Roger Peckinpaugh
Peckinpaugh became the first shortstop ever to win an MVP award, capturing the honor in 1925 at age 34 while leading Washington to its only World Series championship. The timing wasn't coincidental — his veteran steadiness anchored a franchise that had wandered the wilderness for two decades.
His .259 career average across 18 seasons tells only part of the story. Peckinpaugh was the prototype of the slick-fielding, weak-hitting shortstop that dominated the dead-ball era, when defensive wizardry mattered more than offensive production. He played over 2,000 games at baseball's most demanding position during an era when gloves were barely more than leather mittens.
The longevity stands out most. Playing shortstop regularly into his mid-30s required remarkable durability and baseball intelligence, qualities that made him a natural choice to manage after his playing days ended.
Career · Batting
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | CLE | 15 | 45 | 0 | 6 | .200 | — | — |
| 1912 | CLE | 70 | 236 | 1 | 22 | .212 | — | — |
| 1913 | NYY | 96 | 340 | 1 | 32 | .268 | — | — |
| 1914 | NYY | 157 | 570 | 3 | 51 | .223 | — | — |
| 1915 | NYY | 142 | 540 | 5 | 44 | .220 | — | — |
| 1916 | NYY | 145 | 552 | 4 | 58 | .255 | — | — |
| 1917 | NYY | 148 | 543 | 0 | 41 | .260 | — | — |
| 1918 | NYY | 122 | 446 | 0 | 43 | .231 | — | — |
| 1919 | NYY | 122 | 453 | 7 | 33 | .305 | — | — |
| 1920 | NYY | 139 | 534 | 8 | 55 | .270 | — | — |
| 1921 | NYY | 149 | 577 | 8 | 71 | .288 | — | — |
| 1922 | WS1 | 147 | 520 | 2 | 48 | .254 | — | — |
| 1923 | WS1 | 154 | 568 | 2 | 62 | .264 | — | — |
| 1924 | WS1 | 155 | 523 | 2 | 73 | .272 | — | — |
| 1925 | WS1 | 126 | 422 | 4 | 64 | .294 | — | — |
| 1926 | WS1 | 57 | 147 | 1 | 14 | .238 | — | — |
| 1927 | CWS | 68 | 217 | 0 | 23 | .295 | — | — |
| Career | 2012 | 7233 | 48 | 740 | .259 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.