A deadly combination of power hitting and defensive prowess, Mike Schmidt is widely considered the best 3rd basemen of all time, as evidenced by his 548 career HRs and his 10 Gold Gloves. Schmidt joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973 and had a breakout year in '74 when he led the N.L. in homeruns, the first of 8 times he would do so.
Schmidt went on to be a 14-time All-Star and 3-time National League MVP. His first MVP Award came in 1980 when he lead the league in HR's and RBI's while helping to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series which they won against the Kansas City Royals. Schmidt would take home World Series MVP honors that year as well after blasting two homeruns and collecting seven RBI in the series.
Schmidt won the N.L. MVP in 1981 as well, once again helping the Phillies reach the World Series. He would go on to be one of the most productive players ever at his position throughout the 80's and as a result, Schmidt was named as the “Sporting News” Player of the Decade for the 1980's. Following his retirement in 1988, He was elected as a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1995.
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