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MLB Number 18s

The Greatest MLB Players that Wore Number 18!

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Number 18s

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, A 1933 Goudey Baseball Card of Dazzy Vance #2. 

Our search to find the top MLB players that wore 18 needs to start with a series of inquiries to help us determine the best. First stop is the Baseball Hall of Fame's records to see whom they have enshrined that wore the number 18.

  • Ed Walsh
  • Dazzy Vance
  • Eppa Rixey
  • Red Faber
  • Burleigh Grimes
  • Red Ruffing
  • Jesse Haines
  • Joe Morgan
  • Nellie Fox
  • Tony Gwynn

The next source to peak at would be the teams themselves and which clubs have retired the number 18 and whom those folks are.

  • Ted Kluszewski    Reds    July 18, 1998
  • Mel Harder    Indians    July 28, 1990

The Most Significant MLB Players Who Wore 18

Now it is that time where we take the information we have already gathered along and combine it with the number of wins his team garnered over the player that they replaced, the years that they wore the number and compare it with all the others that displayed the number prouudly on their MLB uniforms. The results are this:

  • Joe Morgan
  • Red Ruffing
  • Willie Randolph
  • Red Faber
  • Andruw Jones
  • Keith Hernandez
  • Dazzy Vance
  • Bret Saberhagen
  • John Olerud
  • Johnny Damon
  • Eppa Rixey
  • Jim Wynn
  • Minnie Minoso
  • Burleigh Grimes
  • Tony Phillips
  • Nellie Fox
  • Bobo Newsom
  • Curtis Granderson
  • Gene Tenace
  • Lon Warneke
  • Rocky Colavito
  • Ben Zobrist
  • Mel Harder
  • Julio Franco
  • Darryl Strawberry
  • Jason Kendall
  • Andy Van Slyke
  • Moises Alou
  • Tom Zachary
  • Danny Darwin
  • Bill Madlock
  • Jeff Pfeffer
  • Jeff Heath
  • Rick Wise
  • Bump Hadley
  • Richie Hebner
  • Jesse Haines
  • Jose Valentin
  • Ted Kluszewski
  • Shane Victorino
  • Bill Russell
  • Willis Hudlin
  • John Hiller
  • Woody Williams
  • Kevin McReynolds
  • Javy Lopez
  • Hal Schumacher
  • Matt Cain
  • Chris Short
  • Don Baylor
  • Elmer Valo
  • General Crowder
  • Benito Santiago
  • Elston Howard
  • Rip Sewell
  • Ryan Klesko
  • Johnny Allen
  • Billy Werber
  • Fred Hutchinson
  • Bob Smith
  • Garret Anderson

Greatest MLB Number 18s by Stats

Okay, now it is time to put our knowledge to work and pick the greatest players that wore number 18 in MLB history based on performance stats. We do not have all of the players from some of the Negro Leagues in place yet but when we do we will certainly update the list so please excuse us on this. The criteria is simple we pulled stats from Baseball-Reference and Stat-Head on some important numbers. Is the player in the Hall of Fame? What were the Wins After Replacement or the team victories gained or lost after they entered the lineup versus the player they replaced? Where do they rank in the following categories in history: Home Runs, Runs Produced, Strike Outs, ERA. The amount of awards such as MVPs and All-Star selections are sprinkled in in comparison to the years they wore the number.  We mash this information up and see how many of the criteria rankings they have and then multiply that number (0-6) times the number of years they wore the particular uniform number we are discussing and then add it to bonus points if in the Hall of Fame and for earning any Gold Glove Awards and/or Cy Young Awards. We call that calculated number our Ranked Formula and use it as a basis of Comparison to give you the Top Five at the uniform number (the rest can be found in the charts). 

  1. Joe Morgan
  2. Andy Van Slyke
  3. Moise Alou
  4. Mel harder
  5. Bill Russell

The stats may not be placing this group in order of importance but what it does do is identify the top

Here are our stats and findings:


Photo Credits

The photograph in the banner above is courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons collection of public Domain pictures. It is a The earliest photograph of baseball being played in California in 1860 taken by photographers Churchill & Wilson Photographers, Pixley, California.

Special thanks to Baseball-Reference.com, Stathead.com and the most wonderful book by Larry Lester and Wayne Stivers, The Negro Leagues Book, Volume 2.


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