With approximately 30 games left in the 2014 season (give or take a game or two depending on the team), it appears 2014 will not see any new members of the 30-30 (HRs-SBs) Club. At this point, the player with the best chance at 30-30 is the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez (.286, with 21 home runs and 28 steals). Only one other player is even at the 20-20 mark – Twins’ second baseman Brian Dozier (.236, with 20 homers and 20 steals). MLB’s last 30-30 seasons were achieved in 2012 by Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun and Angels’ outfielder Mike Trout.
Here are few facts about the 30-30 club.
Bobby Bonds notched an MLB-record five 30-30 seasons – matched only by his son Barry.
In MLB history, there have been sixty 30-30 seasons – achieved by 38 players (13 players have recorded multiple 30-30 seasons). Of those 38 Club members, 26 have been outfielders, four have been shortstops, three second baseman, three third baseman, two first baseman and zero catchers. This count is not precise, as Alfonso Soriano is counted among the second baseman, although he achieved 30-30 as both a second baseman (three times) and as an outfielder (once). In addition, Joe Carter is listed among first baseman – having played the majority of his 1987 30-30 season at that position (84 games), while also logging 62 games in the outfield.
The 30-30 Club includes 26 right-handed hitters, eight who hit from the left side and four switch hitters.
Saint Louis Browns’ left-handed hitting outfielder Ken Williams became the first-ever member of the 30-30 Club in 1922 (at age 32, in his seventh MLB season), when he hit .332 with 39 home runs and 37 steals – while also leading the AL in RBI with 155 (still the most RBI ever in a 30-30 campaign). Williams struck out only 31 times that season, which remains the lowest strikeout total ever in a 30-30 season.
In 1956, New York Giants’ center fielder Willie Mays became the second member of the 30-30 Club (.296, with 36 homers and 40 steals) and the first right-handed hitter to have a 30-30 season. Mays also became the first player to log consecutive 30-30 seasons – with a .333, 35-home run, 38-steal campaign in 1957. The current record for consecutive 30-30 seasons is three (Barry Bonds, 1995, 1996, 1997). Other players with two consecutive 30-30 seasons are: Ron Gant (1990, 1991), Vladimir Guerrero (2001, 2002), Alfonso Soriano (2002, 2003 and 2005, 2006) and Ryan Braun (2011, 2012).
Bobby Bonds broke into the 30-30 Club in 1969, his first full major league season (he had been called up by the Giants in late June of 1968). In 1969, Bonds put up 32 homers, 45 steals and a .259 average. Bonds went on to set the record of five 30-30 seasons (1969, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978). The record was later tied by his son, Barry Bonds, who notched 30-30 seasons in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Currently active, Alfonso Soriano has four 30-30 campaigns (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006). Next on the list with three 30-30 seasons is Howard Johnson (1987, 1989 and 1991).
Bobby Bonds also achieved 30-30 seasons with more different teams than any other player: The Giants (1969 & 1973), the Yankees (1975), the Angels (1977) and the White Sox/Rangers (1978). In the process, he became the first player to log a 30-30 season in both the NL and the AL (later to be joined by his son Barry and Alfonso Soriano with that distinction), as well as the first player to log a 30-30 campaign while playing with two teams. In 2004, Carlos Beltran became the first player to log a 30-30 season while playing in both leagues (69 games with the Royals and 90 with the Astros).
In 1970, Tommy Harper recorded MLB’s sixth 30-30 season and the first by a non-outfielder (Harper played 128 games at third base, 22 at second and 13 in the outfield).
The first season to see more than one 30-30 player was 1987, when Joe Carter, Eric Davis, Howard Johnson and Daryl Strawberry all reached the milestone. Johnson and Strawberry, both with the Mets, also became the first teammates to achieve 30-30 status in the same season. Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette of the 1996 Colorado Rockies are the only other teammates to put together 30-30 seasons in the same campaign. Four remains the single-season high for 30-30 players, accomplished in: 1996 (Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin); 1997 (Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Raul Mondesi, Larry Walker) and 2011 (Ryan Braun, Jacob Ellsbury, Matt Kemp, Ian Kinsler).
Jose Canseco – first member of the 40-40 Club.
In 1988, Oakland A’s outfielder Jose Canseco started a new, even more exclusive, club – the 40-40 Club – when he hit .307, with 42 homers and 40 steals. Giants’ outfielder Barry Bonds joined Canseco at 40-40 in 1996, with a .306 season, featuring 42 home runs and 40 steals. Alex Rodriguez (then handling shortstop for the Seattle Mariners) went 40-40 in 1998 (.310, with 42 homers and 46 stolen bases). The most recent member of the 40-40 club is Alfonso Soriano (Washington Nationals, outfielder), who hit .277, with 46 home runs and 41 steals in 2006. Notably, Soriano earlier joined the 30-30 club as a second baseman (2002, 2003, 2005). Note: In 2011, Dodgers’ outfield Matt Kemp made a run at the 40-40 club, finishing with 40 steals and 39 home runs.
In 1996, Barry Larkin become the first shortstop to log a 30-30 season, with a .298, 33-home run, 36-steal year. (Note: Howard Johnson, primarily a third baseman, did play 30+ games at shortstop in both his 1987 and 1989 30-30 seasons.)
Before we get to a list of 30-30 seasons, here are a few more factoids:
- Fewest at bats in a 30-30 season: 437 – Barry Bonds (1992)
- Highest average in a 30-30 season: .366 – Larry Walker (1997)
- Lowest average in a 30-30 season: .251 – Ron Gant (1991)
- Most HRs in a 30-30 season: 49 – Larry Walker (1997)
- Most steals in a 30-30 season: 52 – Barry Bonds (1990)
- Most RBI in a 30-30 season: 155 – Ken Williams (1922)
- Fewest RBI in a 30-30 season: 67 – Hanley Ramirez (2008)
- Most runs scored in a 30-30 season: 143 – Larry Walker (1997), Jeff Bagwell (1999)
- Fewest runs scored in a 30-30 season: 83 – Joe Carter (1987)
- Most strikeouts in a 30-30 season: 187 – Bobby Bonds 1969), Preston Wilson (2000)
- Fewest strikeouts in a 30-30 season: 31 – Ken Williams (1922)
The 30–30 Club – 40-40 seasons in red
Year Name HR SB
1922 Ken Williams, Browns 39 37
1956 Willie Mays, Giants 36 40
1957 Willie Mays, Giants 35 38
1963 Hank Aaron, Braves 44 31
1969 Bobby Bonds, Giants 32 45
1970 Tommy Harper, Brewers 31 38
1973 Bobby Bonds, Giants 39 43
1975 Bobby Bonds, Yankees 32 30
1977 Bobby Bonds, Angels 37 41
1978 Bobby Bonds, CWS/Texas 31 43
1983 Dale Murphy, Braves 36 30
1987 Joe Carter, Indians 32 31
1987 Eric Davis, Reds 37 50
1987 Howard Johnson, Mets 36 32
1987 Darryl Strawberry, Mets 39 36
1988 José Canseco, A’s 42 40
1989 Howard Johnson, Mets 36 41
1990 Barry Bonds, Pirates 33 52
1990 Ron Gant, Braves 32 33
1991 Ron Gant, Braves 32 34
1991 Howard Johnson, Mets 38 30
1992 Barry Bonds, Pirates 34 39
1993 Sammy Sosa, Cubs 33 36
1995 Barry Bonds, Giants 33 31
1995 Sammy Sosa, Cubs 36 34
1996 Dante Bichette, Rockies 31 31
1996 Barry Bonds, Giants 42 40
1996 Ellis Burks, Rockies 40 32
1996 Barry Larkin, Reds 33 36
1997 Jeff Bagwell, Astros 43 31
1997 Barry Bonds, Giants 40 37
1997 Raúl Mondesí, Dodgers 30 32
1997 Larry Walker, Rockies 49 33
1998 Shawn Green, Blue Jays 35 35
1998 Alex Rodriguez, Mariners 42 46
1999 Jeff Bagwell, Astros 42 30
1999 Raúl Mondesí, Dodgers 33 36
2000 Preston Wilson, Marlins 31 36
2001 Bobby Abreu, Phillies 31 36
2001 José Cruz, Jr., Blue Jays 34 32
2001 Vladimir Guerrero, Expos 34 37
2002 Vladimir Guerrero, Expos 39 40
2002 Alfonso Soriano, Yankees 39 41
2003 Alfonso Soriano, Yankees 38 35
2004 Bobby Abreu, Phillies 30 40
2004 Carlos Beltrán, KC/Hous 38 42
2005 Alfonso Soriano, Rangers 36 30
2006 Alfonso Soriano, Nationals 46 41
2007 David Wright, Mets 30 34
2007 Jimmy Rollins, Phillies 30 41
2007 Brandon Phillips, Reds 30 32
2008 Grady Sizemore, Indians 33 38
2008 Hanley Ramírez, Marlins 33 35
2009 Ian Kinsler, Rangers 31 30
2011 Matt Kemp, Dodgers 39 40
2011 Ryan Braun, Brewers 33 33
2011 Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox 32 39
2011 Ian Kinsler, Rangers 32 30
2012 Ryan Braun, Brewers 41 30
2012 Mike Trout, Angels 30 49
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