2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building Our All-Time American League Dream Team

Fox Sports

15-07-2025

Jeter. A-Rod. The Great Bambino. The New York Yankees are well-represented in FOX Sports American League Dream Team. How could they not be as the all-time leaders in World Series titles?
But while the Yankees are a big part of the AL's history, they aren't the only powerhouse that produced Hall of Fame baseball players. Here's the full list: Manager: Connie Mack
Connie Mack is a rarity on this list, in more ways than one. A player, then a manager who doubled as an executive, but also as a manager with a career record of under .500. Part of that is an issue of volume, however: Mack ran the A's for 50 seasons, from their 1901 inception through 1950. He managed them for 7,466 games: a .484 win percentage only counts for so much when it's attached to eight World Series appearances and five World Series championships. No other A's manager has 1,000 wins — Mack boasts 3,582 of them. Catcher: Yogi Berra
Berra is among the figures who epitomize Yankees baseball. One of the best all-around catchers in MLB history, Berra was a three-time AL MVP, an 18-time All-Star and part of a whopping 10 World Series teams with the Yankees: 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962. Berra is fifth in Yankees history with both 358 home runs and 1,430 RBIs, sixth with a 59.7 WAR and eighth with both 2,148 hits and 1,174 runs scored. He later managed the Yankees in 1964 and again from 1984-85. Reliever/closer: Mariano Rivera
Rivera was called "The Sandman" and came out to Metallica's "Enter Sandman" for a reason: He put teams to sleep. Spending his entire career in the Bronx (1995-2013), Rivera went on to be the best closer in MLB history, recording a record 652 saves and posting an ERA above three just once after becoming a full-time reliever in 1996 (he posted a 3.15 ERA in 2007). Rivera was part of five Yankees championship teams (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009) and primarily found success with his cut fastball. Starting pitcher: Cy Young
The Red Sox can lay claim to three of the greatest pitchers in MLB history. Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez combined for 10 Cy Young awards, but that honor is named after Boston's first ace. Cy Young's greatest run came in Beantown: a franchise-record 192 wins over eight years, 2.00 ERA and 275 complete games, while leading them to the first World Series championship in 1903. Young was the top player on the team by wins above replacement in seven of his eight seasons in town, and is MLB's all-time leader in both pitcher WAR and traditional wins. 1B: Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig raked: plain and simple. A two-time AL MVP, Gehrig drove in 150-plus runs in a single season an absurd seven times and was an indispensable part of seven Yankees' championship teams (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937 and 1938), highlighted by a .731 career postseason slugging percentage. Gehrig is first in Yankees history with 163 triples, second with a .340 batting average, 2,721 hits and a 113.7 WAR and third with both 493 home runs and 1,888 runs scored. One of the best left-handed hitters of all time, Gehrig formed the most formidable one-two offensive punch baseball has ever witnessed with another player on this list. 3B: Alex Rodriguez
The Yankees acquired a superstar shortstop to play third base in 2004 because of the next player we'll discuss, but Rodriguez transitioned just fine. Rodriguez was an overwhelming force from the right side of the plate. In 2007, he led MLB with 54 home runs and would be a featured part of the Yankees' 2009 World Series championship, hitting six home runs and posting a combined .365/.500/.808 slash line in the postseason. Across his 12 seasons playing in the Bronx (2004-16, excluding 2014), Rodriguez stands sixth in Yankees history with 351 home runs, seventh with a .523 slugging percentage and 10th with both 1,012 runs scored and a 53.8 WAR. 2B: Rod Carew
How many other Twins second baseman were named dropped by the Beastie Boys? Exactly. To Carew's credit, he was more than just a name that rhymed, as he was about as sure of a shot as you could get for a base hit: in 12 seasons with the Twins, he second baseman won eight batting titles, and led all of MLB in average in four of those seasons. For his career in Minnesota, Carew batted .334, and produced a 137 OPS+, third-best among Twins, while his .393 on-base is tied for first — those weren't empty batting averages by any means. SS: Derek Jeter
Jeter spent his entire career with the Yankees (1995-2014) and became the most popular athlete in the history of New York sports. A five-time Silver Slugger, five-time Gold Glover and 14-time All-Star, Jeter is one of the best pure contact hitters the sport has ever seen, founded the signature jump-throw from shortstop and was the heart and soul of five title teams (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009). Jeter posted 200-plus hits in eight seasons and is sixth in MLB history with 3,465 career hits. As for Yankees context, Jeter is first in franchise history with both 3,465 hits and 358 stolen bases, second with 1,923 runs scored, fifth with a 71.3 WAR and eighth with a .310 batting average. Furthermore, he was a career .308 postseason hitter. OF: Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mouse opened Disneyland in July 1955, but Mickey Mantle was already up and running by then. When Mantle came to the plate, the opposing manager would yell "back up" to the outfield. A 20-time All-Star, Mantle imposed fear into pitchers from both sides of the plate, leading the AL in home runs in four seasons and totaling 536 home runs across his 18-year career, which ranks 18th in MLB history. Mantle, who won seven World Series with the Yankees (1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962), is second in franchise history with 536 home runs, third with a 110.2 WAR, fourth with both 2,415 hits and 1,509 RBIs and 10th with 153 stolen bases. OF: Babe Ruth
"The Babe" stands as arguably the best player to walk on a baseball field, and he spent the majority of his career in the Bronx (1920-34). Ruth led the AL in home runs in 10 of his 15 seasons with the Yankees, with whom he helped win four World Series (1923, 1927, 1928 and 1932). Ruth, who, of course, was primarily a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before landing in New York, is first in Yankees history with 659 home runs, a .349 batting average, a .711 slugging percentage and a 142.8 WAR, second with 1,978 RBIs and third with 2,518 hits. And if that wasn't enough, Ruth blasted 15 home runs in 36 postseason games for the Yankees. When Ruth called his shot in the 1932 World Series, he knew exactly what he was doing.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Torre (manager)
Casey Stengel (manager)
Walter Johnson (starting pitcher)
Roger Clemens (starting pitcher)
Ivan Rodriguez (catcher)
Jeff Bagwell (1B)
Eddie Collins (2B)
Roberto Alomar (2B)
Lou Whitaker (2B)
Nellie Fox (2B)
Nap Lajoie (2B)
George Brett (3B)
Wade Boggs (3B)
Brooks Robinson (3B)
Cal Ripken Jr. (SS)
Ty Cobb (OF)
Ken Griffey Jr. (DH/OF)
Al Kaline (DH/OF)
Carl Yastrzemski (DH/OF)
Joe DiMaggio (DH/OF)
Edgar Martinez (DH)
Tris Speaker (OF)
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