A lot of different statistics can be used to determine a player's value, but none hold quite as much weight as WAR (Wins Above Replacement). The purpose of the WAR statistic is to determine how many more wins a certain player is worth than a replacement-level player, and the totality of the game is considered.
For example, while hitting home runs and striking batters out generate the most headlines, there's more to hitting and pitching that make players great. The most well-rounded players who spent a lot of time with their respective teams make up this list. With that in mind, let's look at every MLB team's all-time leader in WAR.
Note: All WAR figures come from Baseball Reference.
Arizona Diamondbacks: LHP Randy Johnson
- WAR total: 52.6
The Arizona Diamondbacks haven't been a franchise for too long, but they have the good fortune of having a player complete one of the greatest peaks in recent memory in their uniform. Randy Johnson only had a six-year peak in Arizona, yet he won four straight Cy Young awards and was a runner-up in that stretch as well. He tallied up a whopping 48.1 bWAR in that six-year span, averaging over eight wins per season, and that includes an injury-riddled 2003 campaign. Johnson wound up earning 4.5 bWAR in two seasons with the Diamondbacks later in his career, finishing his Hall of Fame D-Backs tenure with 52.6 bWAR.
Athletics: LHP Eddie Plank
- WAR total: 74.6
Many, myself included, assume Ricky Henderson is the Athletics' all-time leader in WAR, but he finished less than two wins shy of Eddie Plank's 74.6. Plank, one of the oldest players on this list, dominated in a 14-year tenure with the then Philadelphia Athletics, putting together 10 straight sub-2.50 ERA seasons.
Atlanta Braves: OF Hank Aaron
- WAR total: 142.8
Hank Aaron is arguably the greatest player in MLB history, so it should come as no surprise that he leads the way for the Atlanta Braves franchise in bWAR. Whether he was playing for the Milwaukee Braves or the Atlanta Braves, Aaron is MLB's runner-up in home runs all-time, and the all-time leader in RBI. Not to mention, he hit .305 in his career. A prolific power hitter who can also hit for average (and even steal bases) is bound to rack up a ton of WAR, and Aaron had as much as 9.5 bWAR in a season in his illustrious career.
Baltimore Orioles: SS Cal Ripken Jr.
- WAR total: 95.9
WAR is a statistic that values availability, so it should come as no surprise that a player who played in over 2,600 straight games at one point racked up a ton of WAR in that time. Cal Ripken Jr. was an excellent player, to be clear, winning a pair of MVP awards with the Baltimore Orioles and amassing as much as 11.5 WAR in a single season. You don't record 11.5 WAR without being a superstar. Still, playing in over 3,000 games over a 21-year career obviously helped raise Ripken's WAR totals, measuring him among several all-time greats.
Boston Red Sox: OF Ted Williams
- WAR total: 121.7
What made Ted Williams' career so special is that three years of his prime went unused when he served in the military. Williams put together back-to-back 10.4 bWAR seasons before leaving for the military, and then promptly had a 10.6 bWAR season in his first year back. This fact makes some MLB fans wonder just how gaudy his career WAR total would've been had he been able to play in those three seasons. Still, Williams put together one of the highest WAR totals on this list in his 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox.
Chicago Cubs: 1B Cap Anson
- WAR total: 84.9
Remember when I said availability is a factor in determining WAR? Well, Cap Anson is a prime example of that. He never recorded more than 7.0 bWAR in a single season, yet he is the Chicago Cubs' all-time leader in this statistic, thanks largely to the fact that he played a whopping 22 of his 27 seasons with Chicago. Anson was a prolific run producer, driving in as many as 147 runs in the 1886 season (despite hitting only 10 home runs), and his .334 batting average has him in rarefied air. Again, Anson was obviously a star, but playing for more than two decades with one franchise helps.
Chicago White Sox: SS Luke Appling
- WAR total: 77.0
Luke Appling had a pretty similar career to Anson, as he never hit more than eight home runs in a season and never had more than 7.3 WAR in a year, but he played 20 seasons, all of which came with the Chicago White Sox. Appling wound up recording roughly nine more WAR than Frank Thomas, a slugging first baseman who spent 16 seasons with the White Sox.
Cincinnati Reds: INF/OF Pete Rose
- WAR total: 78.1
Say what you want about what Pete Rose did off the field, but on it, he was an extraordinary player. MLB's all-time hit king played 24 seasons, 19 of which came with the Cincinnati Reds, the team with which he won his lone MVP and led the league in hits six times.
Cleveland Guardians: 2B Nap Lajoie
- WAR total: 80.7
What makes Nap Lajoie stand out is that he leads the Cleveland Guardians' franchise in bWAR, yet he amassed 10 or more WAR with three different teams. Lajoie, of course, is known for his 80.7 WAR with Cleveland, but he had 18.0 WAR with the Phillies and 10.0 WAR with the Philadelphia Athletics. Lajoie's 13-year run with Cleveland was beyond special, though, as he had a pair of 10+ WAR seasons and hit over .300 in all but two of his years there.
Colorado Rockies: 1B Todd Helton
- WAR total: 61.8
It's tough for first basemen to accrue WAR, as it's the least valuable defensive position, but Todd Helton was an exception, being one of just three primary first basemen on this list. Helton spent his entire 17-year career with the Rockies and flat-out raked, ending his career with 369 home runs, a .316 average and a .953 OPS. Playing half the time at Coors Field helped, but Helton still wound up with very strong road numbers in his career.
Detroit Tigers: OF Ty Cobb
- WAR total: 143.4
There wasn't much Ty Cobb couldn't do on the baseball field during his career. He stole as many as 96 bases in a single season, hit as high as .419, and even led the league in home runs once (with nine). Doing all of this as a center fielder makes it no surprise at all that Cobb racked up a ton of WAR, amassing over 149 WAR in his career and 143 WAR in 22 years with the Detroit Tigers.
Houston Astros: 1B Jeff Bagwell
- WAR total: 79.9
Jeff Bagwell didn't play as long as many players on this list, and again, first base is the least valuable defensive position according to WAR, yet he's the Houston Astros' all-time leader in the statistic. That's not to say it isn't close, as Craig Biggio isn't too far behind, but Bagwell, thanks largely to his bat (449 HR, .948 OPS) has a claim to be the most valuable player in the history of the franchise.
Kansas City Royals: 3B George Brett
- WAR total: 88.6
George Brett's 88.6 bWAR leads the way for the Kansas City Royals, and it isn't even close. Kevin Appier ranks second with 47.1 bWAR, just a little more than half of the gaudy number Brett put up. Brett established himself as one of the best third basemen in MLB history in Kansas City, playing his entire 21-year Hall of Fame career with the franchise.
Los Angeles Angels: OF Mike Trout
- WAR total: 89.9
We've reached our first of only two active players, as Mike Trout is the Los Angeles Angels' franchise leader in WAR. This should come as no surprise, as Trout has finished in the top five of the MVP balloting nine times in his 16-year career (with four first-place finishes), and leads the franchise in just about every major statistical category. Now that Trout is having a bit of a career revival this season and is under contract for several more years with no hint of wanting out, who knows where his WAR total ends up?
Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw
- WAR total: 78.1
Clayton Kershaw was one year off from making this list as an active player, but he has more WAR than anyone else in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. This is a bit surprising, considering the star power the Dodgers have had over the course of their history, but it shouldn't be, as Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, and he spent his entire 18-year career with Los Angeles. Might Shohei Ohtani usurp him at the top of the leaderboard? That remains to be seen.
Miami Marlins: OF Giancarlo Stanton
- WAR total: 35.9
Perhaps the most surprising name on this list is Giancarlo Stanton, who spent only eight seasons with the Miami Marlins. He certainly made his mark, winning an MVP and hitting 267 home runs, but when MLB fans think of Stanton, they probably think of him more as a Yankee than a Marlin, fair or not.
Milwaukee Brewers: SS Robin Yount
- WAR total: 77.4
Robin Young is proof that shortstops are incredibly valuable in the eyes of WAR. Don't get me wrong, he was a fantastic, well-rounded player, winning two MVP awards, 3 Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, but his statistics don't scream 77-win player by themselves. Two decades spent primarily at shortstop boosted Yount's resume (and rightfully so), making him arguably the most valuable Brewer ever.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Walter Johnson
- WAR total: 155.4
Walter Johnson is the Minnesota Twins' leader in WAR, while he never played a single game with the Minnesota Twins. Johnson spent his entire 21-year career with the Washington Senators (a franchise that later became the Twins) where he put up numbers that rival any pitcher in the history of the sport. Johnson holds the record for most WAR with a single team, and I'm not sure it'll ever be touched.
New York Mets: RHP Tom Seaver
- WAR total: 76.0
It should come as no surprise that a player whose nickname was "The Franchise" leads the New York Mets in WAR, and by a wide margin. Tom Seaver spent only 12 years with the Mets but was so dominant for most of his time there (2 Cy Young awards, 3 ERA titles) that he racked up a ton of WAR. Seaver earned as much as 10.6 WAR in a single season with the Mets.
New York Yankees: OF Babe Ruth
- WAR total: 142.8
Had Babe Ruth amassed all of his 162.3 WAR in a New York Yankees uniform, he'd have Walter Johnson beat, but Yankees fans might prefer it this way. Ruth recorded a little over 19 WAR with the Boston Red Sox in parts of six seasons, only for the Red Sox to famously sell him to the Yankees. While Ruth didn't really pitch in a Yankees uniform, the damage he did as a hitter is as stark as anyone in MLB history.
Philadelphia Phillies: 3B Mike Schmidt
- WAR total: 106.9
Mike Schmidt is often overlooked by MLB fans when the discussion of the sport's greatest players is brought up, but perhaps this list will set the record straight: Mike Schmidt is arguably the greatest third basemen ever, and his legacy is only enhanced by the fact that he did all of his damage in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform. Schmidt hit 548 home runs, drove in over 1,500 runs and won 10 Gold Gloves at third base in his 18-year career.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Honus Wagner
- WAR total: 121.7
Honus Wagner never won an MVP award, but he did nearly everything else during his 18-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wagner won eight batting titles, stole more than 700 bases and even hit more than 100 home runs while playing stout defense at shortstop. Wagner recorded 9.0 or more WAR four times and had a WAR total as high as 11.5 in a single season.
San Diego Padres: OF Tony Gwynn
- WAR total: 69.2
Tony Gwynn is proof that you didn't have to hit for power to be valuable in his era, as he never hit more than 17 home runs in a season yet is the most valuable San Diego Padre by far. Gwynn was a contact-hitting machine, who hit .338 over the course of his 20-year career, and he also stole 319 bases while winning five Gold Gloves in the outfield. Gwynn was a far more well-rounded player than he's often made out to be, and the WAR shows that.
San Francisco Giants: OF Willie Mays
- WAR total: 154.6
Willie Mays amassed more WAR with a team than any position player in MLB history thus far, and I'm not sure he'll lose that record anytime soon. What's especially crazy is that Mays didn't even spend his entire career with the Giants, as he spent a year in the Negro Leagues and the final two years of his career with the Mets. That goes to show how valuable Mays was, as he might be the most well-rounded outfielder ever. He hit over 600 home runs, hit over .300, stole over 300 bases, and might be the best defensive outfielder ever.
Seattle Mariners: OF Ken Griffey Jr.
- WAR total: 70.6
Ken Griffey Jr. spent nearly as much time with the Mariners (13 years) as he did away from the Mariners (10 years), yet his run in Seattle was so dominant that he's the most valuable player in the history of the franchise by WAR. Had Griffey been able to stay healthy and had he spent his entire career in Seattle, who knows what his ceiling would've been?
St. Louis Cardinals: OF/1B Stan Musial
- WAR total: 128.5
Stan Musial is one of the most valuable players in the history of baseball, yet he racked up nearly 130 WAR in his career despite missing a year of his prime while serving in the military. Musial never led the league in home runs, but he hit 475 of them and led the league in virtually every other major statistical category at least once. While the St. Louis Cardinals have had some of the sport's greatest players, Musial's contributions trump them all.
Tampa Bay Rays: 3B Evan Longoria
- WAR total: 51.7
Evan Longoria has played 200 more games than anybody else in Tampa Bay Rays history, so it makes all the sense in the world that he's their franchise's leader in WAR. Longoria helped put Tampa Bay on the map by leading them to a World Series appearance as a rookie and hitting 261 home runs in a decade with the club, nearly 100 more than anybody else in a Rays uniform. Given the Rays' history of letting players go before they get paid, who knows if anyone will pass him anytime soon? If Junior Caminero is with the team for long enough, though, he feels like a safe bet.
Texas Rangers: C Ivan Rodriguez
- WAR total: 50.0
Ivan Rodriguez is another player who spent nearly as long elsewhere (eight years) as he did with the team he's representing on this list (13 years), but his time with the Texas Rangers was so dominant that he's their franchise's WAR leader. Rodriguez won 10 straight Gold Glove awards while putting together some outstanding offensive seasons as well.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Dave Stieb
- WAR total: 56.9
Dave Stieb is one of the most under-appreciated pitchers in MLB history, as he recorded almost 60 WAR despite only playing 11 truly full seasons and yet it feels like nobody talks about him as one of his era's greats. Having more WAR than icons like Roy Halladay, Jose Bautista and Tony Fernandez says it all. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is bound to pass him sometime after signing an extension, but the career Stieb had with the Toronto Blue Jays will make his path to doing so tough.
Washington Nationals: C Gary Carter
- WAR total: 55.8
Gary Carter might've won his World Series away from the Montreal Expos (the franchise that later became the Washington Nationals), but his best work was in his 12 seasons with the Expos. Accumulating WAR as a catcher is easier said than done, as it's the most physically demanding position, but Carter played 140-160 games most years and was a stout hitter and defender. That is very rewarding, in the eyes of the WAR statistic.
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