Harper’s Season Was Ruthian, Gehrigesque And More

Some have suggested that Bryce Harper should be ineligible to win the National League MVP award because the Nationals fell apart because players on losing teams lack “value” inherent to players on winning teams.
Harper, however, was invaluable to the Nationals in 2015. He recorded just the 24th season in baseball history in which a batter had at least 35 doubles, 40 home runs, 110 runs and an OPS of at least 1.100 – a list of names that includes Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Barry Bonds, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Hack Wilson and Albert Pujols.
Rk | Player | HR | 2B | R | Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | H | 3B | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 59 | 44 | 177 | 1.359 | 1921 | 26 | NYY | 152 | 693 | 540 | 204 | 16 | 168 | 145 | 81 | 4 | .378 | .512 | .846 | |
2 | Luis Gonzalez | 57 | 36 | 128 | 1.117 | 2001 | 33 | ARI | 162 | 728 | 609 | 198 | 7 | 142 | 100 | 24 | 83 | 14 | .325 | .429 | .688 |
3 | Hack Wilson | 56 | 35 | 146 | 1.177 | 1930 | 30 | CHC | 155 | 709 | 585 | 208 | 6 | 191 | 105 | 84 | 1 | .356 | .454 | .723 | |
4 | Babe Ruth | 54 | 36 | 158 | 1.379 | 1920 | 25 | NYY | 142 | 616 | 458 | 172 | 9 | 135 | 150 | 80 | 3 | .376 | .532 | .847 | |
5 | Todd Helton | 49 | 54 | 132 | 1.116 | 2001 | 27 | COL | 159 | 697 | 587 | 197 | 2 | 146 | 98 | 15 | 104 | 5 | .336 | .432 | .685 |
6 | Larry Walker | 49 | 46 | 143 | 1.172 | 1997 | 30 | COL | 153 | 664 | 568 | 208 | 4 | 130 | 78 | 14 | 90 | 14 | .366 | .452 | .720 |
7 | Lou Gehrig | 49 | 37 | 167 | 1.174 | 1936 | 33 | NYY | 155 | 719 | 579 | 205 | 7 | 152 | 130 | 46 | 7 | .354 | .478 | .696 | |
8 | Lou Gehrig | 49 | 40 | 128 | 1.172 | 1934 | 31 | NYY | 154 | 690 | 579 | 210 | 6 | 166 | 109 | 31 | 2 | .363 | .465 | .706 | |
9 | Jimmie Foxx | 48 | 37 | 125 | 1.153 | 1933 | 25 | PHA | 149 | 670 | 573 | 204 | 9 | 163 | 96 | 93 | 1 | .356 | .449 | .703 | |
10 | Albert Pujols | 47 | 45 | 124 | 1.101 | 2009 | 29 | STL | 160 | 700 | 568 | 186 | 1 | 135 | 115 | 44 | 64 | 9 | .327 | .443 | .658 |
11 | Lou Gehrig | 47 | 52 | 149 | 1.240 | 1927 | 24 | NYY | 155 | 717 | 584 | 218 | 18 | 173 | 109 | 84 | 3 | .373 | .474 | .765 | |
12 | Barry Bonds | 46 | 38 | 129 | 1.136 | 1993 | 28 | SFG | 159 | 674 | 539 | 181 | 4 | 123 | 126 | 43 | 79 | 2 | .336 | .458 | .677 |
13 | Babe Ruth | 46 | 39 | 143 | 1.252 | 1924 | 29 | NYY | 153 | 681 | 529 | 200 | 7 | 124 | 142 | 81 | 4 | .378 | .513 | .739 | |
14 | Albert Pujols | 43 | 51 | 137 | 1.106 | 2003 | 23 | STL | 157 | 685 | 591 | 212 | 1 | 124 | 79 | 12 | 65 | 10 | .359 | .439 | .667 |
15 | Ted Williams | 43 | 39 | 150 | 1.141 | 1949 | 30 | BOS | 155 | 730 | 566 | 194 | 3 | 159 | 162 | 48 | 2 | .343 | .490 | .650 | |
16 | Bryce Harper | 42 | 38 | 118 | 1.109 | 2015 | 22 | WSN | 153 | 654 | 521 | 172 | 1 | 99 | 124 | 15 | 131 | 5 | .330 | .460 | .649 |
17 | Todd Helton | 42 | 59 | 138 | 1.162 | 2000 | 26 | COL | 160 | 697 | 580 | 216 | 2 | 147 | 103 | 22 | 61 | 4 | .372 | .463 | .698 |
18 | Rogers Hornsby | 42 | 46 | 141 | 1.181 | 1922 | 26 | STL | 154 | 704 | 623 | 250 | 14 | 152 | 65 | 50 | 1 | .401 | .459 | .722 | |
19 | Carlos Delgado | 41 | 57 | 115 | 1.134 | 2000 | 28 | TOR | 162 | 711 | 569 | 196 | 1 | 137 | 123 | 18 | 104 | 15 | .344 | .470 | .664 |
20 | Hank Greenberg | 41 | 50 | 129 | 1.103 | 1940 | 29 | DET | 148 | 670 | 573 | 195 | 8 | 150 | 93 | 75 | 1 | .340 | .433 | .670 | |
21 | Lou Gehrig | 41 | 42 | 143 | 1.194 | 1930 | 27 | NYY | 154 | 703 | 581 | 220 | 17 | 173 | 101 | 63 | 3 | .379 | .473 | .721 | |
22 | Babe Ruth | 41 | 45 | 151 | 1.309 | 1923 | 28 | NYY | 152 | 697 | 522 | 205 | 13 | 130 | 170 | 93 | 4 | .393 | .545 | .764 | |
23 | Hank Greenberg | 40 | 49 | 137 | 1.105 | 1937 | 26 | DET | 154 | 701 | 594 | 200 | 14 | 184 | 102 | 101 | 3 | .337 | .436 | .668 | |
24 | Chuck Klein | 40 | 59 | 158 | 1.123 | 1930 | 25 | PHI | 156 | 721 | 648 | 250 | 8 | 170 | 54 | 50 | 4 | .386 | .436 | .687 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Also of note: Harper was the youngest to do it at age 22, a year younger than Pujols and two years younger than the Iron Horse.