All-Time Top-100 Matrix

Last update: 3/5/25

RankBaseballBasketballFootballGolfHockeyMMAPro WrestlingSoccerTennis
1Barry BondsLeBron JamesTom BradyTiger WoodsWayne GretzkyJon JonesHulk HoganLionel MessiNovak Djokovic
2Babe RuthMichael JordanJerry RiceJack NicklausGordie HoweAnderson SilvaRic FlairCristiano RonaldoRoger Federer
3Willie MaysKareem Abdul-JabbarPeyton ManningPhil MickelsonAlexander OvechkinAlexander Volkanovski“Stone Cold” Steve AustinPeléRafael Nadal
4Roger ClemensMagic JohnsonLawrence TaylorBen HoganMario LemieuxGeorge St-PierreThe UndertakerRobert LewandowskiPete Sampras
5Lou GehrigShaquille O’NealRay LewisSam SneadBobby OrrKhabib NurmagomedovThe RockGerd MüllerRod Laver
6Randy JohnsonTim DuncanEmmitt SmithArnold PalmerSidney CrosbyIlia TopuriaJohn CenaDiego MaradonaBjörn Borg
7Hank AaronKobe BryantAaron RodgersTom WatsonPatrick RoyIslam MakhachevShawn MichaelsZinedine ZidaneJimmy Connors
8Ted WilliamsSteph CurryReggie WhiteGary PlayerConnor McDavidMerab Dvalishvili“Macho Man” Randy SavageAndrés IniestaIvan Lendl
9Greg MadduxKevin DurantBruce SmithBobby JonesJaromir JagrIsrael AdesanyaBret HartJohan CruyffAndre Agassi
10Alex RodriguezLarry BirdAaron DonaldRory McIIroyMark MessierFedor EmelianenkoAndre The GiantKylian MbappéJohn McEnroe
11Mike SchmidtKarl MaloneJoe MontanaErnie ElsMartin BrodeurFrancis NgannouRoman ReignsPaolo MaldiniAndy Murray
12Albert PujolsJames HardenPatrick MahomesNick FaldoPhil EspositoStipe MiocicBrock LesnarLuka ModrićBoris Becker
13Ty CobbHakeem OlajuwonDrew BreesSeve BallesterosNicklas LidstromDaniel CormierLou TheszFranz BeckenbauerStefan Edberg
14Clayton KershawGiannis AntetokounmpoDeion SandersLee TrevinoRay BourqueLeon EdwardsBuddy RogersRonaldoMats Wilander
15Mike TroutDavid RobinsonAnthony MunozGreg NormanDominik HasekKamaru UsmanBruno SammartinoManuel NeuerPancho Gonzales
16Pedro MartinezWilt ChamberlainBrett FavreBrooks KoepkaJean BeliveauAlex PereiraSeth RollinsXaviKen Rosewall
17Justin VerlanderKawhi LeonardBarry SandersWalter HagenBobby HullKhamzat ChimaevTriple HLuis SuárezBill Tilden
18Rogers HornsbyKevin GarnettRod WoodsonGene SarazenMaurice RichardHenry CejudoHarley RaceKarim BenzemaJack Kramer
19Mickey MantleDirk NowitzkiBruce MatthewsByron NelsonGuy LafleurDominick CruzDusty RhodesMichel PlatiniJohn Newcombe
20Stan MusialMoses MaloneJJ WattVijay SinghDoug HarveyLyoto MachidaStingMarco van BastenJim Courier
21Walter JohnsonBill RussellJoe GreeneNick PriceJacques PlanteDan HendersonMick FoleySergio RamosDon Budge
22Lefty GroveChris PaulAlan PageDustin JohnsonKen DrydenShogun RuaCody RhodesGianluigi BuffonEllsworth Vines
23Mariano RiveraCharles BarkleyDerrick BrooksBernhard LangerGlen HallRobert WhittakerGorgeous GeorgeAlfredo Di StéfanoRoy Emerson
24Max ScherzerJerry WestWalter PaytonBilly CasperStan MikitaDemetrious JohnsonChris JerichoFerenc PuskásArthur Ashe
25Jimmie FoxxJulius ErvingJim BrownRaymond FloydBobby ClarkeMax HollowayKurt AngleHarry KaneIlie Năstase
26Tom SeaverDwyane WadeRonnie LottScottie SchefflerEvgeni MalkinDustin PoirierRandy OrtonThierry HenryGuillermo Vilas
27Manny RamirezRick BarryEd ReedJordan SpiethEddie ShoreFabricio WerdumTed DiBiaseBobby CharltonStan Wawrinka
28Rickey HendersonOscar RobertsonMarshall FaulkBen CrenshawJoe SakicRampage JacksonRoddy PiperEusébioCarlos Alcaraz
29Miguel CabreraJohn StocktonLaDainian TomlinsonHale IrwinPatrick KaneChuck LiddellTerry FunkLothar MatthäusJannik Sinner
30Warren SpahnRussell WestbrookRandy MossPayne StewartNikita KucherovRandy CoutureDaniel BryanRonaldinhoDaniil Medvedev
31Joe DiMaggioSteve NashTerrell OwensXander SchauffeleSteve YzermanMatt HughesEdgeIker CasillasLleyton Hewitt
32Christy MathewsonGary PaytonSteve YoungPádraig HarringtonBryan TrottierAlistair OvereemScott HallZlatan IbrahimovićAndy Roddick
33Ken Griffey Jr.Anthony DavisTravis KelceJon RahmBrett HullCharles OliveiraRicky “The Dragon” SteamboatKarl-Heinz RummeniggeMarat Safin
34Frank RobinsonAdrian DantleyMike SingletaryJustin ThomasErik KarlssonConor McGregorNick BockwinkelToni KroosPatrick Rafter
35David OrtizClyde DrexlerRandy WhiteSergio GarciaPaul CoffeyJose AldoJake “The Snake” RobertsRoberto CarlosGustavo Kuerten
36Frank ThomasGeorge GervinCharles WoodsonJason DayChris CheliosDricus Du PlessisKaneMohamed SalahRené Lacoste
37Reggie JacksonScottie PippenRob GronkowskiJustin RoseDenis PotvinBelal MuhammadJerry “The King” LawlerKevin DeBruyneHenri Cochet
38Bob GibsonTony ParkerTJ WattAdam ScottAndrei VasilevskiyFrank ShamrockAJ StylesGarrinchaHans Nüsslein
39Johnny BenchJason KiddChamp BaileyJulius BorosMike BossyRoyce GracieJohn MoxleyNeymarGottfried von Cramm
40Sandy KoufaxWalt FrazierJonathan OgdenHarry VardonHowie MorenzRashad EvansBob BacklundRoberto BaggioGoran Ivanišević
41Willie StargellJohn HavlicekJohn ElwayJohn Henry TaylorTerry SawchukTito OrtizThe Big ShowRomárioJuan Carlos Ferrero
42Mel OttReggie MillerJunior SeauJames BraidAl MacInnisWanderlei Silva“Superstar” Billy GrahamFranco BaresiThomas Muster
43Cy YoungDwight HowardRandall McDanielJosé María OlazábalLarry RobinsonAljamain SterlingMr. PefectFrancesco TottiYevgeny Kafelnikov
44Tris SpeakerPatrick EwingJack LambertJohnny MillerJari KurriBrandon MorenoCM PunkRaúlCarlos Moyá
45Jim PalmerPaul PierceAdrian PetersonLarry NelsonNathan MacKinnonCain VelasquezChris BenoitPhilipp LahmJuan Martin Del Potro
46Steve CarltonPau GasolEric DickersonDavis Love IIIRed KellyAntonio Rodrigo NogueiraBig Van VaderDani AlvesMichael Chang
47Honus WagnerRay AllenJohn HannahFred CouplesPierre PiloteJunior dos SantosDory Funk Jr.Carles PuyolDominic Thiem
48Chipper JonesAllen IversonLarry AllenJim FurykSergei FedorovChris WeidmanJack BriscoLuís FigoMichael Stich
49George BrettIsiah ThomasWillie RoafCary MiddlecoffPeter ForsbergKen ShamrockBruiser BrodyLev YashinJaroslav Drobný
50Carl YastrzemskiRudy GobertKen HoustonLanny WadkinsPatrice BergeronBas RuttenPedro MoralesRivaldoPancho Segura
51Curt SchillingDamian LillardWalter JonesTom KiteAuston MatthewsRickson GracieKevin NashThomas MüllerBobby Riggs
52Joe MorganPaul GeorgeMichael StrahanTom WeiskopfLeon DraisaitlAnthony JohnsonDrew McIntyreRuud GullitSergi Bruguera
53Pete AlexanderDominique WilkinsDerrick HenryReteif GoosenChris ProngerVitor BelfortRick RudePaolo RossiTony Roche
54Pete RoseManu GinobiliJack HamLouis OosthuizenBrian LeetchJake ShieldsThe Ultimate WarriorMario KempesStan Smith
55Derek JeterBob McAdooWarren SappHenrik StensonCyclone TaylorForrest GriffinVern GagneGiuseppe MeazzaJan Kodeš
56Yogi BerraWillis ReedVon MillerLee WestwoodNewsy LalondeGlover TeixeiraThe MizMarceloFred Perry
57Jeff BagwellDave CowensJohn RandleMartin KaymerJoe MaloneJustin GaethjeStan HansenHugo SánchezLew Hoad
58Jim ThomeChauncey BillupsMarvin HarrisonDavid DuvalTeemu SelanneVadim NemkovJimmy SnukaAlan ShearerTony Trabert
59Vladimir GuerreroKyrie IrvingLamar JacksonSteve ElkingtonScott StevensRyan BaderDick the BruiserAndriy SchevchenkoFrank Sedgman
60Mike PiazzaNikola JokicDan MarinoJustin LeonardJarome IginlaPhil DavisRay StevensKakáStefanos Tsitsipas
61Tom GlavineChris WebberMike WebsterHubert GreenSteve StamkosFrankie EdgarBooker T.Andrea PirloAlexander Zverev
62Gaylord PerryDikembe MutomboWill ShieldsCurtis StrangeEd BelfourMirko Cro CopRey MysterioBobby MooreJack Crawford
63John SmoltzAlonzo MourningDarrelle RevisMark O’MearaTed LindsayRicardo AronaDDPErling HaalandDavid Ferrer
64Roy HalladayKevin McHaleDeMarcus WareIan WoosnamMarcel DionneGegard MousasiKevin OwensSteven GerrardTomáš Berdych
65Cal Ripken Jr.James WorthyAlan FanecaFuzzy ZoellerScott NiedermayerAntonio Rogerio NogueiraThe SheikFranck RibéryYannick Noah
66Nolan RyanAlex EnglishGino MarchettiTom LehmanZdeno CharaKazushi SakurabaJeff HardyÁngel Di MaríaVitus Gerulaitis
67Gary SheffieldTracy McGradyBobby WagnerCollin MorikawaDuncan KeithTJ DillashawEddie GuerreroVirgil van DijkPat Cash
68Whitey FordJimmy ButlerBob LillyBubba WatsonAnze KopitarJosh BarnettKenny OmegaAlessandro NestaJean Borotra
69Eddie MathewsBernard KingJohnny UnitasBryson DeChambeauBrad ParkMasakatsu FunakiGoldbergLilian ThuramLaurence Doherty
70Johan SantanaCarmelo AnthonyDeacon JonesZach JohnsonBernie GeoffrionCyril GaneLex LugerRuud van NistelrooyJo-Wilfried Tsonga
71Wade BoggsLarry NanceMerlin OlsenAngel CabreraBernie ParentDeiveson FigueiredoBam Bam BigelowCafuDavid Nalbandian
72Al KalineDennis RodmanMel BlountSandy LyleBill DurnanJan BlachowiczEd “the Strangler” LewisJosé Manuel MorenoManuel Orantes
73Roberto ClementeElgin BaylorJoe ThomasLee JanzenJoe ThorntonMark ColemanAbdullah the ButcherEdinson CavaniMiloslav Mečíř
74Harmen KillebrewBen WallaceBrian DawkinsDavid GrahamDoug GilmourYoel RomeroKerry Von ErichSergio AgüeroMarcelo Ríos
75Ernie BanksElvin HayesBrian UrlacherJerry PateTed KennedyNick DiazBray WyattSamuel Eto’oBudge Patty
76Carl HubbellGeorge MikanTed HendricksDave StocktonDrew DoughtyBJ PennBatistaGonzalo HiguaínTom Okker
77Hal NewhouserBob PettitForrest GreggPaul AzingerTony EspositoTyron WoodleyBobby LashleyAlessandro Del PieroPetr Korda
78Mark McGwireJoe DumarsLarry FitzgeraldHal SuttonFrank MahovlichAlexandre PantojaGuntherGerard PiquéTim Henman
79Willie McCoveyWes UnseldOJ SimpsonLeo DiegelNels StewartJiri ProchazkaScott SteinerGeorge BestWilliam Larned
80Tony GwynnArtis GilmoreEarl CampbellJimmy DemaretElmer LachLuke RockholdThe British BulldogMiroslav KloseTommy Haas
81Rod CarewKarl-Anthony TownsOtto GrahamDenny ShuteHenrik LundqvistJacare SouzaSgt. SlaughterPavel NedvědKei Nishikori
82Sammy SosaLaMarcus AldridgeTony GonzalezTony JacklinSergei BobrovskyStephen ThompsonGoldustDaniel PassarellaAlex Corretja
83Bob FellerAmar’e StoudemireJulius PeppersColin MontgomeriePavel DatsyukEddie AlvarezMJFAntoine GriezmannCasper Ruud
84Robin RobertsChris BoshMike HaynesLuke DonaldMartin St. LouisRich FranklinSami ZaynGareth BaleMarin Čilić
85Ferguson JenkinsBob CousyJason TaylorCraig WoodEric LindrosRafael dos AnjosRVDWayne RooneyAnthony Wilding
86Hank GreenbergVince CarterJosh AllenRalph GuldahlRon FrancisPatricio PitbullRick MartelImmobileRichard Krajicek
87Johnny MizeChris MullinMyles GarrettIan PoulterBilly SmithMagomed AnkalaevRick SteinerPeter SchmeichelGuillermo Coria
88Nap LajoieDennis JohnsonTroy PolamaluRickie FowlerLuc RobitailleArman TsarukyanJey UsoPetr ČechNikolay Davydenko
89Adrian BeltreBradley BealJack YoungbloodHideki MatsuyamaRoberto LuongoSean O’MalleyArn AndersonMarcel DesaillyThomas Enqvist
90Brooks RobinsonMitch RichmondKevin GreeneMatt KucharTim ThomasSean StricklandSabuZicoMilos Raonic
91Rafael PalmeiroTim HardawayLuke KuechlyTommy FleetwoodRod LangawayPetr YanRon SimmonsOliver KahnAndrés Gimeno
92Eddie MurrayTiny ArchibaldDick “Night Train” LaneCorey PavinDickie MooreMichael ChandlerKiller KowalskiPaul BreitnerAndrés Gómez
93Paul MolitorSidney MoncriefDick ButkusDarren ClarkePavel BureColby CovingtonRoad Warrior HawkOleg BlokhinAdriano Panatta
94Freddie FreemanPaul ArizinSammy BaughStewart CinkAndy BathgateTony FergusonDynamite KidGordon BanksAndrei Medvedev
95Pudge RodriguezRobert ParishRussell WilsonPeter ThomsonJohnny BowerAnthony PettisTerry GordyKevin KeeganAndrey Rublev
96Dennis EckersleyBilly CunninghamChuck BednarikSteve StrickerMilt SchmidtBenson HendersonJBLFabio CannavaroGrigor Dimitrov
97Joey VottoDolph SchayesJoe SchmidtCraig StadlerSyl AppsRobbie LawlerThe CrusherJean-Pierre PapinTodd Martin
98IchiroBob LanierJulio JonesAndy NorthBill CookRory MacDonaldWahoo McDanielRaymond KopaWayne Ferreira
99Gary CarterKevin JohnsonAntonio BrownJohn DalyFrank NighborFrank MirOwen HartGeorge WeahCédric Pioline
100Edgar MartinezMark PriceTerry BradshawDavid TomsCharlie ConacherNate MarquardtGene KiniskiGiacinto FachettiRobin Söderling

Leave a Reply

Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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