Pete Rose headlines Cincinnati Reds all-time roster by WAR

Pete Rose headlines Cincinnati Reds all-time roster by Wins Above Replacement

As an integral part of the fearsome Big Red Machine, Pete Rose helped lead the Cincinnati Reds to back-to-back World Series in the mid ’70s. The 1976 Reds were so dominant that they remain the only baseball team since the expansion of the playoffs in 1969 to go undefeated in the postseason.

Rose finished his 24-year career as the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328) — the bulk of those figures being accrued with his hometown Reds.

CINCINNATI REDS ALL-TIME ROSTER

In 19 seasons with the Reds, Rose amassed 78.1 wins above replacement (WAR). The franchise’s next biggest contributions on the all-time roster by WAR come from catcher Johnny Bench (75.2) and shortstop Barry Larkin (70.4).

Here we present the entire Reds lineup constructed entirely by choosing the player with the team’s highest WAR at each position, including a rotation of three starting pitchers and one reliever.

UPDATED September 7, 2024