Babe Ruth is a baseball legend and an all-time great. Babe Ruth played baseball in the major leagues from 1914 through 1935, spending most of his time playing for the New York Yankees. Throughout the years, baseball has evolved, and the talent has risen. A big-time question and debate is, would Babe Ruth be good today, and would he even be in an MLB starting lineup?
Babe Ruth was a star pitcher, combined with a great power hitter. His career batting average was .342, and he had a total of 2,873 hits with 714 home runs. He changed the game of baseball and in his time, no one even came close to how good he really was. By the time he retired he held 56 major league records and was honored as one of the first Hall of Fame inductees.
No way Babe Ruth could succeed in today’s game though. First of all, he had a terrible physique since he smoked and drank so much. During every game, he would drink six bottles of soda. Not every baseball player has great habits though. You may think of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry when I say that. These were two great baseball players that played most of their careers for the New York Mets, but their careers were slowly ruined by cocaine addictions. Babe Ruth’s health though would not match that of pretty much any big leaguer today other than maybe Bartolo Colon. If you go on YouTube and watch Babe Ruth highlights, he does not look like he has much athleticism. You can see that this dude has a max running speed of 3 mph and runs like a T-rex.
MLB pitchers today are throwing around an average of 95 mph with some pitchers throwing around 100 mph consistently. Pitchers today also have crazy off-speed pitches with curveballs averaging 60 inches of droppage and around 7 more inches of movement compared to their fastball. Back around the 1920s, it is estimated that MLB pitchers were throwing on average 85 mph, with some pitchers maybe topping out at 90 mph. Their pitches also didn’t have some of the nasty movement as todays off-speed.
So, would good old Babe Ruth be able to hit today’s pitchers with his 34 inch, 42oz bat? Absolutely not. If you stuck Babe Ruth in today’s MLB, he would definitely be a bench player. Now I’m not completely saying I don’t think he could succeed. If you brought up Babe Ruth, updated his equipment, and gave him a year to train, I think he could be a great baseball player again. He’s an athlete and would evolve with the game. But if you think you could stick the old Babe Ruth in today’s game and think he would succeed or be great, you’re crazy.
VolFan85 • Apr 18, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Ruth also used a 34” 43 ounce bat because he as the hitter had to supply all the power. He revolutionized and dominated for a decade plus as a hitter but while with the Red Sox he was a phenomenal pitcher as he had a 20 win season, 3 World Series wins and would’ve made the Hall of Fame as a pitcher. Also consider those seasons he played for the Red Sox the hits, HR’s, BB and other stats it cost him. He may have hit 800 HR’s, batted .350+ for his career and have had 3,000 career hits.
Babe Ruth was built for baseball physically with a strong upper body and core. He was 6’2” and for much of his career weighed 215-230 lbs. he also had exceptional hand eye coordination and reflexes.
Adrian Padilla • Mar 12, 2025 at 10:25 pm
Yes their is certain players who wouldn’t make it now,.Babe Ruth had a special talent which is why MLB fans treat older players better than NBA or NFL. Wilt Chamberlain or Jim Brown would be successful now as back than. Yes Ruth probably wouldn’t have won 9+ MVPS or two Cy Youngs like he could have yet he would still be 75% as good at worst. Jesse OWens with new tech would have been as fast or just slower than Usin Bolt. Babe Ruth would always be the GOAT.
Stymie • Dec 26, 2024 at 5:32 pm
Your opinion is based on magically transporting Ruth 100 years into the future, expecting him to compete at today’s level. Of course, he couldn’t do as well. Who would? Would you expect Barney Oldfield to do as well under the same circumstances? Of course not. Ruth and so many others of his era had natural abilities which exceeded the average player of their time. So, hypothetically, if Ruth was born in say, 1990, possessing the same natural abilities, he would have grown up playing baseball at all levels and, therefore, would be right at home with the game as it is played today. Given that hypothetical situation, why would he not do just as well today as when he actually played?
carlton • Dec 17, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Babe was Babe for his era. Cream of the crop. All relative. There was no other Babe at that time. If so, let us know who that person was with the 340 BA and 714 HRs…not in existence. So, why denigrate the best of the best in a circa…and attempt to say that best of the best would not be best of the best in another era because he drank soda and had a David Ortiz physique? Because he drank like Mickey Mantle. Silly.
Boysh • Oct 24, 2024 at 12:22 pm
Babe is, for me, the GOAT. Love this question, but please do your homework before you write such an article. He was not in terrible shape his whole career. Patently false. He did not drink six bottles of soda in every game. Patently false. There is no team, no pitcher, nowhere, who averages a 60 inch drop to a curveball.. Do your homework and then we can talk.
Carlton • Dec 17, 2024 at 12:36 pm
Thank you for that. I am still too aggravated to pen an intelligent analystics response to this nonsense. Bat speed, hand to eye. Look at Kirk Gibson’s ’88 game 1 World Series home run…how’d he do that? And Babe would be on the bench? Insane.
Russell Davis • Oct 8, 2024 at 9:28 pm
First of all, when Babe Ruth played, he played the way he was taught. Secondly, if he played today, he wouldn’t have had a hitch in his swing and he would have been more conditioned, if not ripped. He had an incredible eye for hitting, and hit with a lot of power; he may have been an even better player today than then.
Is it ESPN putting this crap out so they can claim the G.O.A.T. is playing today (Ohtani) so they can build controversy? I would say probably.
Billy • Sep 5, 2024 at 9:11 am
Babe Ruth was great because it was an all white team !! No challenge!
It was easier that way !!!
Edward Capobianco • Feb 11, 2025 at 6:56 am
The highest percentage of black players to ever suit up for MLB was 18% in 1991. So on a 24 man roster you get less than 5 players per team. So there goes your theory about it being too easy because there were no black guys. It was still dominated by white guys. Today it’s more Latino players than black players. Furthermore if Babe Ruth played in the little league sized fields of today how would have had 900 career HRs. With all the conditioning,strength, nutrition, medical breakthroughs, etc, etc. I still don’t see players hitting 60 HRs every season be that white, black Asian or Latino..Players are faster, stronger, bigger today than they ever were. Yet 60 HRs in a season is next to impossible in any era. How many players have joined Ruth ,Aaron and Bonds in the 700+ HR club ? Ruth set the record in 1935 approx. Aaron joined him in 1975.. Pujols joined them in approx 2022. So 3 guys have broken that mark in 87 years.. I won’t count Bonds cause he cheated and his stats are inflated!! If athletes are so much better today than during Babe’s and Hanks times than there would be a dozen guys with 700 + career HRs… There are not because only the most exceptional players are capable in any era!! Now go get your shinebox!!!
Mike • Jul 30, 2024 at 4:57 pm
“he would definitely be a bench player”
Fair enough, but what if he were still alive?
Jenns • Jul 27, 2024 at 9:00 pm
While we will never know I’m in the camp that Ruth could absolutely succeed in today’s game.
He of course would have to be disciplined, but given advancements in training and health (and assuming he was committed to utilizing said things) I find it difficult to believe that a player of his talent wouldn’t succeed.
Now would he hit 700 plus home runs and have a career batting average well over 300? Probably not, but again we will never know.
Theresa Tracey • Jul 6, 2024 at 9:41 pm
Hahahahaha !The babe is the greatest baseball player of all time , and he played without steroids or a juiced ball ! It’s ludicrous to even suggest he couldn’t compete in today’s game , the sultan of swat didn’t have to run , he could stroll home after hitting a home run . Clearly the author is clueless about baseball .
Sam • Sep 1, 2024 at 5:45 am
Nice thought, but he played in a segregated league. Some of the best players were Black. We’ll never know if he had modern conditioning, diet, equipment, film/scouting reports what could have been. We do know he did not take on ALL of the best players of his era. Satchel Paige or Bullet Joe Rogan would have shown him things he never saw. For that, he’s not the greatest.
Jimmy • Sep 19, 2024 at 1:24 pm
So you’re saying none of the greats could play today, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Micky Mantle, Josh Gibson, and last the other great players. You need to think before you make such a foolish statement. There are very few of today’s players that could have succeeded by then.
Carlton • Dec 17, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Bingo. Argument deflated. Idiocy. Hank Aaron would have been a hack.
Bruce Charet • May 11, 2024 at 4:49 pm
All you’ve done is state the obvious…
No contemporary player, regardless of conditioning would be competitive today using the equipment from 100 years ago.
Those adjustments must be made in order to have any enlightened discussions about travelling an athlete through time.
Kathleen A Pullano • Jan 23, 2025 at 5:59 am
Players through the years have always adjusted to the fastball ,it is the most thrown pitch in baseball and if you can’t hit a fastball you’ll never reach a high level.Pitching is more about changing speeds then blazing a 100mph pitch by a hitter and the best pitchers usually have a good off speed pitch to go along with it.My feeling is the Babe would have done just fine playing today.