Prowling into the list at #87 is the original Big Cat Johnny Mize. Mize had one of the longest peaks in history as he led the league in home runs, slugging % and extra-base hits four times, RBIs, OPS, and total bases 3 times, OPS+ twice, and batting average, runs, and doubles once. When he wasn’t leading the league, he was coming awfully close as he consistently finished near the top of every major statistical category for nearly a decade. He finished in the top-3 in slugging % and OPS+ a remarkable nine times. He finished in the top-3 in extra-base hits and offensive WAR eight times and home runs, total bases, and RBIs seven times. Indicative of his immense power, Mize is 14th all-time in slugging % and 17^th all-time in OPS+. He finished in the top-10 of the MVP voting six times including back-to-back runner-up finishes in 1939 and 1940 in which he was unquestionably the best hitter in the American League. Mize joins Mark McGwire as the only two players to lead the league in home runs twice in the American League and the National League. He was also a part of five World Series titles with the Yankees where he had a robust .584 slugging % and a .909 OPS. It’s hard to believe that Mize put together such a stellar career despite missing three full seasons of his prime serving in WWII.

At #81 on our countdown is 18-time all-star and Twins legend Rod Carew. Carew led the league in batting average seven times which is the 4^th most in history behind only Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Tony Gwynn. Carew joins Rogers Hornsby and Stan Musial as the only three players ever to lead the league in runs, hits, triples, batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, and OPS+ in the same season. He is the only player in history to have at least 235 hits, 125 runs, 35 doubles, 15 triples, 20 stolen bases, 65 walks, an OPS+ of 175, and a batting average of .388 in a single season. He was the 1977 American League MVP and finished in the top-10 six times. Carew has the 3^rd highest career batting average since 1960, trailing only Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs.

Next up at #82 is Sammy Sosa. Slammin’ Sammy’s 10-year stretch with the Cubs from 1995 to 2004 produced the greatest home run barrage Major League Baseball has ever seen, literally. Sosa’s 479 home runs over that period are the most ever over 10 years. In fact, Sosa also holds the records for most home runs over a 5-year, 6-year, 7-year, 8-year, and 9-year stretch. Sosa is the only player in history with three seasons of 60+ home runs. He also shares the record for the most 50-home run seasons with four. He’s the only player in history with more than 60 home runs and 140 runs in a single season. He’s the only player to have more than 65 home runs, 150 RBIs, and 130 runs in a single season. He’s the only player in history with a season of at least 64 home runs and 155 RBIs and he did it twice. Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, and Rafael Palmeiro are the only three players in history with nine consecutive seasons of 35 home runs and 100 RBIs. He was the NL MVP in 1998 and the runner-up in 2001. Remarkably, Sosa led the league in home runs twice, but not in any of his 60-home run seasons.