OPS+ top five careers 1951-1980: Mantle, Allen, Mays, Aaron, Robinson.

Mickey Mantle 1954 Bowman

Hank Aaron

1974

Willie Mays 1954 Baseball Digest

Photos public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Minimum OPS+ 154 (54% above league average), 7,300 PA. Data from stathead.com via baseball-reference.com. Glossary below.

1980 was chosen as the last year to include Willie McCovey 1959-1980: career OPS+ 147. 1951-1980 includes the entire careers of the top five hitters. Dick Allen is a bit of a surprise.

Rk	Player	OPS+	SLG	BA	HR	PA	OBP	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	SH	SF	GDP	SB	CS	OPS	Pos	Tm
1	Mickey Mantle	172	.557	.298	536	9910	.421	1951	1968	19-36	2401	8102	1676	2415	344	72	1509	1733	148	1710	13	14	47	113	153	38	.977	*8397H/645	NYY
2	Dick Allen	156	.534	.292	351	7315	.378	1963	1977	21-35	1749	6332	1099	1848	320	79	1119	894	138	1556	16	19	53	164	133	52	.912	357/H46D8	PHI-STL-LAD-CHW-OAK
3	Willie Mays	156	.557	.302	660	12497	.384	1951	1973	20-42	2992	10881	2062	3283	523	140	1903	1464	214	1526	44	13	91	251	338	103	.941	*8H/39675	NYG-SFG-NYM
4	Hank Aaron	155	.555	.305	755	13941	.374	1954	1976	20-42	3298	12364	2174	3771	624	98	2297	1402	293	1383	32	21	121	328	240	73	.928	*9783DH/45	MLN-ATL-MIL
5	Frank Robinson	154	.537	.294	586	11744	.389	1956	1976	20-40	2808	10006	1829	2943	528	72	1812	1420	218	1532	198	17	102	270	204

High ranks in two decades 1950s-2010s:

Mantle: 2,1

Mays: 4,5

Aaron: 6,4

Dick Allen: 3,2

Schmidt: 7,1

Bonds: 1,1

OPS+ On Base average Plus Slugging average adjusted for years and ballparks

100*[OBP/lg OBP + SLG/lg SLG - 1]

Adjusted to the player’s ballpark(s)

BA -- Batting Average: Hits/At Bats

For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA

per team game played

OBP -- On Base "Percentage" (really average) (H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF) For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA per team game played

SLG -- Slugging average: Total Bases/At Bats or

(1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/AB

For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA

per team game played

PA -- Plate Appearances

When available, we use actual plate appearances from play-by-play game accounts

Otherwise estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,

which excludes catcher interferences.

AB -- At Bats; excludes Bases on Balls (walks)

HR -- Home Runs

OPS+ leaders for decades 1950s ... 2010s. Friday, February 12, 2021

Greatest living player: Mays, Bonds, Trout? Thursday, February 4, 2021

I'm comfortable sticking with Mays.

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