13 stats that show Hank Aaron’s significance
There was 715, the variety of profession house runs he reached to dethrone Babe Ruth because the all-time large fly king in 1974, in some of the iconic moments in sports activities historical past. And then there was 755, Aaron’s final whole, and a file that stood for an additional 31 years.
Aaron, who would have turned 89 on Sunday, crafted a legacy that’s about a lot greater than numbers, in fact. But even specializing in the statistical aspect of the ledger, 715 and 755 solely scratch the floor of what he achieved over his lengthy and legendary profession.
Here is a take a look at 13 info and figures to learn about one of many biggest gamers to choose up a bat:
1. No off years: 20 seasons of 20 homers
One stunning side of Aaron’s 755 profession house runs is that he produced them with out hitting greater than 47 in a single season. A complete of 47 gamers have produced a better single-season whole than Aaron ever did — 15 of them a number of occasions — and but Aaron sits second on the all-time record behind Barry Bonds.
Aaron managed that by means of his relentless consistency. He is one in all 5 gamers to publish a minimum of eight 40-homer seasons, one in all two (together with Alex Rodriguez) to have 15 30-homer seasons and is the one participant to go deep 20-plus occasions in 20 completely different years. Those years got here consecutively from 1955-74. Aaron failed to achieve that threshold solely as a 20-year-old rookie in 1954, and as a 41- and 42-year-old in 1975-76.
2. Built to final: practically 3,300 video games
You don’t hit 755 house runs with out being a paragon of sturdiness and longevity. Aaron’s 3,298 video games performed places him 10 behind Carl Yastrzemski for second all time. (Pete Rose is No. 1 with 3,562 video games.) Aaron performed a minimum of 150 video games 14 occasions and a minimum of 120 video games 21 occasions, tying Rose for probably the most such seasons in MLB historical past. Aaron additionally ranks third in plate appearances (13,941).
3. Age is only a quantity: productive at 20 and 40
One factor that stands out about Aaron is that he was an amazing younger participant and an amazing previous participant. As for the previous, he’s one in all 24 place gamers to supply a 6-WAR season at age 21 or youthful, per Baseball-Reference, and is tied for tenth in whole WAR by means of age 25 (38.7). But he’s additionally tied for eighth in WAR at age 35 or older (31.4). Aaron’s two highest single-season OPS figures truly got here at ages 37 (1.079) and 39 (1.045, albeit in solely 120 video games). In the 5 seasons from 1969-73, when Aaron was 35-39 years previous, he led all Major Leaguers in slugging (.601) and OPS (.997).
4. Leaderboard legend: Top 5 in lots of classes
In addition to house runs, video games and plate appearances, Aaron ranks third all-time in hits (3,771), fourth in runs scored (2,174), first in whole bases (6,856), first in extra-base hits (1,477), first in RBIs (2,297), fourth in intentional walks (293) and fifth in WAR for place gamers (143.1). He is one in all six gamers to achieve the hallowed milestones of three,000 hits and 500 homers.
5. A success machine: 3,000 hits with out the HR
Take one other take a look at that hit whole: 3,771. It doesn’t take a mathematician to determine what which means. Even when you took away every one in all Aaron’s 755 house runs, he nonetheless would have cracked the three,000-hit mark — some of the celebrated in baseball. Homers apart, Aaron’s 3,016 hits would rank twenty ninth in MLB historical past. The participant who could be behind him? Wade Boggs, a Hall of Famer who batted .328 over 18 seasons, with a complete of three,010 hits.
6. Total domination: The king of whole bases
Think about these 6,856 whole bases, too. That whole is 722 greater than second-place Stan Musial — about twice the quantity produced by 2021 Major League chief Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (363). How a lot is 6,856? It equates to 1,714 house runs, 2,285 triples or 3,428 doubles. If a participant matched Ruth’s single-season file of 457 whole bases and saved that up for 15 years, he would nonetheless be one base in need of Aaron.
7. Ok’s beneath management: Just 116th in strikeouts
As talked about, Aaron went to the plate extra occasions than all however two gamers in baseball historical past, and he hit extra house runs than all however one. Despite that, his lack of strikeouts is gorgeous — particularly by trendy requirements. Aaron completed with 1,383 Ok’s (fewer than his 1,402 walks), which is barely the 116th most in MLB historical past and fewer than a number of lively gamers have. Of course, Aaron performed in a lower-strikeout surroundings during which pitchers didn’t have the caliber of stuff they do in the present day. Even so, Aaron additionally struck out far lower than fellow Hall of Famers resembling Reggie Jackson (the all-time chief, with 2,597), Willie Stargell (1,936) and Mickey Mantle (1,710).
8. Afraid of nobody: Taming HOFers
Aaron’s most-faced pitcher was, by far, Hall of Famer Don Drysdale. The two matched up 249 occasions, or 51 greater than some other opponent towards Aaron. In his profession, Drysdale allowed solely a .645 OPS, but Aaron was not in the slightest degree bothered by the intimidating Dodgers right-hander. He homered 17 occasions and hit .267/.345/.579, good for a .925 OPS that just about precisely matched Aaron’s profession mark of .928.
Drysdale was one in all 13 Hall of Fame pitchers Aaron confronted a minimum of 25 occasions in his profession. Aaron managed a minimum of an .820 OPS towards 9 of them, with specific success going through Sandy Koufax (1.077 OPS in 130 PA) and Steve Carlton (1.025 OPS in 81 PA).
9. Shining shiny: An annual All-Star
Aaron is the all-time All-Star, with a file 25 choices. The caveat to that quantity is that it contains 4 seasons (1959-62) during which there have been a number of video games. Still, Aaron was chosen as an All-Star in 21 seasons (1955-75), greater than some other participant. He began a Midsummer Classic 17 occasions, behind solely Willie Mays (18).
10. A excessive flooring: 15 straight years of 6 WAR
Aaron wasn’t making all of these All-Star groups simply from inertia. Beginning along with his second season in 1955, he produced a minimum of 6 WAR in 15 straight years by means of 1969. For context, solely 13 place gamers reached that mark in 2021, which is about common for a single season. That 15-season streak is a file, and Aaron’s 16 whole seasons assembly the 6-WAR threshold ties Bonds for probably the most by a place participant.
11. October excellence: 1.116 postseason OPS
Aaron didn’t get many probabilities to play within the postseason, however when he did, he took benefit by batting .362/.405/.710 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 17 video games. In two of his three collection (1957 World Series, 1969 National League Championship Series), he homered 3 times. Among these with a minimum of 70 profession postseason plate appearances, he ranks sixth in common and slugging and fifth in OPS.
12. Hard-to-get {hardware}: Always within the MVP dialog
Despite all of the manufacturing and accolades, it’s a bit stunning that Aaron is just not among the many gamers to seize a number of MVP Awards. He gained for the one time in 1957, which was his fourth season. Aaron by no means completed because the runner-up, both. But he positioned third a whopping six occasions, obtained votes in 19 straight seasons (1955-73) and is tied for eighth all-time in “MVP shares,” per Baseball-Reference.
13. The final large brother: First in sibling homers
Baseball has seen its fair proportion of spectacular brother tandems (or trios), from the Waners to the DiMaggios to the Alous to the Alomars to the Uptons to the Seagers. Yet it’s the Aarons who maintain the file for probably the most house runs by any brother combo, and it’s not particularly shut. This although Hank’s youthful brother, Tommie, hit simply 13 large flies over components of seven seasons with Hank’s Braves between 1961-71. That means Hank accounts for 98.3% of the Aaron brothers’ whole of 768.
