Best facial hair baseball card for each team

May 11th, 2021

Facial hair has long been one of the quirky elements of baseball players, going all the way back to the game's origins. And, naturally, one of the best places to see some super 'staches and brilliant beards is on baseball cards. Here's a look at the best facial hair card for each team as submitted by fans and MLB.com staff in our recent baseball card survey:

American League East

Blue Jays: Jesse Barfield, 1986 Topps
Did the 'stache add some power and contribute to all those home runs Barfield hit in 1986? We can never know for sure, and it was an excellent mustache, so we're going to say yes. More >

Orioles: Eddie Murray, 1985 Topps
Wow. The mustache connected to the side burns -- Murray had it all working with the mutton chops, and he had it all working at the plate, too, launching 31 homers and driving in 124 for Baltimore in '85. More >

Rays: David Price, 2012 Topps Update
This card has a great shot of Price mid-delivery on the mound, where we can get a clear look at his signature goatee during his Cy Young Award season for Tampa Bay. More >

Red Sox: Dwight Evans, 1986 Topps
We can't top what the person who submitted this card wrote in his entry: "Dwight Evans: the man, the myth, the mustache." Enough said. More >

Yankees: Thurman Munson, 1975 Topps
The Yankees have had a facial hair policy for several decades now, but it did not outlaw mustaches, and the late Munson had perhaps the most iconic Yankees mustache of them all. More >

AL Central

Indians: Doug Jones, 1988 Topps
We've reached the "walrus 'stache" portion of our list, and Jones pulls it off -- well, he doesn't literally pull the mustache off but you get the picture. More >

Royals: George Brett and Al Cowens, 1976 SSPC
You'd have to see this card to believe it. Brett's a madman and Cowens is sporting the sideburns with oversized glasses look. Just tremendous. More >

Tigers: Kirk Gibson, 1981 Topps
Gibson would later hit one of the most famous home runs in baseball history, but here, his mustache was the home run. At the time, Gibby's 'stache was in its early stages, just as his career was. They would both reach great heights over the next decade. More >

Twins: Bert Blyleven, 1987 Topps
Blyleven changed his look up several times during his Hall of Fame career, but here we see a classic style with the right-hander's mustache. In fact, you might mistake him for a high school math teacher if you didn't know he was a big league pitcher. More >

White Sox: Harold Baines, 2003 Topps Archives
Baines rocked the afro/mutton chops/mustache look in this amazing photo, and we don't think anyone would have any qualms about his Hall of Fame plaque bearing this image in Cooperstown. More >

AL West

Angels: Reggie Jackson, 1985 Armstrong Pro Ceramic
You may not think of Mr. October in an Angels uniform, but he did play for California late in his career, and he still mashed homers. He did it in his signature style, too -- the mustache, glasses and physique were all tell-tale signs. More >

Astros: Jeff Bagwell, 2019 Topps Stadium Club
Talk about an epic goatee. Bags had one throughout most of his Hall of Fame career, but he really took it to another level toward the end. More >

Athletics: Dennis Eckersley, 1989 Topps
Eck was the standard bearer for closers in the 1980s, and his mustache was key -- if he ever shaved it, we wouldn't recognize who was on the mound in the ninth inning for Oakland. More >

Mariners: Randy Johnson, 1995 Donruss Studio
The Big Unit was one of the most intimidating pitchers in the game's history, and part of that intimidation factor was the long hair and mustache that accompanied his scowl on the mound. More >

Rangers: Juan Gonzalez, 1993 Topps
They called him "Juan Gone" for good reason -- he hit a lot of dingers and drove in a ton of runs. But aside from his unique batting stance, his mustache was a distinctive feature throughout most of his career. More >

National League East

Braves: John Smoltz, 1990 Donruss Diamond Kings
Ah, the Donruss Diamond Kings. These have always been so great looking, and even better when the player featured sported some great facial hair. In this case, it's Smoltz, the Hall of Fame right-hander whose mustache was understated but nifty nonetheless. More >

Marlins: Mike Lowell, 2003 Topps
Lowell was a huge part of the 2003 Marlins club that won the franchise's second World Series title. He launched 32 homers and drove in 105 for Florida that year, all while sporting a sweet 'stache. More >

Mets: Keith Hernandez, 1986 Topps
The most famous mustachioed Met. And to top it off, he's wearing the classic 1980s Mets pullover jersey on this card while at first base, where he won 11 Gold Glove Awards. More >

Nationals: Bryce Harper, 2016 Topps
Harper has always been known for his flow, but the hair on top of his head is only part of his style scheme -- his beard has been a consistent part of the Bryce Harper experience, and it makes a good showing on this 2016 Topps card. More >

Phillies: Mike Schmidt, 1980 Topps
Schmidt's incredible mustache isn't just famous in Phillies history, it's one of the best mustaches the game has ever seen. This card has it all -- the 'stache, the awesome warmup jacket, the old-school Phillies color and logo on the cap. But it's also from the finest season of the Hall of Fame third baseman's career, one that ended with an MVP Award and a World Series ring. More >

NL Central

Brewers: Gorman Thomas, 1981 Topps
Thomas' "wildman" look was made for a list like this. And the person who submitted this card was meticulous about its selection, spending 12 hours determining that this would be the best entry for our survey. More >

Cardinals: Al Hrabosky, 1977 Topps
They called him the "Mad Hungarian." And boy did he look the part. Talk about an epic horseshoe mustache -- this is the gold standard. And it was very important to Hrabosky, who referred to it as part of his "mystique." More >

Cubs: Bill Buckner, 1979 Topps
This one's unique in that it's not only the mustache that garners attention, but the eyebrows, too. In fact, it's hard to tell which is thicker, the mustache or the eyebrows. Either way, it's a glorious look for the great Buckner. More >

Pirates: Phil Garner, 1978 Topps
Look at that tremendous push-broom mustache. Just amazing. Garner sported one of the most unique types of facial hair you'll ever see, and in this 1978 Topps card, he's wearing a classic Pirates pinstriped uniform to go along with it. So much greatness in one photo. More >

Reds: George Foster, 1977 Topps
Foster was a scary sight for pitchers, and it didn't help that he had cool sideburns. This 1977 Topps card captures that essence perfectly, especially because he has his intense focus looking toward the mound and his large biceps and strong hands gripping the bat, ready to take a cut. More >

NL West

D-backs: Randy Johnson, 2001
The Big Unit makes this list twice because, well, if you were a hitter staring into his mustachioed face on the mound, you'd probably be terrified. More >

Dodgers: Joe Ferguson, 1974 Topps
Ferguson was a catcher for the Dodgers in both the 1974 and '78 World Series, homering against the A's in the '74 Fall Classic while sporting a magnificent mustache. More >

Giants: Timothy Keefe, 1887 Allen & Ginter
We go way back for this one -- Keefe had a pristine 'stache as he made a name for himself as one of the finest pitchers of the late 19th century for the New York Giants. More >

Padres: Ozzie Smith, 1979 Topps
"The Wizard" on the Padres? Well, yes -- he began his Major League career with San Diego before being traded to St. Louis prior to the 1982 season. As a rookie, Ozzie sported some tremendous sideburns while giving the baseball world a glimpse of what was to come in his Hall of Fame career. More >

Rockies: Charlie Blackmon, 2018 Topps Living set
Were you really expecting anyone else? Blackmon is at or near the top of the list when you think of modern-day bearded ballplayers. More >