Mariano Rivera Being Named 91st Best MLB Player of All Time is Insulting
By Andy Loughmiller
The Athletic has compiled a list of their choices for the 100 greatest MLB players of all time. On Friday, they released their selection for the 91st best player, and it is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Mariano Rivera comes in far to low on this list at 91, and it's borderline insulting when you look at his lengthy and entirely unique résumé.
The Baseball 100: No. 91, Mariano Rivera https://t.co/zdGbpIODZo
— Stan (@Crewsett) December 27, 2019
The 13-time All Star, five-time World Series champ, three-time MLB saves leader, and 2003 ALCS MVP (just to name a few of his many accomplishments) deserves to be much higher on this list. His contributions to the game will almost certainly overshadow those of the numerous players who will be included ahead of him on the top 100.
And all because he's "just a closer," right?
Diminish his limited time spent on the field all you want, but Rivera warrants more respect than this. His position as the league's all-time saves leader speaks volumes to what he did as a professional baseball player during his 19 seasons with the New York Yankees.
9/19/2011: Mariano Rivera breaks the all-time save record with his 602nd career save. Was lucky enough to be in attendance for this. #PinstripePride pic.twitter.com/20S43d5QcT
— Yankees Baseball (@PinstripePride0) December 27, 2019
The first player to ever be unanimously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame doesn't need this list to justify his greatness, but that doesn't make his placement on it any less disdainful.