The New York Yankees are the most storied franchise in professional baseball, maybe even professional sports, period. They’ve played in the World Series 41 times, 18 more than the next closest team, and have won it 27 times, with the only other team hitting double figures there, the St. Louis Cardinals with 11.
New York has been America’s favorite team and America’s least favorite team at various times over the course of their 123-year existence. But the franchise’s legacy is undeniable. They’ve rostered more players considered among the sport’s greats than any other.
And while Derek Jeter may be "Mr. Yankee," he does just miss out on this list: the five greatest hitters in franchise history.
5. Aaron Judge, Outfielder
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The Yankees are so iconic that it might be hard to imagine one of its current stars on this list. Yet here he is. And it isn’t Jeter.
Judge drank a cup of coffee with the Yankees in 2016, but burst onto the scene the following year, winning Rookie of the Year honors and finishing second in Most Valuable Player voting. He led the American League that year in runs (128), home runs (52), walks (127), and strikeouts (208). He’s only gotten better since.
Entering the 2026 season, Judge has won AL MVP in three of the last four years, including in 2025. He led the majors in runs and home runs twice during that span and led in on-base percentage, slugging, and walks three times in those four seasons.
At age 33, it’s easy to imagine Judge making his way at least one more spot up this list before he’s done.
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4. Joe DiMaggio, Outfielder
DiMaggio was so good at baseball that he took three years away from the sport, came back to the major leagues, and won an MVP award.
The bridge from the Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig Yankees to the Mickey Mantle/Yogi Berra Yankees was the man called Joltin’ Joe. DiMaggio played for New York his entire career (1936 to 1951), and he might rank higher on this list had he not missed the 1943 through 1945 seasons because of military service.
Still, DiMaggio was named an All-Star in every season he played and took home three MVP awards, the last of which came at age 32 in 1947.
3. Mickey Mantle, Outfielder/First Base
A three-time American League MVP winner, Mantle appeared in 12 World Series during his 18-year career, all with the Yankees.
Mantle joined the team in 1951 and was an All-Star by his second season. He went on to make the All-Star every year he played after that, save one - 1966 when he missed about half the year because of injuries. Those injuries stifled his final few years in the Bigs and the Yankees shifted him to first base from centerfield for his last two seasons.
At the time of his retirement in 1969, no one had ever played more games in a Yankees uniform. He also ranked third all-time in home runs, hitting .536 during his career.
2. Lou Gehrig, First Base
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Lou Gehrig arrived in the Majors in 1923 and though he had just 29 plate appearances, the Yankees won the World Series that season. Coincidence?
If it weren’t for the No. 1 player on this list, Gehrig would be considered perhaps the greatest Yankees player in history. He was Jeter before Jeter, playing his entire 17-year career with the Bronx Bombers from 1923 to 1939. Gehrig is second in team history in every major offensive statistical category and trails only Mantle and Jeter in career games in a Yankees uniform.
Gehrig finished his career with a .340 batting average, 2,721 hits, 493 home runs, 534 doubles, and 1,995 RBIs. He helped the Yankees to six World Series titles, including in each of his final three full seasons.
A lifelong New Yorker, Gehrig retired from baseball in 1939 after being diagnosed with ALS, which is now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He died in 1941 at the age of 37.
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1. Babe Ruth, Outfielder
Many historians and plain old Joe-and-Jane fans still consider The Babe as the greatest baseball player who ever lived. It’s hard to argue. Ruth began his career with Boston in 1914, but became a legend with the Yankees when he joined the club in 1920.
Ruth led the Majors in home runs 12 times, RBIs 11 times, slugging nine times, and on-base percentage and runs eight times. He held the record for most career home runs from his retirement in 1935 until 1974, when Hank Aaron broke it with the Atlanta Braves.
Incredibly, Ruth won the MVP award just once in his career. His 1923 season is considered perhaps the best of all time as he registered a 14.1 wins-above-replacement total for the year, the highest single-season total since that time.
Overall, Ruth’s teams won the World Series seven times, four of which came with the Yankees: 1923, 1927, 1928 and 1932.