# Who is the greatest two-way athlete in sports history?

> Two sports, one body, and usually one injury that ended the experiment early.

*By YPB Team · Published August 9, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-two-way-athlete-in-sports-history*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Babe Ruth**
   A 94-46 pitcher with a 2.28 ERA who then became the greatest hitter in the game.
2. **Shohei Ohtani**
   The first player since Ruth to be an elite starting pitcher and an elite slugger in the same season.
3. **Bo Jackson**
   An All-Star outfielder and a Pro Bowl running back, until a hip injury ended both careers.
4. **Jim Thorpe**
   Olympic gold in the pentathlon and decathlon, then professional football and baseball.
5. **Jackie Robinson**
   A four-sport letterman at UCLA before he changed baseball.
6. **Charlie Ward**
   A Heisman-winning quarterback who never played an NFL down and had an 11-year NBA career instead.
7. **Danny Ainge**
   A major league infielder who left baseball for two NBA championships with the Celtics.
8. **Babe Didrikson Zaharias**
   Olympic track gold, then ten major golf titles, with basketball and baseball in between.
9. **Jim Brown**
   The NFL's most dominant running back, and arguably an even better lacrosse player.
10. **Chuck Connors**
   Played in the NBA and Major League Baseball before becoming a television star.
11. **Brian Jordan**
   A hard-hitting NFL safety who left for a 15-year major league outfield career.
12. **Michael Jordan**
   Six NBA titles and a season in Double-A baseball that he insisted on taking seriously.
13. **Ellery Clark**
   The only athlete to win Olympic gold in both the high jump and the long jump.

Tags: usa, sports, baseball, nfl, athletes