OPS+ lower than 100 for at least 100 RBI.

Yesterday on MLB Network Brian Kenny was scaling back his "Kill the RBI" initiative. A couple of days ago he looked at Home Run champs with the lowest WAR (Wins Above Replacement). I posted about that.

This post is somewhat similar but it looks at all 45 seasons, including multiple by individuals, for  OPS+ lower than 100 for at least 100 RBI. OPS+ 100 is league average, so we're looking at 100 RBI seasons in which the overall batting of an individual is below league average. Here's the list sorted by OPS+:

Rk	Player	OPS+	RBI	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Joe Carter	77	102	1997	37	TOR	AL	157	668	612	76	143	30	4	21	40	5	105	7	0	9	12	8	2	.234	.284	.399	.683	D379
2	Tony Batista	81	110	2004	30	MON	NL	157	650	606	76	146	30	2	32	26	4	78	4	4	10	14	14	6	.241	.272	.455	.728	*5/H
3	Ray Pepper	83	101	1934	28	SLB	AL	148	598	564	71	168	24	6	7	29		67	1	4			1	4	.298	.333	.399	.732	*78H/9
4	Vinny Castilla	84	102	1999	31	COL	NL	158	674	615	83	169	24	1	33	53	7	75	1	0	5	15	2	3	.275	.331	.478	.809	*5/H
5	Joe Carter	85	115	1990	30	SDP	NL	162	697	634	79	147	27	1	24	48	18	93	7	0	8	12	22	6	.232	.290	.391	.681	*873/H
6	Tony Armas	85	107	1983	29	BOS	AL	145	613	574	77	125	23	2	36	29	0	131	2	0	8	31	0	1	.218	.254	.453	.707	*8D/H
7	Marv Owen	85	105	1936	30	DET	AL	154	655	583	72	172	20	4	9	53		41	7	12			9	6	.295	.361	.389	.750	*5/3
8	Glenn Wright	85	105	1927	26	PIT	NL	143	626	570	78	160	26	4	9	39		46	1	16			4		.281	.328	.388	.716	*6
9	Ruben Sierra	86	101	1993	27	OAK	AL	158	692	630	77	147	23	5	22	52	16	97	0	0	10	17	25	5	.233	.288	.390	.678	*9D/H
10	Jeff Francoeur	87	103	2006	22	ATL	NL	162	686	651	83	169	24	6	29	23	6	132	9	0	3	15	1	6	.260	.293	.449	.742	*9/8
11	Ray Jablonski	89	112	1953	26	STL	NL	157	638	604	64	162	23	5	21	34		61	1	1		15	2	2	.268	.308	.427	.735	*5
12	Joe Pepitone	90	100	1964	23	NYY	AL	160	647	613	71	154	12	3	28	24	7	63	3	2	5	17	2	1	.251	.281	.418	.698	*38/H9
13	High Pockets Kelly	91	103	1929	33	CIN	NL	147	632	577	73	169	45	9	5	33		61	1	21			7		.293	.332	.428	.760	*3
14	Paul O'Neill	92	100	2000	37	NYY	AL	142	628	566	79	160	26	0	18	51	2	90	0	0	11	17	14	9	.283	.336	.424	.760	*9/DH
15	Travis Fryman	92	100	1996	27	DET	AL	157	688	616	90	165	32	3	22	57	2	118	4	1	10	18	4	3	.268	.329	.437	.766	*56
16	Ernie Banks	92	106	1969	38	CHC	NL	155	629	565	60	143	19	2	23	42	7	101	7	8	7	15	0	0	.253	.309	.416	.725	*3/H
17	Brandon Phillips	94	103	2013	32	CIN	NL	151	666	606	80	158	24	2	18	39	6	98	8	4	9	19	5	3	.261	.310	.396	.706	*4
18	Andruw Jones	94	104	2001	24	ATL	NL	161	693	625	104	157	25	2	34	56	3	142	3	0	9	10	11	4	.251	.312	.461	.772	*8
19	Joe Randa	94	106	2000	30	KCR	AL	158	665	612	88	186	29	4	15	36	3	66	6	1	10	19	6	3	.304	.343	.438	.781	*5/HD
20	Willie McGee	94	105	1987	28	STL	NL	153	652	620	76	177	37	11	11	24	5	90	2	1	5	24	16	4	.285	.312	.434	.746	*8/H6
21	Gee Walker	94	111	1939	31	CHW	AL	149	645	598	95	174	30	11	13	28		43	7	12		16	17	6	.291	.330	.443	.773	*7/H
22	Rico Brogna	95	102	1999	29	PHI	NL	157	679	619	90	172	29	4	24	54	7	132	2	0	4	19	8	5	.278	.336	.454	.790	*3/H
23	Joe Carter	95	107	1996	36	TOR	AL	157	682	625	84	158	35	7	30	44	2	106	7	0	6	12	7	6	.253	.306	.475	.782	*73D
24	Eddie Robinson	95	102	1953	32	PHA	AL	156	685	615	64	152	28	4	22	63		56	5	2		13	1	2	.247	.322	.413	.735	*3/H
25	Pinky Higgins	95	106	1938	29	BOS	AL	139	604	524	77	159	29	5	5	71		55	1	7			10	9	.303	.388	.406	.794	*5/H
Rk	Player	OPS+	RBI	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
26	Moose Solters	95	134	1936	30	SLB	AL	152	676	628	100	183	45	7	17	41		76	1	6			3	0	.291	.336	.467	.802	*7/8H
27	Pinky Whitney	95	103	1928	23	PHI	NL	151	636	585	73	176	35	4	10	36		30	1	14			3		.301	.342	.426	.768	*5/H
28	Wally Pipp	95	109	1923	30	NYY	AL	144	644	569	79	173	19	8	6	36		28	6	23			6	13	.304	.352	.397	.749	*3
29	Wally Pipp	95	103	1921	28	NYY	AL	153	669	588	96	174	35	9	8	45		28	1	33			17	10	.296	.347	.427	.774	*3
30	Vernon Wells	96	100	2002	23	TOR	AL	159	648	608	87	167	34	4	23	27	0	85	3	2	8	15	9	4	.275	.305	.457	.762	*89/H
31	Bill Brubaker	96	102	1936	25	PIT	NL	145	620	554	77	160	27	4	6	50		96	4	12		17	5		.289	.352	.384	.736	*5
32	Bing Miller	96	100	1930	35	PHA	AL	154	653	585	89	177	38	7	9	47		22	3	19			13	13	.303	.357	.438	.795	*98/7
33	Glenn Wright	96	111	1924	23	PIT	NL	153	662	616	80	177	28	18	7	27		52	1	18			14	6	.287	.318	.425	.744	*6
34	Rico Brogna	97	104	1998	28	PHI	NL	153	624	565	77	150	36	3	20	49	8	125	0	0	10	12	7	7	.265	.319	.446	.765	*3/H
35	Andres Galarraga	97	106	1995	34	COL	NL	143	604	554	89	155	29	3	31	32	6	146	13	0	5	14	12	2	.280	.331	.511	.842	*3/H
36	Del Ennis	97	119	1954	29	PHI	NL	145	620	556	73	145	23	2	25	50		60	2	1	11	23	2	1	.261	.318	.444	.762	79/H3
37	Torii Hunter	98	102	2003	27	MIN	AL	154	642	581	83	145	31	4	26	50	7	106	5	0	6	15	6	7	.250	.312	.451	.762	*8/DH
38	Derek Bell	98	113	1996	27	HOU	NL	158	684	627	84	165	40	3	17	40	8	123	8	0	9	18	29	3	.263	.311	.418	.729	*9/8H
39	Bill Buckner	98	102	1986	36	BOS	AL	153	681	629	73	168	39	2	18	40	9	25	4	0	8	25	6	4	.267	.311	.421	.733	*3D
40	Maurice Van Robays	98	116	1940	25	PIT	NL	145	609	572	82	156	27	7	11	33		58	3	1		16	2		.273	.316	.402	.718	*7/9H83
41	Pinky Whitney	98	117	1930	25	PHI	NL	149	660	606	87	207	41	5	8	40		41	1	15			3		.342	.383	.465	.849	*5/H
42	Al Simmons	98	102	1924	22	PHA	AL	152	647	594	69	183	31	9	8	30		60	2	18			16	15	.308	.343	.431	.774	*87/9
43	Sammy Sosa	99	119	1997	28	CHC	NL	162	694	642	90	161	31	4	36	45	9	174	2	0	5	16	22	12	.251	.300	.480	.779	*9/H
44	George Bell	99	112	1992	32	CHW	AL	155	670	627	74	160	27	0	25	31	8	97	6	0	6	29	5	2	.255	.294	.418	.712	*D7
45	Ray Jablonski	99	104	1954	27	STL	NL	152	673	611	80	181	33	3	12	49		42	2	1	11	17	9	4	.296	.345	.419	.764	*5/H3

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Generated 2/10/2017.

Joe Carter is best known for hitting the World Series winning Home Run (HR) in game six:
Saturday, October 23, 1993, 8:10, SkyDome
Attendance: 52,195, Time of Game: 3:27
Blue Jays 8, Phillies 6
Joe Carter off Mitch Williams: Home Run (Deep LF Line); Henderson Scores; Molitor Scores
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Phillies 6, Blue Jays 8.

However, Carter has the lowest OPS+ for any batter with at least 100 RBI: OPS+ only 77 in 1997. That's 77% of league average. Carter also is the only batter with three such seasons. Batters with two of these seasons: Glenn Wright, Pinky Whitney, Ray Jablonski, Rico Brogna, Wally Pipp.

Most RBI:
Moose Solters 134 in 1936
Del Ennis 119 in 1954
Sammy Sosa 119 in 1997

Seven had at least 30 HR. Most: 36 by Sammy Sosa in 1997 and Tony Armas in 1983. Twelve had fewer than ten HR. Fewest: 5 by Pinky Higgins and High Pockets Kelly.

The problem is basically few Bases on Balls (BB). Higgins had the most: 71; and the highest On Base Percentage (OBP): .388. Nine had fewer than 30 BB; Jeff Francoeur 23 in 2006. Lowest OBP: Armas .254.

Those are amazingly bad numbers, especially for batters with at least 100 RBI. One reason they reached 100 RBI is that they batted a lot. At Bats (AB) ranged from 612 for Carter in 1997 with his OPS+ 77 to 524 for Higgins. Carter also had the most Plate Appearances (PA) but that was in 1990: OPS+ 85 for 697 PA. Fewest PA: Ray Pepper 598 in 1934: OPS+ 83.

None led the league in RBI, HR, PA. Two led in AB: Carter 634 in 1990 and Wright 616 in 1924.

13 had at least 100 Strike Outs (SO); three led the league in SO: the top two in SO for the group: Sosa 174 in 1997 and Andres Galarraga 146 in 1995; Bill Brubaker led with 96 in 1936.

Nine had 10 or 11 Sacrifice Flies (SF), which would help. For 18 of the 45 seasons SF was not a stat but the event may have occurred.

Something that would have hurt getting RBI: Double Plays Grounded into (GDP): no RBI even if a run scores. Five batters had at least 23 and four of them led the league; Tony Armas had the most: 31. For 13 of the 45 seasons GDP was not a stat but the event may have occurred and I guess that the batter would have gotten an RBI.

Only 7 of the 45 had Batting Average of at least .300; Whitney in 1930 had by far the highest: .342. Second: Al Simmons .308 in 1924.

Only two scored at least 100 Runs: Andruw Jones 104 in 2001 and Moose Solters 100 in 1936. Ernie Banks scored the fewest, only 60 in 1969 at age 38.