Month: July 2021

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #10 Alex Rodriguez

Joining the list at #10 is Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees force, Alex Rodriguez. Since Rodriguez split his time playing shortstop and third base, you won’t find his name atop the career leaderboard for either position, but he is far and away the most productive player the game has ever seen from the left side of the infield. He’s the only shortstop or third baseman to hit 50 home runs in a season and he did it three times. No shortstop or third baseman has more home runs, runs, RBIs, extra-base hits, total bases, or runs created. Arod’s reach goes far beyond the left side of the infield as he’s among the top-10 in baseball history–regardless of position–in those same categories.  He’s the only player in history with 3,000 hits, 2,000 runs, 2,000 RBIs, and a .380 on-base percentage. He’s the only player in history with 3,000 hits, 300 stolen bases, 2,000 runs, and 2,000 RBIs. He’s the only player in history with at least 40 home runs and 45 stolen bases in a single season. He’s the only player in history with 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and 200 hits in a single season. He’s the only player in history with at least 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and a .310 batting average in a single season. Arod led the league in offensive war nine times which is the most since 1921. His 13-consecutive seasons with at least 100 runs are tied with Hank Aaron and Lou Gehrig for the longest streak in history. His 13-consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBIs are tied with Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig for the longest in history. Arod’s eight seasons of 120+ runs trail only Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for most all-time. His nine seasons of 120 RBIs also trail only Ruth and Gehrig for most all-time. Arod’s 15 seasons of at least 30 home runs are tied with Hank Aaron for the most all-time and his three seasons of at least 52 home runs trail only Ruth and Mark McGwire.  Rodriguez won three MVPs which is tied for the second-most in history. He also had two second-place finishes, six top-3, and ten top-10 finishes. Arod led his teams to the postseason a remarkable 12 times and helped lead the Yankees to the 2009 World Series championship.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #11 Mike Schmidt

Entering the list at #11 is Phillies third baseman, Mike Schmidt. Schmidt’s career numbers don’t jump off the page mostly due to the fact that runs were tough to come by in the 1970s and 80s. Looking at Schmidt’s performance relative to the era that he played in reveals a different story—one that makes him, without question, the greatest third baseman of all time. Schmidt led the league in home runs eight times. Only Babe Ruth led the league more often. He hit 35 or more home runs 11 times. Only Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez did it more. Schmidt finished in the top-5 in WAR 12 times, twice as many as any other third baseman in history. Even more remarkable, he did it in 11 consecutive seasons. Schmidt led the league in OPS+ six times, which is more than any other player during his 18-year career. Among third basemen, Schmidt is the king. He’s the all-time leader at the hot corner in home runs and WAR, and his 18.4 dWAR is in the top ten in history among third basemen, making him one of the greatest two-way players baseball has ever seen. Schmidt won three MVPs and finished in the top-10 nine times. He also led the Phillies to two World Series appearances and a World Series title in 1980 in which he was named the World Series MVP, making him the only player in history with at least three MVP awards and a World Series MVP.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #12 Albert Pujols

Operating at #12 on the list is “The Machine” Albert Pujols. Pujols earned his nickname by consistently producing huge stat lines, year after year, for close to 15 seasons. His 12 seasons of at least 170 hits and 30 home runs are two more than anyone else in history and his 12 consecutive seasons of at least 170 hits and 30 home runs are four more than any other player. Pujols’ place in history is easy to see when considering his status on the all-time leaderboards. He’s #3 on the all-time RBIs, #5 in home runs, extra-base hits, doubles, and total bases, and #15 in hits and runs. He joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only three players in history with at least 660 career home runs and 3,200 hits. He’s the only player in history with at least 660 career home runs and 660 doubles. Pujols joins Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only three players in history with 600 home runs and 2,100 RBIs. Pujols and Aaron as the only two players in history with 3,000 hits, 600 home runs, and 2,100 RBIs. Demonstrating just how feared Pujols was across MLB, he was intentionally walked 313 times in his career which is the second-most all-time. Only Barry Bonds received more MVP recognition than Pujols as he garnered a remarkable 10 top-5 MVP finishes on his way to three MVPs and four second-place finishes. His seven top-2 finishes are tied for the second-most in history (Trout and Musial). Not to be outdone in the playoffs, Pujols is on the shortlist of the greatest postseason hitters of all time. He led the Cardinals to two World Series titles and three appearances. He was named the 2004 NLCS MVP in one of the most dominant performances in a postseason series ever. He went 14 for 28 with four home runs and nine RBIs in St. Louis’s thrilling seven-game victory over Houston. His 1.030 career postseason OPS is #1 all-time (min. 170 plate appearances). His name is stamped all over the postseason leaderboard as he is in the top-10 in postseason hits, runs, home runs, RBIs, walks, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.