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15
Welcome back to Baseball by the Numbers. Today we are looking at uniform number 15 and man a lot of players have worn this number. It looks like at least 825 players have worn number 15 at some point in their career. Thirty-two players who wore number 15 had a career WAR over 40 and 111 players had the number for 5 years or more. It does not seem that any player with over 100 WAR has ever worn the number 15, however there is a story, possibly a myth, that I thought was cool.
Randy Johnson, “the Big Unit”, is 30th all-time in career WAR at 101.1. The myth goes that he wore uniform number 15 in 1992 while playing with the Mariners for just one game. It was July and he was having a down season, so in a weird attempt to turn things around he reversed his number 51. In researching this, I continuously got responses that said he never wore number 15, or that this was a myth, or even that he did wear it once, but at a different time for a different reason. After some research I finally found a reference to this myth in a September 1993 article in the Seattle Times. The article states, “In an effort to reverse his luck last July, the 6-foot-10 left-hander wore 15 instead of his usual 51 and lost 7-6 at Yankee Stadium after a flock of unearned runs.” (Finnigan, Bob, 1993). So maybe this did happen, and this is the reason I have so much fun researching these uniform numbers.
Before starting I wanted to mention that another player with a “big” nickname wore the number 15 for a short time. Frank Thomas, “the Big Hurt” wore number 15 for a short time in 1990, his rookie year, before switching to 35.
Fun stuff!
Number 1:
It is likely that by the time you read this, Carlos Beltran is one of the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is entering his 4th year on the ballot and in 2025 he received 70.3% of the vote, very close to making it in. Expectations are high for the outfielder who played for 20 years from 1998 to 2017. Beltran played for seven teams: the Kansas City Royals (1998-2004), Houston Astros (2004 and 2017), New York Mets (2005-2011), San Francisco Giants (2011), St. Louis Cardinals (2012-2013), New York Yankees (2014-2016), and the Texas Rangers (2016). He wore uniform number 15 for thirteen seasons and had a career WAR of 70.0.
Beltran blasted onto the scene in 1999 winning the American League Rookie of the Year after hitting .293 with 194 hits, 112 runs, 27 doubles, 22 home runs, 108 RBIs and stealing 27 bases. He also got it done on defense leading centerfields in putouts and assists. After his rookie breakout, Beltran continued his stellar play. He was a nine-time All-Star who hit over .290 seven times, has 100 or more runs seven times, over 100 RBIs eight times and has 25 or more home runs in eight seasons and 25 or more stolen bases in six. He was a member of the 30-30 club in 2004, won two Silver Slugger Awards and was the Roberto Clemente Recipient in 2013. Beltran was also a strong defender and won three Gold Glove Awards. He was a member of the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros.
Beltran played his last game in 2017. Upon retirement he had the highest stolen base percentage of any player with 300 or more attempts (312-361 at 86.4%). Beltran was the 5th player with 400 home runs, 500 doubles and 300 steals joining Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. He had a career .279 batting average with 2,725 hits, 1,582 runs, 565 doubles (29th all-time), 78 triples, 435 home runs (48th all-time), 1,587 RBIs (41st all-time) and 312 stolen bases. He finished his career with a .986 fielding percentage playing primarily in center and right field. He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2013.
In 65 postseason games, Beltrán batted .307 with 45 runs, 15 doubles, 16 home runs, 42 RBI and 11 stolen bases with a 100% stolen base percentage.
**Beltran was elected to the Hall of Fame January 20th, 2026.**
Number 2:
Red Ruffing is a right-handed pitcher who played for twenty-two seasons from 1924 to 1947 (missing 1943-1944 for military service). He played for the Boston Red Sox (1924-1930), New York Yankees (1930-1946) and Chicago White Sox (1947). He wore uniform number 15 for eleven seasons while with the Yankees. He had a career WAR of 68.6.
Another beautiful Diamond Stars card, Ruffing’s 1935 entry features an umpire and a second baseman (most likely Tony Lazzeri who wore number 6 on the 1935 Yankees) standing behind the pitcher. These cards don’t usually have other players in the background, so I found this to be a cool feature.
Ruffing was a six-time All-Star who led the league in wins in 1938 and strikeouts in 1932. He had over 20 wins in four seasons. He was a member of the six World Series Championship teams (1932, 1936-1939, 1941) all with the Yankees playing alongside legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri and Joe DiMaggio.
Toward the end of his career, Ruffing started to suffer from a series of injuries and was released by the Yankees. He signed with Chicago and played 9 games with the White Sox before retiring in 1947.
He had a career W/L% of .548 going 273-225. He is 32nd all-time in wins. He has a career ERA of 3.80, WHIP of 1.341 and ERA+ 109. His 4,344 innings pitched is also 32nd all-time and he has 1,987 strikeouts, 335 complete games (29th all-time) and 45 shutouts (tied for 29th).
Ruffing is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Ruffing was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.
Red Ruffing passed away at age 80 in 1986.
Number 3:
One of the top defensive center fielders of his time, Jim Edmonds played seventeen seasons from 1993-2010. He was a member of the Anaheim/California Angels (1993-1999) before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he played from 2000-2007. He spent the next couple of years jumping around, playing for the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs in 2008, missing 2009, and finishing with stints on the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds in 2010. He had a career WAR of 60.4 and wore uniform number 15 for ten seasons, from 2000-2010.
This 2002 Flair card is perfect. I wanted a card that showcased Edmonds number and his defense, this had both. Flair is an interesting set. It was a “premium” set produced by fleer with glossy photos and thicker cards. They were first produced in 1993 and lasted until 1999, with a brief redo from 2002-2006 (which is when this card is from). I do appreciate the design and innovation at the time.
Edmonds was a four-time All-Star who won a Silver Slugger in 2004. He batted over .300 and had 30 or more home runs five times each. He also had over 100 RBIs in four seasons. He was a great defender and won eight Gold Glove Awards. He was a pivotal member of the 2006 World Series Champion Cardinals managed by Tony La Russa and featuring Hall of Fame third baseman Scott Rolan.
Edmonds retired after the 2010 season. He has a career batting average of .284 with 1,949 hits, 1,251 runs, 437 doubles, 393 home runs and 1,199 RBIs.
Currently 55, he is a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Number 4:
Dick Allen earned his nickname “Crash” when he “crashed” onto the Major League scene winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1964. He played third and first for fifteen seasons from 1963 to 1977 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies (1963-1969 and 1975-1976), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-1974) and the Oakland Athletics (1977). He had a career WAR of 58.8 and wore uniform number 15 for thirteen seasons.
This 1975 card of “Crash” is pure nostalgia. I love the card design and the perfect 70’s color scheme. This is an All-Star card, and the uniform threw me off. Here Allen is on the White Sox, but the uniform looks so different than what normally comes to mind with the White Sox. In the 70’s the team tried several different uniform experiments including this color scheme and even shorts!
Dick Allen was a seven-time All-Star, he was the ROY in 1964 and was the American League MVP in 1972 when he led the league in home runs (37), RBIs (113), walks (99), OBP (.420), SLG (.603) and OPS 1.023. He had over 30 home runs in six seasons, leading the league twice and he batted over .300 seven times. Allen ended his career in 1977 after only 54 games with Oakland.
“Crash” has a career .292 batting average with 1,848 hits, 1,099 runs, 320 doubles, 79 triples, 351 home runs, 1,119 RBI’s and he is ranked 45th all-time in career SLG at .534.
He is a member of the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame, and his uniform number 15 was retired by the Phillies in 2020.
In 2025, the Classic Baseball Era Committee voted Allen into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dick Allen passed away in 2020 at age 78.
Number 5:
Right-handed sinkerballer Tim Hudson pitched for seventeen years from 1999 to 2015 for the Oakland Athletics (1999-2004), Atlanta Braves (2005-2013) and the San Francisco Giants (2014-2015). He had a career WAR of 57.9 and wore uniform number 15 for fourteen seasons.
I love the landscape photo of Hudson on this 2011 Topps. He is with the Braves and it’s a perfect shot of his number. These are the cards I get excited about for this post and this is one of them. I love to have the uniform number fully visible.
Tim Hudson was an All-Star in four seasons. He led the league with 20 wins in 2000, and in 2010 he won the comeback player of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. During his comeback, he was 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA in 228 innings and had 139 strikeouts. Hudson was a member of the 2014 World Series Champion Giants along with fellow all-star pitcher Madison Bumgarner, all-star outfielder Hunter Pence and catcher Buster Posey.
Hudson played his final game in October of 2015 and left to a standing ovation. He had a career W/L% of .625 and is 222-133. He has a career ERA of 3.49, WHIP 1.239, ERA+ 120 with 2,080 strikeouts in 3,126 innings and 26 complete games and 13 shutouts.
Hudson is a member of the Athletics and the Braves Hall of Fames.
Since retiring he has coached college baseball and done some broadcasting while also being involved in philanthropy for children through his Hudson Family Foundation.
Number 6:
Aw Yeah! Always going to be wicked pumped when I get to feature a favorite. Dustin Pedroia played second base exclusively for the Red Sox from 2006-2019. He wore uniform number 15 for thirteen of his fourteen seasons, wearing 64 in 2006, and had a career WAR of 51.8.
Pedroia became an instant fan favorite in Fenway for his gritty play, hustle and stellar defense at second. He won the American League ROY in 2007 and was a four-time All-Star. He had 213 hits in 2008, leading the league. He had over 100 runs in four seasons, leading the league twice. He won the Silver Slugger in 2008. He also won 4 Gold Gloves, the first Red Sox infielder to do so.
He was a member of the 2007 and 2013 Red Sox World Series Championship teams. The 2007 team featured Hall of Famer David Ortiz and All-Stars Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon and rookie pitcher Hideki Okajima. The 2013 Red Sox team was filled with scrappy players and known for the “Fear the Beards” motto.
Sadly, Pedroia’s career wasn’t long. By 2018, he was suffering from significant knee issues and in 2018 and 2019 he only played 9 games combined. In 2020, he would miss the entire season and retired in 2021.
Pedroia had a career batting average of .299 with 1,805 hits, 922 runs, 394 doubles, 140 home runs and 725 RBIs.
He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Number 7:
From 1969 to 1979, Thurman Munson was an All-Star catcher for the New York Yankees. He played for eleven seasons before being killed in a tragic accident. Munson wore uniform number 15 for his entire eleven-year career and had a career WAR of 46.
I love the design of the 1975 Topps cards, and this one of Munson is perfect. The colors are awesome, the little baseball with his position is a nice touch, and the photo is great; Munson staring down the pitcher with his signature handlebar mustache under that intimidating glare, his number 15 visible on the back of his uniform. Perfection!
Munson was a seven-time All-Star who won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1970. He hit over .300 in five seasons and had over 100 RBIs three times. He was the American League MVP in 1976 beating out George Brett. That season he batted .302 with 186 hits, 17 home runs and 105 RBIs. He also won three Gold Glove awards and led the league in assists three times and fielding percentage once. Munson was named captain of the Yankees in 1976, the first captain since Gehrig in 1939. He was a member of the 1977 and 1978 World Series Champion New York Yankees along with pitcher Catfish Hunter and outfielder Reggie Jackson and pitcher Goose Gossage (1978).
Munson’s career ended in 1979 after he was tragically killed in a plane crash at 32 years old. He had a career batting average of .292 with 1,558 hits, 229 doubles, 32 triples, 113 home runs and 701 RBIs.
His uniform number 15 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1979 upon his death.
Final Score:
Number 15 was great! Let’s finish things off with a couple of quick shout outs. Joe Torre (WAR 57.7) who was featured under the uniform number 9 post also wore uniform number 15 for nine years with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. Johnny Mize (WAR 70.6) wore it for 3 years with the New York Giants (1947-1949). Hall of Famers Ron Santo (70.5, Cubs 1960), Barry Larkin (70.5, Reds 1986-87), Dazzy Vance (60.4, Brooklyn Dodgers 1932) and Waite Hoyt (52.4, Brooklyn Dodgers 1938) all had uniform number 15 at some point. Of course, I always want to give props for longevity as well. George Foster, Davey Lopes, and Sandy Alomar Jr all wore uniform number 15 for sixteen years each.
Thank you so much for reading, it truly means so much to me. I hope you enjoy these posts. Please subscribe and share, like and comment, I’d love to hear from you! And stay tuned because uniform number 16 will be coming up soon!
Sources:
Austin, John (October 16th, 2012). “Carlos Beltran is Señor Octubre”. HighHeatStas.com
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/
https://www.baseball-reference.com/
Finnigan, Bob (September 24th, 1993). “Fitting Tribute? Johnson May Don Ryan’s No. 34 — Numbers Game Includes Records Within M’s Reach.” The Seattle Times
Pini, Jeff (November 4th, 2014). “Dustin Pedroia Makes Team History With Fourth Gold Glove Award.” Boston.com
Shout out to all the cool cards and creative commons for my pictures! Thanks Topps and Fleer and Donruss and Upper Deck and all the rest.
Weekly Windup 