Who Has the Best Facial Hair in Baseball History?

Catfish Hunter, whose birth name was James, started his 15-year major league career with the Oakland A’s, the team with a storied, mustachioed past. He became the highest paid pitcher in baseball when he signed with the Yankees in 1975. He won 23 games in his first season with New York, all while wearing a thick, no-nonsense mustache that angled sharply down like the wings of a bird in flight.

 Rollie Fingers has been sporting a classic handlebar mustache since his early pitching days for the Oakland A’s in the 1970s (he also played for the San Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers.) His facial hair is one of the most recognizable in the game, and according to a recent interview, only takes 15 seconds and little bit of wax to maintain. “If it took any longer than that, I’d shave it off,” he said.

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt played his entire career as third basemen for the Philadelphia Phillies, racking up 548 career homeruns. He was also a three-time National League MVP and 12-time All-Star. That’s one pretty impressive resume, but what Schmidt is also remembered for is his signature, well-kept sandy brown mustache.

Relief pitcher Goose Gossage played on nine different teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s, marking his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. To this day, the Yankees are the only remaining baseball club with an explicit ban on facial hair—something that Gossage knows well, being asked to shave his beard at the behest of Yankee’s owner George Steinbrenner. Gossage acquiesced, but kept his thick, exaggerated mustache down to his jaw line. His intense facial hair matched this gruff exterior and mean pitching style, namely a fastball that solidified his ability as a skilled closer.

Keith Hernandez’s time playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets in the ’70s and ’80s earned him the Gold Glove in 11 consecutive seasons. This was the most by any first baseman in baseball history, making Hernandez a masterful defensive player. But in 2007, it was his flavor savor that was in the spotlight, thanks to the American Mustache Institute, a nonprofit that promotes social acceptance of mustaches in the workplace and elsewhere. The Pittsburgh-based organization asked the public to vote on the greatest sports mustache of all time. The winner? Hernandez’s tea strainer. 

One of Dennis Eckersley’s career-defining moments came during the 1988 World Series. Though he was an accomplished closer, Eckersley surrendered a game-ending home run to an injured Kirk Gibson, who hobbled up to the plate at the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1. Gibson’s team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, were slated as the underdogs but Gibson's "walk-off" home run, a term that Eckersley coined earlier that year, set the tone of the rest of the series; the Dodgers won 4 games to 1. But in the end, Eckersley wasn’t fazed—and neither was his signature mossy mustache.

Former relief pitcher Bruce Sutter is remembered most in baseball history for perfecting the splitter. The throwing technique looks like a fastball to batters, but the ball “drops off the table” toward home at the last second, often leading to easy-out ground balls. Sutter won the Cy Young Award in 1979 while with the Chicago Cubs, and helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in 1982. During his career, he wore a beard that seamlessly transitioned into a full head of hair, with a light mustache and goatee. 

Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, a first baseman and designated hitter, debuted in 1977 with the Baltimore Orioles and ended his successful career in 1997 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s regarded as one of the best switch hitters in the game. He’s also well known for a fierce, bushy mustache that stretched up into his sideburns and afro.

A shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals between 1978 and 1996, Ozzie Smith was a 13-time Gold Glove winner. Nicknamed “the Wizard” for his defensive skills, he was famous for performing backflips as he ran onto the field. He was also famous for his fluffy sideburns, beard and ’stache, all connecting seamlessly to frame his usually smiling face.

Dustin Hermanson is a former relief pitcher who struggled to find a home in the majors, playing for five different teams in 11 years, including the Boston Red Sox. He closed for most of the Chicago White Sox’s championship season in 2005, saving 34 games before a back injury forced him to exit the game. As for what warrants his inclusion on this list, we’ll let the photo do the talking. 

For David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, facial hair isn’t about keeping his chin warm—it’s about form. He wears a close-shaven chinstrap beard, one that likely requires frequent trimming and sculpting. Nicknamed “Big Papi,” Ortiz is one of 51 in major league history to hit at least 400 career homeruns. He’s also a nine-time All-Star, lending credence to the argument that sporting a scratchy chin might mean higher performance.

When Washington Nationals right-fielder Jayson Werth came to D.C. from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010, he sported a 2009 National League All-Star appearance and a mild-mannered goatee on the center of his chin. Since 2010, Werth and his facial hair have continued to thrive, reaching 1,000 career hits in the summer of 2011. His beard, which has since transformed into a thick grizzly mane, even has its own Twitter account.

The mustache worn by John Axford, a closing pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, gives people a slight case of déjà vu. That’s because Axford’s handlebar mustache is reminiscent of that of baseball great Rollie Fingers. But it has built its own reputation. In 2011, the pitcher received the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award by the American Mustache Institute.