I have a friend in SF and he's sent me research he did. He used Bonds' projection and compared them to current NL records. Walks -- Bonds, 168......NL record, 162 OB% -- Bonds, .499......NL Record, .477 HR% -- Bonds, .1479......NL record, .1375 OPS -- Bonds, 1.337......NL record, 1.232 SL% -- Bonds, .838.......NL record, .756 (this is just ridiculous!) HR -- Bonds, 71.............NL record, 70 Ex BH -- Bonds, 106......NL record, 107 Assuming current projections hold true for Bonds, he would finish in the top 10 of 6 categories on the all-time single season list for all of Major League Baseball (OPS -3rd; HR - 1st; HR% - 1st; SL% - 3rd; OB% - 9th; Extra base hits - 4th). Ruth has 28 top ten records in his career over each season...Gehrig has 11...McGwire has 8...That's over their entire careers!!! Bonds has 6 in this season alone!!! Amazing! Top 10 records by Time period: pre 1920's - 4 20's - 44 30's - 30 40's - 7 50's - 3 1961 - 3 62-93 - 0 94-today - 14 So in 7 years of one of the most offensive eras in the history of baseball (and the one Bonds played within) there have been 14 different occasions where someone has craced the top ten list for a single season accomplishment in one of these categories above. Again, Bonds will have 6 this season alone! Look at it from a point perspective like this over a given season. Let's assume in one season alone you would get 10 points for finishing first on anyone of these lists (like hitting 71)...9 for a second place finish...8 for a third place finish...and so on. Ruth in 1921 would get 65 points, finishing in the top five of all time single season categories 5 times that season. Bonds would be next on that list this year with 45 points, also finishing within the top 5 in five separate categories. The next closest one is Ruth in 1920 with 41...after that it's Gehrig in 1927 with 32...not bad company!!! Ruth in 1921 finished in the top 10 in 9 categories all time that season...Bonds will finish in 6 categories. Oh, yeah...and by the way....Barry Bonds is a gold glover too. Just thought I'd throw that in! Astros fans -- Bagwell finished with the 7th best season in the history of the league in terms of slugging percentage in 1994!! Woo hoo!!!
I remember reading somewhere after his third, fourth or maybe fifth season (not sure) that he will be a future Hall-of-famer and I thought: hmmmm, ..is'nt that a bit premature....but no doubt about it now.
For best overall seasons, see Ruth, Babe; 1921-22. Bonds is definetly having the best season of an NL position player ever though.
