Cardinals' 5 all-time best first basemen in franchise history

Over the years, the St. Louis Cardinals have had some of the top first basemen in the game patrolling the position.

A top-tier first baseman usually is a nice mix of a power bat and an elite defender. The Cardinals have had several top-tier first basemen over the years, as the team has been vital on infield defense and good hitting over the decades.

We will look at the top first basemen the organization has had over the years. But first, we'll look at honorable mentions for the best first basemen.

This is a part of a running series on Redbird Rants ranking the top 5 Cardinals at each position. You can find the other position groups we have ranked so far below.

Top 5 Catchers

Honorable mention top first basemen

Paul Goldschmidt. As he's currently playing first base for the Cardinals, he hasn't achieved all that's possible. Therefore keeping Goldy an honorable mention for now.

Goldschmidt came to the Cardinals before the 2019 season in a trade with the Diamondbacks for Carson Kelly and Luke Weaver. Shortly after the transaction, the Cardinals offered an extension to keep him with the Cardinals through the 2024 season.

Since joining the Cardinals, he won a Gold Glove in 2021. He had a terrific 2022 season. He was an All-Star selection, hitting a home run in his first at-bat. He was a Silver Slugger winner. He was named the NL MVP winner after a season in which he hit .317/.404/.578 with an OPS of .981, with 41 doubles, 35 home runs, 106 runs scored, and 115 RBI.

Goldy's bat and glove make him a considerable part of this team. Add in his quiet leadership, and he is an absolutely valuable member of this team which will lead him to crack this list of the organization's top first basemen.

Mark McGwire. Big Mac patrolled first base and provided a massive boost to the offense. While his name was tarnished due to a performance-enhancing drug scandal, he still helped boost the baseball game at a crucial time.

McGwire played for Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals from July 1997 through the 2001 season, when his play time was shortened due to injury. During the 1998 season, he hit .299/.470/.752 with an OPS of 1.222. He blasted 70 home runs with 147 RBI. McGwire and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa went back in forth for the home run lead during the summer of 1998, fueling a resurgence for the game after a contentious lockout in 1994. Sosa ended the season with 66 homers.

He was an All-Star in 1998, 1999, and 200 while with the Cardinals. He was second in the MVP race in 1998.

Jack Clark. Clark manned first base from 1985-87, some of the Cardinals' big seasons during Whitey Herzog's time as skipper. He is remembered fondly by Cardinals fans for his three-run home run off Tom Niedenfuer in the ninth inning of Game 6, allowing the Cardinals to clinch the pennant and advance to the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.

Clark was an All-Star in 1985 and 1987. He was third on the MVP ballot in 1987. He hit .286/.459/.597 with an OPS of 1.055 that season. He hit 35 home runs and 106 RBI. He spent nine seasons with the Giants before joining the Cardinals. After leaving the Cards, he played for the Yankees, Padres, and Red Sox.

Orlando Cepeda. He was a member of the Cardinals from 1966-68, having his best season in 1967.

Cepeda hit .325/.399/.524 with an OPS of .923. He had 25 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He led the league with 111 RBI. He was an All-Star in 1967 and was the NL MVP that season. He was a crucial figure in the Cardinals' 1967 World Series.

In 1999 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also played for the Giants, Braves, A's, Red Sox, and Royals

Johnny Mize. He spent six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1936-41. He was an All-Star in 1937, 1939-41.

He came in second in the race for MVP in 1939 and 1940. In 1939, he hit .349/.444/.626 with an OPS of 1.07. He had 28 homers and 108 RBIs. He led the league in WAR at 7.5. In 1940, he hit .314/.404/.636 with an OPS of 1.039. He had 43 home runs and 137 RBIs. He led the league in WAR again at 7.4.

After playing with the Cardinals, he played for the New York Giants and the New York Yankees.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 by the Veteran's Committee. This led to him becoming an inaugural member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

#4 Keith Hernandez

While he is more closely associated with the Mets, Keith Hernandez had a pretty incredible stretch with the Cardinals, who drafted him in 1971.

He began his career with the Cards from 1974-1983. He was an All-Star in 1979 and 1980 with the Cardinals and earned the Gold Glove at first base for the Cardinals in 1978 - 1983. He also won the Silver Slugger award in 1980. Hernandez was the National League MVP in 1979.

During his time with the Cardinals, Hernandez hit .299/.385/.488 with an OPS of .833. He had 265 doubles, 50 triples, 81 home runs, and 595 RBI In the 1982 World Series against the Brewers, and he hit .259/.355/.444 with an OPS of .799 with four walks, seven hits, two doubles, a home run four runs scored and eight RBI.

The Cardinals traded Hernandez to the Mets in 1983 for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. Hernandez had many disagreements with manager Whitey Herzog. He has since said that his drug use was part of why he was traded from the Cardinals. Imagine if he hadn't used illicit drugs and stayed with the Cardinals longer. What a legend he could have been for the team.

He was elected by the fans to the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2021.

#3 Jim Bottomley

Known as "Sunny Jim" for his cheerful disposition, Jim Bottomley was the Cardinals' first basemen from 1923-1932.

According to an incredible story about Bottomley from SABR.org, "On a mid-September afternoon in Brooklyn in 1924, Cardinals third–year first baseman Jim Bottomley came to bat six times and delivered six hits, including two home runs, a double, and three singles off the Robins’ pitchers. Bottomley drove in 12 runs that day, and set a major league record for most Runs Batted In (RBIs) in a single game that still stands (shared with the Cardinals’ Mark Whiten in 1993).'

Bottomley is an absolute legend, and rightly one of the Cardinals' organization's top first basemen.

He helped the Cardinals win the World Series championship in 1926 and 1931. In the 1928 season, Bottomley won the NL MVP after being one of the first players ever to go 20-20-20 in a season as he led the league with 42 doubles, 20 triples, 31 home runs, 123 runs scored, and 136 RBI. He had a 35.8 career WAR. He had a career of .310/.369/.500 and an OPS of .869. He had 219 home runs and 1,422 RBI.

He led the league in double plays turned by a first baseman with 133 in 1925 and 149 in 1927. He reportedly had eight unassisted double plays in one season.

Bottomley was traded from the Cardinals to the Reds in 1933 and then to the Browns in 1936.

The veteran's committee elected Bottomley to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, it was announced he would be entered into the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Bottomley died of a heart attack in December 1959.

#2 Stan Musial

Stan Musial was known as The Man. He did a little bit of everything for the St. Louis Cardinals, the game of baseball, and the city of St. Louis. For many, with his jovial spirit and love for the game, the Cardinals, and St. Louis, Stan is the face of St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

Musial played first base for the Cardinals in 1946-47 and 1955-59. He was named the NL MVP in 1943, 1946, and 1948. He helped the Cardinals to World Series championships in 1942, 1944, and 1946. He was selected as an All-Star for the National League 24 times. He earned the batting title for the National League seven times.

He had a .992 fielding percentage at first base. He took part in 935 double plays. For his fantastic career, Musial hit .331/.417/.559 with an OPS of .976. He hit 475 home runs while getting 1,951 RBI.

After his retirement in September 1963, he became vice president of the St. Louis Cardinals through 1966. In 1967, he became the team's general manager and oversaw a World Series championship that season.

In 1968, the iconic statue of Musial was erected in August. On the statue is a quote attributed to former baseball commissioner Ford Frick, "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." This statute has become a meeting spot for fans, friends, and family. In addition to honors from the city and state, Musial was also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 from President Barack Obama.

Musial is a legend and synonymous with Cardinals baseball. He is an icon and, without a doubt, one of the top first basemen in the organization's history.

Musial was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He was named to the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. He passed away in January 2013. He last appeared at Busch Stadium in his golf card, doing a lap around the stadium before Game 4 of the 2012 NLCS against the Giants.

#1 Albert Pujols

Cardinal fans were lucky to see a decade of greatness from Albert Pujols as he patrolled first base while being a dynamic force at the plate. That decade received a cherry on top when Pujols returned to the Cardinals, after a decade away, to finish out his career in a Cardinals uniform.

While playing left field and first base between 2001-03, he took over as first basemen for the Cardinals in 2004 and stayed there through the 2011 season. He was an All-Star in 2001 and earned National League Rookie of the Year. From 2003-10 he earned All-Star honors. In 2005-2008 and 2009, he was the National League Most Valuable Player. In 2006 and 2010, he was a Gold Glove winner at first base. He was the Silver Slugger winner at first base for 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

He was a pivotal piece to the Cardinals World Series championships in 2006 and 2011 while also significantly impacting the 2004 World Series. He had a three-home run game in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers. One of his most memorable moments came in the 2005 NLCS against the Houston Astros when he knocked a home run off of closer Brad Lidge, forcing a game six. While the Cardinals ultimately lost that series, it was still the most memorable moment.

After the 2011 season, Pujols left the Cardinals to sign a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Angles worth $240 million. In May 2021, he was released by the Angels. Pujols got a second chance as he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers a week later. The deal allowed Pujols to compete but also act as a mentor to younger players. He said getting this second chance reinvigorated him and his love of baseball.

Before 2022, it was established that the designated hitter rule would expand to the National League. This led to the opportunity for a return to the Cardinals to finish out his career. In March 2022, Pujols sent a bolt through Cardinal nation when he signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. He took on a similar role he had with the Dodgers. He would assist Goldschmidt at first base and be a designated hitter while also being a mentor to the many youngsters on the Cardinals' roster.

Pujols's 2022 season with the Cardinals was a fairytale ending to his impressive career. It solidified his legendary status with the Cardinals organization. It healed wounds from when he exited the Cardinals organization. It was heartwarming to see him reconnect with the Cardinals' fan base. Seeing him with his friends, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, was excellent.

While it would have been fitting to see him win another World Series in his final season, it was satisfying to see him hit his 700th home run in a Cardinals uniform. While it would have been amazing to see him get it at Busch Stadium, he felt satisfaction at Dodger Stadium, where getting that 700th home run was made possible when his love of the game was rekindled with the Dodgers.

Yes, Pujols didn't spend his entire career with the Cardinals. But, he impacted the game of baseball and the Cardinals organization with his play at first base for over a decade.

Pujols is a Cardinals legend. Pujols's work over a decade, plus an incredible 2022 season, solidified that legendary status. It makes him the top first baseman in the Cardinals' history.