MLB stars make their all-time, must-win lineups
Everyone is hungry for baseball to return from its hiatus, especially current players.
Superstars like Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Blake Snell, and St. Louis Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty each recently compiled their all-time best MLB starting lineups.
Here's a look at their choices. Leave your all-time lineup in the comments.
Team Yelich
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Derek Jeter | SS |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | CF |
| Albert Pujols | 1B |
| Barry Bonds | LF |
| Hank Aaron | RF |
| Chipper Jones | 3B |
| Johnny Bench | C |
| Craig Biggio | 2B |
| Nolan Ryan | SP |
Team Snell
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Derek Jeter | SS |
| Mike Trout | LF |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | CF |
| Hank Aaron | RF |
| David Ortiz | DH |
| Lou Gehrig | 1B |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3B |
| Rod Carew | 2B |
| Ivan Rodriguez | C |
| Randy Johnson | SP |
Team Flaherty
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Derek Jeter | SS |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | CF |
| Albert Pujols | 1B |
| Barry Bonds | LF |
| Hank Aaron | RF |
| Chipper Jones | 3B |
| Yadier Molina | C |
| Roberto Alomar | 2B |
| Bob Gibson | SP |
Jeter, Griffey, and Aaron are the only names to appear on all three lineup cards. Meanwhile, catcher, second base, and pitcher were the biggest outliers with each player featuring a different name at these positions.
Flaherty played the homer card by featuring three stars (Pujols, Molina, Gibson) predominantly known for their time with his hometown Cardinals. Snell, being the lone American League representative, was the only one to include a designated hitter. Flaherty did agree in the comment section that "Big Papi" is the only answer to that question, though.
These three weren't the only players to chime in, as Dee Gordon and Bryce Harper were among those to share their lists in the comments.
Team Gordon
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Rickey Henderson | CF |
| Barry Bonds | LF |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | RF |
| Hank Aaron | DH |
| Josh Gibson | C |
| Gary Sheffield | 3B |
| Derrek Lee | 1B |
| Barry Larkin | SS |
| Ozzie Smith | 2B |
| Satchel Paige | SP |
| Lee Smith | RP |
| Tom Gordon | CP |
Gordon got a little creative with his positional breakdown. While Sheffield was primarily known as an outfielder, he did play nearly 500 games at the hot corner. And while Smith spent every inning of his illustrious career at shortstop, something tells us "The Wizard of Oz" could've handled second base. Naturally, Gordon took his dad as the team's closer.
Team Harper
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Cal Ripken Jr. | SS |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | CF |
| Mickey Mantle | RF |
| Mike Trout | LF |
| Mike Schmidt | 3B |
| Jimmie Foxx | 1B |
| Chase Utley | 2B |
| Josh Gibson | C |
| Cliff Lee | SP |
| Charlie Manuel | Skipper |
Harper continued to endear himself to Phillies faithful by highlighting a few homespun players and going with Manuel to manage the team. Both Harper and Gordon went with Gibson behind the plate. Gibson never reached the majors due to segregation, but is considered one of the absolute best to ever play the position. He had a career batting average of .359 over 16 seasons in the Negro Leagues.
Finally, legendary Chicago Cubs hurler Fergie Jenkins included his list on his Instagram Stories.
Team Fergie
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Willie McCovey | 1B |
| Joe Morgan | 2B |
| Ron Santo | 3B |
| Bert Campaneris | SS |
| Johnny Bench | C |
| Roberto Clemente | RF |
| Willie Mays | CF |
| Hank Aaron | LF |
| Fergie Jenkins | SP |
Jenkins dropped the mic by selecting himself to start the all-time, must-win game. How's that for confidence?