MLB all-time: Top 10 Greatest DH Seasons of All Time, Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we announced the 10 – 6 ranked greatest DH seasons of MLB all-time. It’s time to reveal the top 5 greatest seasons for a DH of all time.

On April 6, 1973, before stepping up to the batters box against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, Ron Blomberg, who is far from being consider one of the greatest designated hitters of MLB all-time, sought the advice of Yankees veteran Elston Howard.  It was the first time a designated hitter (DH) would be used in a baseball game. Howard’s advice to Blomberg, according to Baseball A History of America’s Favorite Game, “Go hit and then sit down.”

That just about sums it up.

That is why, as stated in Part 1 of this post, we used the following SIX criteria to determine who had the greatest season for a DH of all time:

1. Must have been DH 51% of games that season
2. Ability to get on base – On Base Percentage (OBP)
3. Ability to hit for power – Slugging Percentage (SLG)
4. Ability to score runs – Runs Scored (RS)
5. Ability to create runs – Weighted Runs Created Plus (WRC+)
6. Value in wins – FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR)

As Howard said to Blomberg, a DH’s primary job is to hit. Therefore, I chose the aforementioned criteria because it best reflects a hitters ability to get on base and hit for extra bases, thereby creating and scoring runs.

Without further ado, here are the top five seasons for a DH of all time.

5. J.D. Martinez, 2018

With eight big league seasons under his belt, Martinez has a World Series to his name, was selected to two All Star games, and led MLB in SLG (.690) in 2017. In 2018, he put together one of the greatest seasons ever by a DH.

However, it wasn’t always all roses for J.D. Martinez. On March 22, 2014, the Houston Astros released Martinez. In three seasons in Houston, Martinez was only able to string together 24 HR while amassing a meager .300 OBP and .387 SLG. According to J.D. Martinez, being released by the Astros made him who he is today.

Today, he’s one of the best players in baseball, leading MLB in RBI (130) and TB (.385). Martinez is in the top 2% of baseball in exit velocity, averaging 93 MPH on balls hit according to Baseball Savant.

These were his stats:

• .402 OBP (3rd in AL)
• .629 SLG (2nd in AL)
• 111 RS (3rd in AL)
• 170 WRC+ (3rd in AL)
• 5.9 fWAR (7th in AL)

4. Frank Thomas, 1991

Hall of Famer Frank Thomas was baseball’s premier superstar in the early 1990’s. One of the fiercest hitters to step into a batter’s box, Thomas finished his career with 521 HR, 20th on the all-time list. He is 20th on the all-time list in OBP (.419) and 19th in SLG (.555). In his 19 years in the big leagues, he hit 30 or more HR in nine and had 100 or more RBI in 11 seasons.

In 1991, Frank Thomas led all of MLB in BB (138), OBP (.453), OPS (1.006), and OPS+ (180). Despite having one of the best seasons of all the DH’s on this list, Thomas was only good enough to place 4th. These were his stats:

• .435 OBP (1st in AL)
• .553 SLG (4th in AL)
• 104 RS (8th in AL)
• 179 WRC+ (1st in AL)
• 7.2 fWAR (2nd in AL)

3. Travis Hafner, 2006

Travis Hafner played 12 big league seasons before deciding to hang it up after the 2013 season. While his career numbers don’t compare to his peers on this list, for a brief three year stretch, he was arguably the most feared hitter in MLB.

From 2004 through 2006, Hafner put together 103 HR, 334 RBI, a .419 OBP and .611 SLG. In 2006, he led MLB in SLG (.659), OPS (1.097), and OPS+ (181). That season, Hafner finished 8th in the MVP voting despite having, arguably, the best numbers of anyone ahead of him.

These were his stats in 2006.

• .439 OBP (Tied 1st in AL)
• .659 SLG (1st in AL)
• 100 RS (11th in AL)
• 176 WRC+ (1st in AL)
• 6.0 fWAR (3rd in AL)

2. David Ortiz, 2007

In six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, David Ortiz only managed to hit 58 HR, 238 RBI, with a .348 OBP and .461 SLG. Right before the 2003 season, the Twins released Ortiz. Soon thereafter, fate would put Ortiz in the same restaurant as Pedro Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Ortiz looking down in the dumps, Martinez got on the horn with Theo Epstein and told him to sign “Big Papi.” That turned out to be one of the greatest pick ups of all time.

Beginning in 2003, with Papi in the mix, the Red Sox would make eight post season appearances, winning three World Series titles. In 85 postseason games, the 2013 World Series MVP has 17 HR, .404 OBP, and .543 SLG.

In 2007, Ortiz had one of the greatest seasons a DH has ever had, leading MLB in BB (111), OBP (.445), extra base hits (88). With 541 career HR, Ortiz places 17th on the all-time HR list.

These were his stats for 2007.

• .445 OBP (1st in AL)
• .621 SLG (3rd in AL)
• 116 RS (6th in AL)
• 175 WRC+ (Tied 1st in AL)
• 6.3 fWAR (5th in AL)