For me, I place a much higher priority on peak value vs longevity. Gimme Sandy Koufax over, say, Don Sutton any day.
Thus, for me, the pick is Mickey Mantle. His peak was a lot higher than the other two. And it wasn't a short peak either. I mean, we're talking a guy who put up OPS+ numbers of 137 or higher every single season of his career outside of his rookie year. In the 10 year stretch from 1955 to 1964, he led the league in OPS+ eight times. And the two years he didn't? He put up OPS+ of 221 (winning an MVP) and 196 (partial season).
So, yeah, gimme Mickey Mantle.
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