Venezuelan baseball players have been putting their mark on MLB for decades. Tier names have been on the list of MLB players since Álex Carrasquel first debuted in 1939 for Washington Senators. Since then, Luis Aparicio was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.
But do you know who are the best Venezuelan baseball players of all time in MLB? Okay, there have been any Venezuelan players in MLB for decades. All are not on the list of the best. But some are on the way to the Hall of Fame.
By the way, in this article, we will talk about and introduce the best baseball players from Venezuela (Argueale). You may have a different list, though, but you know what? Among the total 400 Venezuelan till today, you will merely find the best of them.
10 Best Venezuelan Baseball Players of All Time
Here are our picks of the 10 best Venezuelan players based on their popularity, career record, and other facts.
1. Luis Aparicio (1956 – 1973)
| Image Source: By Chicago White Sox – tradingcarddb.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105540602 |
The only Venezuelan baseball player to ever be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which took place all the way back in 1999. In 1956, Luis Aparicio began his professional baseball career by playing shortstop for the Chicago White Sox. Little Louie was a nickname given to Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel in later life.
The majority of his notoriety came from the outstanding defensive and base-stealing abilities he possessed. In 1956, the year he made his professional debut, he was awarded the Rookie of the Year trophy. To win the title, he was the leader of the stolen bases and the shortstops in putouts (PO) and assists.
On the other hand, Luis and Nellie Fox created a combination that was responsible for making the double plays in Major League Baseball history from 1956 until 1962. On the other hand, he was such a skilled base runner that he set a record for base stealing during the course of his 9 consecutive seasons of playing baseball. He also set four-time 50 bases to steal since the 1920s.
Aparicio was traded by Baltimore Orioles in 1963, where he stayed till 1967. Then traded by Chicago White Sox again in 1968, which lasted till 1970. His last team was Boston Red Sox til 1973 in 1971.
Aparicio won 13 All-Star Titles, one World Series, Al Rookie of the Year, 9 Glod Glove Awards, and 9 Al Stolen base leaders. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. He had a good batting average of 0.262.
Career Summary of Luis Aparicio-
| Home Runs | 83 |
| Hits | 2677 |
| RBI | 791 |
| Batting Average | .262 |
| Stolen Bases | 506 |
See Also: 100 Greatest Baseball Players In Baseball History
2. Miguel Cabrera (2003 – Present)
| Image Source: By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA – Miguel Cabrera, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70488992 |
Even though he hasn’t been admitted into the Baseball Hall of Fame just yet, he is most likely the best player that Major League Baseball has ever produced from Venezuela. Since making his debut in 2003 for the Florida Marlins, he has gone on to become the most valuable player (MVP) in the American League three times, a member of the MLB All-Star team twelve times, and the American League Batting Champion four times.
Additionally, he took home the Triple Crown for the 17th time in 2012. This mark still stands as the 45-season record until 2022. Miggy is the nickname that has been given to the third baseman and designated hitter José Miguel Cabrera Torres.
His career at bat is just about on par with amazing. He holds a total of 3,088 hits and 508 home runs while maintaining a batting average of.308. In addition to these, he has an RBI total of 1847.
Miggy played for Florida Marlins from his debut till 2007. Since the 2008 MLB season, he has been playing for Detroit Tigers till now.
Cabrera hit 30 home runs or more in a single season ten times. On the other hand, he batted 100 runs in 12 separate seasons, where he did 11 times consecutively from 2004 to 2014. There are only 6 players besides Cabrera who managed to reach 500 home runs and 3000 hits.
It’s a matter of time to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for Miggy Miguel Cabrera, one of the best current Venezuelan baseball players, after his retirement.
Career summary-
| Home Runs | 507 |
| Hits | 3088 |
| RBI | 1847 |
| Batting Average | .308 |
3. Johan Santana (2000 – 2012)
| Image Source: By slgckgc on Flickr (Original version)UCinternational (Crop) – Originally posted to Flickr as "Johan Santana"Cropped by UCinternational, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19449262 |
Johan Santana is almost certainly the best starting pitcher that Venezuela has ever supplied to Major League Baseball. Santana made his professional baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins in the year 2000 and remained with the team until the 2007 season. Beginning with the 2008 Major League Baseball season, he was dealt to the New York Mets, where he played until the conclusion of his career in 2012.
This left-handed pitcher has compiled an impressive career record of 139 wins and 78 losses. His earned run average (ERA) is 3.20, making him the player in Venezuela with the best record in that category.
In 1994, Santana became a student at Houston’s Academy. The administration of the squad was unsure of his abilities and could not determine whether he would be better at fielding or pitching the ball. He was originally a centerfielder, but due to the strength of his arm, he was moved to the pitcher’s mound.
The decision paid off. He won 4 All-Star, 2 AL Cy Young awards, one Gold Glove award, one MLB-win leader, 3 ERA leaders, 3 AL strikeout leaders, etc. All his career achievements make him one of the best baseball players from Venezuela.
Career Summary-
| ERA | 3.20 |
| Win-Loss | 139-78 |
| Strikeouts | 1988 |
4. Félix Hernandez
| Image Source: By Keith Allison on Flickr (Original version)UCinternational (Crop) – Originally posted to Flickr as "Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34)"Cropped by UCinternational, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20691982 |
He is undoubtedly one of the great MLB players from Venezuela. Fans used to call him “King Félix” because of his attitude. Félix Abraham Hernández García debuted in MLB in 2005 for Seattle Mariners.
He is one of the MLB players and pitchers who entirely built and ended a career in one team. King Félix retired in 2019 in Seattle Mariners with a win and loss record of 169-136.
On August 15, 2012, King Félix threw a perfect game for the Mariners in baseball against the Tampa Bay Rays, which resulted in a win for the Mariners by a score of 1-0. Another reason for his fame is the record number of strikeouts he set while playing for the Seattle Mariners.
On April 23, 2016, Hernandez had a total of 2163 strikeouts, which set a new record for him as a Mariners. This allowed him to overextend the previous record set by Randy Johnson, who had 2162 strikeouts while playing for the Mariners. By the way, Hernandez retired with a career strikeout of 2524 finally.
Aside from these, Hernandez won 6 All-Star titles, one AL Cy Young award, one MLB wins leader, and 2 AL ERA leaders.
Career Summary-
| ERA | 3.42 |
| Win-Loss | 169-136 |
| Strikeouts | 2524 |
5. Magglio Ordóñez
| Image Source: By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA – Magglio Ordonez, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69904538 |
One of the forgotten Venezuelan baseball players who recorded some cool performances during his time. Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado debuted in MLB on August 29, 1997, for Chicago White Sox and ended his career with Detroit Tigers on 27th September 2011.
Ordóez has an impressive batting average of.309 and has hit 294 home runs in his career. Ordóez had a very successful career during the course of his 15 years in the industry. At the end of it all, he had 2156 hits and 1236 RBIs while playing in 1848 games.
In addition to his 1076 runs and 426 doubles, he had a slugging percentage of .502. In addition, he was awarded six times as an All-Star, three times as a Silver Slugger, and once as the AL Batting Champion.
With his great batting average, he is surely one of the best Venezuelan baseball players.
Career Summary-
| Home Runs | 294 |
| Hits | 2156 |
| RBI | 1236 |
| Batting Average | .309 |
Additional Read: What Is ERA In Baseball? | A Wide Explanation
6. Francisco Rodríguez
The only relief pitcher on our list as one of the best Venezuela MLB players with some significant shots. Rodríguez debuted in MLB in 2002 for Anaheim Angels and retired in 2017 by the side of the Detroit Tigers.
The fans have taken to referring to Francisco José Rodrguez, Sr by the monikers “Frankie and K-Rod.” As a note of interest, Rodriguez’s record as a relief pitcher stands at 52-53 wins and losses. He has 1142 strikeouts to go along with his 2.86 ERA.
He has racked up an impressive number of saves (437) during his time as a bullpen pitcher. In addition, Rodriguez holds the record for the most victories in a single postseason, which he shares with Randy Johnson with his five victories.
Rodríguez played for Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim from 2002 to 2008, New York Mets from 2009 to 2011, Milwaukee Brewers from 2011 to 2013 and 2014 to 2017, Baltimore Orioles in 2013, and Detroit Tigers from 2016 to 2017.
In all teams, he played as a relief pitcher/closer. As a closer in MLB, he is undoubtedly one of the best Venezuelan baseball players of all time.
Career Summary-
| ERA | 2.86 |
| Win-Loss | 52-53 |
| Strikeouts | 1142 |
| Saves | 437 |
7. Omar Vizquel
| Image Source: By Keith Allison on Flickr – Originally posted to Flickr as "Omar Vizquel", CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19234869 |
Probably you will not find anyone better than him in shortstop. Yes, Omar Enrique Vizquel González is one of the all-time best shortstops in baseball history.
Omar Enrique Vizquel González made his professional baseball debut with the Seattle Mariners in 1989. 2012 was the year he called it quits with the Toronto Blue Jays. By this time, he played for Cleveland Indians from 1994 to 2004, the san Fransisco Giants from 2005 to 2008, Texas Rangers in 2009, and Chicago White Sox from 2010 to 2011.
Omar Vizquel has some cool recordings. One of them is that he retired as the oldest position player in the league at the time of his retirement. When he finally hung up his cleats, he was the only Major League Baseball player who had been active since the 1980s.
Omar Vizquel, a Venezuelan and one of MLB’s best shortstops, won 11 Gold Gloves. Among them, 9 are consecutively from 1993 to 2001, and the rest two are in 2005 and 2006.
Also, he has the highest fielding average of .985 as a shortstop for all-time. He has another significant record of no error. He did it in American League between 26th September 1999 and 21st July 2000.
He also has the third most hits among the shortstops. He was also the top hits counter from Venezuela, which was outperformed by one of the best current Venezuelan baseball players, Miguel Cabrera(3088), on May 12, 2021.
Omar Vizquel won 3 All-Star awards, and 11 Gold Glove Awards and was inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of fame. By the way, he has a batting average of .272 with 80 home runs, 2877 hits, and 951 RBI.
Career Summary-
| Home Runs | 80 |
| Hits | 2877 |
| RBI | 951 |
| Batting Average | .272 |
| Fielding Percentage | .985 |
8. Dave Concepcion
He is another specialized shortstop and one of the most loyal and best Venezuelan baseball players on our list. David Ismael Concepción Benitez was a baseball sensation in the 1970s and 1980s of the Cincinnati Reds as a shortstop.
He debuted in 1970 for the Cincinnati Reds and retired as one of the all-time shortstops in the same team.
He has some significant awards in his bag. 9 All-Star, 2 World Series championships, 5 Gold Glove Awards, 2 Silver Slugger Awards, And the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame are them.
He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of fame in 2000. Alongside it, he was also inducted to Cincinnati’s Retired Concepción’s uniform #13.
By the way, his hitting career has something to show. He holds a batting average of .267 with 101 home runs, 2326 hits, and 950 RBIs.
Career Summary-
| Home Runs | 101 |
| Hits | 2326 |
| RBI | 950 |
| Batting Average | .267 |
| Fielding Percentage | .972 |
9. Bobby Abreu
| Image Source: By U.S. State Department – http://caracas.usembassy.gov/?d=5794&lang=sp, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6083891 |
Bobby Abreu was one of the best baserunners of his time. Bob Kelly Abreu was also one of the best Venezuelan baseball players who debuted in 1996 for the Houston Astros. Abreu retired in 2014 from the New York Mets.
By this time, he played for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.
The supporters affectionately referred to Bob Kelly Abreu as “El Comedulce,” and they also called him “La Leche.” He is one of just 13 players to join the prestigious 30-30 club. The term “30-30 club” refers to the group of batters who have accomplished the feat of achieving both 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. It’s a remarkable feat to accomplish.
And Bobby Abreu accomplished this feat not once but twice during his career. On the other side, over his 20-season career, he was honored with a number of prestigious awards. 2 All-Star, one Rawlings Gold Glove award, one Silver Slugger Award, and he was inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame are among them.
Some of his records a s active player till 2014 are-
- 565 doubles
- 136 outfield assists
- .396 on base percentage
- 1456 walks
- 400 stolen bases
He is among the seven players of all time who have 400 stolen bases, and 900 career extra-base hits.
Along with this, Bobby Abreu hits 2470 balls in his career with 288 home runs, and .291 batting average. He was such a package of baseball player MLB ever seen few times. All his qualifications made him one of the famous Venezuelan baseball players without any doubt.
Career Summary-
| Home Runs | 288 |
| Hits | 2470 |
| RBI | 1363 |
| Batting Average | .291 |
| Stolen Bases | 400 |
10. Ronald Acuna Jr.
Figure 08- Ronald Acuna Jr. is going to put his name on the list of legend
| Image Source: By All-Pro Reels – https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeglo/50337465807/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107359459 |
If we want to talk about one of the best Venezuelan baseball players 2022, the name Ronald Acuña Jr. would be on the top. He is one of the current Venevuelan players who is doing great in many departments.
Acuna Jr. plays both outfield and the designated hitter position for the team. In 2018, he made his debut for the Atlanta Braves and quickly established himself as one of the top performers. At this point, Acuna Jr. is in the holding position in MLB with the batting average of . 277 coupled with a total of 120 home runs and 107 stolen bases.
If his career goes a long like other legendary players, it is possible for him to put himself among the all time greats. By this short time, he won 3 All-Star(2019,2021,2022), 2 All-MLB Second Team, NL Rookie of the Year(2018), 2 Silver Slugger Awards, NL stolen bases leader(2019), and 30-30 club(219). All these achievements are amazingly something else by this short period of time after debut.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is also voted as the number 11 best of All-time Atlanta Braver, number 1 for the race of winning the NL MVP award.
Career Summar-
| Home Runs | 120 |
| Hits | 500 |
| RBI | 296 |
| Batting Average | .277 |
| Stolen Bases | 107 |
Final Note
There are hundreds of players have come in MLB from Venezuela. But, all are not the best. You will though, all have their place, but, the best Venezuelan baseball players are limited.
By the way, this list is made by their performance, and impact in particular situations. You might have another list of the best though. But, most of them will be there for sure.
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Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.