Joe Sewell: best career BB/SO ratio in AL or NL 1903-2021. 87% better than #2 Mickey Cochrane.

Joe Sewell

Positions: Shortstop and Third Baseman

Bats: Left  •  Throws: Right

5-6, 155lb (168cm, 70kg)

Born: October 9, 1898 in Titus, AL us

https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/sewell-joe

Joseph Wheeler Sewell
Inducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1977
Primary team: Cleveland Indians
Primary position: Shortstop

... helped the Indians win the 1920 World Series title.

Within a few seasons, Sewell had established himself as the game's toughest batter to strikeout. Sewell fanned 20 times in 558 at-bats during the 1922 season, and that would be his career high. He never even reached double-digits in strikeouts in any of his last nine seasons. During the 1929 season, Sewell went 115 games between punchouts. He ended his career with a rate of 62.6 at-bats per strikeout...

He shifted to third base in 1929 and, after signing with the Yankees in 1931, was the regular third baseman for the Yankees club that won the 1932 World Series.

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In the Regular Season, from 1903 to 2021 (as of August 24), Playing in the AL or NL, At least 5000 Plate Appearances, requiring Bases on Balls >= 3.0 × Strikeouts, sorted by greatest Bases on Balls.

https://stathead.com/tiny/W2Dzs via https://www.baseball-reference.com/

Eleven batters had career BB/SO ratio >= 3.0, i.e., three times as many BB as SO. Joe Sewell had the incredible ratio of 7.4 BB per SO!

The spreadsheet below and at this link includes the column BB/SO: greater than 1 means more BB than SO; less than 1 means more SO than BB.

Sorted by career BB/SO; Rk is the rank in this group in BB:

Tris Speaker is by far the best hitter in this group. Nellie Fox played his entire career after World War II (last year 1945).

Rk	Player	BB	SO	BB/SO	PA	From	To	Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Player
8	Joe Sewell	842	114	7.386	8,333	1920	1933	21-34	1,903	7,132	1,141	2,226	436	68	49	1,054	.312	.391	.413	.804	Joe Sewell
7	Mickey Cochrane	857	217	3.949	6,211	1925	1937	22-34	1,482	5,169	1,041	1,652	333	64	119	830	.320	.419	.478	.897	Mickey Cochrane
11	Tommy Holmes	480	122	3.934	5,566	1942	1952	25-35	1,320	4,992	698	1,507	292	47	88	581	.302	.366	.432	.798	Tommy Holmes
2	Tris Speaker	1,381	393	3.514	12,020	1907	1928	19-40	2,789	10,195	1,882	3,514	792	222	117	1,531	.345	.428	.500	.928	Tris Speaker
5	Arky Vaughan	937	276	3.395	7,723	1932	1948	20-36	1,817	6,622	1,173	2,103	356	128	96	926	.318	.406	.454	.859	Arky Vaughan
6	Rick Ferrell	931	277	3.361	7,076	1929	1947	23-41	1,884	6,028	687	1,692	324	45	28	734	.281	.378	.363	.741	Rick Ferrell
9	Nellie Fox	719	216	3.329	10,351	1947	1965	19-37	2,367	9,232	1,279	2,663	355	112	35	790	.289	.348	.363	.710	Nellie Fox
4	Elmer Valo	942	284	3.317	6,092	1940	1961	19-40	1,806	5,029	768	1,420	228	73	58	601	.282	.398	.391	.790	Elmer Valo
1	Eddie Collins	1,499	467	3.210	12,087	1906	1930	19-43	2,826	9,949	1,821	3,315	438	187	47	1,299	.333	.424	.429	.853	Eddie Collins
3	Charlie Gehringer	1,186	372	3.188	10,245	1924	1942	21-39	2,323	8,860	1,775	2,839	574	146	184	1,427	.320	.404	.481	.884	Charlie Gehringer
10	Johnny Pesky	662	218	3.037	5,516	1942	1954	23-35	1,270	4,745	867	1,455	226	50	17	404	.307	.394	.386	.780	Johnny Pesky
	min	480	114	3.037	5,516				1,270	4,745	687	1,420	226	45	17	404	.281	.348	.363	.710	min
	max	1,499	467	7.386	12,087				2,826	10,195	1,882	3,514	792	222	184	1,531	.345	.428	.500	.928	max
	average	949	269	3.784	8,293				1,981	7,087	1,194	2,217	396	104	76	925	.310	.396	.426	.822	average

BB and SO: 1903-2021 from the AL and NL and ONLY the AL and NL. Sunday, August 22, 2021

1950 is the most recent season when the combined AL and NL BB (Bases on Balls) exceeded their SO (Strike Outs).

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Most career BB in AL or NL: BB/SO ratio. Monday, August 23, 2021

The champ (BB/SO) is: Tris Speaker

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Most season BB in AL or NL: BB/SO ratio. And Buck Showalter Walks Barry Bonds With Bases Loaded. Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Joe DiMaggio 80 in 1950 (see below) (age 35); 33 SO. 1941: 76 BB, 13 SO: 5.846 ratio; 56 game hitting streak.

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2019 (most recent full season) most BB in AL or NL: BB/SO ratio. Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Buck Showalter intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the Bases Loaded in 1998 based on Buck's ignorance of the data. Wednesday, August 25, 2021

475 career home runs in AL or NL: BB/SO ratio. Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Ted Williams has the highest BB/SO ratio in this group.

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