Tony Lazzeri
Lazzeri posted a .292 career average with 178 home runs across 14 seasons, remarkable power numbers for a middle infielder in the dead-ball hangover era. Playing second base for those legendary Yankees teams, he was the quiet cornerstone who drove in 1,191 runs while Babe Ruth grabbed headlines.
The numbers tell the story of baseball's first great Italian-American star. His 178 career homers ranked among the top totals for second basemen when he retired in 1939. More importantly, Lazzeri's steady production anchored Yankees lineups that won six World Series titles during his tenure.
His Hall of Fame induction came 45 years after his career ended, a testament to how undervalued his contributions were during an era obsessed with flashier stars. Modern analytics would love a second baseman who averaged over 12 homers and 85 RBIs per season across more than 1,700 games.
Career · Batting
14 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | NYY | 155 | 589 | 18 | 114 | .275 | — | — |
| 1927 | NYY | 153 | 570 | 18 | 102 | .309 | — | — |
| 1928 | NYY | 116 | 404 | 10 | 82 | .332 | — | — |
| 1929 | NYY | 147 | 545 | 18 | 106 | .354 | — | — |
| 1930 | NYY | 143 | 571 | 9 | 121 | .303 | — | — |
| 1931 | NYY | 135 | 484 | 8 | 83 | .267 | — | — |
| 1932 | NYY | 142 | 510 | 15 | 113 | .300 | — | — |
| 1933 | NYY | 139 | 523 | 18 | 104 | .294 | — | — |
| 1934 | NYY | 123 | 438 | 14 | 67 | .267 | — | — |
| 1935 | NYY | 130 | 477 | 13 | 83 | .273 | — | — |
| 1936 | NYY | 150 | 537 | 14 | 109 | .287 | — | — |
| 1937 | NYY | 126 | 446 | 14 | 70 | .244 | — | — |
| 1938 | CHC | 54 | 120 | 5 | 23 | .267 | — | — |
| 1939 | NY1 | 27 | 83 | 4 | 14 | .289 | — | — |
| Career | 1740 | 6297 | 178 | 1191 | .292 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.