Jim Bottomley
Bottomley once drove in 12 runs in a single game — a major league record that still stands nearly a century later. That September 1924 explosion against Brooklyn perfectly captured the Cardinals first baseman's extraordinary ability to deliver in clutch moments.
His .310 career average tells only part of the story. Bottomley's 1422 RBIs over 16 seasons reflected his knack for coming through when runners were in scoring position, making him the offensive engine of St. Louis's championship teams in the 1920s and early 1930s. The MVP award in 1928 recognized what Cardinals fans already knew — few players could match his consistency at the plate.
"Sunny Jim" combined power with average in an era when that blend was rarer than today. His 219 home runs may seem modest now, but in the dead-ball hangover of the 1920s, Bottomley's steady production helped define what a modern first baseman should contribute.
Career · Batting
16 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | STL | 37 | 151 | 5 | 35 | .325 | — | — |
| 1923 | STL | 134 | 523 | 8 | 94 | .371 | — | — |
| 1924 | STL | 137 | 528 | 14 | 111 | .316 | — | — |
| 1925 | STL | 153 | 619 | 21 | 128 | .367 | — | — |
| 1926 | STL | 154 | 603 | 19 | 120 | .299 | — | — |
| 1927 | STL | 152 | 574 | 19 | 124 | .303 | — | — |
| 1928 | STL | 149 | 576 | 31 | 136 | .325 | — | — |
| 1929 | STL | 146 | 560 | 29 | 137 | .314 | — | — |
| 1930 | STL | 131 | 487 | 15 | 97 | .304 | — | — |
| 1931 | STL | 108 | 382 | 9 | 75 | .348 | — | — |
| 1932 | STL | 91 | 311 | 11 | 48 | .296 | — | — |
| 1933 | CIN | 145 | 549 | 13 | 83 | .250 | — | — |
| 1934 | CIN | 142 | 556 | 11 | 78 | .284 | — | — |
| 1935 | CIN | 107 | 399 | 1 | 49 | .258 | — | — |
| 1936 | SLA | 140 | 544 | 12 | 95 | .298 | — | — |
| 1937 | SLA | 65 | 109 | 1 | 12 | .239 | — | — |
| Career | 1991 | 7471 | 219 | 1422 | .310 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.