There are only two Major League Baseball teams that currently give a player the title of “Captain”: the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals (Salvador Pérez). The term “Captain” has evolved over the years, initially meaning that the captain led the team from the field while the manager led the team from the dugout. While this role has varied in responsibility as time has passed, the title remains of utmost importance to players and fans alike. The Yankees have had 16 total captains officially, while the role of “co-captain” has also been used. The list below will dive into each of those players and their storied careers.
Clark Griffith
Griffith was the first captain named during the club’s inaugural season in 1903 when they were the New York Highlanders. He held the title through 1905, serving as a player-manager during a time when captains handled on-the-field managerial tasks. Sporting a 2.66 ERA and 111 ERA+ over five years as a player with the club. He also compiled a 419-370 record as a manager.
Career Accolades: Hall of Fame, ERA Title
Norman ‘Kid’ Elberfeld
Eberfeld was the captain from 1906-1908. Already a veteran when he assumed the role, Eberfeld had previously played for the Phillies, Reds, and Tigers organization. The shortstop batted .268 with four homers and 257 RBIs over seven seasons with the team. He also managed the Highlanders for the remainder of the 1908 season after Griffith was fired. Known as a player who had a temper, Elberfeld is said to have dug his knee into the back of Ty Cobb’s neck as Cobb was sliding into second base, grinding his face in the dirt. According to a Cobb biographer, the incident marked the last time that Cobb would slide headfirst into a base
Willie Keeler
Keeler was the team’s captain for one season in 1909, the last of his seven years with the club. Standing at only 5’4″ and weighing a mere 140 pounds, the outfielder hit .294 with ten home runs and 206 RBIs for the team. Keeler could bunt most balls pitched to him, enabling him to avoid striking out; his skill at prolonging at-bats by fouling pitches off with this method was the impetus for the rule change that made a foul bunt with two strikes a strikeout.
Career Accolades: Hall of Fame, Batting Title (2x)
Hal Chase
Chase held the title during the 1910-1911 seasons when he was also serving as the manager of the ball club. The infielder posted a .284 batting average, with 20 home runs and 494 RBIs during his time with the team. Chase has also been given the infamous unofficial title of “The Babe Ruth of Game Fixers” due to the prevalence of fixed games during this era and his history as a key fixture in these events.
Career Accolades: Batting Title
Frank Chance
Chance joined the organization in 1913 and was named captain of the team, though he did lose the title midseason. He also managed the team for two seasons, during which he had a 117-168 record and appeared in a total of 13 games as a player.
Career Accolades: Hall of Fame, World Series Champion (2x)
Rollie Zeider
Zeider was the Yankees captain for the remainder of that 1913 season after being traded by the White Sox. He hit .233 with 12 RBIs in 50 games and left for the Chicago Chi-Feds in 1914.
Roger Peckinpaugh
In 1914, the shortstop took over the reins as captain of the team and brought stability as he held the title for seven years. Over nine seasons with the team, he batted .257 with 36 home runs and 428 RBIs. He also finished the 1914 season as the team’s manager.
Career Accolades: MVP, World Series Champion
Babe Ruth
It’s a name that any baseball fan will know. In 1922, Babe Ruth became the Yankees’ eighth captain but only held the title for around two months. He was quickly relieved of the title after he had scaled the stands to confront a heckler. The Yankee legend went on to smash 659 home runs while leading the franchise to its first four World Series Championships and popularizing the game of baseball for years to come.
Lou Gehrig
Another American sports legend to find his way onto this list is Lou Gehrig. Gehrig held the title from 1935 to 1939 due to his retirement from baseball brought on by his unfortunate ALS diagnosis. In 17 seasons, the two-time MVP batted .340 with 493 home runs and 1,995 RBIs. His No. 4 was the first number retired in team history. He also held the record for most consecutive games played (2,130) until 1995, when Cal Ripken broke it.
Thurman Munson
It would be 37 years before the Yankees would name their next captain, in both remembrance and mourning for the late great Lou Gehrig. Munson was given the role in 1976 and then proceeded to win the MVP award during the same year. He held the title until his untimely death in 1979 due to a plane crash. Munson hit .292 with 113 home runs and 701 RBIs in 11 seasons as the team’s catcher.
Graig Nettles
Nettles assumed the role as the captain in 1982 and held the title for two seasons before being traded to the Padres. Known as a defensive wizard, he is widely regarded as one of the best defensive third basemen in history despite only winning two Gold Glove awards.
Career Accolades: World Series Champion (2x), ALCS MVP, All-Star (6x), Gold Glove (2x)
Willie Randolph
Arguably one of the most popular second basemen in Yankees history, Willie Randolph was co-captain of the New York Yankees for two seasons, 1986-1988. Randolph played 13 seasons with the Yankees, batting .275 with 48 homers, 549 RBIs, and 251 stolen bases.
Career Accolades: World Series Champion, All-Star (6x), Silver Slugger
Ron Guidry
Sharing the title with Willie Randolph, Ron Guidry was named co-captain of the 1986-1988 roster(s). Hailing from Louisiana and known as the “Gator,” Guidry pitched for 14 seasons with the club and won the 1978 AL Cy Young award. He had a 3.29 career ERA with 1,778 strikeouts.
Don Mattingly
Regarded as “Donnie Baseball,” Mattingly was named captain of the New York Yankees in 1991 and held the title until his retirement in 1995. Over 14 seasons, Mattingly hit 222 homers, 442 doubles and 1,099 RBIs. He retired just before the latest dynasty of World Series Championships after suffering unfortunate back issues for years, never quite bringing the title back to the Bronx.
Derek Jeter
Jeter is the longest-tenured captain in franchise history, holding the title for nine seasons after being named captain in 2003. Known unequivocally as “The Captain,” his efforts netted him a lifetime .310 batting average, 1,923 runs scored, and 544 doubles. Jeter also shined in the post-season, batting .308 over 158 career playoff games.
Aaron Judge
Judge is the current captain of the New York Yankees and serves as a leader in both the clubhouse and on the field. Standing at a towering 6’7″, Judge carries the weight of the Big Apple with grace and professionalism. He was given the role by Yankees leadership after signing with the team during a tumultuous free-agency after the 2022 season. Judge had just broken the AL Home Run Record by smashing 62 home runs, 61 years after Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961. His story is still being written, but he has batted .281 with 572 RBI and 257 home runs at the time of this article.
Career Accolades: MVP, Rookie of the Year, All-Star (5x), Silver Slugger (3x), HR Derby Champion
