Since the first PED suspension in April 2005, 39 players have been suspended while on major league rosters. More than 60 others have been suspended while in the minor leagues.
10 YEARS LATER: The infamous congressional hearing on PEDs
We’ve divided the 39 major leaguers into different tiers to give a sense of the variety of players who have been punished for PED use, from all-time greats to long-forgotten scrubs.
Note: To put together this list, we used career WAR (wins above replacement).
The would have-been Hall-of-Famers
Players who were even remotely associated with PED use during their major league careers have gotten the cold shoulder from Hall of Fame voters so far, so the outlook doesn’t look particularly rosy for these four players who were suspended by MLB.
Babe Ruth is the WAR king, with a rating of 183.6 over his 22-year career for an average of 8.3 per season.
None of these players can match that level, but they do compare to such Hall of Famers as Ozzie Smith (4.0 career WAR average), Frank Thomas (3.9) and the recently elected Craig Biggio (3.3).
Obviously, Ryan Braun has a long way to go, but he will have Hall of Fame numbers when his career is over if he stays on his current trajectory.
MANNY RAMIREZ — Dodgers, Rays
Suspended: 2009 (50 games), 2011 (100 games)
Career numbers: .312 BA, 555 HR, 1831 RBIs, 69.2 WAR (3.6 avg. over 19 seasons)
RAFAEL PALMEIRO — Orioles
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career numbers: .288 BA, 569 HR, 1835 RBIs, 71.6 WAR (3.6 avg. over 20 seasons)
ALEX RODRIGUEZ — Yankees
Suspended: 2013-2014 (162 games)
Career numbers: .299 BA, 654 HR, 1969 RBIs, 116 WAR (5.8 avg. over 20 seasons)
RYAN BRAUN — Brewers
Suspended: 2013 (65 games)
Career numbers: .306 BA, 230 HR, 762 RBIs, 36.6 WAR (4.6 avg. over eight seasons)
Miguel Tejada (Getty Images)
The All-Stars
It’s important to note this is the largest group of players. So while PED use been a problem in the minor leagues and among marginal players, it is by no means limited to those struggling to get to the top.
MATT LAWTON — Yankees
All-Star appearances: 2 (2000 – Twins, 2004 – Indians)
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career numbers: .267 BA, 138 HR, 631 RBIs, 15 WAR (1.3 avg. over 12 seasons)
MIKE CAMERON — Padres
All-Star appearances: 1 (2001 – Mariners)
Suspended: 2007 (25 games)
Career numbers: .249 BA, 278 HR, 968 RBIs, 46.5 WAR (2.7 avg. over 17 seasons)
EDINSON VOLQUEZ — Reds
All-Star appearances: 1 (2008 – Reds)
Suspended: 2010 (50 games)
Career numbers: 66 W, 4.44 ERA, 4.2 WAR (0.4 avg. over 10 seasons)
MELKY CABRERA — Giants
All-Star appearances: 1 (2012 – Giants)
Suspended: 2012 (50 games)
Career numbers: .286 BA, 88 HR, 520 RBIs, 17.7 WAR (1.8 avg. over 10 seasons)
MARLON BYRD — Free agent
All-Star appearances: 1 (2010 – Cubs)
Suspended: 2012 (50 games)
Career numbers: .278 BA, 131 HR, 618 RBIs, 24.5 WAR (1.9 avg. over 13 seasons)
CARLOS RUIZ — Phillies
All-Star appearances: 1 (2012 – Phillies)
Suspended: 2012 (25 games)
Career numbers: .271 BA, 63 HR, 367 RBI, 20.9 WAR (2.3 avg. over nine seasons)
MIGUEL TEJADA — Royals
All-Star appearances: 6 (2002 – A’s, 2004-06 – Orioles, 2008-09 – Astros)
Suspended: 2013 (105 games)
Career numbers: .285 BA, 307 HR, 1302 RBIs, 47.1 WAR (2.9 avg. over 16 seasons) JHONNY PERALTA — Tigers
All-Star appearances: 2 (2011, 2013 – Tigers)
Suspended: 2013 (50 games)
Career numbers: .267 BA, 177 HR, 773 RBIs, 30 WAR (2.5 avg. over 12 seasons)
BARTOLO COLON — Athletics
All-Star appearances: 3 (1998 – Indians, 2005 – Angels, 2013 – A’s)
Suspended: 2012 (50 games)
Career numbers: 204 W, 3.95 ERA, 45.5 WAR (2.7 avg. over 17 seasons)
NELSON CRUZ — Rangers
All-Star appearances: 3 (2009, 2013 – Rangers, 2014 – Orioles)
Suspended: 2013 (50 games)
Career numbers: .268 BA, 197 HR, 597 RBIs, 16.5 WAR (1.7 avg. over 10 seasons)
EVERTH CABRERA — Padres
All-Star appearances: 1 (2013 – Padres)
Suspended: 2013 (50 games)
Career numbers: .248 BA, 12 HR, 128 RBIs, 6.3 WAR (1.1 avg. over six seasons)
Jason Grimsley (Getty Images)
The career-enders
These players played in their last MLB season the same year they were suspended. No, there’s no way of knowing if PED use directly derailed their careers, but it’s a large enough group to take notice.
ALEX SANCHEZ — Rays
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: .296 BA, 6 HR, 111 RBIs, 1.1 WAR (0.2 avg. over five seasons)
JAMAL STRONG — Mariners
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: .250 BA, 0 HR, 2 RBIs, 0 WAR (0 avg. over two seasons)
CARLOS ALMANZAR — Rangers
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: 13 W, 4.82 ERA, 1.7 WAR (0.2 avg. over eight seasons)
FELIX HEREDIA — Mets
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: 28 W, 4.42 ERA, 0.5 WAR (0.1 avg. over 10 seasons)
JASON GRIMSLEY* — Diamondbacks
Suspended: 2006 (50 games)
Career statistics: 42 W, 4.77 ERA, 5.4 WAR (0.4 avg. over 15 seasons)
*Grimsley was suspended, but never served the penalty after being granted his release from the Diamondbacks and then retiring. He had admitted using illegal PEDs to federal investigators about a week before his suspension.
Neifi Perez (Getty Images)
The frequent shoppers
Manny Ramirez would fit into this tier as well for his multiple suspensions. This group is composed of the other three players who were suspended twice during their major league careers.
One interesting note here is that Eliezer Alfonzo’s second suspension actually was shorter due to a discrepancy with the testing procedure. Another is that Neifi Perez is the only player ever to be suspended two separate times in the same year. GUILLERMO MOTA — Mets, Giants
Suspended: 2006, 2012 (50 games, 100 games)
Career statistics: 39 W, 3.94 ERA, 5.7 WAR (0.4 avg. over 14 seasons)
ELIEZER ALFONZO — Giants, Rockies
Suspended: 2008, 2011 (50 games, 48 games)
Career statistics: .240 BA, 17 HR, 67 RBIs, 0 WAR (0 avg. over six seasons)
NEIFI PEREZ — Tigers
Suspended: Twice in 2007 (25 games, 80 games)
Career statistics: .267 BA, 64 HR, 489 RBIs, 2.6 WAR (0.2 avg. over 12 seasons)
Jorge Piedra (Getty Images)
“What good did PEDs do?”
This is a dubious category. These four are the only suspended players who registered career WARs below zero, which would suggest they were replacement level players. WAR is far from an all-telling metric, but a sub-zero rating is never good news.
FREDDY GALVIS — Phillies
Suspended: 2012 (50 games)
Career statistics: .218 BA, 13 HR, 55 RBIs, -0.1 WAR (-0.03 avg. over three seasons)
JORGE PIEDRA — Rockies
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: .275 BA, 12 HR, 36 RBIs, -0.7 WAR (-0.2 avg. over three seasons)
AGUSTIN MONTERO — Rangers
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: 1 W, 5.14 ERA, -0.1 WAR (-0.1 avg. over one season)
DAN SERAFINI— Rockies
Suspended: 2007 (50 games)
Career statistics: 15 W, 6.04 ERA, -0.5 WAR (-0.1 avg. over seven seasons)
Cameron Maybin (Getty Images)
Learn from your teammates
For example, J.C. Romero was suspended with the Phillies in 2009, and Antonio Bastardo was his teammate that year. Bastardo was later suspended in 2013 for PED use. The Padres and the Phillies seem to have issues here.
J.C. ROMERO — Phillies
Suspended: 2009 (50 games)
Career statistics: 34 W, 4.16 ERA, 7.7 WAR (0.4 avg. over 14 seasons)
ANTONIO BASTARDO — Phillies (teammate of Romero’s in 2009)
Suspended: 2013 (50 games)
Career statistics: 20 W, 3.72 ERA, 2.7 WAR (0.5 average over six seasons)
YASMANI GRANDAL — Padres
Suspended: 2012 (50 games)
Career statistics: .245 BA, 24 HR, 94 RBIs, 4.7 WAR (1.6 avg. over three seasons)
CAMERON MAYBIN — Padres (teammate of Grandal’s in 2012)
Suspended: 2014 (25 games)
Career statistics: .246 BA, 32 HR, 150 RBI, 8.6 WAR (1.1 avg. over eight seasons)
*Everth Cabrera was also Grandal’s teammate in 2012, was suspended in 2013
**Carlos Ruiz was a teammate of Freddy Galvis’ in 2012, was suspended later that year
The lone survivor
Mike Morse gets his own category as the only player suspended under the original penalty structure remaining in the major leagues. Suspended in September 2005, Morse rebounded to have a lengthy career. He’s now a member of the Marlins after winning a World Series title with the Giants in 2014.
Mike Morse (Getty Images)
MIKE MORSE — Mariners
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: .281 BA, 99 HR, 333 RBIs, 5.4 WAR (0.5 avg. over 10 seasons)
The punishment that outlasted a career
Juan Salas is the only player who has been suspended for more games than he appeared in during his major league career. Salas only played in 47 games over three major league seasons.
JUAN SALAS — Rays
Suspended: 2007 (50 games)
Career statistics: 1 W, 4.44 ERA, 0.4 WAR (0.1 avg. over three seasons)
The “Unsorted Six”
Jose Guillen (Getty Images)
The following six PED offenders don’t fit into any of the categories above, which perhaps is an accomplishment in itself.
JUAN RINCON — Twins
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: 35 W, 4.03 ERA, 4.6 WAR (0.5 avg. over 10 seasons)
RYAN FRANKLIN — Mariners
Suspended: 2005 (10 days)
Career statistics: 62 W, 4.14 ERA, 11.6 WAR (1.0 avg. over 12 seasons)
JOSE GUILLEN — Royals
Suspended: 2007 (15 games)
Career statistics: .270 BA, 214 HR, 887 RBIs, 6.2 WAR (0.4 avg. over 14 seasons)
JAY GIBBONS — Orioles
Suspended: 2007 (15 games)
Career statistics: .260 BA, 127 HR, 427 RBIs, 5.6 WAR (0.6 avg. over nine seasons)
FRANCISCO CERVELLI — Yankees
Suspended: 2013 (50 games)
Career statistics: .278 BA, 2 HR, 13 RBIs, 4.0 WAR (0.6 avg. over seven seasons)
TROY PATTON — Orioles
Suspended: 2013 (25 games)
Career statistics: 5 W, 3.25 ERA, 3.4 WAR (0.6 avg. over six seasons)
