Best Single Season Ever (Statistically) for a Player

[JP]

I don't give a lot of love to Ruth for 1920-1921 because HRs was really the only category where he was destroying people (and teams). At the time it wasn't something people were really going for. Small ball was king.

[rhettyeakley]

That's the wierdest rationale I've ever heard, so no love for Ruth in 1920-21 for doing everything better than Foxx did in 1932 because Ruth was doing things nobody else had ever done (and that is a bad thing)?

Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ TB
1920 25 NYY AL 142 616 458 158 172 36 9 54 137 14 14 150 80 .376 .532 .847 1.379 255 388
1921 26 NYY AL 152 693 540 177 204 44 16 59 171 17 13 145 81 .378 .512 .846 1.359 239 457
1923 28 NYY AL 152 699 522 151 205 45 13 41 131 17 21 170 93 .393 .545 .764 1.309 239 399
1932 24 PHA AL 154 701 585 151 213 33 9 58 169 3 7 116 96 .364 .469 .749 1.218 205 438

[rhettyeakley]

Chris, that AB to K ratio is great! Check out Joe Sewell--he did that essentially for his entire career! Then check out what he did after he "got the hang of Major League pitching" from seasons #6-14!!!
-Rhett

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by JP

I don't give a lot of love to Ruth for 1920-1921 because HRs was really the only category where he was destroying people (and teams). At the time it wasn't something people were really going for. Small ball was king.

Wow, that is a weird way to look at it. Even if you ignore HRs, he batted over .370 in both seasons, led the League in On Base %, Slugging %, RBIs, Walks and Runs. In 1921 his On Base % was 60 points higher than anyone else, his Slugging % was 240 points higher than #2, he scored 45 more runs than the next guy, knocked in 32 more runs and walked 42 more times! Besides SBs (he was tied for 8th), what category would you have liked him to excel in?

[alanu]

I'd look at all the triple crown winners and start there

[Robbie]

Steve Carlton - 1972
27 wins on a lousy team that won only 59 games. Oh...he also led the league in ERA (1.97) and strikeouts (310)! Easily the Cy Young winner.

[glchen]

Yea, I was thinking of Carlton too since he practically won half of his team's games.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by JP

I don't give a lot of love to Ruth for 1920-1921 because HRs was really the only category where he was destroying people (and teams). At the time it wasn't something people were really going for. Small ball was king.

Take a closer look at what he did against the rest of the league in for examle 1920
http://www.baseball-reference.com/le...-leaders.shtml

His Slugging was 200 points higher than the 2nd place finisher, his On Base % was 50 points higher than anyone else. He scored 21 more runs than anyone else and had 15 more RBIs. He offensively dominated the league.