A Collection of Career Batting Leaderboard Tidbits

Some interesting observations from the career leaderboards

Larry Walker (with only ~400 more plate appearances) ranks higher than Mark McGwire. Throw in defense and positional considerations and there’s a legitimate case to make that Walker was the more valuable player despite lacking the accolades and popularity of McGwire. If you consider McGwire a Hall of Famer, I think you have to include Walker as one too.

Manny Ramirez could potentially break into the top 15 over the next two seasons and should pass Billy Hamilton for 20th all-time this season. Alex Rodriguez is likely to pass Carl Yastrzemski for 24th all-time as Rodriguez essentially tails Manny.

Brian Giles will never replace Tony Gwynn as Mr. Padre, but Giles one-upped Gwynn last season by accumulating 393 career wRAA, one more than Gwynn. Speaking of misters, Ernie Banks sits two runs above Sammy Sosa.

Jay Buhner and Ray Lankford rank back-to-back. I think that is appropriate.

Dusty Baker and John Kruk rank back-to-back. I think that is appropriate.

A former Yankees first baseman and a new Yankees first baseman take slots 329 and 330 as John Mayberry and Mark Teixeira sit just shy of 200 career runs.

Albert Pujols has the chance to pass Shoeless Joe Jackson, Wade Boggs, Duke Snider, George Brett, and Reggie Jackson within the next season. Pujols needs about 60 wRAA to crack the top 50 all-time. CHONE has Pujols projected at 63 wRAA, ZiPS is about the same, and Marcels says 47. In other words; there’s a real, real good chance it happens this year.

Bill Bergen, Alfredo Griffin, Ozzie Guillen, Tommy Corcoran, and Tommy Thevenow round out the list as the worst hitters. The lesson to be taken from this is to simply not name your son Tommy.

Oh, and how’s this for fun. If Evan Longoria wants to break Babe Ruth’s all-time wRAA record, he needs to get a move on. It would take Longoria about 70 consecutive seasons of Longoria’s 2008 to reach Ruth. Longoria figures to top Ruth and celebrate a 100th birthday within the same decade.