Best all-time player for each MLB team
Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken Jr.
It’s a very obvious choice for greatest Oriole of all time — Cal Ripken Jr, the player who redefined what was possible at the shortstop position. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing over 200 pounds, Ripken was the first in the wave of statuesque power hitters at shortstop. Without Ripken showing us it was possible, Alex Rodriguez, Troy Tulowitzki, Nomar Garciaparra, and Carlos Correa may have been relegated to left field or third base.
A native of Maryland and the son of an Orioles legend, Ripken played all 21 years of his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore, just minutes away from where he grew up in Aberdeen. He finished his career with 3,184 hits, drove in nearly 1,700 runs, and hit 431 home runs. Ripken hit more home runs as a shortstop than any other player in MLB history. Ernie Banks and Alex Rodriguez finished with more career homers than him, but both moved off shortstop earlier in their career.
Ripken remains involved in the Orioles organization and owns their short-season A-ball team that plays in his hometown of Aberdeen. He also hosts youth baseball tournaments with his own glistening complex that features a pint-sized version of Camden Yards. Owner Peter Angelos, however, seems to have kept Ripken at arm’s length since his retirement. The Hall of Famer has hinted at wanting to manage in the big leagues, but he may never get that chance.