who is the best player in major leauge baseball?
366764
albert pujols... he's great at everything he does.
540205
A-Rod, Pujols, and possibly Bonds. Maybe even all three.\n\nBy the way, Pujols has a chance to break Barry Bonds's single season HR record too.
620265
1. Pujols\nBest 1b of all time-btw-hit more HR in first 4 seasons than Ruth, Maris\n2. Gurrero\nBest All-around player in the game, deserved the MVP 2 years ago\n3. A. Rodriguez\nHandled the transition from SS to 3b smoothly, and is still one of the best hitters\n4. Hafner\nBig DH for the Indians is one of the early picks for MVP in the AL: hits for power and avg.\n5. Big Papi\nCarried the Red Sox to a title in '04, is an icon of the MLB and is the consummate DH
649419
I wouldn't go so far as to say that he is the best ever. But he is certainally the best player currently in baseball. Maybe in another 10-15 years we can call him the best ever. Go Cards!!!
1021322
Well before he got hurt Albert Pujols was the best player this season. He was on pace to break the single season home run record. Plus he also had a pretty good batting average.\n\nNow I would go with Joe Mauer or Travis Hafner. Both are currently having a great year. Plus Joe Mauer plays a very difficult position and is still producing very good numbers in spite of the toll that being a catcher takes on a player. \n\nJoe Mauer stats:\n.378 BA, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 37 runs, 6 SB\n\nTravis Hafner stats:\n.300 BA, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 57 Runs
952791
National League - Mike Schmidt\nAmerican League - Roger Clemens
1089123
Jose Contreras is by far my coice for the best pitcher in the major leagues. He has gifted the White Sox with quite a winning streak of 15 games straight this season and hasn't lost since last year!
991468
Currently, Bryant. Kobe is THE BEST player in the league right now, no doubt about it.
559230
I'd have to go with A-Rod at the moment. His stats are similer to Pujos but A-rod plays a slightly more demanding defensive posisiton. A close second is Pujos. \n\nFor the season that's close. Pujos, Berkman, Swisher, Hafner and Thome are having really good years. Nobody is really just taking the year by storm yet. Several other players with a hot streak could be right up there with this group. \n\nJose Contraras on the other hand is having a monster year so far. 5-0 with a 1.41 ERA. Webb is next closest with 6-0 2.30 ERA. \n\nSo best player this season I'd hand it to Contraras so far.
410110
Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player of all time... Clemente was incredible, and his World Series performance in 1971 was the best I've ever seen. His batting performance against the four 20-game winners of the Orioles was unbelievable (he batted .414)... I can't really say anyone has had a better World Series since that time (I've been watching W Series since 67).  Clemente hit safely in all 14 World Series games he played (1960 and 1971).\n\nClemente has benefited from a halo effect because of his heroic death, but he was in fact only the 3rd best right fielder of his time, after Aaron and Frank Robinson. However, that's not to say he wouldn't be the best right fielder in the game today. Ichiro is similar in the outfield to Clemente, except that Ichiro is faster. Anyone who ever saw Clemente gun down a runner at third or home will tell you that Ichiro's arm is very close to Clemente's, and Clemente may have had the greatest throwing arm of all time. His throws combined strength, accuracy and speed of release in whatever proportions were necessary to get the job done. His defensive statistics are probably the best of any right fielder ever.\n\nHowever, Clemente was not the player that Babe Ruth was.\n\nPlus, I pointed out in another thread (asking this same question)that, for more than 30 years, Babe Ruth simultaneously held the World Series records for (1) Most Home Runs HIT  and  (2) Most consecutive scoreless innings PITCHED.  His last W.S. HR was hit in 1932, and it wasn't until 1964 that Mantle passed him (Mantle ended up with 18, still the WS record).  Ruth's 29 consecutive scoreless innings streak (last pitched in W.S. of 1918)  was not broken until 1961, by Whitey Ford.\n\nBTW, Ruth is not the "only pitcher to have a winning record against the Yankees (among pitchers with 10 or more wins against them)".   Walter Johnson's career record against the Yankees, for example, is 61-38, with 21 shutouts... I'd say that qualifies as a winning record (Johnson's career record was 417-279.\n\nI'd bet that Lefty Grove also had a winning record against the Yanks, seeing has (1) his career record was 300-141 and (2) the A's were a dominant team in the late 20's/early 30's winning three straight pennants right in the middle of the Ruth/Gehrig era. Grove went 31-4 one of those years.\n\nVic Power's (see next comment) career numbers are \nGames 1,627\nAt Bats 6,046\nRuns  765 \nHits  1,716 \nDoubles 290 \nTriples 49 \nHomers  126  \nRBI's   658 \nBatting Avg  .284  \nOn Base Pct .315  \nSlugging Pct  .411\n\nHe was a good player, but not Hall of Fame caliber, I'm afraid...\n\nIt's usually useful, in trying to figure out whether a player belongs in the Hall of Fame or not, to apply a little test (called "the Keltner test") to his career record. It's not a test to be 'scored' in the sense that everyone over a certain number of 'yes' answers should be in, and everyone below should be out...but it's a useful way of claryfying where the player stands... \n\nAmong the questions you should ask yourself are:\n\n# 1  Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball?\n\n# 2 Was he the best player on his team?\n\n# 3 Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was  he the best player in the league at his position?\n\n# 4 Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? (Both positive and negative impacts should be considered)\n\n# 5 Was he good enough that he could continue to play regularly after passing his prime?\n\n# 6 Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame?\n\n# 7 Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame?\n\n# 8 Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?\n\n# 9 Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or
1017553
Well let me see if i can narrow it down.For catching it is hands down Jason Varitek,by far the best catcher and captain of ALL time,for pitching I have ALOT,but i think I will give the title to Jonathan Papelbon.He is not only the best closer(besides Foulky and Timlin),but he is the best rookie:)for infield i am really starting to like Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis[poor Youk,he keeps getting hit:(],for outfield i guess i will have to say....Manny Ramirez.don't get me wrong i absolutely LOOOOVE all of the players,but there is just something about Manny:)and last but definitely not least for DH i am going to say Big Papi(and not because he is the only one,but because he is the BEST!!!!!!!!:)
1075220
The best shortstop ever is Ozzie Smith. 13 straight Gold Gloves and he wasn't a bad hitter. He had 580 stolen bases in his career, #20 on the all-time list. Who can forget his game winning home run he hit in the 1985 playoffs against the Dodgers. Classic.\n\nCurrently, the best shortstop is Edgar Renteria. He had an off season hitting last year, but he is great defensively and a good solid hitter, especially in clutch situations. I think he has the best all around package at this point (defense, power, average, speed). Omar Vizquel is good too, but he's at the end of his career. I like Derek Jeter too, but I hate the Yankees too much and can't be objective about Jeter.
55721
Would have to say Babe Ruth. Not only did he hit 714 home runs, which stood as the major league record for nearly 40 years, but he was a career  .342 hitter with a .474 on base percentage. If that's not enough, he was also one of the best pitchers the game has ever seen with a 94-46 record a 2.28 career ERA and still holds the record for consecutive scoreless innings pitching in the World Series.
1152595
In the AL I'll say Ichiro Suzuki because he is the better all around player. DH players have never won the AL MVP so that would exclude (Hafner, Thome and Ortiz). \n\nIn the NL I'll say Albert Pujols but only if he returns from the DL. Otherwise, I'll say Lance Berkman (it will depend if he can carry the Astros to the playoffs).
1131433
tough one. there is a tie between andy phillips and robinson cano. both have been doing great, but its not advertised. melky cabrera is close behind though. so i guess its your choice: phillips or cano
1071689
Right now i'd have to go with Scott Rolen. In the past month he has hit .380 and made some amazing defensive plays. He gets it done on both sides of the ball. He has really stepped up his game while Albert Pujols is injured.
570370
I feel that by far the best utility guy in the MLB is Chone Figgins of the Angels. He combines great speed with a consistent glove and a solid bat. Another good utility is Ryan Freelof the Reds. He has excellent speed, but doesn't have as good of a bat as Figgins. Also, there are Bill Hall of the Brewers and Brandon Inge of the Tigers, if you want to count him. Brandon Inge has been playing 3rd base very consistently of recent, but in addition he has played outfield, shortstop, and catcher in his professional baseball career.