A pandemic and the loss of Major League Baseball ownership have conspired to give us a measly regular season of 60 games by 2020. While less baseball is necessarily unwanted news, we can console ourselves with the chaos that often accompanies sample size. smaller in a sport like this
In that regard, let’s take a look at the “record book” for a season like this. That is, let’s take a look at one season records submitted by players who played in no more than 60 games in one season and by pitchers who did not work more than corresponds to a 60 game season. For the most part, you won’t find sports legends populating this list, but you’ll find some interesting statistical goals for the top players as the 2020 season (expected) is heading towards us. In the act!
Hits: 81, Reb Russell, Pirates, 1922
In the early teens and beyond, Russell was a promising left-handed pitcher for the White Sox, but an arm injury ended his mound career not long after he turned 30. Russell attempted a succession of comebacks, but those efforts came to worth. While trying to revive his career as a pitcher in the minors, Russell spent occasional time in the outfield. Eventually, he resigned himself to a career as a car assembler in Indianapolis, but the visiting Minneapolis Millers considered him an emergency backup for a game. Impressed by what they saw at Russell, they signed him for the rest of the season. Russell prospered for Minneapolis the rest of the way and was even better for a full season in 1921. Another hot start for the Millers in 1922 led the Pirates to call him in July as the leading half of a right field squad. Russell, 33, played 60 games for the Pirates in ’22, and in addition to those 81 hits, he hit .368 / .423 / .668 in 60 games. Russell was solid enough for the Pirates again in 1923, but was eventually released. He persisted in the minors and remained a productive hitter at that level through his thirties. Without a doubt, motivating Russell’s stubbornness was the possibility that he made this list almost a century later. Happy to help.
Tied for second on the list with 68 hits each are Jose Reyes in 2016 and Hall of Fame member Willie McCovey in 1959.
More likely to break it in 2020: We’ll go with Jose Altuve of the Astros, given that he accumulated 103 hits in a span of 60 games during the 2017 season.
Batting average: .374, Earle Brucker, Athletics, 1938
For hitter statistics, we stipulate no more than 60 games played and a minimum of 186 plate appearances during the season in question (i.e., qualifying status for a 60-game season). Nicknamed “Canyon Pants” (note: not true), Brucker was a catcher for Connie Mack’s squad and a backup for Frankie Hayes. He had a long career in the minor leagues and missed almost three full seasons due to arm problems. That explains why Brucker in 1937 was a 36-year-old rookie. The following year, he hit .374 / .437 / .561 in 53 games. Despite limited playing time, it ended near the end of a voter’s AL MVP ballot.
More likely to break it in 2020: Christian Yelich of the Brewers.
OPS +: 188, Willie McCovey, Giants, 1959
The bright McCovey was a 21-year-old rookie for the Giants in ’59. At the end of July he landed definitively in the majors, and in 53 games that season he hit .354 / .429 / .656 with 13 home runs and that robust OPS + seen above. Although McCovey only came to the plate 219 times, he still claimed unanimous honors for National League Rookie of the Year.
More likely to break it in 2020: No need to be cute. We will go with Mike Trout from Los Angeles.
Home runs: 24, Matt Olson, Athletics, 2017
Yes, here is a current star that graces our list. Olson was a 23-year-old rookie in 2017, and his 59 games played spanned multiple calls before definitively establishing himself as a great permanent player in early August. During those 59 games, Olson hit .259 / .352 / .651 with, as noted, 24 home runs. He accumulated those 24 home runs in just 310 at-bats.
Do you know who the home run leader is in exactly 60 games played in one season? That would be Tony Clark at 13 in 2000. Clark, of course, is the current head of the Players Association and a name that has firmly stuck in the cycle of the latest news.
More likely to break it in 2020: Trout again.
Doubles: 18, Bubba Trammel, Devil Rays, 1998; Bo Bichette, Tiles, 2019
Wonderfully named and chronically useful Bubba Trammell scored his 18 doubles in 59 games that year. Bichette, of course, made a rookie touch for the Jays last season, reaching 18 doubles in just 46 games and 196 at-bats. Shortly after his call in late July, Bichette doubled in nine consecutive games.
More likely to break it in 2020: Venerable stunt machine Nick Castellanos de los Rojos is the choice here.
Triples: 8, Reb Russell, Pirates, 1922
In fact, Russell makes his second appearance in this ledger. Overall, only 28 players have managed to record more than a triple in a season in which they played 60 games or less.
More likely to break it in 2020: This is not a triple era, so consider this remote possibility of breaking. That said, we will go with Ozzie Albies de los Bravos.
RBI: 75, Reb Russell, Pirates, 1922
Russell’s 75 ribs lead this category by cavernous proportions. Second on the list is Karim García (2002) at 52 RBI. Do you remember Aristides Acquino and his departure in 2019? The Reds hitter is fourth on the RBI list with 47 in 56 games played.
More likely to break it in 2020Let’s say Cody Bellinger, the cleanup hitter for perhaps the best offense in baseball.
Runs scored: 51, Reb Russell, Pirates, 1922
The Reb Russell Invitational continues apace. As for players of a more recent vintage, Andrew McCutchen’s 2019 season with the Phillies was cut short due to a torn ACL after just 59 games. Over those productive 59 games, he racked up 45 RBIs, which is tied for third on this particular list.
More likely to break it in 2020: Mookie Betts, a newcomer to the Dodgers, is.
Stolen Bases: 16, Eric Davis, Reds, 1985
In the absence of injuries, Davis would have been a member of the Hall of Fame. Really as he was, he stands out as a highly productive player and one of the most exciting players of his time during his main seasons. The 1985 season sparked Davis’ second straight partial season in the big leagues, and set the mood high by stealing second and third base on consecutive pitches against the Expos on Opening Day. The struggles at the plate, however, brought Davis back to the minors. Upon being recalled when the charts expanded in September, Davis completely abused the ball the rest of the way.
More likely to break it in 2020: Mallex Smith of the Mariners.
Strikeouts: 96, Javier Baez, Cubs, 2014
It is not surprising to see a contemporary player leading this category, as strikeout rates have soared in recent years. Baez was called up in early August from his rookie campaign and only needed 52 games to approach 100 strikeouts. Báez’s contact problems have persisted to this day, but thanks to his power, base value and excellent defense, he remains an outstanding player despite swing and foul.
More likely to break it in 2020: Keep it simple and go with Eugenio Suárez, the MLB strikeout leader for 2019.
WAR: 3.3, Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays, 2011
Thanks to a .293 / .373 / .580 cut line, no GIDP, strong base run and excellent corner fielding, Lawrie in his 2011 rookie season was able to create a 3.3 WAR in just 43 games played. It’s also noteworthy that Yankees wide receiver Gary Sanchez comes in fourth with a 3.0 WAR in 53 games in 2016.
More likely to break it in 2020: Trout, natch.
On the pitching front, we need to tweak our parameters a bit. For starters, we’ll limit our pool of eligibles to those with no more than 12 starts in a season (and for rate-based metrics, at least 60 IPs, the number that qualifies for 2020). For relievers, we will limit it to those with no more than 25 appearances in a season.
Wins: 9, Ken Holtzman, Cubs, 1967
The underrated left-hander Holtzman was healthy in ’67, but lost significant time that season due to National Guard duty that began after his first eight starts of the season. He was able to make four more starts for the Cubs down the stretch during the weekend passes. In the end, Holtzman shot a 2.53 ERA in 12 starts with a 9-0 record.
More likely to break it in 2020: Predicting that the pitcher wins is silly, but we’ll give it to Walker Buehler of the Dodgers.
Strikeout: 92, Stephen Strasburg, Nationals, 2010
Among the pitchers who will pitch in no more than 12 games in a season, Strasburg leads all newcomers with 92 strikeouts in 68 innings as a rookie. Those numbers include his MLB debut on June 8, 2010, when he struck out 14 Pirates in seven innings without walking.
More likely to break it in 2020: Gerrit Cole, New Yankees Ace.
Home runs allowed: 18, Jerad Eickhoff, Phillies, 2019
When the subject has power, provided or allowed, we expect to see a current player, and so it is with allowed home runs. Last season, Eickhoff in just 58 1/3 innings (10 starts and a couple of relief appearances) managed to allow, yes, 18 home runs. Surprisingly, the 18 home runs came in his last 28 1/3 innings.
More likely to break it in 2020: Justin Verlander of the Astros.
Stops: 13, Ryan Kohlmeier, Orioles, 2000
Kohlmeier lasted only two seasons in the major leagues, but his rookie effort was such that he tore this list apart. In 2000, he pitched 25 games (the maximum allowed for these purposes) and posted a 2.39 ERA. Along the way, he converted 13 of 14 chances to save.
More likely to break it in 2020: Aroldis Chapman of the Yankees.
ERA: 1.64, Josh Johnson, Marlins, 2011
Among those with no more than 12 appearances and at least 60 innings in one season (to keep the focus on the headlines), Johnson leads all newcomers in ERA. Johnson’s 2011 season ended in mid-May due to shoulder problems, but he had time to make nine dominant starts for Florida. The Cardinals’ Alex Reyes would have been the leader in this category (1.57 ERA in 2016 in five starts and seven relief appearances), but his 46 1/3 innings do not reach qualifying status.
More likely to break it in 2020: Jacob deGrom of the Mets.
WAR: 3.8, Cliff Curtis, Palomas (Braves), 1909
Curtis, a right-hander who did not decipher the majors until he was 27, accumulated that 3.8 War despite not having been called until the end of August. In nine starts and one relief appearance, Curtis worked 83 innings with a 1.41 ERA and one home run allowed (assist: Age of Deadball). The following season, Curtis lost 24 games to the pigeons. On the positive side, that same year he married a woman named Flo Van Sickle.
More likely to break it in 2020: deGrom.
