The #MLBRank project is as much about constructing the history of baseball through its greatest players as it is about debating their merits. When you look at the history of the game, the most iconic players have played for the most iconic teams. Not only that, but they often played for those teams for long, long periods of time.
Without revealing too much, the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Athletics all have had at least 15 different players in the #MLBRank top 100 spend at least some time with their respective franchises. By combined seasons played by top 100 players, the Giants (134) and Braves (110) join the Yankees (188) and Red Sox (154) as the top four franchises, with those clubs also having sustained runs with at least one top 100 player on their rosters. The longest? The Red Sox from 1946 to 1996. For 51 seasons in a row, Boston had at least one top 100 player on its roster, transitioning from one star to another. Almost half of those seasons (23), contained Carl Yastrzemski, the longest-tenured Red Sox player in the top 100.
Below are the historical timelines for each modern franchise, indicating the seasons when at least one player in the #MLBRank top 100 played for the club.
Seasons with at least one #MLBRank top 100 player
Note: The teams are ordered from oldest franchise to newest, according to Baseball Reference. The Washington Nationals contain data from the Montreal Expos. The Minnesota Twins include seasons as the Washington Senators. The Baltimore Orioles' timeline includes years as the St. Louis Browns.