Ranking the Best Nicknames in Baseball

We all know Hammerin' Hank Aaron, Cal “Iron Man” Ripken and Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, but what are the top 10 nicknames in baseball today? Here are my Top 10 current player nicknames.

1. Kung Fu Panda: San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval earned the nickname from his teammate, Barry Zito, on a play in which Sandoval scored by jumping over the tag of the catcher.

2. The Sandman: New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera earned this name due to his stellar pitching. When he enters a game, one can pretty much put it to bed. Metallica’s classic “Enter Sandman” plays as he enters.

3. Crush Davis: While Chris Davis originally earned this nickname with the Rangers playing on "Crash Davis" from the movie Bull Durham, this first baseman truly earned the name after he hit five home runs in the Orioles’ first eight games this season.

4. Pronk: Ever wonder what kind of pseudonym would arise with a combination of “The Project” and “Donkey?” Travis Hafner doesn’t. He was given this nickname by Bill Selby due to how he looked running the bases.

5. Big Papi: I feel David Ortiz has been synonymous with this nickname since he started playing with the Red Sox in 2003. As he didn’t know his teammates names, he called everyone “Papi” – after some time, the name “Big Papi” stuck with him.

6. King Felix: Felix Hernandez reigns as one of the league’s most dominant pitchers. It’s no wonder why he received this nickname even before he reached the Majors.

7. The Hebrew Hammer: Ryan Braun’s nickname plays on his ability to pound the ball out of the park, and it is also a nod to the Jewish superhero comedy starring Adam Goldberg.

8. Cuban Missile: While the name is explanatory, Cuba-native Aroldis Chapman earned his nickname due to his 100MPH fastball. He owns the record for the fastest-thrown pitch in an MLB game.

9. Joey Bats: The top Blue Jays hitter, Jose Bautista needs little introduction and neither does his nickname, as Joey Bats suits him pretty darn well!

10. The Flyin’ Hawaiian: Shane Victorino takes pride in being from Wailuku, Hawaii. He was the first Hawaiian-born positional player to be named to an All-Star team.

There are plenty other amazing nicknames. What is your favorite MLB player nickname? Which ones did I miss? Comment below.