Babe Ruth set the career record in 1921 for hitting home runs. He finished the season with 162. Ruth's final season was 1935: 714 home runs. Ruth held the record continuously through 1973. In 1974 Hank Aaron broke it. Aaron retired after 1976 with 755 home runs and held the record through 2006. Then Barry Bonds passed him with 762. Bonds has held the record through 2019 with no challenger in sight.
In 1928 Babe Ruth set the career record for strike outs, finishing the season with 919. Ruth retired with 1,330 and held the record continuously through 1963. Mickey Mantle passed him in 1964 with 1,348 and retired after 1968 with 1,710. Willie Stargell passed Mantle in 1978 with 1,746 and retired after 1981 with 1,912. Reggie Jackson passed Stargell in 1982 with 1,922 and retired after 1987 with 2,597. Jackson has held the record through 2019 with no challenger in sight. Jackson has almost twice as many strike outs as Ruth. Ruth's highest SO in a season was 93. Jackson had 105 or more 18 times, topping out with 171. Ruth had at least 100 BB 13 times, topping out with 170; Jackson once: 114.
Those are the best and worst individual outcomes for a hitter: HR and SO. One could argue that a double play is worse but that is dependent on the acts of others. The reverse is true for pitchers.
Aaron and Ruth are second and third in home runs respectively.
Current rank of previous SO record holders:
Ruth 133
Mantle 36
Stargell 8
Let's look at the career leaders.
Hitters:
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | HR | Bats | Hof | | Rank | Player (yrs, age) | SO | Bats | HoF |
| 1 | Barry Bonds (22) | 762 | L | | | 1 | Reggie Jackson+ (21) | 2,597 | L | 1 |
| 2 | Hank Aaron+ (23) | 755 | R | 1 | | 2 | Jim Thome+ (22) | 2,548 | L | 1 |
| 3 | Babe Ruth+ (22) | 714 | L | 1 | | 3 | Adam Dunn (14) | 2,379 | L | |
| 4 | Alex Rodriguez (22) | 696 | R | | | 4 | Sammy Sosa (18) | 2,306 | R | |
| 5 | Willie Mays+ (22) | 660 | R | 1 | | 5 | Alex Rodriguez (22) | 2,287 | R | |
| 6 | Albert Pujols (19, 39) | 656 | R | | | 6 | Andres Galarraga (19) | 2,003 | R | |
| 7 | Ken Griffey Jr.+ (22) | 630 | L | 1 | | 7 | Jose Canseco (17) | 1,942 | R | |
| 8 | Jim Thome+ (22) | 612 | L | 1 | | 8 | Willie Stargell+ (21) | 1,936 | L | 1 |
| 9 | Sammy Sosa (18) | 609 | R | | | 9 | Mark Reynolds (13) | 1,927 | R | |
| 10 | Frank Robinson+ (21) | 586 | R | 1 | | 10 | Curtis Granderson (16) | 1,916 | L | |
| 11 | Mark McGwire (16) | 583 | R | | | 11 | Mike Cameron (17) | 1,901 | R | |
| 12 | Harmon Killebrew+ (22) | 573 | R | 1 | | 12 | Mike Schmidt+ (18) | 1,883 | R | 1 |
| 13 | Rafael Palmeiro (20) | 569 | L | | | 13 | Fred McGriff (19) | 1,882 | L | |
| 14 | Reggie Jackson+ (21) | 563 | L | 1 | | 14 | Tony Perez+ (23) | 1,867 | R | 1 |
| 15 | Manny Ramirez (19) | 555 | R | | | 15 | Ryan Howard (13) | 1,843 | L | |
| 16 | Mike Schmidt+ (18) | 548 | R | 1 | | 16 | Bobby Abreu (18) | 1,840 | L | |
| 17 | David Ortiz (20) | 541 | L | | | | Derek Jeter+ (20) | 1,840 | R | 1 |
| 18 | Mickey Mantle+ (18) | 536 | B | 1 | | 18 | Chris Davis (12, 33) | 1,835 | L | |
| 19 | Jimmie Foxx+ (20) | 534 | R | 1 | | 19 | Dave Kingman (16) | 1,816 | R | |
| 20 | Willie McCovey+ (22) | 521 | L | 1 | | 20 | Manny Ramirez (19) | 1,813 | R | |
| Frank Thomas+ (19) | 521 | R | 1 | | 21 | Alfonso Soriano (16) | 1,803 | R | |
| Ted Williams+ (19) | 521 | L | 1 | | 22 | Justin Upton (13, 31) | 1,798 | R | |
| 23 | Ernie Banks+ (19) | 512 | R | 1 | | 23 | Carlos Beltran (20) | 1,795 | B | |
| Eddie Mathews+ (17) | 512 | L | 1 | | 24 | Ken Griffey Jr.+ (22) | 1,779 | L | 1 |
| 25 | Mel Ott+ (22) | 511 | L | 1 | | 25 | Miguel Cabrera (17, 36) | 1,761 | R | |
| 26 | Gary Sheffield (22) | 509 | R | | | 26 | Bobby Bonds (14) | 1,757 | R | |
| 27 | Eddie Murray+ (21) | 504 | B | 1 | | 27 | Craig Biggio+ (20) | 1,753 | R | 1 |
| 28 | Lou Gehrig+ (17) | 493 | L | 1 | | 28 | David Ortiz (20) | 1,750 | L | |
| Fred McGriff (19) | 493 | L | | | 29 | Andruw Jones (17) | 1,748 | R | |
| | | | | | | Dale Murphy (18) | 1,748 | R | |
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | HR | Bats | HoF | | Rank | Player (yrs, age) | SO | Bats | HoF |
| 29 | | | | 19 | | 30 | | | | 8 |
| | | | 65.5% | | | | | | 26.7% |
Hall of Fame:
HR hitters: 65.5%
SO victims: 26.7%
Pitchers:
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | HR | Throws | Hof | | Rank | Player (yrs, age) | SO | Throws | Hof |
| 1 | Jamie Moyer (25) | 522 | L | | | 1 | Nolan Ryan+ (27) | 5,714 | R | 1 |
| 2 | Robin Roberts+ (19) | 505 | R | 1 | | 2 | Randy Johnson+ (22) | 4,875 | L | 1 |
| 3 | Fergie Jenkins+ (19) | 484 | R | 1 | | 3 | Roger Clemens (24) | 4,672 | R | |
| 4 | Phil Niekro+ (24) | 482 | R | 1 | | 4 | Steve Carlton+ (24) | 4,136 | L | 1 |
| 5 | Don Sutton+ (23) | 472 | R | 1 | | 5 | Bert Blyleven+ (22) | 3,701 | R | 1 |
| 6 | Frank Tanana (21) | 448 | L | | | 6 | Tom Seaver+ (20) | 3,640 | R | 1 |
| 7 | Bartolo Colon (21, 46) | 439 | R | | | 7 | Don Sutton+ (23) | 3,574 | R | 1 |
| 8 | Warren Spahn+ (21) | 434 | L | 1 | | 8 | Gaylord Perry+ (22) | 3,534 | R | 1 |
| 9 | Bert Blyleven+ (22) | 430 | R | 1 | | 9 | Walter Johnson+ (21) | 3,509 | R | 1 |
| 10 | Tim Wakefield (19) | 418 | R | | | 10 | Greg Maddux+ (23) | 3,371 | R | 1 |
| 11 | Steve Carlton+ (24) | 414 | L | 1 | | 11 | Phil Niekro+ (24) | 3,342 | R | 1 |
| 12 | Randy Johnson+ (22) | 411 | L | 1 | | 12 | Fergie Jenkins+ (19) | 3,192 | R | 1 |
| 13 | David Wells (21) | 407 | L | | | 13 | Pedro Martinez+ (18) | 3,154 | R | 1 |
| 14 | Gaylord Perry+ (22) | 399 | R | 1 | | 14 | Bob Gibson+ (17) | 3,117 | R | 1 |
| 15 | Jim Kaat (25) | 395 | L | | | 15 | Curt Schilling (20) | 3,116 | R | |
| 16 | Jack Morris+ (18) | 389 | R | 1 | | 16 | CC Sabathia (19) | 3,093 | L | |
| 17 | Charlie Hough (25) | 383 | R | | | 17 | John Smoltz+ (21) | 3,084 | R | 1 |
| 18 | CC Sabathia (19) | 382 | L | | | 18 | Justin Verlander (15, 36) | 3,006 | R | |
| 19 | Tom Seaver+ (20) | 380 | R | 1 | | 19 | Jim Bunning+ (17) | 2,855 | R | 1 |
| 20 | Mike Mussina+ (18) | 376 | R | 1 | | 20 | Mickey Lolich (16) | 2,832 | L | |
| 21 | Catfish Hunter+ (15) | 374 | R | 1 | | 21 | Mike Mussina+ (18) | 2,813 | R | 1 |
| 22 | Javier Vazquez (14) | 373 | R | | | 22 | Cy Young+ (22) | 2,803 | R | 1 |
| 23 | Jim Bunning+ (17) | 372 | R | 1 | | 23 | Frank Tanana (21) | 2,773 | L | |
| Dennis Martinez (23) | 372 | R | | | 24 | Max Scherzer (12, 34) | 2,692 | R | |
| 25 | Roger Clemens (24) | 363 | R | | | 25 | David Cone (17) | 2,668 | R | |
| 26 | Livan Hernandez (17) | 362 | R | | | 26 | Zack Greinke (16, 35) | 2,622 | R | |
| 27 | Mark Buehrle (16) | 361 | L | | | 27 | Chuck Finley (17) | 2,610 | L | |
| James Shields (13) | 361 | R | | | 28 | Tom Glavine+ (22) | 2,607 | L | 1 |
| 29 | Tom Glavine+ (22) | 356 | L | 1 | | 29 | Warren Spahn+ (21) | 2,583 | L | 1 |
| 30 | Greg Maddux+ (23) | 353 | R | 1 | | 30 | Bob Feller+ (18) | 2,581 | R | 1 |
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | HR | Throws | Hof | | Rank | Player (yrs, age) | SO | Throws | Hof |
| 30 | | | | 15 | | 30 | | | | 19 |
| | | | 50.0% | | | | | | 63.3% |
Hall of Fame:
SO: 63.3%
HR victim: 50%
| HoF | Hitters | Pitchers |
| HR | 65.5% | 50% |
| SO | 26.7% | 63.3% |
Data from
baseball-reference.com
No comments:
Post a Comment