Ralph Kiner
Kiner hit more home runs in his first seven seasons than anyone in baseball history — 321 dingers from 1946-52, a pace that would have threatened Babe Ruth's career record had injuries not intervened. The Pirates slugger led the National League in homers seven straight times, including his rookie year when he cranked 23 despite playing just 144 games.
What made those numbers even more remarkable was the context: Kiner played for terrible Pittsburgh teams that finished last or second-to-last in six of his 10 seasons. He carried those clubs almost single-handedly, averaging 37 home runs per year while hitting .279 for his career. His 369 career homers came in just 1,472 games — fewer games than it took Mickey Mantle to reach 300.
The back problems that ended his career at 32 make you wonder what might have been, but Kiner's peak was undeniable. He proved that even on baseball's worst teams, pure power could make you a star.
Career · Batting
10 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | PIT | 144 | 502 | 23 | 81 | .247 | — | — |
| 1947 | PIT | 152 | 565 | 51 | 127 | .313 | — | — |
| 1948 | PIT | 156 | 555 | 40 | 123 | .265 | — | — |
| 1949 | PIT | 152 | 549 | 54 | 127 | .310 | — | — |
| 1950 | PIT | 150 | 547 | 47 | 118 | .272 | — | — |
| 1951 | PIT | 151 | 531 | 42 | 109 | .309 | — | — |
| 1952 | PIT | 149 | 516 | 37 | 87 | .244 | — | — |
| 1953 | CHC | 158 | 562 | 35 | 116 | .279 | — | — |
| 1954 | CHC | 147 | 557 | 22 | 73 | .285 | .858 | — |
| 1955 | CLE | 113 | 321 | 18 | 54 | .243 | .818 | — |
| Career | 1472 | 5205 | 369 | 1015 | .279 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.