Best St. Louis Cardinals Players of All Time

The St. Louis Cardinals have enjoyed considerable success since their establishment as a franchise in 1882.

In nearly 150 seasons, the Cardinals have a long list of all-time greats who have put on their uniform. According to Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement (bWAR), Stan Musial stands above the rest. He posted a bWAR of 128.6 in his 22 years with the team.

Using bWAR as my guide, here is a list of the best Cardinals players in franchise history:

Best St. Louis Cardinals Players in Franchise History

Stan Musial

Musial spent all 22 seasons of his career with the Cardinals, from 1941 to 1963, missing the 1945 campaign due to military service. He won three MVP awards in 1943, 1946, and 1948 and was a member of three St. Louis teams that won the World Series.

A Hall of Famer since he was inducted in 1969, Musial earned an All-Star selection in all but two years of his career. Musial, who was a left-handed hitter, won seven different batting titles as well.

Rogers Hornsby

Infielder Rogers Hornsby spent 13 seasons of his 23-year career with the Cardinals, starting in 1915 before wrapping up in 1937. He was a member of the 1926 World Series team.

Hornsby, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1942, won two MVP awards in 1925 and 1929. He claimed seven batting titles and two triple crowns.

Bob Gibson

Right-handed pitcher Bob Gibson played all 17 seasons with the Cardinals between 1959 and 1975. Given his resume, it’s no surprise he was inducted into the Hall of Game as quickly as 1981.

Gibson won two Cy Young trophies in 1968 and 1970. He also won the MVP award as a pitcher during his first Cy Young campaign. Gibson earned two World Series MVP awards, nine Gold Gloves, and nine All-Star selections.

Albert Pujols

Any list of the best Cardinals players of all time must feature Albert Pujols, who played in St. Louis for 12 seasons of his 22-year career. After attending high school in Independence, Missouri, and college in Kansas City, Pujols was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft.

Pujols won all three of his MVP awards in St. Louis, securing them in 2006, 2008, and 2009. He was a member of two World Series teams. Pujols also earned six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, an NLCS MVP, a batting title, and 11 All-Star nods.

Ozzie Smith

Shortstop Ozzie Smith arrived in St. Louis during his fifth campaign in 1982 and never left until his final year in 1996. Smith, who played 19 MLB seasons, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Smith helped the Cardinals win a World Series in his first year with the team. He also secured 13 Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger, and 15 All-Star selections. This legendary career followed his selection in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers in the 1976 draft.