Babe Ruth

Mel was a power player with a sharp eye, in the offensive mold of Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. 

20. Walter Johnson-RHP

Sure he's second all time in wins, but he's fourth in losses. It's the old Cy Young debate, except Johnson's peripherals are better. Twelfth in Opp. BA is particularly notable because it appears to be a stat dominated by contemporary pitchers, and Johnson is far from that. 

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best hitters of all time played at the same time in the early days of baseball.  By 1919, when Babe Ruth decided to rest his pitching arm (his career pitching record was 80-41 to that point) and take up hitting full time, Ty Cobb was already at the top of the sport.  His 10 batting titles between 1907 and 1918 were unmatched by anyone in history, he had already hit better than .400 in a season twice, he routinely led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and hits, and he had led the majors in stolen bases six times.  The Georgia Peach was, simply put, the best player of his time.

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Young Award winner and World Series champion, who had been everywhere and done everything, had seen Babe Ruth out-homer entire teams, had kept tabs on Joe DiMaggio's hit streak, and had out-dueled countless contenders.  Juan Marichal, the spry, young 25-year-old up-and-comer, who had pitched his way out of the Dominican Republic, had brushed back many a slugger, backed down to no one, and struck out more hitters than he could count.  Spahn and Marichal:  separated by a generation, a life experience, and two chalk lines--but linked forever by the interminable will they each portrayed on that summer day.

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