Most Underrated Hitting Season of All Time?

[isiahfan]

One of my top 10 favorite guys...for no reason at all...Ellis Burks 1996 season...criminally robbed of the MVP IMO

https://www.baseball-reference.com/a..._NL_MVP_voting

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by isiahfan

One of my top 10 favorite guys...for no reason at all...Ellis Burks 1996 season...criminally robbed of the MVP IMO

https://www.baseball-reference.com/a..._NL_MVP_voting

That robbery was criminal. I also really liked Ellis. His career 175 HRs in the NL and 177 in the AL is pretty cool.

[packs]

Whoops this was just about hitting.

It depends on how you look at the game but Joe Sewell's 1925 season was pretty impressive. He collected 204 hits, 98 RBIs to one home run, with a 336 batting average. But what was incredible was that he only struck out 4 times in 699 plate appearances.

[Casey2296]

I'm not sure folks really appreciate how good a hitter Tony Gwynn was, and a special human being on top of all that.

[Peter_Spaeth]

When you factor in all the walks and look at the absurd on base percentages, a few of Ted's lesser publicized seasons.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

When you factor in all the walks and look at the absurd on base percentages, a few of Ted's lesser publicized seasons.

It not necessarily a lesser publicized season, but people should have been interviewed for mob ties in 1942. He wins a triple crown and Joe Gordon with subpar stats wins MVP?

Criminal.

Well he got robbed by DiMaggio the year before, so maybe he got used to it.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by JustinD

It not necessarily a lesser publicized season, but people should have been interviewed for mob ties in 1942. He wins a triple crown and Joe Gordon with subpar stats wins MVP?

Criminal.

Well he got robbed by DiMaggio the year before, so maybe he got used to it.

Anyone who hits .406 and doesn't win the MVP HAS to be the most underrated.

[Gorditadogg]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

When you factor in all the walks and look at the absurd on base percentages, a few of Ted's lesser publicized seasons.

I was looking at some of Mantle's years, his stats from 1957 (the year after he won the Triple Crown and MVP) was pretty amazing. His HRs were down, only 34, but a lot of that was because he wasn't getting pitches. 146 walks!

He batted .365 with a .512 OBP. On base over half the time! A .665 SLG and a 1.177 OPS - the highest of his career. Great season!

Then I looked at all those incredible numbers and realized none of them were bolded - aside from the walks, Mick didn't lead the league in any of those stats.

That's because in 1957, at 38 years old, Ted Williams hit .388 with a .524 OBP and a .731 SLG. His OPS was 1.257! Teddy Ballgame's 1957 year was incredible.

In fact, if you take out the Nego League numbers and the cheaters, Ted's 1.257 OPS is the 2nd highest non-Babe OPS all-time, after only Ted's 1941 season.

[Rad_Hazard]

I'm not sure that it's exactly underrated (at least not in 19th century circles), but it's not talked about nearly enough. Tip O'Neill's 1887 season was absolutely out of this world INSANE.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I'm not sure folks really appreciate how good a hitter Tony Gwynn was, and a special human being on top of all that.

This is my pick positively.

His 94’ season is likely to stay as the highest average for a modern player with at least 110 games or even 100 to lower the bar for the future. I remember really hoping he could finish.400, but he was oh so close.

He just was a true hitter and not a hr slugger which clouds memories. I wish for the true return of the pre espn highlights reliable hitter.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by JustinD

This is my pick positively.

His 94’ season is likely to stay as the highest average for a modern player with at least 110 games or even 100 to lower the bar for the future. I remember really hoping he could finish.400, but he was oh so close.

He just was a true hitter and not a hr slugger which clouds memories. I wish for the true return of the pre espn highlights reliable hitter.

What most forget or completely ignore about Mr Gwynn is that amazing 1994 season was the beginning of his by far best 4 year stretch. Amazing what he done from ages 34 to 37 while gaining weight around the midsection. It is almost unbelievable.

[packs]

I wouldn't call it the MOST underrated of all time, but Bernie Williams deserved the MVP award in 1998. He was the best player on the best team of all time and finished 7th in MVP voting despite having the same OPS as winner Juan Gonzalez BUT having a much superior OPS+.

Bernie that year: 101 runs, 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, league leading 339 average, 997 OPS and 160 OPS+.