was perhaps the best all-around player of all time (next to maybe Babe Ruth with Barry up there in the discussion). Mays was the best defensive outfielder of his generation -- perhaps of all-time. He changed the way teams value defensive players -- he could get to balls that nobody previously thought possible (and his catch and throw at the Polo Grounds is one of the iconic moments of baseball history). Mays also stole 100 more bases than Aaron (in 300 fewer games) and stole 23 when he was 40 years old. He also had two 50+ HR seasons, whereas Hank's career high was 47.

Hank Aaron is an all-time great, but Mays was better all-around.

One thing about Barry Bonds is that he won 7 MVP awards (I think 4 were post-steroids Bonds, but in fairness, he was beating a bunch of other guys who were also using steroids). Mays won 2 and Aaron won 1. Also, Bonds stole way more bases than Mays and was a phenomenal defensive player. His HR numbers are absolutely tainted by steroids, but I still think there's a pretty good argument that Bonds is the GOAT. We are uncomfortable with that, though, because (a) steroids, (b)bathe history of baseball is so much more important than history of other sports and we are so nostalgic of baseball's history that we can't imagine players being greater than the Mays and Mantles and Williams and Ruths, and (c) Bonds is a total jerk.