Over the past couple weeks, I have spent time compiling the all-time starting nine for each major league franchise, with each player selected because they had the highest career WAR at a given position, for a given team. For this list of my all-time 25-man roster, it is strictly opinion based, although each player is without a doubt amongst the all-time greats. Additionally, positional need was taken into account.
Johnny Bench is our catcher for our all-time 25-man roster.
Catcher: Johnny Bench, 1967-1983, 75.0 WAR (Honorable Mention: Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter)
First Base: Lou Gehrig, 1923-1939, 112.4 WAR (Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Jimmie Foxx, Frank Thomas)
Second Base: Joe Morgan, 1963-1984, 100.3 WAR (Honorable Mention: Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins, Rod Carew)
Shortstop: Honus Wagner, 1897-1917, 131.0 WAR (Honorable Mention: Alex Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith)
Third Base: Mike Schmidt, 1972-1989, 106.5 WAR (Honorable Mention: George Brett, Eddie Mathews, Brooks Robinson)
Right Field: Babe Ruth, 1914-1935, 183.7 WAR (Honorable Mention: Mel Ott, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Tony Gwynn)
Centerfield: Willie Mays, 1951-1952, 1954-1973, 156.2 WAR (Honorable Mention: Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr.)
Leftfield: Ted Williams, 1939-1942, 1945-1960, 123.2 WAR (Honorable Mention: Rickey Henderson, Carl Yastrzemski, Pete Rose)
Designated Hitter: Barry Bonds, 1986-2007, 162.4 WAR
Bench: Yogi Berra, 1946-1963, 1965, 59.5 WAR
Bench: Stan Musial, 1941-1944, 1946-1963, 128.1 WAR
Bench: Hank Aaron, 1954-1976, 142.6 WAR
Bench: Wade Boggs, 1982-1999, 91.1 WAR
Bench: Ty Cobb, 1905-1928, 151.1 WAR
SP: RHP Bob Gibson, 1959-1975, 89.9 WAR
SP: LHP Walter Johnson, 1907-1927, 165.6 WAR
SP: RHP Tom Seaver, 1967-1986, 110.5 WAR
SP: RHP Pedro Martinez, 1992-2009, 84.0 WAR
SP: RHP Nolan Ryan, 1966, 1968-1993, 81.8 WAR
SP: LHP Randy Johnson, 1988-2009, 102.1 WAR
(SP Honorable Mention: Roger Clemens, Christy Mathewson, Lefty Grove, Greg Maddux, Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Satchel Paige)
RP: Mariano Rivera, 1995-2013, 57.1 WAR
RP: Billy Wagner, 1995-2010, 28.1 WAR
RP: Goose Gossage, 1972-1989, 1991-1994, 42.0 WAR
RP: Trevor Hoffman, 1993-2010, 28.4 WAR
RP: Dennis Eckersley1975-1998, 63.0 WAR
(RP Honorable Mention: Bruce Sutter, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers)
