Thursday, August 16, 2012

Baseball All-time Leaderboards Looking Alot Different



I love to check out the all-time leader boards on baseball-reference.com. Its thrilling to watch current players pass up players from the 1930s or 40s.  Derek Jeter closing in on Eddie Murray on the all-time hits list.  Adam Dunn getting close to 2000 career strikeouts to name a few.

Its also an exercise in gaining perspective. The historic figures like Mantle, Ruth, Williams, Aaron, Mays, etc still occupy positions at the top of most offensive lists. The era of the longball (commonly referred to as "the steroid era" to which I say other factors along with PEDs influenced the offensive increase) is behind us. The players who played in the 1990s are slowly becoming baseball retirees or soon will. The time of the 21st century player is here as they creep up the leader boards. 

Yet there is always a few players on the leader boards who are just "hanging on". Their days are numbered yet they continue to play in extremely part-time roles. So I cleaned up the leader boards for a few stats by "retiring" certain players who 1) either haven't played a game this year and are free agents, 2) who said that they are definitely retiring at the end of the season (the Omar Vizquels of the league), 3) players who are still under contract next year and will play regardless (Todd Helton) or 4)--and this is where it gets more speculative--players who are having a sub-par year as a utility fielder or a one-a-week pinch hitter. 

Note: One player who I couldn't decide on was Bobby Abreu along a few starters like Bartolo Colon.

After eliminating these players, I reshuffled the active leader boards and came up with these prospective leader lists as they MIGHT LOOK LIKE at the start of the 2013 season. The first number is the actual stat (as of August 16th), the second is the player's first year, the third is their position on the all-time list. The leader boards all of a sudden look a whole lot different!  Aside from Jeter and A-Rod, not many players are close to the top.

RUNS SCORED

Alex Rodriguez  1878     1994      12th
Derek Jeter        1839     1995      15th
Bobby Abreu     1439     1996      80th
Todd Helton       1360     1997      97th
Albert Pujols      1357     2001    101st
Carlos Beltran    1252     1998    142nd
Scott Rolen        1204     1996    167th
Andruw Jones    1199     1996    171st
Ichiro Suzuki      1181     2001    190th
Jimmy Rollins     1149     2000    206th

HITS

Derek Jeter        3245    1995    13th
Alex Rodriguez   2872    1994    41st
Ichiro Suzuki      2554    2001    88th
Bobby Abreu     2434    1996    111th
Todd Helton      2420    1997    113th
Carlos Lee         2237    1999    162nd
Albert Pujols      2199    2001    175th
Adrian Beltre     2164    1998    188th
Paul Konerko    2143    1997    199th
Juan Pierre         2111    2000    211th

HOMERUNS

Alex Rodriguez    644    1994    5th
Albert Pujols       471     2001    31st
Andruw Jones     432    1996    41st
Paul Konerko      414    1997    47th
David Ortiz         401    1997    49th
Adam Dunn         399    2001    50th
Alfonso Soriano   361    1999    74th
Lance Berkman   360    1999    75th
Carlos Lee          355    1999    79th
Todd Helton        354    1997    82nd


DOUBLES

Todd Helton       570    1997    22nd
Bobby Abreu     565    1996    23rd
Derek Jeter        516    1995    44th
Scott Rolen        511    1996    48th
Alex Rodriguez   509    1994    50th
Albert Pujols      487    2001    67th
David Ortiz        481    1997    76th
Carlos Lee         462    1999    87th
Adrian Beltre     452    1998    94th
Alfonso Soriano 426    1999    134th


GAMES PLAYED

Derek Jeter          2541    1995    45th
Alex Rodriguez    2496    1994    56th
Bobby Abreu       2325    1996    98th
Andruw Jones      2170    1996    143rd
Todd Helton         2123    1997    167th
Paul Konerko       2099    1997    177th
Adrain Beltre        2071    1998    194th
Carlos Lee           2055    1999    199th
Scott Rolen          2010    1996    225th
Raul Ibanez          1912    1996    286th


STEALS

Juan Pierre        582    2000    21st
Ichiro Suzuki     441    2001    54th
Carl Crawford   430    2002    57th
Bobby Abreu    398    1996    72nd
Jose Reyes        398    2003    74th
Jimmy Rollins    391    2000    79th
Derek Jeter       346    1995    112th
Chone Figgins    337    2002    120th
Alez Rodruguez 316    1994    148th
Rafawl Furcal     314    2000    152nd

WINS

Andy Pettitte         243    1995    54th
Roy Halladay        194    1998    129th
Tim Hudson          193    1999    134th
CC Sabathia         188    2001    144th
Livan Hernandez   177    1996    164th
Mark Muehrle       170    2000    179th
Bartolo Colon       170    1997    184th
Kevin Millwood    167    1997    197th
Roy Oswalt           163    2001    212th
Barry Zito              154    2000    237th