There hasn't been much happening in terms of off-season signings or trades today, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about the best first baseman of all-time. For anyone who knows anything about baseball, this should be an easy one. Lou Gehrig, who played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees, is the runaway winner. Sometimes overlooked because he played second fiddle to Babe Ruth for many of his years in the Bronx, a glance at Gehrig's statistics over his career show just how good of a player he was. He has the 17th best batting average in baseball history at .340, the 5th best on-base percentage ever at .447, the 3rd best slugging percentage ever at .632, and the 5th most RBIs ever with 1995. He compiled 493 home runs and 2721 hits, while also winning two AL MVPs in 1927 and 1936. From 1925 to 1939 he played in 2130 consecutive games. Let's remember too, that Gehrig's career was cut short because of ALS (which was later named after him). Who knows how ridiculous his stats would have been if he had been able to play a few more years.
Jimmie Foxx is the only the first baseman that comes somewhat close to Gehrig. He had more home runs than Gehrig (534 to Gehrig's 493) and also compiled a .325 average, a .428 OBP, and a slugging percentage of .609. He won three MVP awards in 1932, 1933, and 1938. Even with more homers than Gehrig, Foxx was still not as complete a player as Gehrig was.
A player who could eventually come close to Gehrig: Albert Pujols. Through ten seasons, Pujols already has 319 homers with a slash line of .334/.425/.624 (avg, obp, slg). In each of his ten seasons, he has finished with at least a .300 average, 30 homers, and 100 RBIs. He has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in all ten of his seasons, winning in 2005, 2008, and 2009. If he can continue to have the consistency that he has shown, he will be considered one of the best first baseman and best right-handed hitters of all time.
It should be noted that Lou Gehrig is the only batter in baseball history to finish his career with an average of at least 300 total bases, 200 hits, and 100 walks per 162 games played. Source baseballreference.com.
Here is a list of statistics in which Gehrig bettered the Babe per 162 games: 1. Total Bases 379-375 2. Hits 204-186 3. Rbis 149-143 4.Doubles 40-33 5.Triples 12-9 6. Extra base hits 89-88 7. runs and rbis 290-284 8.fewer times struckout 59-86 9. runs 141.3 to 140.7 10. grandslams .011 to .006
Gehrig had 6 seasons with 300 tb+200 hits+100bb. Ruth had 3. Gehrig did all three in his career 32 times to Ruth's 27 times.
Lou Gehrig had 4 seasons in which he hit at least .350 with 150 rbis and 400 total bases 1927-30-34-37. Ruth had 2 in 1921 and 1927.
Gehrig had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 13 straight yrs Williams had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 8 straight yrs Foxx had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 8 straight yrs Ruth had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 7 straight yrs Mays had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 7 straight years
Gehrig had 5 straight yrs of 100 runs, 100 rbis, and 100 bb. 1934 to 1938. Ruth had 4 straight 1930 to 1933.
I like where this blog is going. You've named the best at two positions so far, both of them Yankees. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that Lou Gehrig is the only batter in baseball history to finish his career with an average of at least 300 total bases, 200 hits, and 100 walks per 162 games played. Source baseballreference.com.
ReplyDeleteHere is a list of statistics in which Gehrig bettered the Babe per 162 games:
1. Total Bases 379-375
2. Hits 204-186
3. Rbis 149-143
4.Doubles 40-33
5.Triples 12-9
6. Extra base hits 89-88
7. runs and rbis 290-284
8.fewer times struckout 59-86
9. runs 141.3 to 140.7
10. grandslams .011 to .006
Gehrig had 6 seasons with 300 tb+200 hits+100bb. Ruth had 3.
Gehrig did all three in his career 32 times to Ruth's 27 times.
Lou Gehrig had 4 seasons in which he hit at least .350 with 150 rbis and 400 total bases 1927-30-34-37. Ruth had 2 in 1921 and 1927.
Gehrig had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 13 straight yrs
Williams had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 8 straight yrs
Foxx had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 8 straight yrs
Ruth had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 7 straight yrs
Mays had 300 total bases with 100 runs and 100 rbis 7 straight years
Gehrig had 5 straight yrs of 100 runs, 100 rbis, and 100 bb. 1934 to 1938.
Ruth had 4 straight 1930 to 1933.