This year's Father's Day won't quite be the same without MLB games flowing across our television screens. The celebratory blue uniforms and hats will also have to wait until next year. Even though we won't be watching our favorite teams and players alongside our dads on Sunday, we can still find ways to bring the two together.
This is why we've ranked the best father-son duos in Major League Baseball history.
Here are a few quick hitters for you before we get started:
- There are 240 father-son combinations to have reached the big leagues.
- There are 46 active second-generation players.
- Five families have produced third-generation players: the Bells (Gus, Buddy, David, and Mike), the Boones (Ray, Bob, Bret, and Aaron), the Colemans (Joe, Joe Jr., and Casey), the Hairstons (Sammy, Jerry, Johnny, Jerry Jr., and Scott), and the Schofield/Werths (Ducky Schofield, Dick Schofield, and Jayson Werth).
- The Boones could become the first four-generation MLB-player family. Bret Boone's son, Jake was expected to be chosen in the 2020 MLB Draft before it was condensed to five rounds (he is now expected to return to Princeton for his senior season).
The bloodlines certainly run deep in Major League Baseball -- making for a great opportunity for us to rank the very best father-son duos. Here are the top 10:
1. Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonds
Because of Barry's incomparable polarity, many forget the success his father had on the diamond. Bobby Bonds appeared in three All-Star Games and earned three Gold Glove awards across his 14-year career. He also finished top-four in MVP voting twice. Of course, his son stole the spotlight with his MLB-record 762 home runs and career 162.8 WAR; though his stats don't tell the whole story.
2. Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr.
In one of the most unique and genuine moments in baseball history, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. became the first father-son duo to both play in the big leagues at the same time and later became the first to become teammates. Junior put together a Hall of Fame career behind his 630 home runs, 13 All-Star selections, and 10 Gold Gloves. Senior was no slouch himself with three All-Star selections and may even had more team success than his son after winning two World Series championships with Cincinnati.
3. Sandy Alomar, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar
Though the Hall of Famer, Roberto, clearly had the most success, all three of the Alomars were All-Stars at least once in their respective careers. Sandy Sr. and his two sons combined for 19 All-Star selections and 11 Gold Gloves. Sandy Jr. and Roberto were able to play together for a short stint in Cleveland (1999-2000) and again with the White Sox in 2003.
4. Prince Fielder and Cecil Fielder
One of the wildest stats you will ever find is Cecil and Prince Fielders' career home run totals: they both finished with exactly 319. It should be noted that Prince had a good possibility of eclipsing his father's total if not for a second neck surgery forcing his career to an abrupt ending. The two combined for 638 home runs, appeared in nine All-Star Games, and took home five Silver Slugger awards.
5. Moises Alou and Felipe Alou
One could argue Moises and Felipe could be ranked higher on this list in regard to pure talent. Moises, a six-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger, dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career. He played more than 120 games in just 10 of his 19 seasons. His father, Felipe, enjoyed success both on the field and with the lineup card -- a three-time All Star as a player and 1994 Manager of the Year with Montreal. Felipe also got the opportunity to manage his son in San Francisco for one season in 2005.
6. Ray Boone, Bob Boone, Aaron Boone and Bret Boone
The aforementioned Boones have a long history of producing MLB talent. The connection dates all the way back to 1948 when Ray Boone, Aaron and Bret's grandfather, made his debut with the Cleveland Indians. Fast-forward two decades where Bob Boone turned himself into one of the best defensive backstops in the league, getting seven Gold Glove awards along the way. Bret and Aaron both appeared in the 2003 All-Star Game in Chicago. The Boones have a combined 10 All-Star selections and 11 Gold Gloves.
7. Bo Bichette and Dante Bichette/Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.
I decided to bunch the Bichettes and Guerreros into a single selection. Both Bo and Vlad Jr. have incredible upsides but have yet to reach stardom at just 21 and 22 years old, respectively. No question, Vlad Sr. garnered the most hardware among this group: 2004 MVP, nine-time All Star, and class of 2018 Hall of Fame inductee. Dante Bichette built himself a very impressive resume with the Rockies, garnering four All-Star selections and one Silver Slugger award. There has yet to be a father-son duo inducted in Cooperstown, and although it's far too soon to say, Vlad Jr. certainly has the tools and talent to turn himself into a Hall of Fame-caliber player.
8. Dee Gordon and Tom Gordon
Tom and Dee Gordon missed playing either alongside or against one another by just two years. A strikeout machine on the mound, Tom, also known as "Flash," began his career as a starter before being converted to a closer with the Red Sox. He went on to lead the league in saves his first season in the bullpen. He is the only pitcher in MLB history with 100 wins, saves, and holds. His son, Dee, couldn't be more different than his father in regards to their playing abilities. While Tom threw fast, Dee runs fast -- maybe faster than anybody when he first broke into the league. The two have combined for five All-Star selections.
9. Gus Bell, Buddy Bell, David Bell and Mike Bell
Another rare third-generation MLB family, there always seems to be somebody from the Bell lineage on a pro roster. The grand-daddy of them all, Gus, enjoyed a 15-year career, appearing in four All-Star games with Cincinnati. Then came Buddy, the Bell with the most hardware to show, who took the league by storm after being traded to Texas in 1979, tallying 200 hits and earning his first Gold Glove award (he went on to win six). David Bell was largely a defensive replacement/role player before finding his niche in San Francisco where he started at the hot corner during their World Series run. He is now the manager of the Reds. Mike spent much of his career in the minor leagues, getting a cup of coffee with the Reds in 2000.
10. Mel Stottlemyre and Todd Stottlemyre
It's tough to say who had the more successful career between the Stottlemyre duo. We will leave it up to you to decide. Mel was a five-time All Star and led the AL in complete games two seasons with the Yankees. Todd did not receive as many individual accolades and never led the league in any category, however, he won two rings with the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks.
Honorable Mention:
- Adam Laroche and Dave LaRoche
- Dizzy Trout and Steve Trout
- Jose Cruz and Jose Cruz Jr.
- Gary Matthews Jr. and Gary Matthews Sr.
- Yogi Berra and Dale Berra
- Tony Gwynn Jr. and Tony Gwynn Sr.
- Raul Mondesi and Adalberto Mondesi
- Lance McCullers Jr. and Lance McCullers Sr.
- Dereck Rodriguez and Ivan Rodriguez
- Fernando Tatis Jr. and Fernando Tatis Sr.
- Cavan Biggio and Craig Biggio
