6. 1921 Home Run rates: Ruth sets HR record third consecutive year.

1921 is the second season in the 100 study years (1920-2019) when the record for total home runs in a season was set. Babe Ruth broke his own record set the previous year, 1920, playing his first season for the New York Yankees and playing his home games in the Polo Grounds (1920-1922), home park of the New York Giants. Ruth's home runs in setting the season record three consecutive years:
1919 29 (with Red Sox): 9 home, 20 road
1920 54: 29 home, 25 road
1921 59: 32 home, 27 road.

Please read the previous posts in this series:
1. Top Home Run hitters rates per year. Saturday, November 30, 2019 8:59 AM
2. Home Run rates (AB/HR) leaders 1920-2019. Saturday, November 30, 2019 6:55 PM

3. Home Run rates summary (AB/HR) leaders 1920-2019. Saturday, November 30, 2019 8:16 PM
4. Home Run rates: HR leaders who did not also lead in PctDif. Monday, December 2, 2019
5. 1920 Home Run rates. Ruth breaks own HR record. Wednesday, December 4, 2019

AB: At Bats
HR: Home Runs
MLB: Major League Baseball: both American League and National League
Home Run Rate: AB/HR (lower is better)
N: number of MLB teams that season
Top home run hitters: N hitters with the most HR, plus any ties at the bottom
Home Run Rate MLB: for N hitters: total AB / total HR
Home Run Rate hitters: AB/HR
Dif: Home Run Rate hitter - Home Run Rate MLB
PctDif: Dif/Home Run Rate MLB
HR#: rank among N hitters for HR
PctDif#: rank among N hitters for PctDif

Hitters are ranked by relative position: 1, 2, 3, ... Ties would have the same number and then rank number would resume. For example, if four players are tied at third place: 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 7, 8, ...

In 1921 the first two hitters in home runs were also the first two in PctDif. Seven of the 20 top home run hitters had a better HR rate than the average of the group. Ruth's home run rate (9.15) was 69.08% better than the group home run rate (29.6): PctDif.

Rogers Hornsby had cumulative batting average (BA) over .400 1921-1925 and in 1921 PctDif# 7, HR# 6; BA .397.

Ty Cobb at age 34 in 1921 PctDif# 17, HR# 16; BA .389.

qryHomeRunsTopNyearPctDif

yearID	nameFirst	nameLast	PctDif	PctDif#	HR#	HR	AB	P_AB/HR	Group_ AB/HR	Dif	franchID	teamID	lgID
1921	Babe	Ruth	69.08%	1	1	59	540	9.152542	29.60	20.45	NYY	NYA	AL
1921	Ken	Williams	23.00%	2	2	24	547	22.79167	29.60	6.81	BAL	SLA	AL
1921	Tillie	Walker	18.33%	3	4	23	556	24.17391	29.60	5.43	OAK	PHA	AL
1921	Bob	Meusel	15.82%	4	2	24	598	24.91667	29.60	4.68	NYY	NYA	AL
1921	High Pockets	Kelly	13.78%	5	4	23	587	25.52174	29.60	4.08	SFG	NY1	NL
1921	Elmer	Smith	8.99%	6	10	16	431	26.9375	29.60	2.66	CLE	CLE	AL
1921	Rogers	Hornsby	4.76%	7	6	21	592	28.19048	29.60	1.41	STL	SLN	NL
1921	Cy	Williams	-5.48%	8	8	18	562	31.22222	29.60	-1.62	PHI	PHI	NL
1921	Harry	Heilmann	-7.04%	9	7	19	602	31.68421	29.60	-2.08	DET	DET	AL
1921	Austin	McHenry	-14.07%	10	9	17	574	33.76471	29.60	-4.16	STL	SLN	NL
1921	Jack	Fournier	-21.20%	11	10	16	574	35.875	29.60	-6.28	STL	SLN	NL
1921	Tommy	Griffith	-28.10%	12	16	12	455	37.91667	29.60	-8.32	LAD	BRO	NL
1921	Bobby	Veach	-29.22%	13	10	16	612	38.25	29.60	-8.65	DET	DET	AL
1921	Jimmy	Dykes	-29.43%	14	10	16	613	38.3125	29.60	-8.71	OAK	PHA	AL
1921	Zack	Wheat	-37.07%	15	14	14	568	40.57143	29.60	-10.97	LAD	BRO	NL
1921	Irish	Meusel	-41.41%	16	14	14	586	41.85714	29.60	-12.26			NL
1921	Ty	Cobb	-42.74%	17	16	12	507	42.25	29.60	-12.65	DET	DET	AL
1921	Cy	Perkins	-51.46%	18	16	12	538	44.83333	29.60	-15.23	OAK	PHA	AL
1921	George	Sisler	-63.85%	19	16	12	582	48.5	29.60	-18.90	BAL	SLA	AL
1921	Ray	Powell	-75.68%	20	16	12	624	52	29.60	-22.40	ATL	BSN	NL