The 24 best players in St. Louis Cardinals history

It's simply impossible to have any sort of conversation about the St. Louis Cardinals without first talking about Stan Musial, who is and probably always will be the best player to ever suit up for the Redbirds. Musial played all 22 of his Major League seasons with St. Louis, slashing an incredible .331/.417/.559. He owns the Cardinals franchise records for games, home runs, RBI, doubles, triples, hits, runs. Musial won three MVP awards, seven batting titles, was an all-star in all but one of his full Major League seasons, and helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 1942, 1944, and 1946.The sweet-swinging lefty was an obvious inductee into the Hall-of-Fame in 1969 and St. Louis retired his number 6 upon his retirement in 1963. 

Infielder Rogers Hornsby debuted with the Cardinals as a ripe 19-year-old, and at the time it was hard to envision the incredible career he would go on to have. Hornsby won six batting titles with St. Louis, including hitting over .400 thrice. He led the league in homers twice, RBI four times, won two Triple Crowns, and led the National League in doubles four times and triples once. Hornsby's 13 year slash line as a Cardinal of .359/.427/.568  looks like it has to be a typo. The Texas native helped St. Louis win the World Series in 1926 and he was deservedly inducted into Cooperstown in 1942. 

The Cardinals have an incredibly rich history, but when it comes to pitching in St. Louis, the benchmark is right-hander Bob Gibson. The Creighton University product spent the entirety of his 17-year career with the Redbirds, and was dominant in virtually every one of them. In 528 career outings, Gibson won 251 games with a stellar 2.91 ERA. He was named the National League Cy Young winner in both 1968 and 1970 and he even won the MVP award in '68 when he pitched to a ridiculous 1.12 ERA in 304.2 innings, completing 28 of his 34 starts. Gibson led the Cardinals to World Series titles in '64 and '67, and in fact was named the MVP of both Fall Classics. Further adding to his lore, he won nine Gold Glove awards--there simply wasn't much Bob Gibson couldn't do. The Cardinals pitching record book is predictably littered with his name, and he became a Hall-of-Famer in 1981. St. Louis retired his number 45 in 1975. 

First baseman Albert Pujols burst on the scene in 2001 and gave us one of, if not the greatest rookie season in baseball history. As a 21-year-old Pujols played in all but one of the Cardinals' games, slashing .329/.403/.610 with 37 homers, 130 RBI, and 47 doubles en route to running away with the NL Rookie of the Year award. Things only went up from there. During his prime in St. Louis there wasn't a more dangerous hitter in the sport, as he'd win three MVP awards as a Cardinal and represent them in 10 mid-summer classics. Pujols won the batting title in 2003, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, and led the Cardinals to World Series championships in 2006 and 2011. After that '11 season he left to join the Angels as a free agent, but it was incredibly cool to see him come back to St. Louis and finish his career as a Cardinal in 2022, especially watching him hit his 700th career homer for this franchise. Pujols will be a shoo-in for Cooperstown and you can bet that no Cardinal player will ever wear number five again.

Ozzie Smith came to St. Louis in a 1981 trade with the Padres, and at the time I don't think the Cardinals even realized they had just landed their shortstop for the next decade and a half. St. Louis won the World Series in Smith's first season with the club, and while he never secured another ring, he spent the next 14 seasons crafting one heck of a resume. In total Smith played 1,990 games for the Redbirds, slashing .272/.350/.344 but he was one of the very few players who brought more value on defense than offense. The 'Wizard of Oz' earned 11 of his 13 career Gold Glove awards in a Cardinals' uniform, and represented St. Louis in 14 all-star games. To this day he's still considered the greatest defensive shortstop in MLB history, and that's the primary reason he was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2002. The Cardinals retired his number 1 following his retirement in 1996. 

Third baseman Ken Boyer spent his first 11 big league seasons in St. Louis with the Cardinals, and for the better part of a decade, he was one of the National League's top run producers. In 1,667 games with the Cardinals Boyer slashed .293/.356/.475 with 255 homers and 1,001 RBI. He won the 1964 NL MVP award when he drove in a league-high 119 runs, qualified for 11 all-star teams, took home five Gold Glove awards, and was a member of the Redbirds' World Series-winning team in '64. St. Louis took his number 14 out of circulation in 1984. 

Left-handed swinging Enos Slaughter debuted for the Cardinals in 1938, and despite having his career interrupted by a three-year stint in the military, he put together one of the more impressive resumes in St. Louis franchise history. In a little over 1800 games with the Cardinals, Slaughter slashed .305/.384/.463 with 647 extra-base hits. He was a ten-time all-star and most importantly was the right fielder on two St. Louis World Series-winning teams. Slaughter punched his ticket to Cooperstown in 1985, and the Cardinals retired his number 9 the same year. 

Righty Adam Wainwright started his career as a dominant late-inning reliever in St. Louis, and actually played a huge part in the Cardinals winning the 2006 World Series during his rookie season. The following season, however, St. Louis slid him into their rotation, and that's when he really became a star. The 2023 campaign will be Wainwright's 18th in a Cardinals uniform, and he'll enter it with some pretty big milestones in reach. For starters, he needs just five wins to break the 200-victory mark, and if he were to secure 16 wins he would jump into 2nd behind Bob Gibson on the Cardinals all-time list. To date Wainwright has represented St. Louis in three all-star games, won two Gold Gloves, and led the league in innings twice. This organization does as good a job as any at honoring its history, and it would be stunning if any other St. Louis player ever wore the number 50. 

Switch-hitting catcher Ted Simmons started behind the plate for St. Louis for all of the 1970s, and for pretty much that entire decade the Cardinals were in as good shape at catcher as any club in the game. Offensively as a Cardinal Simmons slashed .298/366/.459 with 172 home runs, and represented the team in six all-star games. He won a Silver Slugger award in his last season with St. Louis, and while he'd go on to play eight more seasons with the Braves, his best days came with the Redbirds. Simmons was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2020 by the Veterans Committee, and St. Louis retired his number 23 in 2021.

Center fielder Curt Flood got big league cups of coffee with Cincinnati in both 1956 and 1957, but getting traded to the Cardinals ahead of the '58 campaign really jumpstarted his career. St. Louis gave Flood the opportunity to play center field regularly for 12 seasons, and he took full advantage. In over 1,738 games with the Redbirds Flood slashed .293/.343/.390 while making three all-star teams. The Houston, TX native won seven consecutive Gold Glove awards from '63-'69, and was the starting center fielder on St. Louis' World Series-winning teams in 1964 and 1967. 

In 2023, for the first time in 19 years, the Cardinals will not have Yadier Molina behind the plate, and I'll be honest, that will take some getting used to. For almost two decades Molina was the epitome of what you want from a big-league catcher, and St. Louis was incredibly fortunate to have him on their side. In his incredible career Molina slashed .277/.327/.399 with 176 homers and 408 doubles. He was obviously competent and dangerous with a bat in his hands, but let's be clear, Molina was first and foremost a defensive player. During his career the Puerto Rico native won nine Gold Gloves--including four Platinum Gloves--while playing in ten all-star games. He helped St. Louis win the World Series in both 2006 and 2011, and he should have a red carpet laid out for him on his way to Cooperstown. 

Right-hander Dizzy Dean was a bit of a hybrid pitcher for the Cardinals in the 1930s, pitching both out of the bullpen and rotation. But wherever St. Louis deployed him, for the most part Dean consistently shut down the opposition. In seven seasons with the Cardinals he worked to fantastic 2.99 ERA in 1,737.1 innings, while earning 134 victories. He led the league in strikeouts for four seasons in a row from '32-'35, and was named to the all-star team four times while with St. Louis. Dean was named National League MVP in 1934--the same season he helped the Cardinals win the World Series--and he was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1953. St. Louis retired his number 17 in 1974. 

Speedy outfielder Lou Brock arrived in St. Louis in a trade with the division rival Cubs in 1964, and Chicago would come to spend the next 15 years regretting pulling the trigger on the swap. With the Cardinals, Brock developed into a star, slashing .297/.347/.414 in 16 seasons, while using his legs to completely torment opposing teams. Brock led the Majors in stolen bases eight times in a nine-year span, highlighted by the absurd 118 bases he swiped in 1974. He was selected to six all-star teams, helped the Cardinals win the World Series in both 1964 and 1967, and his 888 stolen bases in a St. Louis uniform is a franchise record that will never be broken. Brock was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1985 and the Cardinals retired his number 20 in 1979. 

For most of the 1930's left fielder, Joe Medwick was one of the most feared hitters in the National League, and the Cardinals were happy to pencil him into the middle of their line-up every day. Medwick made seven straight all-star teams for the Cardinals between '34-'40, highlighted by his dominant Triple Crown-winning season in 1937. He led the National League in RBI and doubles three seasons in a row, won an MVP award, and helped bring a World Series title to St. Louis in 1934. Medwick played for the Dodgers, Giants, and Braves after leaving St. Louis in 1941, but it was cool to see him return home to finish his career. He was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1968. 

Broken Bow, OK native Harry Brecheen appeared in three games for the Cardinals in 1940 but didn't get a real chance to contribute until a couple of years later, and took full advantage of his opportunity. In 11 years with St. Louis the southpaw won 128 games with a 2.91 ERA, while completing 122 of his 224 starts. He was an all-star in both '47 and '48 and won the National League ERA title in that 1948 campaign. Breecheen earned World Series rings with St. Louis in both 1944 and 1946. 

First baseman Johnny Mize only spent six seasons in St. Louis, but his presence on this list should give you an indication of the impact he made in those half dozen years. In 854 games with the Cardinals Mize slashed .336/.419/.600 with 158 home runs, 653 RBI, 218 doubles, and 66 triples. He won the 1939 National League batting title, and in both '39 and '40 led the NL in homers. Mize represented the Cardinals in four all-star games, and while he'd eventually go on to become a five-time World Series winner in the Bronx, he first earned his big league stripes in St. Louis, MO. Mize was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1981. 

Left-handed center fielder Jim Edmonds had already been an all-star and a two-time Gold Glove winner before coming to St. Louis in 2000, but his performance as a Cardinal made him a household name in MLB circles. The Fullerton, CA native mashed 42 homers and drove in 108 runs with a fantastic .295/.411/.583 slash line in his first season with the Redbirds, and he was just getting started. Edmonds homered 28 or more times in each of his first six seasons with St. Louis, while winning Gold Glove awards in every one of those years. He represented the Cardinals in three all-star games, won a Silver Slugger in 2004, and helped St. Louis win the '06 World Series. Today works as a broadcaster for the Redbirds. 

Outfielder Ray Lankford played 13 of his 15 Major League seasons in St. Louis, and while he wasn't necessarily a star, he was unquestionably a fan favorite in Missouri for a long time. In 1,580 games for the Redbirds Lankford slashed .273/.365/.481 with 228 homers, 339 doubles, and 250 stolen bases. He homered over 20 times in a season six times, was an all-star in 1997, and swiped 86 bases in a two-year span early in his career. 

In the late 1800s Bob Caruthers was almost like an early version of what Shohei Ohtani is for the Angels today. Caruthers was primarily a pitcher for St. Louis, and a terrific one at that, winning 108 games with a stellar 2.75 ERA in five seasons with the team. He won the ERA title in 1885, and the following season was one of the primary reasons St. Louis won the World Series. But what made him especially valuable was that on the days he didn't pitch he was usually playing right field, and he was actually no slouch with the bat. Caruthers drove in 60 or more runs for St. Louis three times, and finished his career with 29 Major League home runs. 

Switch-hitter Red Schoendienst played left field for the Cardinals as a rookie in 1945 before moving to second base, where he would subsequently become a rock for St. Louis at position number four on your scorecard. In just under 1,800 career games with the Redbirds Schoendienst slashed .289/.338/.388 but as his low slugging percentage would indicate, power was not his game. Instead, Schoendienst was an elite table-setter for St. Louis, and he led the league in hits, doubles, and stolen bases at various points in his career. He represented the Cardinals in nine all-star games, helped them win the 1946 World Series, and was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1989. St. Louis retired his number 2 in 1996. 

First baseman Keith Hernandez was selected by St. Louis in the 42nd round of the 1971 MLB draft, and it's obvious to say he drastically outperformed the expectations that came with being drafted that low. Hernandez played sparingly for the Cardinals in '74 and '75 before finally getting a chance to start in '76, and he took his opportunity and ran with it. In 1979 he won the batting title and led the Majors in doubles en route to earning a trip to his first all-star game and most importantly sharing the MVP award with Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell. Hernandez won five Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger while with the Cardinals and was a major contributor on their 1982 World Series-winning team. Friction between he and manager Whitey Herzog however led to him being dealt to the Mets midway through the '83 campaign, and while he was unhappy about that at first, things ended up working out swimmingly for him in New York. 

Left-handed swinging first baseman Jim Bottomley spent most of the 1920s serving as a middle-of-the-order force for the Cardinals, and for the better part of a decade was among the most dangerous hitters in the National League. Bottomley slashed .325/.287/.537 in 1,392 games with the Redbirds, while launching 181 homers and driving in 1,105 runs. He led the National League in homers once, hits once, RBI twice, and doubles twice, and was named the 1928 NL MVP. Bottomley helped the Cardinals win the World Series in both 1926 and 1931, and the Veterans Committee voted him into the Hall-of-Fame in 1974. 

Infielder Frankie Frisch was a very good player for the Giants early in his career but came to St. Louis in high profile December 1926 trade that sent legendary Cardinal Rogers Hornsby the other way. That meant Frisch had some impossible shoes to fill, but over the next 11 seasons he played well enough to ease some of the St. Louis fans' pain over losing Hornsby. In 1,311 games the Bronx, NY native slashed .312/.370/.423 with 51 homers and 720 RBI. He participated in three consecutive all-star games from '33-'35, was named the 1931 NL MVP, and earned two World Series rings while with St. Louis. Frisch was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1947. 

Left-hander Theodore Breitenstein was the leader of St. Louis' pitching staff very late in the 1890s, and by today's standards, some of his pitching stats look like they have to be typos. For example, in 1894, Breitenstein made 50 starts, completed 46 of them, and tossed 447.1 innings. The St. Louis native won the ERA title in 1893, and it is simply unbelievable to look at his numbers and see that he packed 1934.1 innings into just seven years in St. Louis. It was truly a different time.