Best OPS+ in last season: Joe Jackson, David Ortiz, Will Clark, Mickey Mantle, ... Mickey Mantle!?

From 1916 to 2018, during last season, (requiring PA>=500 and OPS+>=120), sorted by greatest Adjusted OPS+

From stathead.com via baseball-reference.com

OPS+: On Base Percentage (really average) Plus Slugging average adjusted for ball parks and era.

Rk	Player	OPS+	PA	Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pos
1	Shoeless Joe Jackson	172	649	1920	32	CHW	AL	146	570	105	218	42	20	12	121	56		14	7	16			9	12	.382	.444	.589	1.033	*7/9H
2	David Ortiz	164	626	2016	40	BOS	AL	151	537	79	169	48	1	38	127	80	15	86	2	0	7	22	2	0	.315	.401	.620	1.021	*DH/3
3	Will Clark	145	507	2000	36	TOT	ML	130	427	78	136	30	2	21	70	69	3	69	7	0	4	7	5	2	.319	.418	.546	.964	*3/DH
4	Mickey Mantle	143	547	1968	36	NYY	AL	144	435	57	103	14	1	18	54	106	7	97	1	1	4	9	6	2	.237	.385	.398	.782	*3H
5	Happy Felsch	143	615	1920	28	CHW	AL	142	556	88	188	40	15	14	115	37		25	4	16			8	13	.338	.384	.540	.923	*8
6	Hank Greenberg	131	510	1947	36	PIT	NL	125	402	71	100	13	2	25	74	104	9	73	4	0		16	0	4	.249	.408	.478	.885	*3/H
7	Kirby Puckett	130	602	1995	35	MIN	AL	137	538	83	169	39	0	23	99	56	18	89	3	0	5	15	3	2	.314	.379	.515	.894	*9D/8H645
8	Johnny Dickshot	127	542	1945	35	CHW	AL	130	486	74	147	19	10	4	58	48	3	41	1	7		16	18	3	.302	.366	.407	.774	*7/H
9	Roy Cullenbine	125	607	1947	33	DET	AL	142	464	82	104	18	1	24	78	137	4	51	0	6		10	3	2	.224	.401	.422	.823	*3/H
10	Bob Johnson	125	593	1945	39	BOS	AL	143	529	71	148	27	7	12	74	63	6	56	1	0		13	5	3	.280	.358	.425	.783	*7/H8

Note: In his final season, 1960, Ted Williams had only 390 plate appearances (PA); OPS+ 190. Sixth in home runs with 29 in only 310 at bats (AB).

8. 1960 AL/NL Home Run rates. Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Ted Williams at 41 in his final season leads in PctDif for the fourth time 1954-1960. Maris is second. Maris AL MVP in his first Yankee season; HR splits: 13 home, 26 road. Mantle leads AL in HR fourth and final time.

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It's really David Ortiz; his OPS+ 164 in his last season was much higher than his career 141. Both Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch had premature final seasons in 1920 because they were two of the eight men out from the "Black Sox" scandal: eight members of the Chicago White Sox were suspended for life for taking money from gamblers to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

The biggest surprise is Mickey Mantle. His final four seasons were well below his numbers for his previous 13. Mantle couldn't hit anymore in 1968. His righty numbers against lefty pitchers were worse than his lefty numbers against righty pitchers:

I	Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+	sOPS+
	vs RHP	117		405	316	38	78	14	1	11	40	4	1	84	83	.247	.403	.402	.805	127	1	1	1	3	5	4	.298	106	154
	vs LHP	57		142	119	19	25	0	0	7	14	2	1	22	15	.210	.331	.387	.718	46	6	0	0	1	2	2	.184	83	122

In the rest of his career (OPS+ 172) Mantle hit much better with his natural righty batting. In 1968 Mantle couldn't even bunt for hits: 1 for 10 with 5 strike outs.

So why does Mantle have such a high OPS+ in his last season, even though it's considerably less than his career OPS+ 172?

BB 1968: Mantle 2nd

1.	Yastrzemski • BOS	119
2.	Mantle • NYY	106
3.	Foy • BOS	84
4.	McAuliffe • DET	82
5.	Andrews • BOS	81
6.	Ward • CHW	76
	Tresh • NYY	76
8.	Robinson • BAL	73
	White • NYY	73
	Powell • BAL	73

Mantle's 106 walks (84 batting lefty) pushed his OBP up to .385 despite only a .237 BA. 1968 AL BA with pitchers still batting: .230. While .385 is far below his career .421:

OBP 1968: Mantle 3rd

1.	Yastrzemski • BOS	.426
2.	Robinson • BAL	.390
3.	Mantle • NYY	.385
4.	Monday • OAK	.371
5.	Andrews • BOS	.368
6.	Freehan • DET	.366
7.	Buford • BAL	.367	**
8.	Oliva • MIN	.357
9.	Harrelson • BOS	.356
10.	Horton • DET	.352

OPS 1968: Mantle 9th

1.	Yastrzemski • BOS	.922
2.	Horton • DET	.895
3.	Howard • WSA	.890
4.	Harrelson • BOS	.874
5.	Robinson • BAL	.834
6.	Oliva • MIN	.833
7.	Freehan • DET	.819
8.	Buford • BAL	.804	**
9.	Mantle • NYY	.782
10.	Allison • MIN	.780

OPS+ 1968: Mantle 8th

1.	Yastrzemski • BOS	171
2.	Howard • WSA	171
3.	Horton • DET	165
4.	Harrelson • BOS	155
5.	Robinson • BAL	153
6.	Oliva • MIN	145
7.	Freehan • DET	145
8.	Mantle • NYY	143
9.	Monday • OAK	141
10.	Jackson • OAK	138

1968 was the year of the pitcher. Carl Yastrzemski was the only AL batter with .300 BA: .301 But why did teams walk Mantle so much in 1968? 

Could Mickey Mantle still hit in his final season? Only in "Casino". Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Why take a chance? That's the conclusion reached in the 1995 movie Casino when the Mafia leaders are deciding the fate of Andy Stone played by Alan King. They go around the table stating what a stand-up guy Stone is until they get to the final leader, Remo, who says "Why take a chance?". They all nod in agreement and there's a quick switch to the next scene with Andy Stone being shot in a parking lot...

Mick also had career lows in:
SLG .398
OPS .784
BA righty at home: .190
SLG lefty road: .326 ...

Mantle's OPS+, boosted almost exclusively by his 106 walks, was his third worst:
1968 143
1965 137
1951 117
career 172 ...

Mantle couldn't hit righty and he couldn't even bunt. He must have been frustrated and humiliated. That's why he retired.

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