Baseball is a game rich in tradition, and sometimes, players look like they stepped straight out of an old sepia-toned team photo from 1887. Whether it’s the mustaches, the old-school windups, or the general vibe of a man who churns butter in the offseason, these guys brought Civil War reenactor energy to the modern game.
From gritty facial hair to uncanny resemblances to guys named “Old Hoss,” these players gave us major 19th-century ballplayer vibes. Here are 15 MLB players who looked like they time-traveled from the 1800s and decided to hang around in today’s league for fun.
15. Jayson Werth
With his flowing beard and wild hair, Werth looked like he hunted his dinner and refused to use electricity. You could easily picture him in a Union army uniform or riding a horse to spring training.
14. Bronson Arroyo
The long hair, acoustic guitar, and slightly frazzled look made Arroyo feel like he was moonlighting as a Civil War campfire poet. His unorthodox windup only added to the old-timey energy.
13. Dallas Keuchel
Keuchel’s beard alone deserves its vintage baseball card. Combine that with his calm, workmanlike pitching style, and he was a black-and-white photo in motion.
12. John Axford
Between the mustache and his tall, wiry frame, Axford looked like he was on loan from a barbershop quartet that also played ball in 1883. His love of classic cinema just sealed the time-travel theory.
11. Jeff Bagwell
Bagwell’s crouched stance and lumberjack beard screamed “turn-of-the-century mill worker who mashes dingers on the side.” He looked like he brewed his ale and chopped his lumber.
10. Randy Johnson
Yes, he was dominant and terrifying, but The Big Unit looked like a 19th-century railroad baron who moonlighted as an ace. The long hair, the glare, and the vibe were pure vintage.
9. Rollie Fingers
The curled mustache was practically his character, making him look like he should be managing a saloon between innings. If any player ever looked like he owned a horse-drawn wagon, it was Rollie.
8. Charlie Blackmon
Blackmon’s rugged beard and mountain-man demeanor made him look like he just wandered in from panning for gold. He could’ve played for the 1886 Denver Prospectors, and no one would blink.
7. Brian Wilson
Before he vanished from the league, Wilson leaned hard into the old-school look. The beard, the black dye, the starl gave “steampunk time-traveler who learned to throw 98.”
6. Justin Turner
Turner’s red beard had a life of its own and gave serious Civil War-era general vibes. You could picture him with a sword at his side, yelling “CHARGE” just as easily as turning a double play.
5. Adam LaRoche
Between the beard and the “I’d rather be hunting” vibe, LaRoche looked like he split his time between baseball and frontier life. You just knew he had a cabin somewhere with no cell service.
4. Phil Coke
Coke looked like a coal miner-turned-ballplayer, complete with that slightly gritty, old-school delivery. If there were a player who looked like he’d pitch in a vest and bowler hat, it was him.
3. Goose Gossage
Goose had the handlebar mustache, the intense stare, and the energy of a guy arguing about horse prices after a game. His whole presence was straight out of an 1880s bullpen.
2. Matt Shoemaker
Shoemaker looked like a 19th-century schoolteacher who found out he could throw strikes and made the career pivot. The beard, the glasses, the general scholarly toughness—pure vintage.
1. Dan Straily
Straily somehow looked like he pitched during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration. Something about the hair, the face, and the delivery just screamed 1800s journeyman ace.
