George Bell
Bell's 1987 MVP season remains one of the most forgotten dominant campaigns in baseball history. His 47 homers and 134 RBIs powered Toronto's first division title, but those gaudy numbers came with a .308 average that separated him from typical sluggers of the era.
The Dominican outfielder peaked at exactly the right moment for the Blue Jays, delivering clutch production when the franchise needed its first taste of October baseball. His three Silver Sluggers tell the story of sustained excellence from the left side, though his career OPS+ of 108 suggests he was more good than great across 13 seasons.
Bell's MVP trophy stands as a testament to timing and team success — a very good player having a great year when his club desperately needed it most.
Career · Batting
12 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | TOR | 60 | 163 | 5 | 12 | .233 | .606 | 88 |
| 1983 | TOR | 39 | 112 | 2 | 17 | .268 | .743 | 104 |
| 1984 | TOR | 159 | 606 | 26 | 87 | .292 | .824 | 116 |
| 1985 | TOR | 157 | 607 | 28 | 95 | .275 | .807 | 113 |
| 1986 | TOR | 159 | 641 | 31 | 108 | .309 | .881 | 122 |
| 1987 | TOR | 156 | 610 | 47 | 134 | .308 | .957 | 128 |
| 1988 | TOR | 156 | 614 | 24 | 97 | .269 | .751 | 108 |
| 1989 | TOR | 153 | 613 | 18 | 104 | .297 | .788 | 113 |
| 1990 | TOR | 142 | 562 | 21 | 86 | .265 | .724 | 102 |
| 1991 | CHC | 149 | 558 | 25 | 86 | .285 | .791 | 112 |
| 1992 | CWS | 155 | 627 | 25 | 112 | .255 | .712 | 102 |
| 1993 | CWS | 102 | 410 | 13 | 64 | .217 | .607 | 83 |
| Career | 1587 | 6123 | 265 | 1002 | .278 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.