Lou Gehrig's/Jimmie Foxx's/Hank Greenberg's numbers if they played today

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Enough of just talking about Babe Ruth and how he would do today. That is just boring after a while. We never talk about how other great sluggers of the past could do today. How would Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg do today? Discuss!

[willshad]

Enough of just talking about Babe Ruth and how he would do today. That is just boring after a while. We never talk about how other great sluggers of the past could do today. How would Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Hank Greenberg do today? Discuss!

Like Pujols, except with more walks.

[HitchedtoaSpark]

To paraphrase John McGraw, "numbers" are the biggest white elephant ever.

[fenrir]

I'm not sure to be honest. In my opinion, Gehrig at best matches Frank Thomas peak from 1991-1997. I doubt he would have done better, and it's more likely IMO that he wouldn't have matched Thomas during his prime. Then again, who knows.

[fenrir]

Like Pujols, except with more walks.

All three of them the same?

[pheasant]

I have Pujols and Gehrig very close for peak, but Foxx trailing Pujols by a decent margin. Eventually, Pujols will overtake Gehrig in the all-time rankings, especially if he tops 600 HRs. I.e, I already have Pujols ahead of Foxx for career value and quite a bit ahead for peak. As for peak, I think Gehrig and Pujols are a coinflip. I need to look at the numbers more to decide whom I think has the better peak of the two.

[willshad]

All three of them the same?

No, I think Gehrig would be Pujols with more walks, and of course better durability. Foxx, I think would hit more home runs today, and perhaps his batting average would be a little lower. Maybe he would be like Thome, except with a few all time great seasons throughout his career. Greenberg, it's hard to say. He missed so much time because oh injuries and the war, it's hard to see what kind of hitter he really was.

The amazing thing about Greenberg is his potential. He only had 7 full seasons, and yet in almost each one he hit for a career high in something. His career high for doubles, hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average all came in 5 different seasons.

[willshad]

I have Pujols and Gehrig very close for peak, but Foxx trailing Pujols by a decent margin. Eventually, Pujols will overtake Gehrig in the all-time rankings, especially if he tops 600 HRs.

Foxx trailing Pujols in peak? Have you seen his 1932/1933 seasons?

[fenrir]

Foxx trailing Pujols in peak? Have you seen his 1932/1933 seasons?

I imagine he is a believer in league quality, as am I. So I have no problem stating Pujols peak>Foxx peak

[fenrir]

No, I think Gehrig would be Pujols with more walks, and of course better durability.

Better durability? Pujols has been consistently durable in his career, never playing less than 143 games in a single season.

[willshad]

Better durability? Pujols has been consistently durable in his career, never playing less than 143 games in a single season.

Well you can't beat playing every game of every season.

[fenrir]

Well you can't beat playing every game of every season.

Regardless of whether he's more durable or not, Pujols has been consistently durable in his career. I don't think Gehrig crushes him in that department.

[willshad]

I imagine he is a believer in league quality, as am I. So I have no problem stating Pujols peak>Foxx peak

League quality or not, Foxx came within .003 batting average points of consecutive triple crowns! This is a league which had perhaps the two best hitters of all time as competition.

[pheasant]

When evaluating the 3, I will use a 10 year peak and look at road stats too.

Here's what I have:

10 year peak

J Foxx, .336/.440/.652
Pujols, .331/.426/.624
Gehrig .350/.457/.660

Road stats, career
J Foxx .307/.405/.561
Pujols .321/.408/.608
Gehrig .351/.458/.644

Foxx's road stats don't stack up. When factoring in league quality, I now have Pujols dusting Foxx. Greenberg might have been as good as Foxx had he not missed all of that time due to the war. But I can't put him anywhere Foxx, let along Pujols and Gehrig.

I have modest adjustments for league quality. Today, I have the brawny Gehrig getting walked more than Pujols while averageing 40 HRs during his peak per year, while hitting .300 with similar OB% and Slugging% to Pujols. I have them as a tossup for peak. PUjols will easily break into the top 10 ever, and probably the top 5 or 6.

I honestly believe that Ruth and Williams are true outliers. But Gehrig and Pujols make great candidates for the 3rd best hitter ever, in my humble opinion.

[brett]

Like Pujols, except with more walks.

Why more walks. Power hitters as a group got an inordinately high share of walks from 1920 to 1950. Integration stopped that trend. You don't pitch around guys as much when the #8 hitter has 20 home runs.