1. Cal Ripken Jr.
   Pete Rose
2. Mike Schmidt
   Frank Thomas

Nicknamed "The Iron Man," Cal Ripken Jr. rarely missed a game throughout his 21-year career. In fact, his streak of 2,632 straight games started is an MLB record that may never be broken.

1. Nolan Ryan
   Roger Clemens
2. Orel Hershiser
   Dennis Eckersley

Though his career started in the '60s, Nolan Ryan achieved several milestones when the '80s came around. During the decade, the pitching legend threw his fifth no-hitter while also surpassing the all-time strikeout total held by Walter Johnson.

1. Wade Boggs
   Kirby Puckett
2. Dave Winfield
   Tony Gwynn

Finishing his career with 3,141 hits, Tony Gwynn was a danger anytime he took the plate. He proved this over and over throughout the '80s, earning five of his eight National League batting championships throughout the decade.

1. Orel Hershiser
   Dennis Eckersley
2. Robin Yount
   Will Clark

Robin Yount was only 18 years old when he made his MLB debut for the Milwaukee Brewers. The shortstop went on to set an MLB record by playing 243 games in the Majors before the age of 20.

1. Mike Schmidt
   Carlton Fisk
2. George Brett
   Don Mattingly

George Brett was a left-handed batter who became one of the greatest hitters in the game. He finished his career with 317 home runs, 3,154 hits and had a .305 batting average to accompany it.

1. Rickey Henderson
   Ozzie Smith
2. Tony Gwynn
   Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson was one of the most confident players ever to take the field during his professional career. In fact, he once declared, after signing a contract with the New York Yankees, that "I didn't come to New York to be a star, I brought my star with me."

1. Keith Hernandez
   Dennis Eckersley
2. Roger Clemens
   Greg Maddux

Roger Clemens' Major League Baseball career began in 1984, but it didn't take him long to establish himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. In 1986, he won his first of seven Cy Young Awards while also making his first of 11 All-Star Games.

1. Rollie Fingers
   Rickey Henderson
2. Dave Winfield
   Joe Morgan

No player loved the game of baseball more than Rickey Henderson, who was always willing to do the dirty work on the field. He was particularly effective on offense, where he holds MLB records for stolen bases and runs scored.

1. Dwight Gooden
   Will Clark
2. Ozzie Smith
   Lou Whitaker

Dwight Gooden ended his rookie season with 17 wins, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. However, his second season in the league was even better, as he led MLB in wins with 24 and achieved a Triple Crown.

1. Tim Raines
   Orel Hershiser
2. Ozzie Smith
   Mike Schmidt

In a decade where home runs were down, Mike Schmidt proved to be the exception. Throughout the decade, he led the National League in home runs five times, including a personal best of 48 in 1980.

1. Rollie Fingers
   Dale Murphy
2. Kirk Gibson
   Ozzie Smith

Playing shortstop, Ozzie Smith was as acrobatic at the position as he was athletic. By the time he retired, he held several records for shortstops including most assists, double plays and total chances accepted.

1. Tim Raines
   Wade Boggs
2. Gary Carter
   Eddie Murray

Eddie Murray played more games at first base than any other player in the history of the game. He finished his career with 2,413 games at the position but added another 600 games as a designated hitter.

1. Jose Canseco
   Ryne Sandberg
2. Jim Rice
   Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley was a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won the final World Series of the 1980s. In a matchup called "Bay Bridge Series," because it featured two teams from the San Fransisco area, the Athletics swept the San Fransisco Giants in four games.

1. Dale Murphy
   Rod Carew
2. Ozzie Smith
   Willie McGee

Anytime Rod Carew stepped to the plate, he put fear into the pitchers he faced. If his .328 batting average isn't proof enough, then his 3,053 hits and seven batting titles might drive home just how good he was.

1. Carlton Fisk
   Gary Carter
2. Tim Raines
   Kevin Mitchell

Gary Clark came into the league with the fire and energy of a child, earning him the nickname "The Kid." He quickly gained the respect of his teammates, who recognized his work ethic and commitment to staying in shape.

1. Kirk Gibson
   Dwight Evans
2. Mark McGwire
   Rollie Fingers

Mark McGwire competed directly against Sammy Sosa as they both surpassed Roger Maris' 61 home runs total in a single season. McGwire finished with more home runs by knocking 70 balls out of the park.

1. Kirby Puckett
   Paul Molitor
2. Kevin Mitchell
   Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco's 1988 season was one for the ages. On his way to winning the American League MVP, Canseco became the first player in MLB history to record at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases.

1. Orel Hershiser
   Jimmy Key
2. Teddy Higuera
   Charlie Hough

While playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Orel Hershiser had one of the best playoff runs in history. In the playoffs, he was named the MVP of both the National League Championship Series when the Dodgers defeated the New York Mets and the World Series when the Dodgers crushed the Oakland Athletics.

1. Keith Hernandez
   Carlton Fisk
2. Don Mattingly
   Jose Canseco

Keith Hernandez won his first World Series title in 1982 while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals faced the Milwaukee Brewers in a competitive series that went all seven games with the Cardinals winning the final contest 6-3.

1. Eddie Murray
   Dave Winfield
2. Rod Carew
   Gary Carter

Coming out of college, Dave Winfield was as talented an athlete as you would find. Before settling on Major League Baseball, Winfield was also drafted by the National Football League, National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association.

1. Ryne Sandberg
   Carl Yastrzemski
2. Rollie Fingers
   Fred Lynn

Rollie Fingers had an insane fastball to go along with the mustache that made him immediately recognizable on the field. With both of these qualities on display, Fingers put on a show in the 1981 season, winning both the American League MVP and Cy Young Award.

1. Greg Maddux
   Larry Walker
2. Carl Yastrzemski
   Kirby Puckett

Kirby Puckett spent his entire MLB career with the Minnesota Twins, who drafted him with the third pick in the 1982 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1984, where he had four hits in his first game.

1. Dwight Evans
   Ryne Sandberg
2. Jim Rice
   Andre Dawson

Not one for talking, Ryne Sandberg let his play on the field speak for itself, and boy did it speak loudly. Sandberg finished his career as a ten-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove Award winner and won the National League MVP in 1984.

1. Jose Canseco
   Tim Raines
2. Willie McGee
   Kirk Gibson

Tim Raines had speed that shook the baseball world when he debuted in 1979. Two years later, he was leading the league in stolen bases, which he accomplished four straight years in a row.

1. Dale Murphy
   Kirby Puckett
2. Kevin Mitchell
   Willie McGee

Dale Murphy won back to back NL MVP awards in 1982 and 1983 while playing for the Atlanta Braves. He went on to lead the National League in home runs in 1984 and 1985, putting together one of the best four year stretches in baseball.

1. Roger Clemens
   Jack Morris
2. Nolan Ryan
   Greg Maddux

Jack Morris had one of the best seasons of his career during the strike-shortened season in 1981. Morris was not only the MLB wins leader when he recorded 14 victories, but he was also selected to his first All-Star Game.

1. Johnny Bench
   Joe Morgan
2. Pete Rose
   George Brett

Pete Rose had a Hall of Fame career, and he put up an MLB record 4,256 hits. However, he may never actually enter the Hall of Fame because he gambled on games while he was a member of the Reds organization.

1. Fred Lynn
   Dwight Evans
2. Paul Molitor
   Alan Trammell

Paul Monitor played all over the field during his MLB career. He started in the middle of the infield before serving stints in the outfield, at third base and as a designated hitter near the end of his career.

1. Carlton Fisk
   Don Mattingly
2. Wade Boggs
   Mark McGwire

With a .328 batting average, Wade Boggs proved his worth at the plate time and time again. He wasn't the greatest home run slugger, but considering he reached base over 80 percent of the time, he clearly wasn't a batter the pitchers wanted to face.

1. Darryl Strawberry
   Dwight Evans
2. Alan Trammell
   Greg Maddux

Darryl Strawberry won his first of four World Series in 1986 while playing for the New York Mets. He wouldn't win another title until he joined the New York Yankees, where he won three championships between 1996 and 1999.

1. Dwight Evans
   Andre Dawson
2. Larry Walker
   Fred Lynn

Despite undergoing 12 knee surgeries throughout his career, Andrew Dawson always bounced back to form. By the end of his career, he had over 400 home runs, was selected to eight All-Star Games and earned a trip to the Hall of Fame.

1. Willie McGee
   Darryl Strawberry
2. Fred Lynn
   Andre Dawson

Willie McGee wasn't a home run threat, but that doesn't take much away from his batting ability, as he completed his career with a .295 batting average. That includes two years where he was named the National League batting champion.

1. Carlton Fisk
   Mark McGwire
2. Dale Murphy
   Fred Lynn

Playing 24 seasons in MLB, Carlton Fisk will forever be remembered as one of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball. Part of that has to do with his 2,226 games started behind home plate, an MLB record for a catcher.

1. Dwight Evans
   Carl Yastrzemski
2. Don Mattingly
   Ryne Sandberg

Don Mattingly was named the manager of the Miami Marlins in 2016, where he eventually teamed up with another Yankees great, Derek Jeter. Jeter became part owner of the Marlins and was named chief executive officer in 2017, giving him oversight on Mattingly's position with the team.

1. Paul Molitor
   Jim Rice
2. Alan Trammell
   Dwight Evans

Jim Rice was a well-balanced offensive weapon. Where most players are either consistent hitters or home run threats, Rice could either send one out the park or strategically place it within the field of play.

1. Larry Walker
   Dwight Evans
2. Greg Maddux
   Fred Lynn

Fred Lynn put together one of his best performances in the 1982 ALCS. Playing all five games, Lynn finished the series with a .611 batting average and had five runs batted in. For his stellar play, he was awarded the ALCS MVP.

1. Edgar Martinez
   Andre Dawson
2. Alan Trammell
   Kevin Mitchell

Statistically, Kevin Mitchell's 1989 season was as good as they come. That year, he proved to be the best offensive player at his position by winning the Silver Slugger Award after leading the National League in home runs and RBI.

1. Dwight Evans
   Fred Lynn
2. Carl Yastrzemski
   Larry Walker

Carl Yastrzemski finished his career in the 1980s, but he was still going strong even as his career came to a close. He made two All-Star Games during the decade before finally retiring at the age of 44.

1. Kirk Gibson
   Dale Murphy
2. Paul Molitor
   Andre Dawson

Prior to the 1984 World Series, Kirk Gibson and the Detroit Tigers faced the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS. With a stellar performance on both sides of the field, Gibson was named the MVP of the series, as the Tigers swept the Royals in three games.

1. Greg Maddux
   Fernando Valenzuela
2. Jimmy Key
   Charlie Hough

In his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Fernando Valenzuela showed the world what kind of career laid ahead of him. After eight starts that season, Valenzuela was undefeated with five shutouts, launching what became known as "Fernandomania."