POS YR PLAYER ERA+ 2B 2017 Altuve 160 C 1966 Bateman 121 1B 1994 Bagwell 213 3B 2019 Bregman 163 SS 2017 Correa 155 LF 2001 Berkman 161 CF 1969 Wynn 167 RF 2004 Berkman 160 DH 2019 Alvarez 174 SP 1998 Johnson 322 SP 2005 Clemens 226 SP 1981 Ryan 195 SP 2006 Clemens 194 SP 2019 Cole 185 CL 1999 Wagner 267 RP 2019 Harris 309 RP 2020 Scrubb 236 RP 2002 Dotel 234 RP 1989 Anderson 222 I only compared Closers with Closers and RP with RP. The biggest surprise is Verlander's Cy year (2019-179) doesn't quite make the cut. Honorable Mention Berkman 2006-163 at 1B and Berkman 2002-150 in CF giving him 5 seasons with an OPS+ over 150 at 1B, LF, CF, and RF with the Astros. He was a true Utility superstar Y to Y.
There are many tweaks possible so I just went with Baseball Reference Qualifiers. Qualified Relievers in an abbreviated season are a very limited sample size. But if I start eliminating shortened seasons, the 1994 Bagwell season and the 1998 Johnson season get thrown out. So I just left Scrubb on there for his outstanding 2020 23.2 innings pitched.
I invite anyone (of sound mind) to make thoughtful comments on how they would improve this list. What is good and what is bad and why?
Including Scrubb in a list of All Time single season Astros lineup invalidates the list. The first thoughtful comment is to remove Scrubb and his 25 inning body of work in 2020 and put in any one of a number of talented relievers that the Astros have had. The second thoughtful comment is that you should limit players to only being on the team in one position. And, where did you find ERA+ stats for the offensive players?
Any list that doesn't include the 86 Mike Scott season is invalid. The dude was completely unhittable.
I'll play C 13 Castro (odd, but thin competition) 1B 94 Bagwell 2B 97 Biggio SS 83 Thon 3B 19 Bregman LF 69 Wynn CF 72 Cedeno RF 17 Springer DH 01 Berkman SP 86 Scott SP 19 Verlander SP 05 Clemens SP 19 Cole SP 15 Keuchel
You stole my post. That's EXACTLY what I was planning to write after reading the OP. Completely agree.
He was certainly a favorite of mine and many others, but his ERA+ was only 161 for the season. Of course ALL pitchers on my list except Ryan came after Scott. But great comment. If you choose not to count more than one season for a player, you have to add a pitcher for Clemens and an outfielder for Berkman who both had top caliber seasons in more than one season or position. It's hard to leave Johnson's season off too, but it was just a dozen superb games.
Keep seeing 19 on these lists.... still so hard to believe that JV/Cole/Harris couldn't close the deal. 1-3 in games started by JV/Cole, and, of course, the big hit off the fair pole
On any given day, the best team can still lose. That's the bane of Great Teams and the Hope of not-so-great Teams.
If Scrubb is on the list then it must also include John Paciorek who had an OPS+ of 495 in 1963 at the tender age of 18. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paciojo01.shtml
Every season has to be taken in context. Rule changes, ball changes, steroids, mound changes etc. Mike Scott lead the league in innings pitched, ERA, strikeouts, ERA+, FIP, WHIP, and averaged 10 strikeouts per 9 innings for a season. He also completely shutdown a mets team that won 107 games during the playoffs.
Cesar Cedeno 1973 has to be in the discussion: .320, 25 HR, 56 SB, .913 OPS, Gold Glove, top ten in multiple other categories. Would have loved to see Cedeno surrounded by some decent players to see what he could do and how he could help hitters once he was on base and a constant steal threat.
I suspect you know this, but for those younger folks...Eusebio had one of the longest (in terms of actual days) hitting streaks ever. 24 games over 50+ days.
