The most iconic player on each team: LN

Each Major League Baseball franchise features a token player. But there are figures that are simply iconic.

Next, the best player in the history of each National League franchise, according to the MLB.com editorial group.

When the slugger ended his career in 1976, he owned the most offensive records in major league history. He still tops the list for RBIs and extra bases. His record for most home runs was surpassed by Barry Bonds, but Aaron will always be remembered as the man who broke Babe Ruth’s “insurmountable” home run record. If his 755 homers were not counted, Aaron would still have finished with more than 3,000 hits. The iconic Hall of Famer debuted in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves and a NL MVP campaign led the team to the World Series title in 1957.

MARLINS: Giancarlo Stanton

The gunner made his major league debut at age 20 in 2010 and became the leader in home runs (267) and RBIs (672) in Peces history. Ailments limited his career in Miami, but when he was fully healthy in 2017, he was a powerhouse. In 159 games, Stanton led the majors in homers with 59 and RBIs with 132, becoming the only player in franchise history to be recognized as the MVP of the Old Circuit. In 2014, Stanton again led the National League with 37 home runs, finishing second in MVP voting behind Clayton Kershaw. The fWAR (FanGraphs WAR) of 34.6 is the highest for any player in Fish history.

No one matches the stature of the ace, who nearly entered the Hall of Fame unanimously, still leads the New York team in ERA, wins, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts, WAR and more. Each of those records has been held for more than 40 years; some will never break. Until Mike Piazza was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, Seaver was the only one immortalized in Cooperstown as a member of the Mets. Not only is he the greatest figure in the history of the Queens team or one of the best pitchers the game has seen, but he is also one of the best players in the history of the majors.

NATIONALS: Vladimir Guerrero

Observing the franchise for its time in Montreal and Washington, the Hall of Famer from Santiago stands out. Guerrero played the first half of his stellar career with the Expos, and his performance left a big mark. Among all the players in franchise history, Vlad is the best in average (.323), slugging (.588), OPS (.978), and at-bats per home run (16.1). Guerrero is second in homers (234) and OPS + (148), and third in triples (34). He was called up to four consecutive All-Star Games and won the Silver Bat in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

If we focus on the history of the Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman would undoubtedly be the chosen one after playing 16 of the 17 seasons of the franchise in the American capital.

Not only is he the best player in the history of the Philadelphia club, but for some he is the best third baseman in the history of baseball. Among third basemen, he is the leader in home runs (548) and shares third place in RBIs (1,595). Among third basemen with at least 7,500 plate hits, Schmidt is second in slugging (.527) and OPS (.908) and fifth in on-base percentage (.380). He was the MVP of the Nacional in 1980, 1981 and 1986. He was called up to 12 teams from the Old Circuit for the All-Star Game. He won 10 Gold Gloves and six Silver Bats. He was the MVP of the World Series in 1980, helping the Phillies win the first title in franchise history.

Yount always expresses that his focus was on longevity, but that doesn’t highlight the great fact that he emerged in the majors at age 18 and played each of his 20 seasons in Milwaukee. He won the American League MVP at two different positions – shortstop in 1982 and center fielder in 1989 – and his 1,731 hits in the 1980s led all of baseball. In 1992, the same day that Brewers owner Bud Selig was elected MLB Commissioner, Yount became the youngest player to reach 3,000 hits. “Extraordinary talent,” said fellow immortal Ted Simmons.

Musial is undoubtedly one of the best in history, and he played his entire 22-year career with St. Louis. The ranger and first baseman won three MVP awards and finished second four other times. Musial won seven batting titles and led the league five times in runs, six times in hits, eight times in doubles, five times in triples, two times in RBIs, six times in total bases hit and seven times in OPS. He participated in 24 All-Star Games and won three World Series. In his career he had an offensive line of .331 / .417 / .559 and reached WAR of 128.3. Musial’s number 6 was the first retired by the Cardinals, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969, his first year on the ballot.

There can only be one “Mr. Cub, ”and that was a nickname Banks earned during his 19-year career in the Big Top, each with the North Chicago outfit. When Banks made his debut on September 17, 1953, he became the first black player in Cubs history. He then won consecutive MVP awards (1958 and 1959) and was called up to 14 All-Star Games. Banks is the owner of club records in games played, at-bats, total bases reached and extra-base hits, he was also the leader in homers (512) until he was surpassed by the Dominican Sammy Sosa. Banks was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 and his famous phrase, “Let’s play two,” is very popular in baseball.

With all due respect to Puerto Rican legend Roberto Clemente, Wagner was without a doubt the best player in the 134-year history of the Pittsburgh team and the best shortstop of all time, according to his Hall of Fame plaque. Wagner produced a bWAR of 120.1 with the Buccaneers, the best in franchise history, and finished his career with 3,420 hits, 1,732 RBIs and 723 ripped off. In 1936, he was part of the first group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson.

As a Cincinnati native, he played 19 of 24 career seasons with his hometown team (in two stints) and is the MLB leader in hits (4,256) and games played (3,592). The 1963 Rookie of the Year was the leading figure in the Great Red Machine dynasty in the 1970s that culminated in World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. Rose, a 13-time All-Star with the Reds, He is the franchise leader in games played, plate visits, runs scored, hits, singles, doubles and walks traded. Rose won the Old Circuit MVP award in 1973, the World Series MVP in 1975, and three batting titles. He was selected to the MLB Team of the Century in 1999. However, due to his lifetime suspension in 1989 for breaking the betting rules while manager of the Reds, Rose is ineligible for the Hall of Fame.

The ace already had an impressive track record when he joined the Arizona club in 1999, but for good reason he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the D-backs – he took his career to another level in the desert. The left-hander won four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards from 1999 to 2002, and also shared the MVP award from the 2001 World Series. In said Fall Classic, Johnson won Games 2 and 6 as a starter and then went into relief to score victory in Game 7. He pitched a perfect game in 2004 against the Braves at age 40. Johnson finished his career with 303 wins, 118 with Arizona, and is second behind Nolan Ryan on the all-time list with 4,875 strikeouts.

How can you choose between Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax? The best of the best extend their dominance on the ground and define the legacy of their franchises. Both Robinson and Koufax did it with the Dodgers. Both are revered for their impact on baseball, but Jackie is a social icon and Sandy was a model of the franchise’s pitching heritage. Robinson stood out despite the immense responsibility of breaking the racial barrier. Koufax set unattainable stats that overshadowed his tenacity and his sacrifice when throwing despite suffering from ailments. In a difficult decision, we chose Koufax.

Seen by many as the most complete player in baseball history, Mays was a unique talent who played 21 of his 22 major league seasons with the Giants, serving as the leading figure in the franchise’s transition from New York to San Francisco. . The outfielder received two National MVP awards, participated in 24 All-Star Games and won 12 Gold Gloves while wowing generations of fans during his Hall of Fame career. Mays continues to lead the franchise in games played (2,857), home runs (646), hits (3,187), at-bats (10,477) and total bases reached (5,907).

Gwynn’s career .338 average is the best since Ted Williams, and he’s the San Diego franchise leader in nearly every offensive category – including WAR, average, runs scored, hits, RBIs and total bases hit. . But Gwynn’s impact went beyond her numbers (although some of those numbers are quite staggering). He played each of his 20 seasons as a member of the Padres, after attending San Diego State University. Few athletes are revered as “Mr. Dad”. A large statue of Gwynn decorates one of the entrances to Petco Park.

In disappointing years, Helton was everything the Rockies wanted. In years of success, the first baseman was the figure. Draft in the first round of the 1995 draft, Helton played his entire career in the majors with Colorado, 1997-2013. That means 17 seasons – which coincidentally is the number he wore and the only one retired by the Rockies. Helton’s career stats – which were part of a debate over whether he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame – were very good. He owns the club’s record with a bWAR of 61.8, along with games played (2,247), hits (2,519), home runs (369) and RBIs (1,406), plus other categories. It’s hard to imagine that the final out of the NL Championship Series – with Helton celebrating after catching the last-out ball to advance to the World Series – would not be immortalized with a statue at Coors Field some time. day.