15. Jimmy Williams

Star infielder during the Highlanders years. Five seasons in Washington Heights (not The Bronx) when it was the small ball era and power hitting was nonexistent. Over 100 hits all five years and over 130 in four of the five. His RBI totals year by year went: 82, 74, 62, 77, 63.

14. Don Baylor

1979 MVP with the Angels but racked up a few good seasons towards the end of his career while wearing pinstripes. Three seasons in The Bronx and tallied over 85 RBIs in all three seasons (91 in his last Yankees season), and over 20 homers in all three.

13. Bobby Abreu

2006 trade deadline acquisition that helped the Yankees to two playoff appearances. Batted .330 with 7 homers and 42 RBIs in just 58 games after coming from Philly in 2006. In two full seasons drove in over 100 runs both years. In 2007 171 hits, 40 doubles, .283 batting average and in 2008 180 hits, 39 doubles, batted .296 and slammed 20 homers. Was on the wrong side of the field in 2009 as a member of the Angels who the Yankees beat en route to a World Series title hence why he is on this list.

12. Stan Bahnsen

1968 Rookie of the Year during “The year of the pitcher.” 17 wins, 2.05 ERA, pitched 267.1 innings and only surrendered 61 earned runs and struck out 162 batters during Mickey Mantle’s final season.

11. Roger Peckinpaugh

Played shortstop for the Yanks for nine seasons. 7th captain in the history of the New York Yankees who tallied 1,170 hits and is third on Yankees all-time defensive WAR list at 16.1

10. Tommy John

When everyone hears the name, they attach his name to the surgery but his career on the field was tremendous. He should be a Hall of Famer he has 288 career wins. In 26 major league seasons 8 were in pinstripes. In his first two Yankee years in 1979 and 1980 made the All-Star team twice and won over 20 games both seasons while pitching over 260 innings back-to-back years while leading the league in complete game shutouts in 1980 with 6. Spent 8 seasons with the Yankees, tallying 91 wins, 53 complete games, and a 3.59 ERA. Deserves much more notoriety than being known for a surgery that every ballplayer dreads.

9. Fritz Peterson

This left-handed pitcher was known for something unusual as the wife swapper. His teammate Mike Kekich and Fritz mutually agreed to swap wives in 1973. But Peterson made the All-Star team in 1970 while winning 20 games with a 2.90 ERA. The year prior his ERA total was 2.55 and the year that preluded that it was 2.63. 17 wins in 1969 and 1972 and 15 in 1971. Nine seasons in Yankees pinstripes twirling over 200 innings during six of them and over 250 on four occasions.

8. Rickey Henderson

In five seasons the Man of Steal led the AL in stolen bases four out of five years, runs scored three times, and walks once. In 1985 Henderson batted .314 and had a .419 OBP and an incredible 9.9 WAR.

7. Dave Righetti

Rags was the Rookie of the Year in 1981 and who could forget his no-hitter vs. Boston on 4th of July 1983? A left-handed starter turned reliever excelled at both in 11 seasons with the Bombers, but his most impressive season was when he led the league in saves in 1986 with 46 and pitched a 2.45 ERA making the All-Star team that season and the subsequent year.

6. Bobby Murcer

Playing the iconic position of Centerfield on River Avenue is one of the biggest privileges esteemed in pro sports. Murcer spent 13 years patrolling Death Valley and made five All-Star teams. Led the league in OBP in 1971 and in 1972 hit 33 home runs and drove in 96 runs. Also won the Gold Glove that year while leading the league in runs scored crossing the plate 102 times. Five seasons with over 80 runs batted in with three consecutive seasons of over 90. Five consecutive seasons with over 20 home runs and during three of them he hit over 25.

5. Mel Stottlemyre

I’m referring to Stottlemyre as a player not coach. Ace of the staff during the lean years pitching 11 seasons all as a Yankee. A 3-time 20 game winner and 7-time 15 game winner. 5-time All- Star, winner of 164 games, threw 152 complete games, led the league in complete games in 1965 and 1969 as well as innings pitched in 1965, and ascribed 1,257 career strikeouts. In his rookie year outdueled Bob Gibson pitching a complete game victory in game 2 of the 1964 World Series but Gibson outlasted Stottlemyre in game 7 and that’s why he’s on this list.

4. Jack Chesbro

Happy Jack pitched for the Highlanders for seven years in the 1900’s. His record of 41 wins in 1904 will never be broken. The Hall of Fame pitcher also threw an AL leading 48 complete games that year. In the six full seasons he spent in NY his ERA totals were 2.77, 1.82, 2.20, 2.96, 2.53, and 2.93 and won 128 games as a Highlander.

3. Mike Mussina

Moose had a great Hall of Fame career though it consisted of a lot of “almost” and misfortune. Wearing pinstripes from 2001 to 2008 he came a year late and left a year early. He almost pitched a perfect game at Fenway, but Carl Everett broke it up, almost won a World Series twice, almost won a Cy Young in 2001 in which he most definitely deserved the award, but it was given to his teammate because his teammates name was Roger Clemens. But Mussina had an impeccable Yankee career winning 123 games and striking out 1,278 batters in eight seasons and went out on top winning 20 games in his last year. A fantastic fielding pitcher winning 7 career Gold Gloves and 3 as a Yankee, and so many great postseason games mightily contributing to two AL pennants. The best moment of Mussina’s Yankee career was game 7 of the 2003 ALCS at The Stadium vs. the Red Sox. Down 4-0 and coming in relief of Roger Clemens in the 4th inning with no outs Mussina whiffed Varitek then got Damon to ground out to Jeter for a double play and kept the dream alive.

2. Dave Winfield

Signed a 10-year $23 million contract with NY December 1980 which was the richest contract in pro sports at the time. Deemed Mr. May by George Steinbrenner due to a lackluster performance in the 1981 World Series vs. the Dodgers when he batted .045 going 1 for 22. The Hall of Fame outfielder dominated the regular season in nine Yankee seasons. Six seasons with over 100 RBIs and almost seven with 97 in 1987, and 1981 was a strike shortened season. Six seasons of over 20 home runs but just short of seven with 19 in 1984 and two seasons with over 30 long balls. Eight All-Star appearances in his nine years, six gold gloves and five silver sluggers. Accumulated 205 home runs, 818 RBIs, and a .290 career Yankee batting average. Is a member of the 3,000-hit club and tallied 1,300 base hits as a Yankee.

1. Don Mattingly

Donnie Baseball was the best player in baseball from 1984 to 1989. He beat out his teammate Dave Winfield for the 1984 batting title and won the MVP in 1985. The Captain is one of the best defensive first baseman of all time with nine Gold Gloves. Such a sad twist of fate with the back injury where he was never the same player the second half of his career and that is what keeps him out of the Hall of Fame. If he didn’t have to retire early, he would have played at least one more season and wouldn’t be on this list.