Noble Numbers #1
Exploring MLB's Best Players Who Wear #1
Welcome to the first ever edition of Cleanup Sports’s New Series, Noble Numbers. In this series, we will discover the best MLB players to ever wear each number, past and present.
Noble Numbers: Number 1
Weather past or present, the number one has been known for being on the back of many great athletes jerseys.
Best Player All-Time: Ozzie Smith
Arguably one of the best shortstops of all time, Ozzie Smith had a tremendous 19-year career with the San Diego Padres & Saint Louis Cardinals. “The Wizard” , won 13 straight Gold Glove awards at shortstop from 1980-1992 & won the NL Silver Slugger Award in 1987. Ozzie Smith was also a 15-time All-Star, the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award Winner, the 1985 NLCS MVP, & a 1982 World Series Champion with the St. Louis Cardinals. Although not know for his offensive skill, the switch hitter hit .262/.337/.665. With so many accomplishments and great stats, Ozzie Smith is definitely the best player in MLB history to wear the number 1 on his back.
Best Current Player: Ozzie Albies
Surprisingly, not many current MLB stars wear the number 1. With not many options, Ozzie Albies is certainly the best pick here. Atlanta’s switch-hitting second basemen signed with the Braves in 2013 and made his MLB Debut with the Braves in 2017. As of 2024, Albies is a career .273/.325/.805 hitter. Ozzie Albies is a 3-time All-Star, winning National League honors in 2018, 2021, & 2023. Albies is also a 2-time NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2019 & 2021) & a 2021 World Series Champion.
Honorable Mentions:
Pee Wee Reese
Richie Ashburn
Lou Whitaker
Somehow, both the best MLB player all-time and current to wear #1 on my list are named “Ozzie” and both are switch hitting middle infielders. Huge thanks to
for giving me a second opinion on the best current player to wear number one. Also thank you to you for reading the first ever edition of Nobel Numbers here on Cleanup Sports.