honors before going No. 1 overall in that year's draft.

In nine seasons with the Phillies, he posted a 119 OPS+ with 251 home runs and 16.9 WAR, reaching 30 home runs three different times and helping the team win a World Series title in 2008. He also won a second ring as a midseason pickup by the 2010 San Francisco Giants, but his production fell off considerably after his age-31 season.

20. RHP Mike Moore (1981)

A workhorse starter who won 161 games and tossed 2,831.2 innings while tallying 27.9 WAR over 14 seasons in the majors, Moore spent seven solid seasons in Seattle before joining the Oakland Athletics for back-to-back trips to the World Series in 1989 and 1990.

He had the best season of his career for the '89 World Series champions, going 19-11 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 172 strikeouts in 241.2 innings to earn his lone All-Star selection and finish third in AL Cy Young voting.

19. C/OF B.J. Surhoff (1985)

Surhoff spent the first six seasons of his career as a catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers before shifting to third base and then to the outfield later in his career with the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves.

With 2,326 hits, 188 home runs, 1,153 RBI and 34.4 WAR over 19 seasons, he put together a quietly productive career, earning one All-Star selection in 1999.

18. 1B/OF Darin Erstad (1995)

A terrific pure hitter throughout his 11 seasons with the Angels, Erstad provided valuable versatility while bouncing between the outfield where he won two Gold Gloves and first base where he won one.

The two-time All-Star had a huge peak season in 2000 when he hit .355/.409/.541 with 240 hits, 39 doubles, 25 home runs, 100 RBI, 121 runs scored, 28 steals and 8.4 WAR. With 32.3 WAR over 14 seasons, he is one of the more underrated players of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

17. C Adley Rutschman (2019)

Too high, too soon?

Maybe, but Rutschman has started his MLB career like few catchers before him, joining an elite group of backstops when he logged a 5-WAR rookie season in just 113 games in 2022.

He has since added All-Star Game starter in 2023 and 2024 to his resume, hitting .272/.363/.444 for a 130 OPS+ and 12.9 WAR total over his first 351 games in the big leagues. The 26-year-old could make a push for a spot comfortably inside the Top 10 before too much longer.

16. OF Josh Hamilton (1999)

Hamilton did not take the most direct route to stardom, dealing with injuries and off-field issues that kept him from making his MLB debut until his age-26 season in 2007, but he enjoyed an explosive five-year peak with the Texas Rangers.

He hit .305/.363/.549 for a 137 OPS+ with 142 home runs, 506 RBI and 22.5 WAR while making the All-Star team every year during his first run in Texas. He won 2010 AL MVP when he batted .359/.411/.633 with 40 doubles, 32 home runs and 100 RBI, and he helped lead the Rangers to the AL pennant in 2010 and 2011.

15. OF Rick Monday (1965)

The first pick in the inaugural MLB draft, Monday ended up having the best career of any player selected in the first round that year, so props to the Kansas City Athletics for getting it right.

In 19 seasons with the A's, Cubs and Dodgers, he hit .264/.361/.443 for a 125 OPS+ with 241 home runs, 775 RBI and 33.1 WAR, earning All-Star nods in 1968 and 1978. His enduring legacy is rescuing an American flag from protesters who ran on the field and were about to burn it.

14. RHP Andy Benes (1988)

One of the underrated aces of the 1990s, Benes pitched for the Padres, Mariners, Cardinals and Diamondbacks and finished among the decade leaders in wins (125, 12th), strikeouts (1,655, seventh) and pitcher WAR (30.3, 14th).

He made one All-Star team and received Cy Young votes twice, finishing third in the NL balloting in 1996 when he went 18-10 with a 3.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 160 strikeouts in 230.1 innings as the ace of the staff in St. Louis.

13. OF Justin Upton (2005)

Upton debuted as a 19-year-old phenom in 2007 and quickly developed into a rising star in the middle of the D-backs lineup, posting a 118 OPS+ with 108 home runs and 80 steals while making a pair of All-Star teams.

He continued to post solid power numbers with the Braves, Padres, Tigers and Angels, finishing his 16-year career with 325 home runs, 1,003 RBI and 32.3 WAR, posting those numbers before calling it a career at the age of 34.

12. 1B Adrián González (2000)

González was traded twice before finding his footing in the big leagues, going from the Marlins to the Rangers in a 2003 deadline deal that sent closer Ugueth Urbina the other way, and then from the Rangers to the Padres in a six-player trade prior to 2006.

He posted a 129 OPS+ with 2,050 hits, 317 home runs, 1,202 RBI and 43.5 WAR over 15 seasons, and he was a five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove and two-time Silver Slugger who was a top-tier run producer at his peak.

11. SS Carlos Correa (2012)

The Astros cut a below-slot deal with Correa atop the 2012 draft, giving him a $4.8 million bonus that was dwarfed by the $6 million bonus Byron Buxton reeled in as the No. 2 pick and the consensus top player in the draft class. With the savings, they signed Lance McCullers Jr. to an above-slot deal at No. 41 overall.

The move proved to be a stroke of genius as both players helped the team win a World Series title, and Correa has been an elite shortstop when healthy and playing up to his potential.

He has a 126 OPS+ and 44.0 WAR playing in his 10th big league season, and he also has an .860 OPS with 18 home runs and 63 RBI in 85 career playoff games.

Stats: 247 GS, 113-62, 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 1,723 K, 1,470 IP, 30.9 WAR

Stephen Strasburg came out of San Diego State University as one of the most-hyped pitching prospects in the history of the sport after going 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 195 strikeouts in 109 innings during his junior season.

He signed a four-year, $15.1 million MLB deal for his first contract and made his MLB debut the following year, posting a 2.91 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings over 12 starts as a rookie.

He dealt with some ups and downs during his career, including an early Tommy John surgery, but ultimately delivered on the hype when he led the Washington Nationals to a World Series title in 2019 and took home World Series MVP honors.

Stats: 400 G, 322 GS, 157-82, 3.32 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2,076 K, 2,143.2 IP, 40.3 WAR

David Price was the clear choice at No. 1 overall in the 2007 draft after going 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 133.1 innings during his junior year at Vanderbilt.

He made his MLB debut as a September call-up in 2008, and he ended up pitching in some key spots out of the bullpen during Tampa Bay's run to the World Series before joining the starting rotation the following year.

Price won the 2012 AL Cy Young when he finished 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 205 strikeouts in 211 innings, and he still stands as the best pitcher in Rays history. He took ace turns for the Blue Jays, Tigers and Red Sox en route to an excellent 14-year career in the big leagues.

Stats: 121 OPS+, .289/.356/.465, 2,866 H, 384 HR, 1,628 RBI, 34 SB, 38.8 WAR

There is certainly reason to debate whether Harold Baines was a worthy inductee into the Hall of Fame, but there is no doubt he had a solid MLB career and lived up to being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1977 draft.

He never finished higher than ninth in MVP voting, but he was a six-time All-Star and a steady run producer throughout his 22 seasons in the majors, making his final Midsummer Classic appearance in his age-40 season with the Baltimore Orioles.

He ranks in the Top 50 all-time in hits (2,866, 47th), total bases (4,604, 43rd) and RBI (1,628, 34th), and there is a statue of him outside of Guaranteed Rate Field.

You did something right if they built you a statue.

Stats: 304 GS, 146-76, 3.20 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 2,171 K, 1,876.1 IP, 40.4 WAR

Gerrit Cole is the highest-rated pitcher on this list, and he is still adding to his legacy playing in the fifth season of a record-setting nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees.

It was actually the Yankees who first drafted him, taking him No. 28 overall in the 2008 draft out of high school, but he honored his commitment to UCLA and pitched his way to being the top overall pick three years later.

The 33-year-old finally won a long-awaited Cy Young Award last year when he finished 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 222 strikeouts in 209 innings, and while he is still shaking off the rust after missing the start of the 2024 campaign with an elbow issue, he is building toward a potential Hall of Fame career.

Stats: 138 OPS+, .259/.357/.505, 1,401 H, 355 HR, 1,000 RBI, 221 SB, 42.1 WAR

If not for off-field issues derailing his career in his 30s, Darryl Strawberry might have a bust in Cooperstown right now.

He won 1983 NL Rookie of the Year honors when he posted a 134 OPS+ with 26 home runs and 74 RBI in 122 games, then rattled off eight straight All-Star selections all before his 30th birthday.

Unfortunately, he played just 335 total games over the final eight seasons of his career, and while he briefly returned to impact form as the designated hitter on the 1998 New York Yankees, his career will always stand as a major "what if."

Despite all of that, he still stands as arguably the greatest hitter in New York Mets history, and he helped lead them to a World Series title in 1986.

Stats: 124 OPS+, .306/.388/.439, 2,123 H, 143 HR, 923 RBI, 52 SB, 55.2 WAR

Many considered USC pitcher Mark Prior the greatest college pitcher of all time and the clear top talent heading into the 2001 draft, but the Minnesota Twins opted for local prep star Joe Mauer with the top pick.

Well played, Twins.

Mauer was the USA Today High School Player of the Year in both baseball and football during his senior year of high school, the only athlete ever to win both honors, and he was originally committed to play quarterback at Florida State.

He made the right choice pursuing baseball, as he is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles, accomplishing that feat in a span of four years that was highlighted by 2009 AL MVP honors when he hit .365/.444/.587 with 28 home runs and 96 RBI.

Concussion issues eventually forced him out from behind the plate and cut into his overall value, but he still stands as one of the greatest offensive catchers in MLB history, and he was a first-ballot inductee in the 2024 Hall of Fame class.

Stats: 144 OPS+, .282/.391/.524, 1,600 H, 326 HR, 947 RBI, 137 SB, 50.0 WAR

Expectations were sky-high for Bryce Harper from the moment he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old with the caption "Baseball's Chosen One" and by all accounts he has delivered.

He got his GED as a high school junior and reclassified so he would be eligible for the 2010 draft, then enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada JUCO program where he hit .443/.526/.987 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI in 66 games to win 2010 Golden Spikes honors.

He made his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 2012 and helped lead the Nationals to their first postseason appearance since relocating from Montreal in 2005, making the All-Star team and winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in the process.

He has since added two MVP awards and seven more All-Star selections to his resume, and at 31 years old, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory and poised to reach some major milestones before his 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies is over.

Stats: 141 OPS+, .303/.401/.529, 2,726 H, 468 HR, 1,623 RBI, 150 SB, 85.3 WAR

There is a place for Chipper Jones on the Mount Rushmore of third basemen and the Mount Rushmore of switch-hitters, and he spent his entire 19-year career in an Atlanta Braves uniform.

One of baseball's top prospects throughout his time in the minors, he finally broke through at the big league level in 1995 when he finished runner-up to Hideo Nomo in NL Rookie of the Year voting and helped bolster an already stacked Braves roster en route to a long-awaited World Series title.

From there, he quickly developed into a bona fide superstar, winning 1999 NL MVP when he hit .319/.441/.633 with 41 doubles, 45 home runs and 110 RBI in a 6.9-WAR season. It was one of eight seasons in his career where he logged at least 5.0 WAR.

He won a batting title as a 36-year-old in 2008 and was still going strong in his final season at the age of 40 in 2012 when he hit .287/.377/.455 for a 124 OPS+ in 112 games before hanging up his spikes.

Stats: 140 OPS+, .295/.380/.550, 3,115 H, 696 HR, 2,086 RBI, 329 SB, 117.6 WAR

On statistics alone, Alex Rodriguez would be an easy choice for No. 1 in these rankings, but his PED use makes it tough to give him that top spot over one of the most beloved players in the history of the sport.

Arguably the most-hyped high school prospect ever, Rodriguez made his MLB debut in 1994 a few weeks before his 19th birthday. By the 1996 season, he was already one of the best hitters in baseball, winning the AL batting title and hitting .358/.414/.631 with 54 doubles, 36 home runs, 123 RBI and 9.4 WAR in 146 games.

His career accolades include a 40/40 season in 1998, AL MVP awards in 2003, 2005 and 2007, 14 All-Star appearances, 10 Silver Slugger awards and a World Series ring with the New York Yankees in 2009.

He ranks in the top 10 of all time in home runs, RBI, runs scored and total bases, but his PED use has kept him under 40 percent support in each of his first three years of eligibility on the Hall of Fame ballot and it keeps him out of the No. 1 ranking here.

Stats: 136 OPS+, .284/.370/.538, 2,781 H, 630 HR, 1,836 RBI, 184 SB, 83.8 WAR

If he had not battled injuries through his 30s, Ken Griffey Jr. might be baseball's all-time home run leader and a serious contender in the GOAT conversation.

As it stands, he still had an incredible career, and he was the unquestionable face of baseball throughout the 1990s when his popularity crossed over into pop culture and made him one of the most popular athletes on the planet.

During his offensive peak from his breakout performance in 1993 through his first season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, he hit .294/.387/.606 for a 152 OPS+ while racking up 351 home runs during that eight-year span.

He won the 1997 AL MVP with the first of back-to-back 56-homer seasons, and he was a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner in center field.

On a bigger scale, his popularity and production helped save baseball in Seattle and elevated the sport after a decade of scandal in the 1980s and a strike in 1994.

Griffey was as influential and impactful as any player ever taken with the No. 1 overall selection.