The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #3 Willie Mays

Snagging the list at #3 is the greatest centerfielder of all time, Willie Mays. Firmly in the running for the greatest offensive and defensive centerfielder of all time, “The Say Hey Kid” spent 22 seasons patrolling centerfield in New York and San Francisco. Many statistics jump off the page for Mays, but perhaps the most impressive is that he led the league in WAR an astounding 10 times which is tied with Babe Ruth for most in history. He’s also the only player in history to lead the league in home runs and stolen bases four times each, and he’s the only player in MLB history to lead the league in home runs four times and triples three times each, demonstrating his elite power/speed combo. Mays won the NL MVP in 1954 and 1965 and finished in the top-6 for 10 consecutive seasons. He’s 3rd all-time in total bases, 5th in WAR, 6th in home runs and extra-base hits, 7th in runs and runs created, 12th in RBIs, 15th in intentional walks, and 17th in slugging percentage. His 156 WAR is the most ever by a centerfielder and his dWAR of 18.2 is the 3rd highest among center fielders. He joins Mike Trout and Cal Ripken Jr. as the only players in history with at least two MVPs and two All-Star Game MVPs and he is tied with Stan Musial for the second-most All-Star game selections (24). Mays is the only player in history with at least 35 home runs, 35 stolen bases, and 20 triples in a single season. He’s the only player in history with at least 6,000 total bases and 300 stolen bases. He’s the only player with 3,200 hits, 600 home runs, and 300 stolen bases. He’s the only player in history with 600 home runs and 140 triples and he joins Barry Bonds as the only two players with 660 career home runs and 330 stolen bases. Mays led the Giants to four World Series appearances including a World Series title in 1954.

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Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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