1. 1971 – Willie Mays/40
SFG: .271-82-18-61-23, oWAR 6.1, wRC+ 157
A true living legend and one of the all-time greats, Willie Mays, at 85, may still be able to swat a ball to the outfield and slide into second base with a double. Who are we to doubt him?
The Say Hey Kid terrorized pitchers for so long that they probably couldn’t help but start to respect him. In 1971, he led the NL in OBP (.425) and walks (112), the latter of which was a personal best for Mays in a season.
Considering he came only two blasts away from going 20-20 in his age 40 season and his OPS of .907 ranks second behind only Cobb’s 1927 season for players 40-plus, the former Giant is a clear cut No. 1 choice here.
However, if Ortiz continues his pace in 2016, Mays could very well be bumped from his perch. Ortiz’s current OPS would rank first if the season ended today and his wRC+ of 197 is 40 points higher than Mays’ mark from ’71.
Next: 5 biggest outlier seasons by active MLB hitters
If Big Papi has one thing working in his favor, it’s that he doesn’t need play center field every day as Mays did until he was 42.