The 24 best players in Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers history

The Dodgers took Clayton Kershaw 7th overall in the 2006 draft, and all he’s done since then is become the greatest pitcher of his generation. Since debuting in ’08, the southpaw has piled up a laundry list of accolades. He was the NL Cy Young winner in three out of four seasons from ’11-’14, and the year he didn’t win he came in second. He’s been the National League MVP, won the ERA title five times, was awarded a Gold Glove, and achieved the elusive pitching triple crown. The only thing missing from Kershaw’s resume was a World Series ring–until he got that in 2020. At this point in his career at age 35 the veteran is still a tremendous asset for the Dodgers, and they and he certainly hope he adds some more hardware before he’s done. 

Shortstop Pee Wee Reese may be best known today for the way he publicly embraced Jackie Robinson as his teammate at a time when the latter was enduring tremendous adversity for breaking baseball’s color barrier. And while Reese is clearly a superb human being, let’s not forget how good he was himself on a baseball diamond. Despite missing three full seasons in the military, Reese slashed a lifetime .269/.366/.377 with 126 homers. He was selected to 10 all-star games, was a World Series champion in 1955, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. 

Right-hander Don Drysdale debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers all the way back in 1956 and moved to LA with the club two years later. He ended up spending his entire 14-year career with the organization, and in his nearly decade and a half in the Major Leagues, all he did became one of the best pitchers in the history of the sport. Drysdale helped lead the Dodgers to three World Series titles, was selected to nine all-star teams, and was a Cy Young award winner. He led the Majors in starts for four seasons in a row and threw more innings than anyone else twice. In the four seasons between ’62-’65, he earned an outrageous 85 victories. Drysdale was deservedly elected into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

While the Yankees enjoyed stellar center field play for decades with Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, across town the Brooklyn Dodgers answer at position number eight was southern California native Duke Snider. Nicknamed the ‘Silver Fox’, Snider refused to be overshadowed by other players in his own city and quickly became one of the most feared left-handed sluggers in the game. In the prime of his career, Snider crushed 40 or more homers for five straight seasons, and he drove in over 100 runs in six different campaigns. He was an all-star eight times and won two World Series titles, and was enshrined in Cooperstown in ’80. 

Jackie Robinson is a name as entrenched in baseball lore as any other, and that is something that will never change. Robinson endured unspeakable criticism and scrutiny when he broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Despite the unspeakable hate he encountered daily, he didn’t let it prevent him from thriving between the lines. As a rookie in 1947, he hit .297 and led the league with 28 steals on his way to winning NL Rookie of the Year. Two seasons later he drove in 124 runs and led the league in steals again, while being selected to his first of six straight all-star games and winning NL MVP. Robinson retired with a lifetime .313/.410/.477 slash line with 141 homers, 761 RBI, 286 doubles, and 200 stolen bases. His number 42 is now universally retired in the sport, and every April 15th the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day. 

Outfielder Zack Wheat broke into the big leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers as a 21-year-old in 1909, and while he wasn’t one of the league’s biggest stars during his era, he was a reliable and productive Dodger for nearly two decades. Wheat’s biggest career accomplishments were his 1918 batting title and his two 100+ RBI seasons, and despite his numbers not jumping off the page, the veteran’s committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1959. 

In the 1920s, there were not many pitchers better than Brooklyn righty Dazzy Vance. The Dodgers ace won the pitching triple crown in 1924 and was so much better than everyone else that season that he was named league MVP–an almost unprecedented achievement for a pitcher. He’d go on to win two more ERA titles, and from ’22-’28, he led the league in strikeouts every year. Vance was a Hall of Fame inductee in 1955. 

Outfielder Willie Davis went to high school in the LA area, so going on to star for his hometown Dodgers had to be a dream come true. The center fielder debuted in 1960 and became a regular the following season. He’d play 14 of his 19 years in the Major Leagues for Los Angeles and slashed .279/.312/.413 with 154 homers in a Dodgers jersey. He made the all-star team twice, took home three Gold Glove awards, and led the league in triples twice. But most importantly, Davis helped the Dodgers win the World Series in both 1963 and 1965, and for that, he’ll always have a special place in this organization. 

A discussion of Dodgers’ great starting pitchers has to include right-hander Don Sutton, who was LA’s ace for nearly a decade and a half. Sutton made four all-star teams and won an ERA title in Dodger blue, and it was cool that he could come back to LA to finish his career with the team in 1988. In 16 total seasons for the Dodgers Sutton won 233 games with a sparkling 3.09 ERA, and he’s in Cooperstown today with an LA on his hat. 

Long before there was Clayton Kershaw, there was the original left-handed Dodgers’ ace, whom Kershaw has drawn comparisons with for many years. Sandy Koufax debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in ’55 and came West with the team, and is certainly in the discussion of best southpaws to ever pitch in the Major Leagues. In 12 seasons–all spent with this organization–Koufax won 165 games with a 2.76 ERA. He won five consecutive ERA titles, was awarded three Cy Youngs, achieved the pitching triple crown three times, and was selected to seven all-star teams. Koufax was the 1963 NL MVP and helped lead the Dodgers to four World Series championships. Unfortunately, arthritis in his left arm ended his career at only 30 years old, otherwise, there’s no telling what he could have accomplished. 

Third baseman Ron Cey was drafted by the Mets in the 19th round of the ’66 draft but didn’t sign, and re-entered the draft two years later. The gamble paid off as the Dodgers took him in round three, and while it took some time for him to really break through as an everyday big leaguer, Los Angeles will tell you it was worth the wait. Cey would make six all-star teams in Dodger Blue and was the MVP of the 1981 World Series. He crushed 20 or more homers 10 times in his career and was one of the best third baseman in the game for roughly a decade. 

Even before Sandy Koufax dazzled baseball fans as the greatest left-handed starting pitcher of his era, the Dodgers franchise was blessed with a similar pitcher in the early 1900s. Nap Rucker debuted in 1907, and while his career was short by today’s standards, he sure left an impression. In 336 outings for Brooklyn, he delivered a 2.42 ERA, while throwing over 300 innings in four consecutive seasons. 

Righty Orel Hershiser made his big league debut as a reliever for the Dodgers in 1983, but the Bowling Green State product wouldn’t stay in the bullpen for long. Hershiser became an important part of Los Angeles’ rotation the following season, throwing eight complete games including four shutouts, and finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was an all-star in ’87 and then in 1988, was just on a different level than everyone else. In 34 starts, Hershiser went 23-8 with a 2.26 ERA en route to winning the NL Cy Young award. He would go on to be named the MVP of the NLCS and the World Series, and is perhaps the biggest reason the Dodgers won the whole thing. 

First baseman Gil Hodges career took a while to get off the ground, but once it did, few baseball lifers were able to put together a more complete resume. Hodges debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 at the age of 19, but played only one game. He then spent all of ’45 and ’46 serving in the military before returning to baseball and playing sparingly in 1947. The following year he finally got a chance to play everyday, and as they say, the rest is history. From 1949-1955 Hodges drove in over 100 runs in seven consecutive seasons. He’d make eight all-star teams as a Dodger, win three Gold Gloves, and play an integral part in bringing two World Series trophies to this organization. His teammate Duke Snider was the only player in the Major Leagues to hit more home runs in the 1950s, and together the duo formed quite the dangerous power duo. Gil Hodges was deservedly elected into the Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Golden Days Era Committee. 

Jim “Junior” Gilliam wasn’t the most well-known name on the Dodgers dynasty in the ’50s and ’60s, but he quietly was a very imported piece. Incredibly versatile, Gilliam played every position other than pitcher and catcher during his Dodgers career. While his numbers don’t jump off the page, a closer inspection helps show his value. Gilliam slashed a lifetime .266/.360.355 and stole 219 bases for this franchise. He won the 1953 NL Rookie of the Year award, was selected to four all-star teams, and is one of just a small fraternity of Major Leaguers to own four World Series rings. 

As we’ve already established ad nauseum in this gallery, the Dodgers have been a team rich with phenomenal individual pitchers. But they’ve never had anything quite like what Fernando Valenzuela delivered in the 80s. Not just in terms of performance but also flair and personality. Fernando-mania was an event in Los Angeles, and the southpaw was one of the best pitchers in the game seemingly since he first stepped on a big league mound. In 1981 he was the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young winner–the only pitcher ever to accomplish that feat. The Dodgers won the World Series that season, and it was truly difficult to imagine a better and more historic rookie campaign. Valenzuela would go on to make six all-star teams and win a Gold Glove with LA, but nothing could have ever topped that ’81 magic. 

Steve Garvey began his career as the Dodgers third baseman but soon moved to first, where he became arguably the most reliable first baseman in team history. Literally. From 1967-1980 Garvey played in every single Dodgers game. All 811 of them. He was an all-star in eight straight seasons with LA, won four Gold Glove awards, and was the 1974 NL MVP. Garvey was the NLCS MVP in ’78 and, in one of his final seasons with Los Angeles helped the Dodgers raise the World Series trophy in 1981. 

Roy Campanella starred behind the plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers roughly 70 years ago, and what he was able to do in Dodger Blue has made him a beloved figure in this organization ever since. After being a standout performer in both the Negro Leagues and the Mexican League, Campanella broke through with LA in 1948 and quickly became Brooklyn’s starting catcher. In 10 overall seasons with the Dodgers, the Philly native’s accolades are endless. He was a two-time NL MVP, was selected to eight straight all-star teams, and was an instrumental part of Brooklyn’s 1955 World Series winning club. He was deservedly enshrined in Cooperstown in 1969. 

Outfielder Dixie Walker had already played in New York with the Yankees early in his career, but his best days quite obviously came later with Brooklyn. The Dodgers claimed him off waivers from Detroit in ’39, and he certainly made the Tigers regret letting him go. Walker would go on to make five all-star teams and win a batting title in Brooklyn, and led the Majors with 124 RBI in 1945. 

Outfielder Carl Furillo spent the entirety of his 15-year major League career with the Dodgers–in two different cities. The Stony Creek Mills, PA native was never really mentioned among the greats of his era, but he was sneakily one of the better players in the National League. Furillo finished with a lifetime slash line of .299/.355/.458 with 192 homers and 1058 RBI. He won the batting title in 1953, made the all-star team twice, and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in ’55 and ’59. 

Justin Turner arrived in Los Angeles in 2014 after surprisingly being non-tendered by the Mets the prior winter. At that point in his career, he was a steady utility infielder. Still, his Mets teammate, Marlon Byrd, educated him about the value of launch angle, and Turner had quietly begun attempting to revamp his swing. When he got to the West Coast, he was ready to put it into action, and to say the Dodgers were the beneficiary is quite the understatement. In nine seasons in LA, Turner slashed .296/.375/.490 with 156 of his 164 big league home runs. He’s made the all-star team twice, been an NLCS MVP, and, most importantly, helped the Dodgers snap their championship drought in 2020. 

Righty Jeff Pfeffer began his career with the St. Louis Browns but moved to Brooklyn in 1913, where he would spend most of his big league career. While awards were not what they are today during his era, a look at Pfeffer’s numbers show you just how dominant he was. In 226 outings for Brooklyn he pitched to a 2.31 ERA in 1748.1 innings, while delivering a 1.13 WHIP and authoring 157 complete games. 

William “Brickyard” Kennedy pitched for Brooklyn so long ago that they were not even yet known as the Dodgers. The team’s nickname went from the Grooms, to the Bridegrooms, to the Superbas all in the 10 years he was there, but no matter the name Kennedy was the team’s best pitcher. The Bellaire, OH native won 177 games in 10 years for this franchise, while also having one of the coolest nicknames of his time. 

Eastern Michigan University product Bob Welch was the Dodgers first-round pick in 1977, and the righty made it to the big leagues just a year later. He would stay there as a prominent member of this team for the better part of a decade. Welch made 267 starts for the Dodgers and finished with a 3.14 ERA in LA. He earned 115 victories in Dodger Blue, pitched in an all-star game, and helped Los Angeles win the World Series in 1981.