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  • The 9 best Bears in Major League Baseball history

    // Posted In Alumni, Athletics, Just for Fun

    L-R, Max Muncy, Ted Lyons and David Murphy during their playing days at Baylor

    From Denney Willie to Davis Wendzel, no fewer than 48 Baylor Bears have reached baseball’s highest level over the last century-plus. Willie debuted in 1911, Wendzel in 2024, and there’s been a host of Baylor greats to reach Major League Baseball in between, including All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, and a Hall of Famer.

    So, who are the best Baylor alumni to reach the big leagues? That’s a question we first aimed to answer six years ago. Since then, five more Bears have reached the big leagues, and we’ve seen players stake their claim for a new spot (or a higher spot) on the list. So, we humbly present our new-for-2025 list of the nine best Bears in Major League history:

    9. Shawn Tolleson (pitcher, 2008-10): He was the Texas Rangers’ Pitcher of the Year in 2015, when he served as the team’s closer, saved 35 games and finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting. He retired in 2019 after five seasons split between the Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

    8. Shea Langeliers (catcher, 2017-19): Our new entry on the list, Langeliers was drafted No. 9 overall in the 2019 draft and made his debut with the Athletics just over two years later. His first two full seasons in the big leagues, he hit a combined 51 home runs while providing stellar defense as a catcher. Shea is on pace to climb further up the list in the years ahead.

    7. Kip Wells (pitcher, 1996-98): With 12 big league seasons to his credit between 1999-2012, his career was longer than any Bear other than Ted Lyons. After being drafted 16th overall by the Chicago White Sox, his best years came over five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

    6. Kelly Shoppach (catcher, 1999-2001): Shoppach spent nine seasons (2005-13) in the bigs, with his best seasons coming on playoff teams in Cleveland and Tampa Bay. He hit 21 homers in 2008 for Cleveland.

    5. Dave Danforth (pitcher, 1911): If you turned back the clock 100 years, you’d find that “Dauntless Dave” was a well-known name for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns. He finished with a 71-66 record over 10 seasons (between 1911-25) and retired to become a dentist.

    4. Jason Jennings (pitcher/DH, 1997-99): The highlight of Jennings’ nine big league seasons (2001-09) came in 2002, when he became the only player in program history to be named National League Rookie of the Year. The highly-decorated player both pitched and hit at Baylor — earning all-America honors twice, and consensus National Collegiate Player of the Year honors in 1999 — and was the 16th overall pick in 1999 by the Colorado Rockies.

    3. David Murphy (outfielder, 2001-03): Murphy spent 10 season in the majors (2006-15) and finished with 104 home runs, ranking second among Baylor alumni. He is most fondly remembered by Texas Rangers fans for his key contributions over a seven-season span that included back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010-11, and today he serves as a television analyst for the team.

    2. Max Muncy (infielder, 2010-12): Where do you start with Muncy? How about two World Series rings, three All-Star appearances, and the four most prolific home run seasons of any Major League Bear? His 208 home runs (so far) are the most of any Baylor alum in the big leagues. Last year, he set a postseason record by reaching base 12 straight times and moved into a tie atop the Dodgers’ all-time postseason home run leaderboard. Simply put, he’s the most accomplished big-league Bear since World War II.

    1. Ted Lyons (pitcher, 1920-23): Even with all that Muncy has accomplished, the top spot on this list is surprisingly easy, as Lyons is the only baseball Hall of Famer in Southwest Conference history (from any school). Ted Williams, considered by many to be the greatest hitter who ever lived, often listed Lyons among the toughest pitchers he ever faced. His 260 wins between 1923-46 are the most in White Sox history, even after giving up three seasons to serve in the U.S. Marines during World War II. After his retirement, he managed the White Sox for three seasons — the only Baylor Bear to serve as a major league manager.

    Agree? Disagree? Whatever the case, it’s exciting to envision the ways the current generation of Bears in the big leagues will continue to impress, and fun to think of who may join them in the years ahead.

    Sic ’em, Big League Bears!