Highlighted Year: Jay Bell, 1999

Second Baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Age:  33

2^nd season with Diamondbacks

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1999:

A Florida native, Bell was a star shortstop at Pensacola’s J.M. Tate High School where he displayed his solid work ethic and strong competitive spirit. Selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 1984 amateur draft, he was first assigned to Elizabethton of the Rookie-level Appalachian League where he batted .220 in 66 games. He also proved to be error-prone in the field. Moving on to Visalia of the Class A California League in 1985, Bell hit .282 with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, 59 RBIs, and a .353 OBP until he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in August as part of the deal that brought RHP Bert Blyleven back to Minnesota. He finished up the season with Waterbury of the Class AA Eastern League, batting .298 in 29 games. Staying with Waterbury in 1986, he hit .277 with 28 doubles, 7 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .378 OBP. However, he also committed 45 errors at shortstop. Receiving a late-season call-up to the Indians, he homered in his first major league at bat, interestingly off Blyleven. Bell split time between the Indians and Buffalo of the Class AAA American Association. Lean, lanky, and glasses-wearing, he displayed surprising power as he hit .260 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, and a .380 OBP in Class AAA and .216 with a .269 OBP for Cleveland. Bell was the starting shortstop for the Indians to start the 1988 season but failed to hit and, with his production down to .193 with 14 RBIs after having started 46 of 59 games, he was demoted to Colorado Springs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in July. His hitting improved in Class AAA and he batted .276 with 7 home runs and a .368 OBP before returning to Cleveland in September and hitting .341 in 16 games to finish at .218 with 8 extra-base hits and a .289 OBP in 73 major league games. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the spring. After getting off to a 1-for-20 start at the plate, he again found himself in Class AAA with the American Association’s Buffalo Bisons where he regained his batting stroke and was hitting .276 when he was recalled to Pittsburgh in July. He hit .275 the rest of the way to finish at .258 with a .307 OBP, 18 extra-base-hits (including an inside-the-park home run), and 27 RBIs. With the Pirates topping the NL East in 1990, Bell contributed by batting .254 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .329 OBP. An excellent bunter, he set a team record with his league-leading 39 sacrifice hits. Defensively he put together a 39-game errorless streak at midseason and resolved Pittsburgh’s long search for a capable shortstop, pairing well with second baseman Jose Lind. He homered among his five hits during the NLCS loss to Cincinnati. The Pirates cruised to another NL East title in 1991 and Bell hit .270 with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 16 home runs, 67 RBIs, a .330 OBP, and a .428 slugging percentage. He again led the NL in sacrifice bunts with 30 and led NL shortstops with 491 assists. He placed twelfth in league MVP voting. In the seven-game NLCS loss to Atlanta he batted .414 with his 12 hits. Pittsburgh won a third straight division title in 1992 and Bell continued to be a stellar performer in the field, where he led NL shortstops in putouts (268) and assists (526). At the plate he batted .264 with 36 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a .326 OBP. The club once again fell in the NLCS to the Braves and Bell hit only .172 in the seven games. Having suffered key free agent departures, the Pirates slipped in 1993 but Bell had an outstanding season as he batted .310 with 32 doubles, 9 triples, 9 home runs, 51 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and a .392 OBP. He was an All-Star for the first time and received a Gold Glove for his defensive performance. Despite a slow start during the strike-shortened 1994 season, Bell hit .276 with 35 doubles, 9 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .353 OBP. In 1995, he overcame another slow start to bat .262 with 28 doubles, 13 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a .336 OBP. His defense remained sound. His performance was similar in 1996 as he hit .250 with 29 doubles, 13 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .323 OBP. He led NL shortstops with 478 assists and a .986 fielding percentage which was helped by an errorless streak of 46 straight games. With the club looking to cut costs, in the offseason Bell and third baseman Jeff King were traded to the Kansas City Royals for four players. Bell performed well for the Royals in 1997, batting .291 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs with a .368 OBP and .461 slugging percentage. A free agent in the offseason, he signed with the expansion Diamondbacks for five years and $34 million, who were impressed with his good character and leadership qualities as well as performance on the field. His 1998 production with the first-year club was .251 with 29 doubles, 20 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .353 OBP. Often strikeout prone, he whiffed 129 times while drawing 81 walks. With his range becoming more limited at shortstop, he was shifted to second base in September.

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

2B – 148, PH – 4, DH – 2, SS – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 688 [11, tied with Mark Grace]

At Bats – 589

Runs – 132 [2]

Hits – 170

Doubles – 32

Triples – 6 [13, tied with five others]

Home Runs – 38 [9]

RBI – 112 [14, tied with Eric Karros]

Bases on Balls – 82 [16, tied with Fernando Tatis & Rickey Henderson]

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 132 [9, tied with Rico Brogna]

Stolen Bases – 7

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .289

OBP - .374

Slugging Pct. - .557 [12]

Total Bases – 328 [9]

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 4

Sac Flies – 9 [3, tied with four others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 20,  HR - 24, RBI - 65, AVG - .286, SLG - .566, OBP – .365

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 4/13 – 12 innings, (in 6 AB) at San Diego 4/25 – 11 innings, (in 5 AB) at Texas 7/17 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 17

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 6 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 4/13 – 12 innings, (in 6 AB) at San Diego 4/25, (in 5 AB) at Texas 7/17

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Texas 6/5, vs. Oakland 7/11

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 3 (.333) with 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 682

Put Outs – 320

Assists – 340

Errors – 22

DP – 86

Pct. - .968

Postseason Batting: 4 G (NLDS vs. NY Mets)

PA – 17, AB – 14, R – 3, H – 4, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 0, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .286, OBP - .353, SLG - .357, TB – 5, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 1

Awards & Honors:

All-Star (Started for NL at 2B)

13^th in NL MVP voting (31 points – 7% share)

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The Diamondbacks went 100-62 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 14 games over the San Francisco Giants in their second season of existence while leading the league in runs scored (908), and RBIs (865). The Diamondbacks overcame a poor 1-5 start that featured three ninth-inning blown saves and were 40-26 atop the NL West by June 16. A slump heading into July was ended by a trade for RHP Matt Mantei, who became the closer in the bullpen. The club regained its footing, taking over first place to stay on July 24 and clinching the division title on Sept. 24. Lost NLDS to the New York Mets, 3 games to 1.

Aftermath of 1999:

Following his highly productive 1999 season, Bell’s offensive performance was more typical in 2000 as he batted .267 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, a .348 OBP, and a .437 slugging percentage. His range continued to deteriorate at second base although he remained sure-handed. Bell played two more seasons for Arizona in a utility role. He scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series and finished his playing career with the New York Mets in 2003. For his major league career, Bell batted .265 with 1963 hits that included 394 doubles, 67 triples, and 195 home runs. He scored 1123 runs and compiled 860 RBIs, 91 stolen bases, a .343 OBP, and a .416 slugging percentage. With Arizona he batted .263 with 573 hits, 360 runs scored, 116 doubles, 18 triples, 91 home runs, 304 RBIs, a .355 OBP, and a .458 slugging percentage. Appearing in 30 postseason games, he hit .262 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs. A two-time All-Star, he also received one Gold Glove and Silver Slugger apiece. Following his playing career, he became a minor league manager and coach with several different teams. Bell has also served on the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a non-profit that helps former major and minor league players in medical or financial need.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

MVP Profile: Bryce Harper, 2015

Outfielder, Washington Nationals

Age:  22

4^th season with Nationals

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 215 

Prior to 2015:

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Harper was a baseball prodigy who made the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old catcher/outfielder who dominated high school competition to the point that he dropped out of high school following his sophomore year to get his GED and fast-track his way into college. Highly driven and heavily hyped, Harper had impressive size and strength as he moved on to the Community College of Southern Nevada in 2010 where he batted .442 with 29 home runs and 89 RBIs in 62 games. Recipient of the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s best amateur player, a rare achievement for a community college ballplayer, Harper was the first overall pick of the 2010 amateur player draft by the Nationals. He signed for $9.9 million. Criticized while an amateur for his attitude and idiosyncratic behavior that included an elaborate batting ritual and heavy use of eye black, he hit .343 in 9 games with Scottsdale of the Arizona Fall League and vowed to make Washington’s opening day roster while hitting well in spring training in 2011. Being developed as an outfielder, he was instead assigned to Hagerstown of the Class A South Atlantic (or “Sally”) League where he batted .318 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .423 on-base percentage in 72 games before being promoted to the Harrisburg Senators of the Class AA Eastern League where he finished out the season. Confident of playing for the Nationals in 2012, a spot was cleared for him in the outfield, although a hamstring injury slowed his progress in spring training and he started the season with Syracuse of the Class AAA International League, although he was soon called up to the Nationals. He put in considerable time in center field as well as in right on his way to receiving NL Rookie of the Year recognition. He finished by batting .270 with 22 home runs, 59 RBIs, a .340 OBP, and a .477 slugging percentage. In his first taste of postseason action, he hit .130 and struck out eight times in the NLDS loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Criticized for his cockiness as a rookie, Harper was plagued by injuries in 2013 and, limited to 118 games, he batted .274 with 20 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .368 OBP, although he was voted onto the NL All-Star team. In 2014 a thumb injury that required surgery shelved him from late April until late June. Harper struggled at the plate upon his return to action although he hit 10 home runs in his last 46 games, finishing at .273 with 13 homers, 32 RBIs, and a .344 OBP. In the postseason loss to San Francisco in the NLDS, he hit .294 with three home runs.

2015 Season Summary

Appeared in 153 games

RF – 140, CF – 13, DH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 654 [13]

At Bats – 521

Runs – 118 [1]

Hits – 172 [9]

Doubles – 38 [5, tied with four others]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 42 [1, tied with Nolan Arenado]

RBI – 99 [5, tied with Kris Bryant]

Bases on Balls – 124 [2]

Int. BB – 15 [2, tied with Joey Votto]

Strikeouts – 131

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .330 [2]

OBP - .460 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .649 [1]

Total Bases – 338 [2]

GDP – 15

Hit by Pitches – 5

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading runs scored were +7 ahead of runner-up A.J. Pollock

League-leading OBP was +.001 ahead of runner-up Joey Votto

League-leading slugging pct was +.074 ahead of runner-up Nolan Arenado

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 21, HR- 26, RBI- 61, AVG - .339., OBP - .464,  SLG – .704

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Most hits, game – 3 on thirteen occasions

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 4 AB) vs. Miami 5/6

HR at home – 23

HR on road – 19

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Miami 5/6, vs. Atlanta 5/8

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 313

Put Outs – 297

Assists – 9

Errors – 7

DP - 2

Pct. - .978

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for NL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Bryce Harper, Wash.: 420 points – 30 of 30 first place votes, 100% share

Paul Goldschmidt, Ari.: 234 points – 56% share

Joey Votto, Cin.: 175 points – 42% share

Anthony Rizzo, ChiC.: 162 points – 39% share

Andrew McCutchen, Pitt.: 139 points – 33% share

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The Nationals went 83-79 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 7 games behind the division-winning New York Mets while leading the league in fewest triples (13). Amid high expectations, the Nationals struggled through a 10-13 April but caught fire in May and entered June in first place in the NL East at 28-22. With injuries taking a toll, the club had difficulty holding on to first and entered the All-Star break at 48-39. A two-game series sweep by the Mets in early August knocked the Nationals into second place, where they remained the rest of the way but the failure to meet expectations led to the dismissal of manager Matt Williams. Harper’s outstanding performance could not be dimmed by a dugout fight with reliever Jonathan Popalbon that occurred near the end of the season.

Aftermath of 2015:

Harper’s fast start in 2016 dwindled to 24 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a .243 average, although his 108 walks drawn helped him to a .373 OBP. Washington topped the NL East and fell to the Dodgers in the first round. In 2017 Harper hit .319 with 29 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .413 OBP, although a knee injury cost him significant late season playing time. Entering 2018 in the final year of his contract with the Nationals, there was speculation that he might be dealt, although he finished out the season with Washington and batted .249 with 34 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a .393 OBP thanks to his league-leading 130 walks drawn. Although healthy, he had uncharacteristic difficulties defensively. Turning down a reported 10-year, $300 million offer to stay with the Nationals, Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies during 2019 spring training for 13 years and $330 million. The Phillies finished at .500 for the first time in seven years and Harper overcame a slow start to hit .260 with 35 home runs, 114 RBIs, and a .372 OBP. In 2020’s pandemic-shortened season, Harper hit .268 with 13 home runs, 33 RBIs, and drew a league-leading 49 walks to produce a .420 OBP. In 2021 he batted .309 with 35 home runs, 84 RBIs, and a .429 OBP while leading the league with 42 doubles and a .615 slugging percentage. He received NL MVP recognition for a second time. Harper started the 2022 season in right field but a shoulder injury caused him to be used as the club’s Designated Hitter the rest of the way (courtesy of major league baseball adopting the DH universally). He hit .286 with 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, and a .364 OBP as the Phillies qualified for the postseason as the final wild card entry and made a surprising run to the World Series, losing to Houston in six games. Harper hit 6 home runs in 17 postseason games and was MVP of the NLCS win against San Diego. Following the season, he had major elbow surgery and had to miss the start of the 2023 season. He returned sooner than anticipated and was the team’s DH through the All-Star break. Having worked out at first base during his recovery, he played the position for the first time later in July. He went on to bat .293 with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a .401 OBP and .499 slugging percentage in 126 games. The Phillies again made the postseason, falling short of a return to the World Series with a ALCS loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Harper contributed 5 home runs and 8 RBIs in the playoffs. For his major league career through 2023, Harper has batted .281 with 1513 hits that include 327 doubles, 24 triples, 306 home runs with 997 runs scored, 889 RBIs, 133 stolen bases, a .391 OBP, and a .521 slugging percentage. With the Nationals he batted .279 with 610 runs scored, 922 hits, 183 doubles, 18 triples, 184 home runs, 521 RBIs, 75 stolen bases, a .388 OBP, and a .512 slugging percentage. Appearing in 49 postseason games, he has hit .276 with 16 home runs, 31 RBIs, a .383 OBP, and a .613 slugging percentage. A seven-time All-Star, he has received two Silver Sluggers and twice been National League MVP.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player. 

Highlighted Year: Jose “Coco” Laboy, 1969

Third Baseman, Montreal Expos

Age:  29 (July 4)

1^st season with Expos

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 165 

Prior to 1969:

A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Jose Laboy (who was nicknamed “Coco” in his youth) began playing baseball professionally with the Ponce Leones (Lions) at age 18 during the 1958-59 winter season. Signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1959, the young shortstop played for teams at the Class D and C levels in ’59 and batted a combined .280 with 23 doubles, 12 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .358 on-base percentage. Following another winter season with Ponce, he returned to Fresno of the Class C California League (his second stop the previous year) and now playing regularly at second base hit .305 with 26 doubles, 6 triples, 10 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a .411 OBP in 1960. In 1961 Laboy advanced to Springfield of the Class A Eastern League and batted .311 with 15 doubles, 7 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .369 OBP. A back injury during the 1962 season while playing for the El Paso Sun Kings of the Class AA Texas League limited him to 13 games and nearly ended his career. Released by the Giants after doctors advised him to quit baseball, Laboy instead signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. He started the season with Tulsa in the Texas League but was soon sent down to the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Class A Northern League where he hit .292 with 21 home runs, 77 RBIs, a .343 OBP, and a .508 slugging percentage. Another abortive stint with Tulsa in 1964 caused him to be sent back to Class A and Raleigh of the Carolina League where he hit .340 with 29 doubles, 24 home runs, 74 RBIs, a .443 OBP, and a .630 slugging percentage while displaying good strike zone recognition and the ability to hit to both left and right fields. An unfortunate situation occurred in August when, believing an opposing pitcher was throwing at him, he bunted down the first base line and when the pitcher came over to field the ball, Laboy chased after him with his bat, igniting an extended brawl. Arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, he pled guilty and was fined by a city judge. He was also suspended and fined by the league but was soon promoted to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AAA International League where he finished the season. Despite the bat-wielding incident, Laboy still received several Carolina League honors and he was named as third baseman on the Class A All-Star team. After failing to make the Cardinals during the spring of 1965, Laboy returned to Jacksonville where he hit .278 with 21 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a .320 OBP. Unable to stick with the Cardinals once again in 1966, he was assigned to Tulsa, now in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he batted .308 with 25 doubles, 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, a .388 OBP, and a .518 slugging percentage. Laboy spent 1967 and ’68 with Tulsa, batting .298 and .292 respectively, with 12 and 15 home runs, 54 and 100 RBIs, and OBPs of .352 and .343. With expansion in 1969, Laboy was selected by the Expos and became the starting third baseman following his long minor league trek.

1969 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

3B – 156, PH – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 616

At Bats – 562

Runs – 53

Hits – 145

Doubles – 29 [11, tied with Joe Torre & Johnny Callison]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 18

RBI – 83 [19, tied with Doug Rader]

Bases on Balls – 40

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 96 [18]

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .258

OBP - .308

Slugging Pct. - .409

Total Bases – 230

GDP – 13

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 8 [5]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 21, HR – 13, RBI – 49, AVG – .275, OBP - .322

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Philadelphia 4/17

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eighteen occasions

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 6

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 on six occasions

Pinch-hitting – 2 for 4 (.500) with 2 R, 2 2B & 3 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 447

Put Outs – 115

Assists – 307

Errors – 25

DP – 28

Pct. - .944

Awards & Honors:

2^nd in NL Rookie of the Year voting, tied with Al Oliver, Pitt. (3 votes, 13% share)

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In their inaugural season, the Expos went 52-110 to finish sixth (last) in the NL Eastern Division, 48 games behind the division-winning New York Mets while drawing 1,212,608 fans to little Jarry Park (Parc Jarry). The Expos were 7-13 at the end of April, despite a no-hitter by RHP Bill Stoneman. Typically, they were pitching challenged, unable to make the most of the power displayed by outfielders Rusty Staub and Mack Jones, plus the surprising rookie Laboy. They settled into the NL East cellar and were at their best during an 11-15 September.

Aftermath of 1969:

Laboy got off to a slow start in 1970 and was benched for a time before reclaiming his spot in the lineup. He remained streaky for the remainder of the season, batting a lowly .199 with 26 doubles, 5 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a .254 OBP. In 1971 he lost his starting job to Bob Bailey and hit .252 in a backup role. Laboy played two more seasons for the Expos with increasingly diminishing returns and spent part of 1973 back in the minors. For his major league career which was spent entirely with Montreal, he batted .233 with 291 hits that included 62 doubles, 2 triples, and 28 home runs. He scored 108 runs and compiled 166 RBIs, a .289 OBP, and a .354 slugging percentage. Following his major league career, he continued to play winter ball in Puerto Rico until 1975. He had routinely played in the Puerto Rican Winter League throughout his professional career and went on to coach and manage in the league. His long minor league apprenticeship led to one good major league season with the expansion Expos.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

MVP Profile: Josh Donaldson, 2015

Third Baseman, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  29

1^st season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 210 

Prior to 2015:

A Florida native, following his first year of high school Donaldson, whose father was in prison, was sent by his mother to Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama, where he excelled in football as well as baseball. As a senior in 2004 who pitched and played shortstop, he batted .515 in 32 games with 21 doubles and 15 stolen bases. Heading on to college at Auburn University, he hit .294 with a .347 on-base percentage as a freshman while splitting time between catching and playing third base. Appearing in 56 games in 2006 he batted .276 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .331 OBP. In the ensuing summer he played in the Cape Cod League with the Harwich Mariners and finished fifth in batting. Following another productive college season in 2007, Donaldson was selected in the first round of that year’s amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. He signed for $625,000 and after four games in the Rookie-level Arizona League, he advanced to the Boise Hawks of the Class A Northwest League where, in 49 games, he hit .346 with 9 home runs, 35 RBIs, a .470 OBP, and a .605 slugging percentage. He also led all of the league’s catchers with a .990 fielding percentage and threw out 39.7% of baserunners who attempted to steal against him. In 2008, he started out with Peoria of the Class A Midwest League where he hit only .217 in 63 games before being traded by the Cubs to the Oakland Athletics. Assigned by the A’s to Stockton of the advanced Class A California League, Donaldson’s bat came alive and in 47 games he batted .330 with 9 home runs, 39 RBIs, and a .391 OBP. He played in the Arizona Fall League in the offseason and saw action at first base. Donaldson spent 2009 with the Midland RockHounds of the Class AA Texas League where he appeared as catcher and at first and third base and hit .270 with 37 doubles, 9 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .379 OBP thanks to drawing 80 walks. He started the 2010 season with the Sacramento River Cats of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before being called up to Oakland at the end of April. In 14 games, where he saw most of his action as a catcher, he batted .156 with a home run before returning to Sacramento where he hit .238 for the year with 18 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .336 OBP. He was back with Sacramento in 2011, batting .261 with 17 home runs, 70 RBIs, and a .344 OBP. In 2012 Donaldson split time between Sacramento and the A’s, who lacked depth at third base. He hit a mere .153 in two stints with Oakland but when called up again in August due to an injury to starting third sacker Brandon Inge, he hit far better and proved to be acceptable defensively. He ended up batting .241 in 75 games for the A’s with 9 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .289 OBP. Starting the 2013 season as Oakland’s regular third baseman, Donaldson had a breakout year hitting .301 with 37 doubles, 24 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .384 OBP. His defensive play at third base was outstanding and he placed fourth in league MVP voting, receiving one first-place vote. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2014 on his way to batting .255 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .342 OBP, and a .456 slugging percentage while still performing impressively at third base. In the offseason he was traded to the Blue Jays for four players.

2015 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

3B – 150, DH – 7, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 711 [2]

At Bats – 620 [9]

Runs – 122 [1]

Hits – 184 [5]

Doubles – 41 [4, tied with Kendrys Morales]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 41 [3, tied with Mike Trout]

RBI – 123 [1]

Bases on Balls – 73 [10]

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 133 [19, tied with Adam LaRoche]

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .297 [10, tied with Eric Hosmer]

OBP - .371 [9]

Slugging Pct. - .568 [2]

Total Bases – 352 [1]

GDP – 16

H by Pitches – 6

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 10 [1, tied with Edwin Encarnacion & Melky Cabrera]

League-leading runs scored were +14 ahead of runner-up Jose Bautista

League-leading RBIs were +6 ahead of runner-up Chris Davis

League-leading total bases were +13 ahead of runner-up Mike Trout

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 22, HR – 21, RBI – 60, AVG - .293, OBP - .351, SLG – .532

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Tampa Bay 4/15, (in 4 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 5/26, (in 5 AB) at LA Angels 8/22

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. Atlanta 4/17, (in 4 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 5/26, (in 4 AB) at Philadelphia 8/18

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 17

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 6 at LA Angels 8/22

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 442

Put Outs – 137

Assists – 287

Errors – 18

DP – 32

Pct. - .959

Postseason Batting: 11 G (ALDS vs. Texas – 5 G; ALCS vs. KC Royals – 6 G)

PA – 48, AB – 41, R – 9, H – 10, 2B – 3,3B – 0, HR – 3, RBI – 8, BB – 6, IBB – 0, SO – 10, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .244, OBP – .354, SLG – .537, TB – 22, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

AL Hank Aaron Award

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for AL at 3B)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Josh Donaldson, Tor.: 385 points – 23 of 30 first place votes, 92% share

Mike Trout, LAA: 304 points – 7 first place votes, 72% share

Lorenzo Cain, KCR: 225 points  – 54% share

Manny Machado, Balt.: 158 points – 38% share

Dallas Keuchel, Hou.: 107 points – 25% share

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The Blue Jays went 93-69 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 6 games over the New York Yankees while leading the league in runs scored (891), doubles (308), home runs (232), bases on balls drawn (570), OBP (.340), slugging (.457), and total bases (2518). With a 23-29 record at the end of May, the Blue Jays put together an 11-game June winning streak that put them into contention although they were only 45-46 at the All-Star break. An August surge boosted them into first place to stay on August 23 and they clinched the AL East title on Sept. 30. Won ALDS over the Texas Rangers, 3 games to 2. Lost ALCS to the Kansas City Royals, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 2015:

The Blue Jays reached the postseason again in 2016 and Donaldson contributed another strong season while batting .284 with 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, a .404 OBP, and a .549 slugging percentage. He placed fourth in league MVP voting. A calf injury put him on the disabled list in 2017 and upon his return he went on to hit .270 with 33 home runs, 78 RBIs, a .385 OBP, and a .559 slugging percentage over 113 games. Donaldson embraced the nickname “Bringer of Rain” which was inspired by a television character. After signing a $23 million one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration in 2018, he was hindered by shoulder and calf injuries during the season and was traded to the Cleveland Indians at the end of August. For the year he ended up appearing in only 52 games and batted .246 with 8 home runs, 23 RBIs, and a .352 OBP. He hit poorly in Cleveland’s loss to Houston in the ALDS. A free agent in the offseason, he signed a one-year, $23 million contract with the Atlanta Braves for 2019. Donaldson stayed healthy and rebounded to hit .259 with 37 home runs, 94 RBIs, 100 walks drawn, a .379 OBP, and a .521 slugging percentage for the division-winning Braves. In addition to placing eleventh in league MVP balloting, he received NL Comeback Player of the Year recognition. A free agent once again in the offseason, Donaldson signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2020 for four years and $92 million. In the pandemic-shortened season, Donaldson was limited to 28 games by a chronic calf injury and batted .222 with 6 home runs, 11 RBIs, a .373 OBP, and a .469 slugging percentage while continuing to perform well defensively. The Twins had a poor season in 2021 but Donaldson stayed healthy, helped by occasionally DHing aside from his usual duty at third base. He hit .247 with 26 home runs, 72 RBIs, a .352 OBP, and a .475 slugging percentage. Prior to the 2022 season he was traded to the New York Yankees as part of a five-player deal. Getting off to a good start with the Yankees, he also became embroiled in a controversy over a racially disrespectful comment made to shortstop Tim Anderson of the White Sox that cost him a fine and one-game suspension. For the season he finished at .222 with 15 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .308 OBP. The decline continued into 2023 as he appeared in only 33 games for the Yankees due to hamstring and calf injuries and he was released in late August, moving on to the Milwaukee Brewers as they entered their division-winning stretch run. For the year he batted a combined .152 with 13 home runs and 26 RBIs. For his major league career through 2023 Donaldson has batted .261 with 1310 hits that include 287 doubles, 12 triples, and 279 home runs. He has scored 816 runs and compiled 816 RBIs, a .358 OBP, a .489 slugging percentage, and drawn 725 walks. With Toronto he batted .281 with 331 runs scored, 492 hits, 105 doubles, 7 triples, 116 home runs, 279 walks drawn, a .383 OBP, and a .548 slugging percentage. Appearing in 50 postseason games he has hit .247 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. A three-time All-Star, he has placed in the top 11 of league MVP voting five times, including the single win. He has also received two Silver Slugger awards.  

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player. 

Highlighted Year: Ron Fairly, 1977

First Baseman/Designated Hitter/Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  39 (July 12)

1^st season with Blue Jays

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’10” Weight: 175 

Prior to 1977:

The son of career minor-leaguer Carl Fairly, Fairly was born in Georgia while his father was playing for the Macon Peaches. Living in southern California from the age of three months, Fairly played basketball as well as baseball at Jordan High School in Long Beach but concentrated on baseball once he entered USC in 1956. He played center field for the 1958 squad that won the College World Series. Having long drawn the interest of major league scouts, Fairly signed with the newly-relocated Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958 for $75,000. He played for two teams at the Class A and AAA levels in ’58 and batted a combined .297 with a .419 on-base percentage, 14 home runs, and 49 RBIs. Called up to the Dodgers in September, he hit .283 in 15 games and slugged his first two major league home runs. Mentored by veteran right fielder Carl Furillo, he got off to a strong start in 1959 while Furillo was recovering from an injury, but a severe slump knocked him out of the starting lineup. For the year he hit .238 with 17 extra-base hits, 23 RBIs, and a .324 OBP. The Dodgers won the NL pennant and Fairly went hitless in three World Series plate appearances against the Chicago White Sox. Following a six-month stint in the Army Reserves, the Dodgers sent Fairly to Spokane of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1960. He batted .303 with 27 home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 walks drawn, a .418 OBP, and a .547 slugging percentage. Fairly made it back to the Dodgers in 1961 and was used in a utility role, seeing most of his action in the outfield, first base, and as a pinch-hitter. He hit .322 with a .434 OBP, and .522 slugging percentage in 111 games in which he further accounted for 15 doubles, 10 home runs, and 48 RBIs. Playing primarily at first base in 1962, he hit .278 with a .379 OBP, 15 doubles, 7 triples, 14 home runs, and 71 RBIs. The Dodgers, who barely missed the pennant in 1962, topped the NL in 1963 and Fairly, regularly appearing at first base, contributed 21 doubles, 12 home runs, 77 RBIs, a .271 batting average, and a .347 OBP. He went hitless in the four-game sweep of the Yankees in the World Series where he was used as a late-inning pinch-hitter and outfield reserve while veteran Bill Skowron started at first base. The consistent Fairly was back at first base in 1964 and hit .256 with 10 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .349 OBP. Ousted at first base by Wes Parker in 1965, Fairly became the regular right fielder where his defense was appreciated and he batted .274 with 28 doubles, 9 home runs, a team-leading 70 RBIs, and a .361 OBP. The Dodgers won the NL pennant following a down year and in the seven-game World Series victory over the Minnesota Twins Fairly batted .379 with two homers and 6 RBIs. The club again won the pennant in 1966 and the right fielder/first baseman hit .288 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .380 OBP. Like the rest of the team, he was shut down by Baltimore Orioles pitching in the World Series, which ended up being a four-game Baltimore sweep. Fairly’s hitting dropped off significantly in 1967 and he ended up batting .220 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a .295 OBP. Bothered by injuries in 1968 he continued to slump at the plate, hitting .234 with 20 extra-base hits, 43 RBIs, and a .301 OBP. The end of Fairly’s career with the Dodgers came in 1969 when he was traded to the expansion Montreal Expos in June as part of the deal that brought shortstop Maury Wills back to Los Angeles. Batting only .219 as a part-time player at the time of the trade, he took over at first base for the Expos, his bat came alive and he hit .289 in 70 games with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, and a .358 OBP. Furthermore, he brought a steadying veteran presence to the infield. In 1970 injuries limited Fairly to 119 games but he still hit .288 with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .402 OBP. While his average dropped to .257 in 1971, Fairly contributed 13 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .373 OBP. The arrival of young first-baseman Mike Jorgensen from the Mets in 1972 initially dislodged Fairly from the starting lineup and caused him to be viewed as trade bait until he reclaimed his spot at midseason and went on to bat .278 with 17 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .348 OBP. In 1973 Fairly was an All-Star for the first time while playing regularly in left field for the fourth-place Expos. He hit .298 with 17 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .422 OBP thanks to drawing 86 walks. In 1974 he platooned with Jorgensen at first base while still seeing some action in the outfield and batted .245 with 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, and a .372 OBP. In the offseason, the 35-year-old Fairly was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals where, in 1975 he performed well in a part-time role, hitting .301 with 13 doubles, 7 home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .421 OBP. Replaced at first base by the up-and-coming Keith Hernandez in 1976, Fairly was dealt to the Oakland Athletics in September and for the year batted a combined .256 with eight extra-base hits, 31 RBIs, and a .379 OBP in 88 games. In the offseason he was traded to the expansion Blue Jays.  

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 132 games

DH – 58, 1B – 40, RF – 24, LF – 9, PH – 7

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 528

At Bats – 458

Runs – 60

Hits – 128

Doubles – 24

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 19

RBI – 64

Bases on Balls – 58

Int. BB – 11 [3, tied with Jim Spencer]

Strikeouts – 58

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .279

OBP - .362 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .465

Total Bases – 213

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 8

Sac Flies – 2

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 17, HR - 13, RBI - 45, AVG - .307, OBP - .396, SLG – .502

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Cleveland 6/20 – 11 innings, (in 6 AB) at NY Yankees 9/10

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 9

Most home runs, game – 1 on nineteen occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. Detroit 7/17 – 11 innings, vs. Milwaukee 8/1

Pinch-hitting – 2 for 5 (.400) with 2 RBI & 2 BB

Fielding (1B)

Chances – 347

Put Outs – 312

Assists – 30

Errors – 5

DP – 28

Pct. - .986

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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In their inaugural season, the Blue Jays went 54-107 to finish seventh (last) in the AL Eastern Division, 45.5 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in fewest runs scored (605, tied with Oakland) and fewest home runs (100, tied with Cleveland). The Blue Jays got off to a somewhat surprising 20-30 start (which unsurprisingly still had them in the AL East cellar). They languished in last place the rest of the way, although they drew 1,701,052 fans to Exhibition Stadium. Fairly proved to be a valuable player for the first-year club.

Aftermath of 1977:

Fairly was traded to the California Angels in the offseason, where he finished his long career with an undistinguished season in 1978. For his major league career, Fairly batted .266 with 1913 hits that included 307 doubles, 33 triples, and 215 home runs. He scored 931 runs and compiled 1044 RBIs, drew 1052 walks, and generated a .360 OBP and .408 slugging percentage. Appearing in 20 World Series games, he hit .300 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. A two-time All-Star, he was a steady player and useful both at first base and in the outfield. Following his retirement, he accepted an offer from Angels owner Gene Autrey to become the sports anchor at Autrey’s television station (KTLA) and also worked as a broadcaster on Angels games until 1987 when he began broadcasting San Francisco Giants games. He moved on to Seattle a few years later to broadcast Mariners games until retiring in 2006. He died in 2019 at the age of 81.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Dick Donovan, 1961

Pitcher, Washington Senators

Age:  33

1^st season with Senators

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1961:

A Massachusetts native, Donovan played shortstop and pitched at North Quincy High School in addition to pitching in the Catholic Youth Organization. Signed by the Boston Braves, he first spent 1944-47 in the Navy. In 1947 he was assigned to Fort Lauderdale of the Class C Florida International League where he produced an unimpressive 7-15 record and a 4.17 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 104 walks over 179 innings pitched. He moved on to Evansville of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League in 1948 where his tally was 12-9 with a 3.08 ERA and displayed improved control with 50 walks and 140 strikeouts over 187 innings. Advancing to the Hartford Chiefs of the Class A Eastern League in 1949, Donovan again went 12-6 and with a 2.66 ERA, 15 complete games, and 116 strikeouts over 183 innings. Shuffling between the Braves and Milwaukee of the Class AAA American Association for the next three years, Donovan posted an 0-4 major league tally and went 14-17 for Milwaukee. With the move of the Braves from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953, the Braves sought to assign Donovan to their new Class AAA farm team, but he refused to report and demanded a trade. He instead joined former roommate Gene Mauch with the Atlanta Crackers of the Class AA Southern Association, where Mauch was the player/manager. Working with pitching coach Whitlow Wyatt, Donovan developed a slider to add to his fastball and curve. He produced an 11-8 mark in 1953 with a 3.71 ERA and 132 strikeouts. Sold by the Braves to the Detroit Tigers in the offseason, he was reassigned to Atlanta in 1954 and went 18-8 with a 2.69 ERA and 140 strikeouts over 194 innings. As a hitter he socked 12 home runs and compiled 32 RBIs. He was named team MVP. Sold to the Chicago White Sox after the season, he joined the starting rotation in 1955 where he broke out with a 15-9 record, despite dealing with appendicitis at the end of July. He was an All-Star selection and finished with a 3.32 ERA, 11 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 88 strikeouts over 187 innings. 1956 was a tougher year for Donovan with a 12-10 tally for the third-place White Sox and a 3.64 ERA with 14 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 120 strikeouts over 234.2 innings. He came back strong in 1957 with a 16-6 record, 2.77 ERA, league-leading 16 complete games, two shutouts, and 88 strikeouts over 220.2 innings. Along the way he pitched one-hitters against Boston and Cleveland and went 3-1 against the pennant-winning Yankees as the White Sox finished second in their first year under the guidance of manager Al Lopez. Donovan and ace LHP Billy Pierce combined for 36 wins. In 1958 he compiled a 15-14 tally and 3.01 ERA with 16 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 127 strikeouts over the course of 248 innings as the White Sox again placed second to the Yankees. The White Sox won their first pennant since 1919 in 1959 but the newly-married Donovan got off to a slow start and was later bothered by a sore shoulder on his way to an unimpressive 9-10 record with a 3.66 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 179.2 innings. His lone shutout came as part of a crucial late-August sweep of the second-place Indians. In the World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Donovan lost his only decision in a tough Game 3 start against RHP Don Drysdale. The White Sox dropped to third in 1960 and Donovan, limited to 78.2 innings by a sore arm, started in only 8 of his 33 appearances and went 6-1 although his ERA jumped to 5.38. Left unprotected in the AL expansion draft for the 1961 season, he was selected by the new Senators.  

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 24 games

P – 23, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 23

Games Started – 22

Complete Games – 11 [9, tied with six others]

Wins – 10

Losses – 10

PCT - .500 [20, tied with Bill Monbouquette, Ray Herbert & Norm Bass]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [11, tied with twelve others]

Innings Pitched – 168.2

Hits – 138

Runs – 60

Earned Runs – 45

Home Runs – 10

Bases on Balls – 35

Strikeouts – 62

ERA – 2.40 [1]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 0

League-leading ERA was -0.28 lower than runner-up Bill Stafford

Midseason Snapshot: 4-8, ERA - 2.80, SO – 33 in 93.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) vs. Baltimore 7/6

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 9/24

Batting

PA – 63, AB – 56, R – 6, H – 10, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 7, BB – 6, SO – 23, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .179, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 45

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 26

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .911

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

17^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Bubba Phillips, Clev. (5 points – 2% share)

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In their inaugural season, the expansion Senators went 61-100 to finish tied for ninth in the AL with the Kansas City Athletics, 47.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. The pitching staff led the league in fewest saves (21) and fewest strikeouts (666). The new version of the Senators got off to a surprising 30-30 start that put them in a tie for fourth place on June 15. A 10-game losing streak followed immediately thereafter that dropped them to eighth and they were unable to recover in the season’s second half, finishing in a tie for last place. They drew a league-worst 597,287 fans to Griffith Stadium, their temporary home while awaiting construction of a new stadium. Donovan, who missed considerable time due to injuries, was effective although he barely had enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and his .500 record was a result of inadequate run support (he lost each of his first five decisions by one run).  

Aftermath of 1961:

Immediately following their season, the Senators traded Donovan and two other players to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder Jim Piersall. He got off to an 8-0 start for the Indians in 1962 on his way to a 20-10 tally and a 3.59 ERA with 16 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 94 strikeouts over 250.2 innings. His performance earned him AL Pitcher of the Year recognition from The Sporting News. A slow start in 1963 doomed Donovan to an 11-13 record with a 4.24 ERA, 7 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 84 strikeouts over 206 innings pitched. 1964 was an even rougher season for Donovan as he finished at 7-9 with a 4.55 ERA. By 1965 the Indians had a solid group of young starting pitchers and Donovan started in only three of his 12 appearances before being released in June, thus ending his career. For his major league career, he posted a 122-99 record with a 3.67 ERA, 101 complete games, 25 shutouts, and 880 strikeouts over 2017.1 innings. A decent hitting pitcher with power, he slugged 15 home runs over the course of his career while batting .163. A five-time All-Star, he received MVP votes on four occasions. The 1959 World Series marked his only postseason action and in three appearances (including one start), he went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 5 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched. Following his baseball career, he became a stockbroker and real estate appraiser. He died in 1997 at age 69.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.