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<\/a>Photo: Tuh22823, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
Major League Baseball, in its long history and from A-to-Z (Henry Aaron to Richie Zisk), has had 2,029 player-seasons of 100 or more RBI (Baseball-Reference.com). In 2023, we saw a 100-RBI season like never before. Phillies\u2019 LF Kyle Schwarber<\/strong> became the first MLB player ever to drive in 100 or more runs in a season when his batting average was below.200. (As a sidenote: Three of the five lowest averages in 100+ RBI season occurred in 2023.)<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>It was Schwarber\u2019s first 100-RBI season in a nine-season MLB career (2015-23 \u2026 Cubs, Nationals, Red Sox, Phillies). During the season, he went .197-47-104, with 108 runs scored \u2013 reaching career highs in home runs, RBI and runs (and leading the NL with a career-high 215 strikeouts).<\/p>\n Over his career, the two-time All Star has put up a .227-246-548 stat line.<\/p>\n Another Schwarber Oddity<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Kyle Schwarber has a share of the record for most home runs in a season without reaching 100 RBI<\/em>. In 2022, Schwarber went .218-46-94 for the Phillies, joining Alfonso Soriano who went .277-46-95 for the Nationals in 2006.<\/p>\n Overall, there have been 31 MLB seasons of forty or more homers and fewer than 100 MBI. Just five players have two such seasons:<\/p>\n Well, as always, with Baseball Roundtable “one thing led to another,” and I began a search for more 100-RBI seasons rarities and oddities. (No baseball, too much time on my hands.)<\/p>\n First Up, Another 2023 Rarity – Fewest Base Hits in a 100-RBI Season \u2013 102<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 2023, Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy<\/strong> put up a .212-36-105 season \u2013 collecting just 102 base hits (the fewest ever in an MLB 100-RBI campaign). It was Muncy\u2019s first-ever 100-RBI season (in eight MLB seasons). To date, Muncy\u2019s career stat line is .227-180-489.<\/p>\n A few other tidbits:<\/p>\n The Highest Batting Average in a Sub-100 RBI Season (some qualifiers) \u2026 .424<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The highest batting average (using a minimum of 400 plate appearances) in sub-100 RBI season is .424 by Willie Keeler<\/strong>, 1897 Baltimore Orioles (.4237) and Rogers Hornsby<\/strong> 1924 Cardinals (.42350).\u00a0 Keeler had 74 RBI in 129 games, Hornsby had 94 RBI in 143\u00a0 contests.\u00a0 Note: I used 450 at bats because of the discrepancy in season lengths. For example, if you used players qualifying for the batting title, the highest average without 100 RBI would be Levi Meyerle of the 1871 National Association Philadelphia Athletics. However, the Athletics played just 28 games that season. Meyerle had a .492 average and 40 RBI in 26 games, 132 plate appearances.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Rookies Hitting Cookies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ted William holds the all-time MLB rookie-season RBI record with 145 in 1939. Photo: wild mercury<\/a> There have been 44 players who have driven in 100 or more runs in a \u201crookie\u201d season, with 22 of those in their debut season. (Rookie status can roll over to another season based on days on the roster, number of at bats or number of innings pitched.)\u00a0 Twelve of those rookies have won the Rookie of the Year award. (Twenty players have recorded 100 or more RBI in their rookie season since the ROY Award was established.)<\/p>\n As the chart below shows, their 100-RBI rookie season was the only career 100-RBI season for 11 of the 44 players who recorded 100 or more RBI in a rookie campaign.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Going Out On Top … Or Not<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n On November 18, 2015, Red Sox DH David Ortiz<\/strong> (on his fortieth birthday) announced that the 2016 MLB season would be his last as a player. The following year, he went out on top – with a .315-38-127, becoming one of just five players to record 100 or more RBI in their final MLB campaign. Here is the list:<\/p>\n The not so much on top? Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch had their careers cut short due to the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Injuries also played a role in adding two players to this list: Albert Belle (osteoarthritis – hip) and David Orr (Stro9ke).<\/p>\n Fewest Games Played in a 100-RBI Season \u2013 69<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n JOSH GIBSON Photo: Harrison Studio, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n In 1943, Josh Gibson<\/strong> went .466-20-109 in 69 games for the Negro National League II Homestead Grays. That season, the Hall of Famer led the league in runs (93), hits (116), doubles (22), home runs (20), RBI (109) walks (52) and total bases (216).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>Something Old Something New<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The oldest player to record a 100-RBI season was 42-year-old Cap Anson<\/strong> of the 1894 Chicago Cubs.<\/p>\n Six players recorded season of of 100 or more RBI in their age-20 season: Ty Cobb<\/strong>, Al Kaline<\/strong>, Mel Ott<\/strong>, Alex Rodriguez,<\/strong>\u00a0 Juan Soto<\/strong> and Ted Williams<\/strong>.\u00a0 Moving on to months and days, the youngest of those was Ott, who went .328-42-151 for the 1929 Giants. It was, by the way, Ott\u2019s fourth MLB season. Ott played 209 MLB games before his twentieth birthday – going .318-19-100 over three seasons.<\/p>\n The Saga of Jack Reed … One RBI\/106 Games … One Memorable Home Run<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 1963, 30-year-old Jack Reed was in his third MLB season as a reserve outfielder\/defensive replacement for the New York Yankees.\u00a0 He replaced Mickey Mantle in the field often enough that he was known in some circles as \u201cMickey Mantle’s Caddie.”\u00a0 In 1963, he played in 106 games, had just 82 plate appearances (73 at bats) and hit .205-0-1 \u2026 recording the fewest RBI ever for a player who appeared in 100 or more games. \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n However, Reed’s brightest moment in the major leagues came at the plate, not in the garden. On June 24, 1962, Reed hit the only home run of his MLB career (1961-63). It was a two-run shot off Tigers’ reliever Phil Regan in the top of the 22nd<\/sup> inning \u2013 the game winner in the longest game in Yankee history. Reed had replaced Joe Pepitone (who had earlier replaced Mickey Mantle) in RF in the thirteenth inning. Reed\u2019s career stats line (222 games) was .233-1-6. Often used as a pinch runner, he scored 39 runs and stole seven bases. In that 1962 season, Reed went .302-1-4 in 88 games (48 plate appearances.) \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Most hits in a Sub-100 RBI Season \u2013 262<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Matt McGee<\/a> In 2004, Mariners’ RF Ichiro Suzuki<\/strong> rapped out an MLB single-season record 262 base hits \u2013 but collected just 60 RBI, He hit .373 for the season and 225 of his 262 hits were singles. \u00a0Suzuki, who had ten MLB seasons of 200 or more hits and 3,089 hits in 19 MLB seasons, never drove in more than 69 runs in a season.<\/p>\n In MLB history, there have been 539 player-seasons of 200 or more hits, with 54 percent (292) of those seasons seeing the player record fewer than 100 RBI. In a combined 100 seasons, the players on the above list had 43 seasons of 200 or more hits and just one 100-RBI campaign. (In 1999, Derek Jeter had 219 hits and 102 RBI).<\/p>\n Lloyd Waner of the 1927 Pirates recorded the fewest RBI in an MLB season of 200 or more hits. That season, he hit .355, with 223 hits, but recorded only 27 RBI. <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Most Strikeouts in a 100-RBI Season – 223<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Just five players have recorded 200 or more whiffs in a 100-RBI season:<\/p>\n Fewest Strikeouts in a 100-RBI Season – Three<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In 1894, The Giants\u2019 Jack Doyle<\/strong> drove in 103 runs in 103 games. He hit .368-3-103 and fanned just three times in 471 plate appearances.<\/p>\n Post-1900:<\/em>\u00a0 The 1902 Athletics\u2019 Lave Cross<\/strong> hit .342-0-108 and whiffed just four times in 597 plate appearances.<\/p>\n Get \u2018Em On \u2013 I\u2019ll Bring \u2018Em Home<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Among players with at least 100 RBI in a season, Al Simmons (1930 Athletics) had the highest batting average with runners in scoring position at .436 (85-for-195). When he came to the plate without runners in scoring position, he hit .351. His overall stat line .381-36-165.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Fewest Home Runs in a 100-RBI Season\u00a0 – Zero<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Hughie Jennings<\/strong> (.401-0-121 for the 1896 Baltimore Orioles) and Lave Cross<\/strong> (.342-0-108 for the 1902 Athletics) are the only MLB players to record a 100-RBI season with zero round trippers.<\/span><\/p>\n Most Players with 100 or More RBI on a Team in the Same Season – Five\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 1936 Yankees:<\/strong>\u00a0C Bill Dickey<\/strong> (107);\u00a0 1B Lou Gehrig<\/strong> (152); 2B Tony Lazzeri<\/strong> (109); RF George Selkirk<\/strong> (107); CF Joe DiMaggio<\/strong> (125)<\/p>\n 1894 Orioles<\/strong> (NL): 1B Dan Brouthers <\/strong>(128); 2B Henry Reitz <\/strong>(105); SS Hughie Jennings<\/strong> (109); CF Steve Brodie<\/strong> (113);\u00a0 LF<\/strong> Joe Kelly<\/strong> (111).<\/p>\n 1894 Boston<\/strong> (NL); 1B Tommy Tucker<\/strong> (100); 2B Bobby Lowe<\/strong> (115); OF Jimmy Bannon<\/strong> (114); OF\u00a0 Hugh Duffy<\/strong> (145); OF Tommy McCarthy<\/strong> (126).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The Most 100-RBI Seasons<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Primary Resource:\u00a0<\/em> Baseball-Reference.com<\/p>\n A REMINDER … .<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There is still time to cast your vote(s) in the Baseball Roundtable (unofficial) 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Fan Balloting (and qualify for the prize drawing).\u00a0 Click here<\/a> to go directly to the ballot.\u00a0 Click here<\/a> for a post taking a look at the careers of the players on the ballot.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.<\/strong><\/p>\n Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply<\/em> Top 66 Baseball Sites list.\u00a0 For the full list, click here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot<\/em> list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.\u00a0 To see the full list, click\u00a0here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT<\/h3>\n