Sports

The 40 Greatest Names In The History Of Major League Baseball

#MLB
by Last Updated
The 40 Greatest Names In The History Of Major League Baseball

Getty Image


  • Most people can name the best players in the history of Major League Baseball, but how about the ones with the best names?
  • Here’s a list of the guys with the most incredible monikers to ever grace an MLB roster
  • Read more baseball stories here

Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Mariano Rivera, Cy Young, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax; the list goes on, and on, and on…

Those players are legends in the sport of professional baseball and their names have become synonymous with success. If you think about the best Home Run hitter, you are going to talk about Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, or Barry Bonds. But what you don’t think about is how crazy their names sound because they have earned the respect and admiration of all baseball fans, regardless of who they root for.

The only thing that any of these amazingly talented baseball players lack is a great name like Fatty, Sig, Satchel, Boardwalk, or Honus. These names are great, they are epic, they are—simply put—a few examples of the greatest names in baseball history.

Let’s take a look at the best of the best names in Major League Baseball history.

40. Boots Poffenberger (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1937-1939
  • Team(s): Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Games: 57
  • Record: 16-12
  • Innings Pitched: 267.1
  • Strikeouts: 65
  • Walks: 149

39. Pretzel Pezzullo (LHP)

  • Years Played: 1935-1936
  • Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies
  • Games: 42
  • Record: 3-5
  • Innings Pitched: 86.1
  • Strikeouts: 24
  • Walks: 51

38. Pete LaCock (1B/OF)

  • Years Played: 1972-1980
  • Team(s): Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals
  • Batting Avg: .257
  • Runs: 214
  • Doubles: 86
  • Home Runs: 27
  • RBI: 224
  • Stolen Bases: 8

37. Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1903-1916
  • Team(s): St.Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, St.Louis Terriers, Brooklyn Tip-Tops, Chicago Whales
  • Games: 481
  • Record: 239-130
  • Innings Pitched: 3172.1
  • Strikeouts: 1375
  • Walks: 673

36. Bunny Brief (1B/LF)

  • Years Played: 1912-1917
  • Team(s): St.Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Batting Avg: .223
  • Runs: 61
  • Doubles: 25
  • Home Runs: 5
  • RBI: 59
  • Stolen Bases: 17

35. Sugar Cain (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1932-1938
  • Team(s): Philadelphia A’s, St.Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox
  • Games: 178
  • Record: 53-60
  • Innings Pitched: 987.1
  • Strikeouts: 279
  • Walks: 569

34. Granny Hamner (SS/2B)

  • Years Played: 1944-1962
  • Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City A’s
  • Batting Avg: .262
  • Runs: 711
  • Doubles: 272
  • Home Runs: 104
  • RBI: 708

33. Bill Malarkey (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1908
  • Team(s): New York Giants
  • Games: 15
  • Record: 0-2
  • Innings Pitched: 35
  • Strikeouts: 12
  • Walks: 10

32. Phenomenal Smith (LHP)

  • Years Played: 1884-1891
  • Team(s): Philadelphia A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Grays, Detroit Wolverines, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies,
  • Games: 140
  • Record: 54-74
  • Innings Pitched: 1169.1
  • Strikeouts: 519
  • Walks: 479

31. Orval Overall (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1905-1913
  • Team(s): Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs
  • Games: 218
  • Record: 108-71
  • Innings Pitched: 1535.1
  • Strikeouts: 935
  • Walks: 551

30. Greg Legg (2B/SS)

  • Years Played: 1986-1987
  • Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies
  • Batting Avg: .409
  • Runs: 3
  • Doubles: 1
  • RBI: 1

29. Dizzy Trout (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1939-1952
  • Team(s): Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox
  • Games: 521
  • Record: 170-161
  • Innings Pitched: 2725.2
  • Strikeouts: 1256
  • Walks: 1046

28. Mudcat Grant (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1958-1971
  • Team(s): Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, St.Louis Cardinals, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Games: 571
  • Record: 145-119
  • Innings Pitched: 2442
  • Strikeouts: 1267
  • Walks: 849

27. Hugh High (OF)

  • Years Played: 1913-1918
  • Team(s): Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees
  • Batting Avg: .250
  • Runs: 176
  • Doubles: 54
  • Home Runs: 3
  • RBI: 123
  • Stolen Bases: 56

26. Snuffy Stirnweiss (2B/3B/SS)

  • Years Played: 1943-1952
  • Team(s): New York Yankees, St.Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians
  • Batting Avg: .268
  • Runs: 604
  • Doubles: 157
  • Home Runs: 29
  • RBI: 281
  • Stolen Bases: 134

25. Possum Whitted (OF/3B)

  • Years Played: 1912-1922
  • Team(s):St.Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Batting Avg: .269
  • Runs: 440
  • Doubles: 145
  • Home Runs: 23
  • RBI: 451
  • Stolen Bases: 116

24. Dizzy Dean (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1930-1947
  • Team(s): St.Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, St.Louis Browns
  • Games: 317
  • Record: 150-83
  • Innings Pitched: 1967.1
  • Strikeouts: 1163
  • Walks: 453

23. Boof Bonser (RHP)

  • Years Played: 2006-2010
  • Team(s): Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s
  • Games: 111
  • Record: 19-25
  • Innings Pitched: 416.2
  • Strikeouts: 334
  • Walks: 133

22. Stubby Clapp (2B/LF)

  • Years Played: 2001
  • Team(s): St.Louis Cardinals
  • Batting Avg: .200
  • Doubles: 2
  • RBI: 1

21. Buttercup Dickerson (OF)

  • Years Played: 1878-1885
  • Team(s): Cincinnati Reds, Troy Trojans, Worcester Ruby Legs, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, St.Louis Maroons, Baltimore Orioles, Louisville Eclipse, Buffalo Bisons
  • Batting Avg: .284
  • Runs: 302
  • Doubles: 84
  • Triples: 34
  • RBI: 127

20. Vinegar Bend Mizell (LHP)

  • Years Played: 1952-1962
  • Team(s): St.Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets
  • Games: 268
  • Record: 90-88
  • Innings Pitched: 1528.2
  • Strikeouts: 918
  • Walks: 680

19. Mysterious Walker (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1910-1915
  • Team(s): Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Naps, Brooklyn Superbas, Pittsburgh Rebels, Brooklyn Tip-Tops
  • Games: 61
  • Record: 7-23
  • Innings Pitched: 297.1
  • Strikeouts: 143
  • Walks: 136

18. John Wockenfuss (C/1B/OF)

  • Years Played: 1974-1985
  • Team(s): Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies
  • Batting Avg: .262
  • Runs: 267
  • Doubles: 73
  • Home Runs: 86
  • RBI: 310

17. Bombo Rivera (OF)

  • Years Played: 1975-1982
  • Team(s): Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals
  • Batting Avg: .265
  • Runs: 109
  • Doubles: 39
  • RBI: 83

16. Bud Weiser (OF)

  • Years Played: 1915-1916
  • Team(s): Philadelphia Phillies
  • Batting Avg: .162
  • Runs: 7
  • Doubles: 3
  • RBI: 8
  • Stolen Bases: 2

15. Moonlight Graham (RF)

  • Years Played: 1905
  • Team(s): New York Giants
  • Games Played: 1 inning in the OF (Career)

14. Razor Shines (1B)

  • Years Played: 1983-1987
  • Team(s): Montreal Expos
  • Batting Avg: .185
  • Doubles: 1
  • RBI: 5
  • Stolen Bases: 1

13. Boog Powell (1B/LF)

  • Years Played: 1961-1977
  • Team(s): Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Batting Avg: .266
  • Runs: 889
  • Doubles: 270
  • Home Runs: 339
  • RBI: 1187
  • Walks: 1001

12. Dick Pole (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1973-1978
  • Team(s): Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners
  • Games: 122
  • Record: 25-37
  • Innings Pitched: 531
  • Strikeouts: 239
  • Walks: 209

11. Coco Crisp (CF)

  • Years Played: 2002-2016
  • Team(s): Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s
  • Batting Avg: .265
  • Runs: 877
  • Home Runs: 130
  • RBI: 639
  • Stolen Bases: 309

10. Blue Moon Odom (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1964-1976
  • Team(s): Kansas City A’s, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox
  • Games: 295
  • Record: 84-85
  • Innings Pitched: 1509
  • Strikeouts: 857
  • Walks: 788

9. Chicken Hawks (1B/OF)

  • Years Played: 1921-1925
  • Team(s): New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies
  • Batting Avg: .316
  • Runs: 68
  • Doubles: 17
  • Home Runs: 7
  • RBI: 60

8. The Only Nolan (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1878-1885
  • Team(s): Indianapolis Blues, Cleveland Blues, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Wilmington Quicksteps, Philadelphia Quakers
  • Games: 79
  • Record: 23-52
  • Innings Pitched: 676
  • Strikeouts: 274
  • Walks: 135

7. Cannonball Titcomb (LHP)

  • Years Played: 1886-1890
  • Team(s): Philadelphia Quakers, Philadelphia A’s, New York Giants, Rochester Broncos
  • Games: 63
  • Record: 30-29
  • Innings Pitched: 528.2
  • Strikeouts: 283
  • Walks: 239

6. Catfish Hunter (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1965-1979
  • Team(s): Kansas City A’s, New York Yankees
  • Games: 500
  • ERA: 3.26
  • Record: 224-166
  • Innings Pitched: 3449.1
  • Strikeouts: 2012
  • Walks: 954

5. Yo-Yo Davalillo (SS)

  • Years Played: 1953
  • Team(s): Washington Senators
  • Batting Avg: .293
  • Runs: 10
  • RBI: 2

4. Rusty Kuntz (OF)

  • Years Played: 1979-1985
  • Team(s): Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers
  • Batting Avg: .236
  • Runs: 75
  • Doubles: 23
  • RBI: 38

3. Quinton McCracken (OF)

  • Years Played: 1995-2006
  • Team(s): Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds
  • Batting Avg: .274
  • Runs: 359
  • Doubles: 118
  • Home Runs: 21
  • RBI: 244
  • Stolen Bases: 89

2. Peek-A-Boo Veach (1B/LF)

  • Years Played: 1884-1890
  • Team(s): Kansas City Cowboys, Louisville Colonels, Cleveland Spiders, Pittsburgh Alleghenys
  • Batting Avg: .215
  • Runs: 39
  • Doubles: 12
  • Home Runs: 3
  • RBI: 37

1. Oil Can Boyd (RHP)

  • Years Played: 1982-1991
  • Team(s): Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers
  • Games: 214
  • Record: 78-77
  • Innings Pitched: 1389.2
  • Strikeouts: 799
  • Walks: 368