Baseball Hall of Fame &amp; MLB History Guide

Where Derek Jeter Went to High School: Kalamazoo Central

Derek Jeter's high school was Kalamazoo Central in Michigan, where he was the 1992 USA Today National High School Player of the Year.

College Roots (1)

Where Jackie Robinson Went to College: UCLA

Jackie Robinson went to UCLA, where he became the first athlete in school history to letter in 4 sports — football, hoops, baseball, track

Draft Lookups (1)

2025 MLB Draft #1 Pick: Eli Willits to the Nationals

Eli Willits was the 2025 MLB Draft #1 overall pick — the Washington Nationals took the Oklahoma high school shortstop in July 2025.

Childhood & Hometowns (7)

Babe Ruth Childhood: Pigtown to St. Mary's

Babe Ruth's childhood: born 216 Emory St in Baltimore, raised at St. Mary's Industrial School from age 7, signed by the Orioles in 1914.

Derek Jeter Hometown: Growing Up in Kalamazoo

Derek Jeter's hometown is Kalamazoo, Michigan — moved at age 4, attended Kalamazoo Central High, drafted 6th overall by the Yankees in 1992.

Where Aaron Judge Grew Up: Linden, California

Aaron Judge grew up in Linden, California — a town of 1,800 in San Joaquin County. He was adopted at one day old by Patty and Wayne Judge.

Where Bryce Harper Grew Up: Las Vegas, Nevada

Bryce Harper grew up in Las Vegas, NV — the GED-and-JC path he took to skip his high school junior and senior years for the 2010 MLB Draft.

Where Hank Aaron Grew Up: Mobile, Alabama

Hank Aaron grew up in Toulminville, a Black neighborhood of Mobile, Alabama, and started his pro career with the Indianapolis Clowns.

Where Ken Griffey Jr. Grew Up: Cincinnati and Donora, PA

Ken Griffey Jr. was born in Donora, PA but grew up primarily in Cincinnati during his father Ken Sr.'s years with the Reds.

Where Shohei Ohtani Grew Up: Oshu, Japan

Shohei Ohtani grew up in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan, where his father coached him in baseball from age 4.

Jersey Numbers (3)

Why Aaron Judge Wears #99 — A Spring-Training Default

Aaron Judge wears #99 because the Yankees gave it to him as a 2017 spring-training rookie. He kept it after winning AL Rookie of the Year.

Why Derek Jeter Wore #2 — A Yankees Last Single-Digit

Derek Jeter wore #2 because it was the last available single-digit Yankees jersey when he reached the big leagues in 1995.

Why Mookie Betts Wears #50 — A Red Sox Default

Mookie Betts wears #50 because the Red Sox gave it to him as a 2014 rookie. He kept it through his MVP season and the Dodgers trade.

Records & Milestones (8)

Fastest Pitcher Ever: Aroldis Chapman at 105.1 mph

Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitch in MLB history — 105.1 mph against the Padres on September 24, 2010, his first month in the majors.

Most Cy Young Awards: Roger Clemens, 7

Roger Clemens won 7 Cy Young Awards — the all-time record. Randy Johnson is second with 5. Greg Maddux and Steve Carlton each won 4.

Most Home Runs in a Season: Barry Bonds, 73 (2001)

Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001 — the MLB single-season record. McGwire (70 in 1998) and Sosa (66 in 1998) round out the top three.

Most MLB Hits Ever: Pete Rose, 4,256

Pete Rose got 4,256 career hits — the all-time MLB record. Ty Cobb (4,189) is second. The active leader is Freddie Freeman, well behind.

Most MLB MVPs Ever: Barry Bonds With 7

Barry Bonds won 7 MLB MVPs — the all-time record. Behind him, several players are tied at 3. Mike Trout is the active leader at 3.

Most MLB No-Hitters Ever: Nolan Ryan With 7

Nolan Ryan pitched the most no-hitters in MLB history — 7 — across 18 years and four franchises. Sandy Koufax is second with 4.

Most MLB Perfect Games: Only 24 Ever, None With 2

Only 24 perfect games have been pitched in 150+ years of MLB. No pitcher has ever thrown two — including Koufax, Larsen, and Halladay.

Most Stolen Bases Ever: Rickey Henderson, 1,406

Rickey Henderson stole 1,406 bases — the all-time MLB record by 468 ahead of Lou Brock. He led the AL in steals 12 times in 25 seasons.

Height, Weight & Reach (2)

Shortest MLB Player Ever: Eddie Gaedel at 3'7" (Stunt)

Eddie Gaedel was 3'7" — a 1951 St. Louis Browns publicity stunt. Excluding stunts, the shortest MLB player ever was Bill Sherdel at 5'4".

Tallest MLB Player Ever: Jon Rauch at 6'11"

Jon Rauch (6'11") is the tallest MLB player in history. Randy Johnson and Chris Young both stood 6'10" — the second-tallest pitchers ever.