SF Giants legend Barry Bonds is the best player to put on a uniform according to this Hall of Famer

Many players who played with or against SF Giants legend Barry Bonds consider him to be one of the best, if not the best, of all time. Count Hall of Famer Chipper Jones as among those who believes that Bonds was the best to ever put on a uniform.

SF Giants legend Barry Bonds is the best player to put on a uniform according to this Hall of Famer

Jones recently joined the Foul Territory podcast hosted by Scott Braun. They have a revolving door of co-hosts with former big league catcher A.J. Pierzynksi being part of that mix. Pierzynski asked Jones who was the best player he ever saw and the Hall of Famer did not hesitate:

"I will say until the day I die, the best player I’ve ever seen don a baseball uniform is Barry Bonds and there's not really even anybody close... He could do it on the bases. He could do it out in the outfield. He could do it with his arm, and obviously, the bat was the distinguisher of all those."

Chipper Jones

Jones did mention Shohei Ohtani as well, recognizing him as a unicorn in that he is both an elite hitter and pitcher. However, in terms of just position players, the longtime Atlanta Braves third baseman believes Bonds gets the nod.

It sure is nice to see players from Bonds' era give him the recognition he deserves after years of being neglected on the Hall of Fame ballots. Obviously, he has ties to the PED era that are impossible to ignore.

Bonds' relationship with the media certainly affected how he was viewed. Admittedly, that was a self-inflicted wound and he widely became the face of the PED era despite its rampant use around the league. This enabled certain players with ties to PED use to be elected to the Hall of Fame while leaving out historically great players like Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa.

Bonds' career began with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986. He slashed .298/.444/.607 (173 wRC+) with 762 home runs, 1,996 RBI, and 514 stolen bases in 22 seasons. His home run and walk totals (2,558) are the most in baseball history. Plus, he set the single-season record with 73 home runs in 2001.

As Jones notes, Bonds did more than just hit. He was an excellent defensive player earlier in his career as he took home eight NL Gold Glove Awards and became the first and only player in baseball with 400 stolen bases and 400 home runs.

Bonds' career came to an end after 2007 despite repeated interest in continuing his playing career. He finished that season with a .480 on-base percentage. Incredibly, no player has reached that number in a single season (Min. 200 plate appearances) since he retired. Jones did come pretty close with a .470 on-base percentage back in 2008.

Those who played with and against Bonds know what an incredible player he was. This includes some who are even in the Hall of Fame.