The Best of All Time: 1920s

*Note: Many of these players were successful throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s as well, but they began in the 1920s, so that is where and how I will group them.

I might as start right off the bat with the one that most people claim was the best of all time -- Babe Ruth. He started his 22-year career in 1914 but really took the spotlight after the accursed trade from the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1919. The Bambino finished with a .342 average, 2,213 RBI, 714 homeruns and an all time best .690 slugging percentage. He was a seven-time World Series champion and was named the AL MVP in 1923. In 1936, he was one of the first five members inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.


Right behind the Babe was another man who enters the conversation as the best player of all time. Lou Gehrig played from 1923-1939, all with the New York Yankees. The “Iron Horse” ended his career with a .340 average, .991 fielding percentage and 493 homeruns. He played in 2,130 consecutive games, even after such instances as getting a concussion after being hit in the head by a pitch. He was a seven-time All Star, owned six World Series rings, and was the league MVP in 1927 and 1936. Gehrig was an unanimous inductee into the Hal of Fame in 1939.


Another great of the 1920s was Roger Hornsby. He hit for a .358 average in 23 seasons. He is the only player to have won the NL Triple Crown twice and is also the only player to ever hit 40 homeruns and have an average above .400 in a season, which he did in 1924, batting .424. Hornsby was a two-time MVP and became a member of Cooperstown in 1942.


Red Ruffing was perhaps the best pitcher of the roaring twenties. He played from 1924-1947 with a 3.80 ERA, including 1,987 strikeouts. He also was an All Star six times, helped win six World Series titles and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1967.


A lifetime Cincinnati Red, Edd Roush batted .323 in his career, spanning from 1913-1931. From 1917-1926, he never batted below .321 and was the NL batting champ in 1917 and 1919. Aside from his bat, his skills as an outfielder labeled him as having the best arm in the big leagues during his time. That strength was also showcased in his offense; Roush used a 48-ounce bat, the biggest in baseball. In 1962, he made his way into the Hall of Fame.