The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #31 Joe DiMaggio

Joltin’ in at #31 is Joe DiMaggio. With just 7,642 career plate appearances due to three years serving in WWII, Joltin’ Joe had one of the shorter careers among the top-100, but he made the most of them. In just 13 seasons, he won three AL MVPs with two runner-ups and 10 top-10 finishes while also leading the Yankees to nine World Series titles. DiMaggio spent his entire career at or near the top of statistical leaderboards. He finished in the top-5 in home runs and slugging % 10 times, RBIs, runs created, and total bases nine times, and OPS+, extra-base hits, and triples eight times.   He owns the only season in MLB history with 215 hits, 45 home runs, and 150 runs and the only season with 45 home runs, 150 runs, and fewer than 40 strikeouts. Oh, by the way, he was only 22 years old when he did it. Joe’s the only player in history with more than 700 career walks, fewer than 400 strikeouts, and a .579 slugging %. He joins Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig as the only five players in history with 350 home runs, a .325 batting average, and a .579 slugging % and his six consecutive 125 RBI-seasons are third behind only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth for most all-time. DiMaggio’s .579 career slugging percentage is the 10th highest in baseball history.

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