Afternoon Baseball

Top Yankees performances in the last 45 years (1962-2007):
HR: 48 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2005, 2007 (and counting)
44 -- Tino Martinez, 1997
41 -- Reggie Jackson, 1980; Jason Giambi, 2002, 2003

RBI: 145 -- Don Mattingly, 1985
141 -- Tino Martinez, 1997
134 (and counting) -- Alex Rodriguez, 2007
130 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2005
123 -- Tino Martinez, 1998; Gary Sheffield, 2005

SLG%: .651 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2007
.610 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2005
.605 -- Mickey Mantle, 1962
.603 -- Paul O'Neill, 1994

OPS: 1.091 -- Mickey Mantle, 1962
1.069 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2007
1.063 -- Paul O'Neill, 1994
1.033 -- Jason Giambi, 2002
1.031 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2005

Adjusted OPS: 181 -- Bobby Murcer, 1971
179 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2007
177 -- Paul O'Neill, 1994
174 -- Jason Giambi, 2002
172 -- Reggie Jackson, 1980

At bats per HR: 10.6 -- Alex Rodriguez, 2007
12.1 -- Jason Giambi, 2006
12.3 -- Darryl Strawberry, 1998
12.5 -- Reggie Jackson, 1980
12.6 -- Mickey Mantle, 1962; Alex Rodriguez, 2005

Did I cherry-pick these stats a bit. Absolutely. But A-Rod is having the greatest Yankee season since the Maris-Mantle home run chase. He's chasing the ghosts of Yankee history, no one else. And look at the comparisons in these lists: Mantle's 1962 MVP season, Reggie's best year in pinstripes, Jason Giambi's best two years in New York, Paul O'Neill's batting title year, and his own 2005 MVP campaign. He's passed all of those, and there's still 20+ games to go.

By the way, how good was Bobby Murcer? OPS+ of 181 in 1971 led the league, and his 169 the next year was second. Career-wise, he's a 124, right there with Jeff Kent, Jorge Posada, Derrek Lee and Derek Jeter.

Labels: Baseball, Yankees