LATEST NEWS: Orioles Legend reveal 24 best players in history

The most recognizable face and name in the history of the Baltimore Orioles is easily Cal Ripken Jr., who spent all 21 of his Major League seasons as a beloved figure in Charm City. Baltimore selected Ripken in the second round of the 1978 MLB Draft out of a high school in nearby Aberdeen, MD, and he quickly emerged as a superstar in his hometown. In 3,001 games as an Oriole, Ripken slashed .276/.340/.447 with 431 home runs, 3,184 hits, 1,695 RBI, 603 doubles, and 44 triples. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1982 and was the MVP of the American League in both ’83 and ’91. Ripken represented the O’s in 19 straight All-Star Games from 1983-2001 and was named the MVP of the Midsummer Classic twice. He won eight Silver Slugger awards and two Gold Gloves, but most importantly helped Baltimore win the World Series in 1983. Today Ripken is perhaps most remembered for playing in 2,632 straight games, a record that will simply never be broken. The Orioles retired his number 8 at the end of his playing career in 2001, and he was easily elected into Cooperstown in 2007.

Prior to Cal Ripken Jr. bursting onto the scene in 1981, the Orioles were lucky enough to have had another career-long franchise legend on the left side of their infield. Brooks Robinson first stepped onto a Major League field wearing a Baltimore Orioles uniform in 1955 and even today is still considered the gold standard for playing defense at the hot corner. Robinson’s 16 Gold Gloves are the most ever for a position player, but he was far from one-dimensional. In 2,896 games for Baltimore, he slashed .267/.322/.401 with 268 homers, 1,357 RBI and 482 doubles. Robinson led the American League with 118 RBI in 1964 and following the season was named AL MVP. He qualified for 18 all-star teams and helped Baltimore win the World Series in ’66 and ’70 and was named the MVP of the Fall Classic in the second one. Baltimore rightfully retired his number 5 at the conclusion of his playing career, and Robinson was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

The most accomplished pitcher in Orioles history is right hander Jim Palmer, who debuted with the club in 1965 and would go on to anchor Baltimore’s pitching staff for 19 seasons. During his career, Palmer took the ball 558 times in an O’s uniform, and was fantastic in almost every one of the outings. The Scottsdale, AZ native owns every discernible pitching record in franchise history, pacing the Orioles in wins (268), innings (3,948), strikeouts (2,212), complete games (211) and shutouts (53). He led the American League in wins for three straight seasons from ’75-’77, took home two ERA titles, and led the league in innings four different times. Palmer won the American League Cy Young award in 1973, 1975, and 1976 and represented the Orioles in six All-Star ames. Most importantly, though, he was the star pitcher on three World Series-winning O’s teams, and for that he’ll always be royalty in Charm City. Baltimore retired Palmer’s number 22 in 1985, and he was inducted into Cooperstown in 1990.

First baseman Eddie Murray spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore, and even returned for a 64-game stretch as a 40-year-old in 1996. In 13 total seasons as an Oriole, Murray slashed an impressive .294/.370/.498 with 343 homers, 1,224 RBI, 363 doubles, 25 triples, and 62 stolen bases. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in ’77, represented the Orioles in seven All-Star Games, and earned two Silver Sluggers in the orange and black. Murray never won an MVP award but was the runner-up in the American League in both 1982 and 1983. He won three consecutive Gold Glove awards from ’82-’84, and led the American League at least once in homers, RBI, OBP, and walks. The Los Angeles, Calif. native was a member of Baltimore’s World Series-winning team in 1983, and the club retired his number 33 in 1998. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 2003.

Left-handed swinging George Sisler played for this organization when they were still known as the St. Louis Browns, and for most of his career the first baseman was one of the better offensive players in the sport. In the 12 seasons he spent with the franchise, Sisler slashed .344/.384/.481 with 581 extra-base hits and 351 stolen bases. He was the MVP of the American League in 1922, won the batting title in both 1920 and 1922, and led the league in hits twice. Sisler was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939.

Infielder Bobby Wallace played for the St. Louis Browns for 15 years in the early 1900s and was quietly one of the team’s best players for a long time. In over 1,500 games for the Browns, Wallace slashed .258/.326/.328 with 236 doubles and 65 triples. Power was clearly not his game, as he hit only eight homers in 15 years, but that didn’t stop him from driving in runs as he logged 607 RBI in a Browns uniform. Wallace was most adept at setting up RBI chances for other hitters though, and swiped 138 bases for this team while incredibly only being caught 10 times. The Veteran’s Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 1953.

Right-hander Mike Mussina spent his entire 18-year Major League career pitching in the American League East. While a lot of fans probably remember him for his time spent in the Bronx, he actually began his career and spent more time in Baltimore as the ace of the Orioles. In 288 starts for the O’s Mussina won 147 games and pitched to a 3.53 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 1,535 hitters in just over 2,000 frames, and led the league in both starts and innings once. Mussina wore an Orioles cap in all five All-Star Games he appeared in and won five of his seven Gold Gloves with the O’s. He never won a Cy Young award but finished in the top five of the voting on five separate occasions, and earned entry into Cooperstown in 2019.

Righty Urban Shocker spent seven seasons pitching for the St. Louis Browns and was one of the best pitchers in the American League in most of them. In 260 outings for the organization (206 starts), Shocker recorded 126 wins and posted a 3.19 ERA in 1,749.2 innings. He led the Majors with 27 victories in 1921 and strikeouts in 1922. Shocker left the Browns to join the Yankees in ’25.

Mark Belanger spent all but one of his 18 big-league seasons playing shortstop for the Orioles, and while he was never really a star, there is no denying that he was a valuable asset for this organization for close to two decades. In 1,962 games with Baltimore, the Pittsfield, MA native slashed .227/.300/.280 with 20 homers, 365 RBI, 174 doubles, 33 doubles, and 166 steals. Overall, those offensive numbers are far from impressive, but it’s important to remember Belanger played a premium position at a time when defense was more valued than ever. And defensively, he was as good as any shortstop in the American League. Belanger earned seven Gold Glove awards with the Orioles, helped the team win the World Series in 1970 and even was selected to an All-Star Game in a season during which he hit only one home run.

Left-handed swinging outfielder Ken Williams was the focal point of the Browns offense for much of his 10 seasons with the club, and was routinely one of the more productive hitters in the American League. In 1,109 games with the organization, Williams slashed .326/.403/.558 with 185 long balls and 811 RBI to go along with 236 doubles and 70 triples. He drove in over 100 runs for the Browns three times, including during the 1922 campaign when he led the AL with both 39 home runs and 155 RBI — yet lost the AL MVP award to his own teammate, George Sisler.

Harland Clift manned the hot corner for the Browns for 10 seasons and was a solid contributor on both sides of the ball. With St. Louis the El Reno, Okla. native slashed .277/.394/.453 with 170 homers, 769 RBI, 294 doubles, and 62 triples. He drove in 118 runs in back-to-back seasons in ’36 and ’37 and actually qualified for his only All-Star Game in that 1937 campaign. Clift collected 25 or more doubles in each of his first nine big-league seasons, and homered at least 20 times for the Browns on four different occasions.

Paul Blair was one of the best defensive center fielders of his era, as evidenced by the eight Gold Gloves he won, and for over a decade he wowed the Baltimore faithful with his incredible defensive prowess. Offensively, Blair was no slouch either, as in exactly 1,700 games with the Orioles he slashed .254/.306/.388 with 446 extra-base hits, 567 RBI, and 167 stolen bases. The Cushing, Okla. native was an All-Star in ’69 and ’73, led the American League in triples in ’67, and most importantly, helped the Orioles win World Series championships in both 1966 and 1970.

The Orioles selected Bobby Grich in the first round of the 1967 draft, and while he ended up playing the majority of his career in California with the Angels, he undoubtedly did leave a mark in Charm City. Grich played every infield position while with the Orioles, but his natural position was second base, where he won four consecutive Gold Glove awards from ’73-’76. Offensively he slashed .262/.372/.405 in 786 games with Baltimore, while contributing 234 extra-base hits and knocking in 307 runs. Grich was an All-Star in 1972, 1974, and 1976, and earned a World Series ring in 1970.

Left-handed slugger Boog Powell provided the Orioles with one of the most dangerous power bats in the league for over a decade, and was consistently somebody opposing pitchers had to fear. In parts of 14 seasons in Baltimore, Powell slashed .266/.362/.465 with 303 home runs, 1,063 RBI, and 243 doubles. He was the MVP of the American League in 1970, one year after he finished second to Harmon Killebrew in the voting. Powell represented Baltimore in four All-Star Games and helped lead them to a pair of World Series championships. He homered 34 or more times on four different occasions and reached triple digits in RBI three times. Powell was emphatically more of an offensive player than a defensive one, but he was never a liability with the glove, and the O’s were thrilled to have him on their side.

Left-handed swinging outfielder Brady Anderson was an all-star caliber player for the Orioles before the 1996 season, but whatever he did that previous winter turned him into one of the best hitters in the entire sport. That ’96 campaign saw Anderson slash .297/.396/.637 with 50 homers and 110 RBI. He never came close to matching that level of production before or after, and that one magical season is undoubtedly a big reason he’s this high on this list. In his 14-year career with the O’s, Anderson finished with 209 home runs, 744 RBI, 329 doubles, 64 triples, and 307 stolen bases. He was an All-Star three different times and painfully led the AL in getting hit by pitches on three occasions. But even today when anyone mentions the name Brady Anderson, the first thing that comes to mind is that one unbelievable season in 1996.

Righty Jack Powell spent 10 years as a member of the St. Louis Browns pitching staff and put together quite an impressive resume. In 294 outings, Powell earned 117 victories and pitched to a stellar 2.63 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. He struck out 884 hitters in 2,229.2 innings and tossed 210 complete games — including 27 shutouts — and even earned 11 saves as a reliever. Powell consistently gave the Browns over 250 innings a year, making him one of the more valuable innings eaters in the American League.

Center fielder Adam Jones came to Baltimore in a high-profile trade that sent O’s ace Erik Bedard to the Mariners, and in the long run the transaction swung heavily in the Orioles favor. In 1,613 games with the O’s, Jones slashed .279/.319/.459 with 263 homers, 866 RBI, 305 doubles, 27 triples, and 90 stolen bases. He was an All-Star five times, took home a Silver Slugger, and perhaps most impressively won four Gold Gloves. Jones’ personality and energy made him a fan favorite in Baltimore for a long time, and Orioles fans will forever treasure him when he comes back to Camden Yards for alumni events.

Hall of Famer Frank Robinson put together the majority of his incredible Major League resume in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, but that’s not to say that he wasn’t excellent during his six seasons in Baltimore. In 827 games with the Orioles, Robinson slashed .300/.401/.543 with 179 homers, 545 RBI and 143 doubles. He represented the O’s in five All-Star Games and was the MVP of the American League in 1966, a season in which he won the Triple Crown. Robinson helped the Orioles win two World Series championships and was officially inducted into Cooperstown in 1982. Baltimore retired his number 20 in 1972.

Baltimore selected Manny Machado third overall in the 2010 draft and it didn’t take long for him to become a star in Charm City. The Hialeah, FL native spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Orioles, slashing .283/.335/.487 with 162 homers, 471 RBI, and 197 doubles. He represented the O’s in four Midsummer Classics, and earned two Gold Glove awards — including a Platinum Glove. Baltimore traded its franchise player to the Dodgers at the deadline in 2018, and as most fans know he’s now the headlining player on a very good San Diego Padres team.

Switch-hitter Ken Singleton played for both the Mets and Expos early in his career but didn’t blossom into an upper-echelon contributor until he got to Baltimore in 1975. The outfielder played the final 10 seasons of his career with the O’s, slashing .284/.388/.445 with 182 homers, 766 RBI, 235 doubles, and 19 triples. He was an All-Star three times with the Orioles, and helped the club win the World Series in 1983 in his penultimate Major League campaign.

The Orioles acquiring Melvin Mora in the first place was thanks to a bit of good luck, so to speak. In 2000, the Mets were one of the best teams in the National League, but lost their shortstop, Rey Ordonez, to a season-ending injury. Needing a capable veteran replacement, they shipped the young Mora — who had become a useful utility piece for them — to Baltimore for Mike Bordick. New York did win the pennant, but lost the World Series — and then Bordick immediately headed back to Baltimore in free agency. Mora, meanwhile, would ultimately develop into an all-star caliber third baseman. In 10 seasons with the O’s, he slashed .280/.355/.438 with 158 homers, 662 RBI, and 252 doubles. He was an All-Star twice, won a Silver Slugger award in 2004, and drove in over 100 runs for Baltimore in both ’04 and ’08.

Second baseman Brian Roberts played all but the last season of his 14-year career with the Orioles and for many of those was the premier attraction on some not-great Baltimore teams. In over 1,300 games for the O’s, Roberts slashed .278/.349/.412 with 478 extra-base hits, 521 RBI, and 278 stolen bases. He represented Baltimore in a pair of All-Star Games, led the American League with 50 steals in 2007, and paced the junior circuit in doubles in both ’04 and ’09.

Center fielder William “Baby Doll” Jacobson appeared for the St. Louis Browns in parts of 10 seasons and was one of the better average hitters in his era. In 1,243 games with the Browns Jacobson slashed .317/.364/.459 with 76 homers, 704 RBI, 269 doubles, and 88 triples. The right-handed swinger finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting twice while with St. Louis before moving on to Boston, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.

Righty Ned Garver pitched the first five years of his 14-season career in St. Louis with the Browns, and while he wasn’t exactly a star, he did capably fill a spot in the club’s rotation. In 170 outings, Garver pitched to a 3.64 ERA in 1,076.1 innings. He hurled 76 complete games with six shutouts during his Browns tenure, and actually led the American League in complete games in both 1950 and 1951.