America's pastime is a study in eras, as the forebears to today's Major League Baseball date as far back as the National League's founding in 1876.
Our uniquely American game has gone truly worldwide in 2026, and its evolution through wartime, the steroid era and so much more makes comparing baseball's all-time greats a herculean task. Still, don't we love the debate?
Mickey Mantle or Joe DiMaggio? Babe Ruth or Shohei Ohtani? And how do we square our thoughts on Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and Pete Rose? For our "250 for 250" celebration of the best in United States sports history, we're narrowing the field of all-time bests to players born on U.S. soil or in U.S. territories. Not that it makes the debate any less lively.
Visit USA TODAY on May 5 to see what our experts have to say about the top U.S.-born baseball players of all time. Until then, weigh in on your GOAT pick below, add your sleeper suggestion for the list, or shout about the most obvious omission you see.
There's bound to be disagreement. Of course, that's half the fun, right?
Vote for your favorite all-time MLB player in USA TODAY's '250 for 250' baseball list
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Best American athletes of all time: USA TODAY '250 for 250' release schedule
Starting the week of April 20, USA TODAY will produce weekly lists of the top American athletes, followed by a poll for readers to vote on nominees for the next week's list. Here's a look at the full schedule, leading up to a special interactive experience surrounding the top 250 athletes in American history:
• Week of April 20: Men's basketball
• Week of April 27: Women's basketball
• Week of May 4: Baseball
• Week of May 11: Golf and tennis
• Week of May 18: Motorsports and combat sports
• Week of May 25: Football
• Week of June 1: Track and field
• Week of June 8: Soccer
• Week of June 15: Winter sports
• Week of June 22: Swimming, diving and gymnastics
• Week of June 29: Pioneers, leaders and innovators
• July 4: Full "250 for 250" reveal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vote for baseball's all-time best U.S. player in our new poll
