More Home Runs Than Strikeouts
As I was browsing the new leaderboards, I noticed that Albert Pujols has the 10th fewest strikeouts among qualified players with only 43. That’s pretty damn impressive for a guy who’s hit 45 home runs this season. Actually, it’s a little more than impressive as there’s only been six other players who have more home runs than strikeouts and have hit over 40 home runs.
Name Season HR SO --------------------------------------------- Mel Ott 1929 42 38 Lou Gehrig 1934 49 31 Lou Gehrig 1936 49 46 Joe DiMaggio 1937 46 37 Johnny Mize 1947 51 42 Johnny Mize 1948 40 37 Ted Kluszewski 1953 40 34 Ted Kluszewski 1954 49 35 Ted Kluszewski 1955 47 40 *Barry Bonds 2004 45 41 * - denotes MVP Season
Only Barry Bonds has accomplished the 40-plus home run season with fewer strikeouts since 1955 and he’s the only one to win an MVP award in the same season. Hitting 30 home runs with fewer strikeouts has been slightly more rewarding in the MVP department and is still a very exclusive club.
Name Season HR SO --------------------------------------------- Ken Williams 1922 39 31 Lefty O'Doul 1929 32 19 Al Simmons 1930 36 34 Joe DiMaggio 1938 32 31 *Joe DiMaggio 1939 30 20 Joe DiMaggio 1940 31 30 Ted Williams 1941 37 27 *Joe DiMaggio 1941 30 13 Willard Marshal 1947 36 30 *Stan Musial 1948 39 34 Joe DiMaggio 1948 39 30 Andy Pafko 1950 36 32 Yogi Berra 1952 30 24 Yogi Berra 1956 30 29 Ted Kluszewski 1956 35 31 * - denotes MVP Season
Is there a point to this? Not really, but it’s fun trivia and maybe fodder for your MVP discussions.
And speaking of the MVP, a few days ago (September 9th), Ryan Howard briefly overtook Pujols for the major league lead in WPA. Before that, Pujols led the majors in WPA since April 16th (145 days). Last night’s 2-run walk-off double put Pujols back on top by a margin of 0.73 wins.
David Appelman is the creator of FanGraphs.
Joe D for his career hit 361 HR and SO 369 times.
Taking out his last season he hit 349 HR and SO 333 times. Sick.
you are the best people to get stats from
do you know where i can get pitcher pick-off statistics online ?
I searched and searched and YOU had it. The best ratio of homeruns to strikeouts. I’m a Cardinals fan and of course an Albert Pujols fan. I thought I had heard the announcer (during one of our games) say that there is a record for 50 HR vs 50 Strike Outs and I don’t remember Barry Bonds name mentioned. It was a record that had not been broken in 30-40 years. Can you add anything to this?
Johnny Mize is the only player to my knowledge that has ever hit 50 home runs and struck out less. That was way back in 1947. If Pujols can somehow manage another 4 home runs with only 4 or fewer strikeouts in the next week or so, he’ll join the club. At this late in the season, I think he’ll fall just shy of 50, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possiblity.
The thing that sticks out to me is that all of these hitters who did this were from the 20’s through the 50’s except for a possibly juiced Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols now. During these decades, the starting pitching staffs were made up of 3 or 4 starters with some relievers. I would have to assume that the starters in that era, didn’t throw 100% on every pitch like they do now since they had to tow the line every 3rd or 4th day and it was understood unless they got totally rocked, they would be finishing the game. Do you think that is why that almost all players who hit for a high average now like Ichiro, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, etc.. don’t hit many home runs and the hitters who hit tons of home runs also strike out a ton? Just wanted your opinion on this. Thanks!
Just a note to the above questioner, who was looking for pickoff statistics – I came across this page while I was looking for the same thing! The following link has them under the ‘Special Pitching’ section for each league:
http://stats.globesports.com/mlb/index.asp
Y Berra 1950
28/12
where can i find info on more career home runs than strikeouts?
With what minimum requirements? No one has done it with any significant length of career (at least not in the years where complete strikeout data is compiled).
Yogi Berra had more HR than SO, in total, 5 times in his career.
The original “Moneyball” man, showing why looking like you’re good at baseball =/= being good at baseball, and vice versa.
While he hit fewer home runs and thus didn’t make these lists, in 1980 George Brett, with only 24 HRs manged to strike out only 22 times.
An update…
Baseball Digest 2006.
Players with a minimum of 20 or more HRs in a season, and fewer Strikeouts than HRs.
Players with more HR than strikeouts, seasons: minimum 20 home runs
Baseball Digest, August, 2006
Players With More HR Than Strikeouts, Season
Minimum 20 home runs
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Year Player, Team HR SO
1922 Ken Williams, Browns 39 31
1925 Ken Williams, Browns 25 14
1930 Al Simmons, As 36 34
1932 Mickey Cochrane, A’s 23 22
1934 Lou Gehrig, Yankees 49 31
1936 Lou Gehrig, Yankees 49 46
1936 Bill Dickey, Yankees 22 16
1937 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 46 37
1937 Bill Dickey, Yankees 29 22
1938 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 32 21
1938 Bill Dickey, Yankees 27 22
1939 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 30 20
1940 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 31 30
1941 Ted Williams, Red Sox 37 27
1941 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 30 13
1946 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 25 24
1948 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees 39 30
1950 Yogi Berra, Yankees 28 12
1950 Ted Williams, Red Sox 28 21
1950 Johnny Mize, Yankees 25 24
1951 Yogi Berra, Yankees 27 20
1952 Yogi Berra, Yankees 30 24
1955 Ted Williams, Red Sox 28 24
1955 Yogi Berra, Yankees 27 20
1956 Yogi Berra, Yankees 30 29
1980 George Brett, Royals 24 22
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Year Player, Team HR so
1925 Irish Meusel, Giants 21 19
1929 Mel Ott, Giants 42 38
1929 Lefty O’Doul, Phillies 32 19
1930 Lefty O’Doul, Phillies 22 21
1932 Bill Terry, Giants 28 23
1932 Lefty O’Doul, Dodgers 21 20
1939 Ernie Lombardi, Reds 20 19
1944 Frank McCormick, Reds 20 17
1945 Tommy Holmes, Braves 28 9
1947 Johnny Mize, Giants 51 42
1947 Willard Marshall, Giants 36 30
1948 Johnny Mize, Giants 40 37
1948 Stan Musial, Cardinals 39 34
1950 Andy Pafko, Cubs 36 32
1953 Ted Kluszewski, Reds 40 34
1954 Ted Kluszewski, Reds 49 35
1955 Ted Kluszewski, Reds 47 40
1956 Ted Kluszewski, Reds 35 31
2004 Barry Bonds, Giants 45 41
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Tommy Holmes 28 & 9 in 1945, that is freakish! That’s over a 3:1 ratio.
I’ve always wondered if this list existed. Thanks for sharing!
Now I’d like to know who had more home runs than strikeouts in a season no matter how many HR’s were hit.
How about Charlie Gehringer?
1935-19 hr, 16 k
1936-15 hr, 13 k
Ted Kluszewski … 4 yrs in a row. no one else. too bad it was his only 4 healthy seasons. way underrated.