These are players who played more than half their games at DH. We’re using the Def column to note their primary position, and a +/- system to indicate their effectiveness there.
Again, the AL dominates here.
#S Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | DET | Ty Cobb | 21 | 386/440/841 | 54 HR 140 RBI 157 R 82 SB | RF ++ |
| AL | NYY | Lou Gehrig | 24 | 292/399/721 | 63 HR 132 RBI 120 R | 1B ++ |
Neither of these players are the typical DH types, but their teams have better options at their primary positions. Ty Cobb‘s season is one for the ages, and Lou Gehrig, often overshadowed by Babe Ruth in New York, was every bit as valuable this year.
#A Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | CLE | Ron Blomberg | 25 | 276/348/640 | 54 HR 143 RBI 106 R | 1B – LF – |
| AL | MCG | José Canseco | 27 | 257/357/705 | 68 HR 124 RBI 113 R 22 SB | RF – |
| AL | SFS | Reggie Jackson | 24 | 283/394/574 | 41 HR 107 RBI 114 R 36 SB | RF ++ |
| AL | MEM | Manny Ramírez | 26 | 280/354/670 | 46 HR 110 RBI | RF – |
| NL | HOM | Willie Stargell | 31 | 278/354/648 | 56 HR 125 RBI | 1B LF – |
The miracle of Ron Blomberg continues, unfortunately. Still, his profound platoon split is beginning to take it’s toll, and I foresee a cliff in his future.
Of the rest of this group, only Reggie Jackson really should be in the field, even at the relatively early points in their careers. Manny Ramírez took a massive step forward for Memphis, and Willie Stargell shows no signs of slowing down while José Canseco, once more, pushed Ruth for the HR total until late in the season.
#B Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | BAL | Gavvy Cravath | 36 | 247/342/603 | 44 HR 111 RBI | RF — |
| NL | NYG | Benny Kauff | 28 | 278/336/580 | 38 HR | CF – |
| NL | OTT | Rick Monday | 24 | 272/364/604 | 30 HR | CF + |
Gavvy Cravath‘s massive FA deal looks justified, and Benny Kauff moved straight from a AAA MVP season into the WBL without missing much of a beat.
Rick Monday is the mystery here: he just kept on hitting and hitting and hitting and hitting, but Ottawa’s OF remains overly crowded. He is clear trade bait for a team looking for a CF upgrade.
#C Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | BBB | Albert Belle | 32 | 238/314/533 | 46 HR 102 RBI 23 SB | RF — |
| NL | HOD/ KCM | Joe Harris | 36 | 280/382/516 | 1B | |
| NL | BRK | Duke Snider | 24 | 259/296/586 | 51 HR 107 RBI 21 SB | CF + |
Albert Belle may belong a tier higher, but that BA is rough. Still, Birmingham has no complaints about the trade that brought him to town. Duke Snider would be an everyday OFer for most teams, but Brooklyn has even better defense in CF with John Briggs, while Joe Harris continues to be a productive veteran presence, although his future may be limited.
#D Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL | PHI | Rico Carty | 38 | 275/349/497 | 1B – | |
| NL | IND | Adam Dunn | 22 | 207/342/463 | 36 HR 30 SB | LF |
Rico Carty still has some value, but his career is clearly winding down while Adam Dunn‘s is just taking off–it’s weird to have a 30/30 guy in this Tier, but the .207 average just drags all of his metrics down.
#F Tier
| Lg | Tm | Name | Age | Slash | Other | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | POR | Gil Hodges | 31 | 208/292/461 | 38 HR | 1B ++ |
Yeah, this was just a bad year for Gil Hodges, who may find himself on the trading block this off season.
#Rookies
Monday, Harris, and Dunn (B, C, and D Tiers, respectively).