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Athletics Opening Day countdown: Rickey Henderson is best No. 24 in A’s history

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Mark Hebert | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 9:41 AM ET

24 days remain until Athletics Opening Day at the Toronto Blue Jays on March 27, 2026. With Las Vegas on the horizon, this daily countdown tracks the best A’s players by jersey number.

Today, March 3, 2026, the number is 24.

Rickey Henderson, No. 24

Rickey Henderson is the best Athletics player to wear No. 24 because he didn’t just wear the number — he defined it. Even by the quick series tiebreaker (career WAR), this is not close: Henderson finished with 111.2 career WAR, a Hall of Fame total that clears the rest of the No. 24 group by a mile.

The stronger proof is what he did as an Athletic. In 14 seasons with Oakland, Henderson produced 72.7 WAR while hitting .288 with a .409 OBP and .839 OPS. He piled up 1,768 hits, scored 1,270 runs, and stole 867 bases in green and gold. That is franchise-defining production: elite on-base skill, game-breaking speed, and sustained value over a long run in one uniform.

Rickey Henderson tosses out the 1st pitch in today's game! pic.twitter.com/t1S6bNhaXm

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 16, 2017

Why Henderson gets No. 24

No. 24 goes to Henderson because his resume is historic and unmistakably Oakland. He’s a Hall of Famer (inducted in 2009), a 10-time All-Star, the 1990 AL MVP, and the sport’s all-time stolen base leader with 1,406. He also paired that speed with rare overall production: 3,055 hits, 2,295 runs (most all-time), and 2,190 walks.

And the final stamp in A’s history is simple: the Athletics retired No. 24. That is the franchise saying the number is his. For this countdown, it makes Henderson the runaway choice.

Career start and background

Henderson was born Dec. 25, 1958, in Chicago. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics out of Oakland Technical High School and debuted with the A’s on June 24, 1979.

Other notable No. 24s

Dan Haren, 2005
Jermaine Dye, 2001-2004
Gene Tenace, 1969
Kurt Suzuki, 2008

Career check

If this series is about the best A’s player by jersey number, No. 24 is as clean as it gets. Henderson’s career value is untouchable in this group, and his Oakland line (72.7 WAR, 867 steals, 1,270 runs) makes him the face of the number without argument.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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