The list is epic. It is a compilation that doesn't make room for some of the best who ever graced a baseball diamond. Graig Nettles, Earle Combs, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly -- all are baseball legends who just didn't measure up to the most elite players in the history of the New York Yankees.
So who were the greatest Yankees ever?
Catcher: Yogi Berra (1946-1965)
A three-time American League MVP, Berra is the Yankees' all-time leader at catcher in home runs (358), runs batted in (1,430), and runs scored (1,174). Berra entered the Hall of Fame in 1972. An 18-time All-Star, he was part of 10 World Series-winning teams.
First Base: Lou Gehrig (1923-1939)
Gehrig is third on the Yankees' all-time home run list with 493. Four times he drove in more than 165 runs in a season and finished his career with 1,995. An extra-base hit machine, he is the Yankees' all-time leader in doubles (534) and triples (163). A two-time American League MVP, he played on six World Series winners. Gehrig hit .361 in the postseason with 10 homers and 35 runs driven in (34 games played).
Second Base: Tony Lazzeri (1926-1937)
Lazzeri is the only second baseman to drive in more than 1,000 runs (1,154) as a member of the Yankees. Lazzeri was a five-time World Series champion. He finished his career with 178 home runs.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter (1995-present)
A 12-time All-Star, Jeter is the Yankees' career leader in hits (3,183). His 1,809 runs scored ranks third in team history. Part of five World Series-winning teams, Jeter has 191 postseason hits, the most in the history of the game. He is the current captain of the Yankees.
Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (2004-present)
Despite being a member of the Yankees for just eight-plus seasons, A-Rod ranks sixth in team history with 297 home runs. He is a 12-time All-Star and a recipient of three MVP Awards.
Left Field: Joe DiMaggio (1936-1951)
A .325 career hitter, DiMaggio recorded a record 56-game hitting streak in 1941. He is a nine-time World Series champion and a 13-time All-Star. Despite losing 1943-1945 (prime years since he entered the service at 28 years of age) to WWII, DiMaggio collected 361 home runs and 1,583 runs batted in. He was a three-time American League MVP.
Center Field: Mickey Mantle (1951-1968)
Mantle is second on the Yankees' all-time home runs list with 536. He scored 1,677 runs while driving in 1,509. The Mick finished his career with 18 home runs and 40 runs driven in during the 65 postseason games he played. He was the American League MVP three times.
Right Field: Babe Ruth (1920-1934)
The Bambino led the American league in home runs 12 times, runs scored eight times, and RBIs six times.
His career OPS was 1.164 He hit .326 in the postseason with 15 home runs in just 41 games. He is the Yankees' all-time leader in home runs (659), runs scored (1,959), and batting average (.349). Ruth is a seven-time World Series champion
Designated Hitter: Reggie Jackson (1977-1981)
Jackson hit 144 home runs during his five-year tenure with the Yankees. The MVP of the 1977 World Series, he hit .450 with five home runs and drove in eight. In the 1978 World Series, he hit two homers with 8 runs batted in.
Starting Pitcher: Whitey Ford (1950-1967)
Ford won 236 games in pinstripes (most ever) against just 106 losses. He had a career 2.71 ERA. Ford participated in 10 All-Star games and played on six World Series championship teams. He captured the Cy Young Award in 1961 and is the team's all-time leader in strikeouts with 1,956.
Starting Pitcher: Andy Pettitte (1995-2003, 2007-2010, 2012)
Pettitte ranks third in all-time wins as a member of the Yankees with 206. His 19 wins in the postseason is the most in history. Pettitte has a reasonable chance at being the team's all-time wins leader. He is a five-time World Series champion.
Starting Pitcher: Allie Reynolds (1947-1954)
During his eight-year tenure with the team, Superchief compiled a record of 131-60 with 41 saves. He was 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA in World Series play. He also saved 4 World Series games. He is a six-time World Series champion.
Starting Pitcher: Red Ruffing (1930-1946)
Ruffing ranks second on the team's all-time wins list with 231. He compiled a record of 7-2 in the World Series and played on six championship teams. Ruffing was also a six-time All-Star.
Starting Pitcher: Lefty Gomez (1930-1942)
Gomez was a four-time 20-game winner. He finished his career with the Bombers compiling 189 victories. He was a perfect 6-0 in seven World Series starts.
Set-up Pitcher: Jeff Nelson (1996-2000, 2003)
A four-time World Series champion, Nelson appeared in 307 games for the Yankees from 1996 to 2000. He struck out 313 batters in just 293.1 innings pitched. He had a 1.69 ERA in 16 World Series appearances.
Left-Handed Specialist: Mike Stanton (1996-2002, 2005)
From 1977 until 2002, Stanton complied a record of 30-12 with the Yankees. In total, he appeared in 456 games over eight seasons. He won three World Series.
Closer: Mariano Rivera (1995-present)
Simply the best reliever in the history of Major League Baseball. He is the game's all-time saves leader with 608 and owns a career ERA of 2.21. His 11 saves are the most in the history of the World Series and his 42 saves in the postseason are more than double that of Brad Lidge, who is second on the list with 18. Rivera owns a 0.70 postseason ERA. He is a 12-time All-Star who has five World Series championships to his credit.
Bench: Bill Dickey (1928-1946)
Dickey was part of 14 World Series championship teams as a player, manager, and coach. He hit for a .313 average with 202 home runs, and drove in 1,209 runs during his career.
Bench: Robinson Cano (2005-present)
In just his eighth year as a member of the Yankees, Cano ranks fourth on the team's list of second basemen in runs scored (664), second in home runs (161), second in runs batted in (660), and fourth in hits (1,348)
Bench: Bernie Williams (1991-2006)
Williams is a five-time All-Star, four-time World Series champion, and four-time Gold Glove winner. His 128 postseason hits rank second all-time, while his 80 runs batted in are first in the history of the game.
Sources:
Yahoo! Sports
mlb.com
Robert Watkins is former investment professional and partner. A native New Yorker until 9/11, he considers Pa. his adoptive home. A passionate Yankees fan and Pennsylvania sports enthusiast, Robert is a frequent contributor to Yahoo! Sports and News.
