The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #57 Jeff Bagwell

Coming at #57 is Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell’s career is marked not by robust career numbers—although they are impressive—but by his ridiculous per-162 game totals. Bagwell joins Ted Williams as the only two players since 1940 with 162 game averages of at least 114 runs, 114 RBIs, and a .400 on-base percentage. He’s the only player in history to play 2,150 games or less and reach 1,500 runs and 1,500 RBIs. Bagwell is the first player since 1931— and only the third player in history along with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig—with back-to-back 140-run seasons. He’s the only player since 1936 to reach 152 runs in a single season. He’s the only player since 1949 with at least 143 runs and 143 walks in the same season, joining Babe Ruth and Ted Williams as the only players ever to do it. He’s one of only four players since 1950 with 1,500 runs, a 149 ops+ and a .405 on-base %, and he’s the only first baseman since the dead-ball era with 1,500 career runs and a 149 ops+. Bagwell won the NL MVP in 1994 when became just the third player since 1927 along with Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire with a single-season slugging percentage of at least .750.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #58 Jim Thome

Blasting onto the last at #58 is Indians slugger Jim Thome. Thome’s career is marked by power, plate discipline, and more power. He joins Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth as the only three players in history with 600 career home runs and 1,700 career walks. He joins Bonds and Ruth as the only three players in history with 600 home runs and a .400 on-base percentage. He joins Bonds and Ruth as the only three players in history with at least 600 home runs, 1,650 walks, and 1,650 RBIs, and he joins Bonds, Ruth, and Ted Williams as the only four players in history with at least 1,740 career walks and at least a .554 slugging %. His 13.8 AB/HR mark is the 4^th best in history and his 612 home runs are 8^th on the all-time list.

The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #59 Vladimir Guerrero

Teeing off at #59 on our list is Vladimir Guerrero. Vlad “The Impaler” was every bit as feared as his 15th-century counterpart, terrorizing pitchers with his combination of power, speed, and plate discipline. Vlad’s impact is reflected by the uniqueness of his accomplishments. He’s the only player to debut since 1960 with at least a .318 career batting average and a .553 career slugging percentage. He’s the only player to debut since 1960 with a career batting average of at least .318 and a career OPS+ of 140. He’s the only player since 1950 with at least 400 career home runs and fewer than 1,000 strikeouts. He’s the only player since 1950 with at least 400 career home runs and a .318 batting average. He’s the only player since 1950 with at least 970 career extra-base hits, an OPS+ of 140, and fewer than 1,000 strikeouts. He’s the only player in history with a career .318 batting average, 400 home runs, and 180 stolen bases and he’s also the only player in history with at least 200 hits, a .330 batting average, 40 stolen bases, and 39 home runs in a single season. Vlad is 7th all-time in intentional walks, leading the league five times which is tied for the 4th most in history. He was named the 2004 NL MVP and finished third in 2005 and 2007.