KANSAS CITY ROYALS: BO JACKSON
Jackson made his only All Star team in 1989 and was at the height of his fame. Jackson led the Royals in home runs (32) and RBIs (105) by a fairly wide margin. He hit .256/.310/.495 while also stealing 25 bases. Jackson only led the league in strikeouts (172) but he finished tenth in MVP voting.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. The Royals' best player was Bret Saberhagen, who won his second Cy Young Award in 1989. Saberhagen led the league in wins (23-6), winning percentage, ERA (2.16), complete games (12) and innings pitched (262.1) while striking out 193. Jackson was sixth on the team in WAR behind Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza (15-11, 3.04 ERA), Jeff Montgomery (1.37 ERA, 18 saves), Tom Gordon (17-9, 3.64 ERA) and Jim Eisenreich (.293/.341/.448).
GRADE: B. I get this choice. Jackson was one of the biggest stars in the game. Saberhagen would have been the best choice, but Jackson was not a bad one.
NEW YORK YANKEES - STEVE SAX
Sax was in his first season with the Yankees after signing as a free agent and led the league in at-bats (651). The second-baseman hit .315/.364/.387 with 88 runs, 205 hits, five home runs, 63 RBIs and 43 stolen bases. Sax led the Yankees in hits, stolen bases and batting average and was named to the All Star team.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Sax was the team's WAR leader (4.4) by a slim margin over Don Mattingly. Mattingly hit .303/.351/.477 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 113 RBIs. Roberto Kelly also had a decent season, hitting .302/.369/.417 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs while stealing 35 bases.
GRADE: A. Sax had a great season in his first year in New York and was the best player on the team.
TEXAS RANGERS - RUBEN SIERRA
Sierra was in his fourth Major League season and finished second in the MVP race while being named an All Star and winning the Silver Slugger. Sierra hit .306/.347/.543 with 29 home runs and a league-leading 119 RBIs. He also led the league in triples (14), slugging percentage and total bases (344).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Sierra was a young superstar at this point in his career and came very close to winning the MVP, not to mention being the best player on the team. Julio Franco finished second on the team in WAR after hitting .316/.386/.462 with 13 home runs, 92 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. From the pitching staff, Nolan Ryan had a big season, going 16-10 with 3.20 ERA and a league-leading 301 strikeouts in 239.1 innings.
GRADE: A. Sierra was just 23 years old and looked like a huge star at this point. He was certainly the best player on the Rangers.
SEATTLE MARINERS - KEN GRIFFEY JR.
19-year-old Griffey was in his rookie season in 1989 and played in 127 games. He came in third in the Rookie of the Year vote after hitting .264/.329/.420 with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He also notched 61 runs, 120 hits and 23 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Griffey was a rookie, and certainly a promising one, but he was not yet the best player on the team. He actually finished fourth in WAR. Scott Bankhead was the team's WAR leader after going 14-6 with a 3.34 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 210.1 innings pitched. Harold Reynolds had a nice season, hitting .300/.359/.369. Alvin Davis may have been the best choice as he hit .305/.424/.496 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs, leading the Mariners in most offensive categories.
GRADE: B. Again, this is one that I understand. Griffey was a huge phenom and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Alvin Davis would have been a better choice for this distinction though.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES - MICKEY TETTLETON
The Orioles' catcher was an All Star and won his first Silver Slugger Award in 1989. Tettleton hit .258/.369/.509 with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs. He led the team in home runs and OPS (.877) and was second in walks (73), while also accumulating 72 runs, 106 hits and 23 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Looking only at offensive numbers, yes. Tettleton was second on the team in WAR though behind Cal Ripken Jr. Ripken hit .257/.317/.401 with 23 home runs and led the team with 93 RBIs, 166 hits and 30 doubles. Ripken also was better defensively. Gregg Olson might have been a decent choice as well as he won the Rookie of the Year as he was 5-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 27 saves and 90 strikeouts in 85 innings.
GRADE: B+. Ripken may have been a better choice and Olson also would have been a good pick, but there is nothing really wrong with the Tettleton choice.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS - DAVE STEWART
Stewart was an All Star for the only time in his career in 1989 and was the World Series MVP for the A's. He led the league in starts (36) and batters faced (1,081). Stewart had a 21-9 record with a 3.32 ERA and struck out 155 batters versus 69 walks in 257.2 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Stewart was not even the best pitcher on the team, though he was certainly notable due to his World Series MVP Award. Mike Moore had a 19-11 record, a 2.61 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 241.2 innings pitched. As far as hitters go, Carney Lansford had a great season, hitting .336/.398/.405. Dennis Eckersley had another great season as well as the closer, saving 33 games with a 1.56 ERA.
GRADE: C. Stewart was a 20-game winner and was the World Series MVP, but he was not the best player on the team. He was not even the best pitcher, despite his record. Moore would have been a better choice.
HOUSTON ASTROS - JIM DESHAIES
The southpaw Deshaies had a 15-10 record with a team-leading 2.91 ERA in 1989. He pitched 225.2 innings, striking out 153 while walking 79. He pitched six complete games and three shutouts, which led the team. Deshaies was second on the team in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Deshaies was fourth on the team in WAR, though he was first among pitchers. Ken Caminiti was the team's WAR leader, though due to his .255/.316/.369 line, most of his value came from his defense. Glenn Davis had a terrific season though as he hit .269/.350/.492 with 34 home runs and 89 RBIs while finishing in the top ten in the MVP vote.
GRADE: B. Deshaies seems like kind of a weird choice, but he was a decent one at this time. Davis, the 1989 Diamond King, would have been the best choice, but Deshaies is probably second.
ATLANTA BRAVES - JOHN SMOLTZ
Smoltz was in his first full Major League season and was named to the All Star team in 1989. He had a 12-11 record with a 2.94 ERA and 168 strikeouts versus 72 walks in 208 innings pitched. Smoltz led the team in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts and also pitched five complete games.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Smoltz was certainly noteworthy in that he had such an impressive season in his first full season, but he was five wins below the WAR leader. Lonnie Smith had a terrific season in 1989, hitting .315/.415/.533 with 21 home runs, 89 runs scored, 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. He led the Braves in average, home runs, stolen bases and led the league in on-base percentage. Tom Glavine led the team in wins (14) and had a 3.68 ERA.
GRADE: B+. Smoltz was very good in 1989, but Lonnie Smith had a monster season and had never been a Diamond King before. Smith might have been the better choice.
CHICAGO CUBS - MIKE BIELECKI
Bielecki led the Cubs pitchers in winning percentage (.720) while compiling an 18-7 record. He was second in ERA (3.14) and strikeouts (147) while walking 81 in 212.1 innings pitched. He also pitched four complete games and led the Cubs in shutouts (three).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Um, no. Bielecki was not even the Cubs best pitcher. There was still some guy named Greg Maddux, who while still young, nevertheless had a record of 19-12 with a 2.95 ERA and 135 strikeouts versus 82 walks in 238.1 innings pitched. Ryne Sandberg was the Cubs' best player as he hit .290/.356/.497 with 30 home runs, 104 runs scored and 76 RBIs. The Cubs also had the N.L. Rookie of the Year in Jerome Walton, who hit .293/.335/.385.
GRADE: B. Bielecki had a good year, but not compared to Sandberg or Maddux. I am not sure what Maddux had to do to become a Diamond King, but he deserved it over Bielecki. Walton would have been an understandable choice too.
CALIFORNIA ANGELS - BRIAN DOWNING
Downing was in his 17th Major League season in 1989 but was still a very good hitter. The designated hitter hit .283/.354/.414 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs. Downing led the Angels in on-base percentage. He also picked up 59 runs, 154 hits and 25 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. As a designated hitter, it is not surprising that Downing was fairly far behind in WAR. He was tenth. The Angels' WAR leader was Bert Blyleven, who was coming off of a 17-5 record, a 2.73 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 241 innings pitched. Chuck Finley was second as he was 16-9 with a 2.57 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 199.1 innings pitched. Among hitters, Chili Davis had the best season as he hit .271/.340/.436 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs.
GRADE: D. Downing was decent, but somewhat ordinary. What saves this choice from being an F is Downing was at least a decent hitter. But the Angels had a lot of good pitchers, any of whom would have been better picks. And among hitters, Davis would have been a good choice.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - KEVIN MITCHELL
Mitchell won the N.L. MVP for the N.L. Champs. He was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger. Mitchell hit .291/.388/.635 and led the league in home runs (47), RBIs (125), slugging percentage, OPS (1.023) and total bases (345). Mitchell also scored 100 runs and had 158 hits and 34 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Technically he was second on the team in WAR behind Will Clark, whose defense probably helped him out. Mitchell had better offensive numbers though. Clark hit .333/.407/.546 with 23 home runs and 111 RBIs. Clark also led the team in runs (104) and hits (196). Among pitchers, Scott Garrelts had the best season as he went 14-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 193.1 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. I am going to give this to Donruss. Mitchell was the MVP and he had a monstrous offensive season in 1989. Clark was much better defensively, but did not have the huge stats.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS - KELLY GRUBER
Third-baseman Gruber hit .290/.328/.448 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs. He also stole ten bases. Gruber was named to the All Star team for the first time in 1989. He was second on the team in average and tied George Bell for second in home runs. He also scored 83 runs and had 154 hits and 24 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Gruber was second on the team in WAR and did not lead the Jays in any major offensive category. Fred McGriff was the team's best player as he hit .269/.399/.525 with 36 home runs and 92 RBIs with 98 runs scored. Among pitchers, Tom Henke had the best season even though he was a closer. Henke had an 8-3 record with a 1.92 ERA and 20 saves with 116 strikeouts in just 89 innings pitched.
GRADE: B. McGriff was a clearly better choice, but Gruber was probably the second best choice.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - JOE MAGRANE
Magrane finished fourth in the N.L. Cy Young vote in 1989. The Cardinals' left-hander had a record of 18-9 with a 2.91 ERA. He struck out 127 batters and walked 72 in 234.2 innings pitched. He completed nine games and threw three shutouts. Magrane led the team in wins and ERA.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Tough to say. Magrane was fifth on the team in WAR, but he did appear to have the more impressive traditional stats. Ozzie Smith led the team in WAR, though that was primarily due to his defense as he hit just .273/.335/.361. Jose Oquendo was second in WAR, but was also a better defensive player as he hit .291/.375/.372. The best offensive season probably belonged to Pedro Guerrero, who hit .311/.391/.477 with 17 home runs and 117 RBIs, but was a poor defensive player.
GRADE: B. Guerrero might have been a slightly better choice, but I can understand the Magrane pick.
CINCINNATI REDS - JOHN FRANCO
Franco was the Reds' closer in 1989. He pitched in 60 games and was an All Star for the third time in his career. Franco had a 4-8 record with a 3.12 ERA and saved 32 games. He pitched 80.2 innings, striking out 60 and walking 36.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Franco had other better seasons. 1989 was not one of his best years. The team's leader in WAR was Barry Larkin, though he played in just 97 games. Larkin hit .342/.375/.446. Rob Dibble tied Larkin for the team high. He had a 10-5 record with a 2.09 ERA, striking out an incredible 141 batters and walking 39 in just 99 innings. Eric Davis also had a great season, hitting .281/.367/.541 with 34 home runs, 101 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
GRADE: D. Franco was not even the Reds' best reliever with the year that Dibble had. He was not bad, but he was not particularly good, other than the saves number. I think Dibble would have been the best choice since Larkin only played in 97 games.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX - OZZIE GUILLEN
Shortstop Guillen hit .253/.270/.318 with one home run and 54 RBIs. He also gathered 63 runs scored, 151 hits, 20 doubles and eight triples. He led the team in triples and stolen bases (36). Guillen was third on the team in hits and runs and fourth in RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Um, maybe. Guillen was definitely a weak hitter who gained almost all of his value from his defense. He was fourth on the team in WAR. Carlton Fisk was first, even though he played in just 103 games. He hit .293/.356/.475 with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. Harold Baines was third and was having a great season, hitting .321/.423/.505, but he finished the season with the Rangers. And Eric King was second, but he had a record of 9-10 with a 3.39 ERA.
GRADE: B. Fisk would have been the better choice, but the White Sox did not really have many good ones. With the lack of options, Guillen is probably fine, even if he was less-than-impressive with the bat.
DETROIT TIGERS - LOU WHITAKER
Whitaker hit .251/.361/.462 with a team-leading 28 home runs and 85 RBIs. He tied Gary Pettis for the team lead in runs scored with 77. Whitaker also led the team with 128 hits and 21 doubles. Finally, Whitaker led the team in games played and at-bats and walked more than he struck out (89 to 59).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Whitaker was pretty much the only choice. Alan Trammell was second on the team in WAR, but he hit just .243/.314/.334 with five home runs and 43 RBIs. Mike Henneman was the team's only All Star as he went 11-4 with a 3.70 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched as a reliever. He saved eight games.
GRADE: A. Whitaker was far and away the best choice for the Tigers in 1989.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES - JOHN SMILEY
Southpaw starter Smiley went 12-8 with a 2.81 ERA in 1989. Smiley tied for the team lead in complete games (eight) and strikeouts (123). He was second on the team in wins, innings pitched (205.1) and shutouts (one) while being third in games started (28).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Smiley was the #2 starter on the team and was sixth on the team in WAR. Barry Bonds was the team's WAR leader by a fairly wide margin. Bonds hit .248/.351/.426 with 96 runs scored, 19 home runs, 58 RBIs and a team-leading 32 stolen bases. He also walked 93 times. Bobby Bonilla was the team's top hitter as he hit .281/.358/.490 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs. Doug Drabek was the best pitcher with a record of 14-12 with a 2.80 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 244.1 innings pitched.
GRADE: C. Smiley was good, but he did not pitch as much, or quite as well as Drabek. Bonds would have been the best choice though.
NEW YORK METS - HOWARD JOHNSON
Johnson led the team in pretty much every offensive category in 1989. The third-baseman hit .287/.369/.559 with 164 hits, 104 runs scored, 41 doubles, three triples, 36 home runs, 101 RBIs and 41 stolen bases. He was an All Star, won the Silver Slugger and finished fifth in the MVP race.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Easily. Johnson was the team's WAR leader by more than two wins and led the team across the board in offense. Darryl Strawberry was second in WAR as he hit .29 home runs and drove in 77 runs, but hit just .225/.312/.466. Sid Fernandez was the team's best pitcher, with a record of 14-5 and a 2.83 ERA with 198 strikeouts in 219.1 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. Johnson was definitely the right choice here. He had an incredible season that was that much better in the context of what the rest of the team did.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS - WILLIE RANDOLPH
The Dodgers and Yankees essentially swapped second-basemen in 1989 and both players were their team's respective Diamond Kings. Randolph hit .282/.366/.326 with 62 runs scored. He also had two home runs, 18 doubles and 36 RBIs. Randolph led the team in average and hits and was an All Star.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? With his defense added in, Randolph was probably the best choice among the position players. Orel Hershiser was the team leader in WAR as he had a 2.31 ERA and 178 strikeouts and 77 walks in 256.2 innings pitched. His record was just 15-15 though so Donruss probably discounted that. Closer Jay Howell had a great year with 28 saves and a 1.58 ERA. Eddie Murray hit 20 home runs and drove in 88 runs, but hit .247/.342/.401.
GRADE: B+. Hershiser might have been a better choice, but there is nothing wrong with Randolph here.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS - CHRIS BOSIO
Bosio was the Brewers' best starting pitcher in 1989. Bosio had a 15-10 record with a 2.95 ERA. He struck out 173 batters versus just 48 walks in 234.2 innings pitched. He started 33 games, pitched eight complete games and two shutouts. He led the team in most major pitching categories.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No, but he was at least close. Robin Yount though was the A.L. MVP in 1989. Yount hit .318/.384/.511 with 21 home runs, 101 runs scored, 195 hits, 38 doubles, nine triples, 103 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. He was the team's WAR leader. Paul Molitor was second with a line of .315/.379/.439 and a team-leading 27 stolen bases. Bosio was third in WAR. Dan Plesac was the team's only All Star as the reliever picked up 33 saves and a 2.35 ERA.
GRADE: C+. This is another one that looks kind of weird, and Yount and Molitor would have been better choices, but those were the previous two Diamond Kings for the Brewers. Yount was the MVP, so points off for passing him up. Bosio was an acceptable choice, but sort of odd.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - TOMMY HERR
Second-baseman Herr hit .287/.352/.364 with two home runs, 27 RBIs and ten stolen bases. Herr led the team in at-bats (561), hits (161), triples (six, tied with John Kruk (?!)). Herr also led the team in batting average and was second in doubles (25).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Von Hayes was the team's WAR leader, hitting .259/.376/.461 while leading the team in runs (93), doubles (27), home runs (26), RBIs (78), stolen bases (28) and walks (101). Closer Roger McDowell had an extremely impressive 1.11 ERA in 44 games. Shortstop Dickie Thon hit .271/.321/.434 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs.
GRADE: C+. Hayes was clearly the team's best player by a wide margin. Herr was a decent contact hitter, but not much else. Hayes should have been the pick.
MINNESOTA TWINS - DAN GLADDEN
Left-fielder Gladden hit .295/.331/.410 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. He scored 69 runs and had 136 hits, 23 doubles and three triples. He led the Twins in stolen bases (23) and tied for second with Greg Gagne in runs. He was third in average.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Definitely not. Gladden was 12th on the team in WAR. Among players with better arguments were Kirby Puckett (.339/.379/.465 with nine home runs, 215 hits and 85 RBIs), Kent Hrbek (.272/.360/.517 with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs) and Brian Harper (.325/.353/.449). Allan Anderson also had a good season, going 17-10 with a 3.80 ERA in 196.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: F. Gladden had a decent batting average and led the team in stolen bases, but neither category was particularly impressive. He was a slightly above-average hitter and there were several better candidates. He was a 1.4 WAR player, which is not that great.
BOSTON RED SOX - ELLIS BURKS
Burks played in just 97 games for the Red Sox in 1989, but led the team in stolen bases with 21. The center-fielder hit .303/.365/.471 with 121 hits, 73 runs scored, 19 doubles, 12 home runs and 61 RBIs. He was second on the team in triples (six).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Burks was fifth on the team in WAR, due primarily to injuries limiting his season. Wade Boggs (.330/.430/.449, 51 doubles) and Mike Greenwell (.308/.370/.443, 14 home runs, 95 RBIs) were the top hitters again. Roger Clemens (17-11, 3.13 ERA, 230 strikeouts in 253.1 innings pitched) had another great season as a pitcher. The most interesting choice would have been Nick Esasky, who hit .277/.355/.500 with a team-leading 30 home runs and 108 RBIs.
GRADE: C. Burks had very good numbers, but missed a chunk of the season. He was looking like a very good, young player. Esasky would have been the best choice among players who had not previously been Diamond Kings.
CLEVELAND INDIANS - PETE O'BRIEN
O'Brien was acquired by the Indians from the Rangers prior to the season along with two others for Julio Franco. O'Brien had been a decent run producer for Texas and hit .260/.356/.372 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs for the Indians. He also scored 75 runs and had 144 hits with 24 doubles. He led the team in walks (83).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. O'Brien was 11th on the team in WAR and had a fairly pedestrian season, especially for a first-baseman. Tom Candiotti was the team's WAR leader as he went 13-10 with a 3.10 ERA in 206 innings pitched. Greg Swindell was an All Star who went 13-6 with a 3.37 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 184.1 innings pitched. Second-baseman Jerry Browne, who was acquired in the same deal, outhit O'Brien by slashing .299/.370/.390 and led the team in runs (83), hits (179) and doubles (31). Then there is Joe Carter, who was never terribly good at getting on base, but who hit 35 home runs and drove in 105 runs to lead the team. Carter had never been a Diamond King to this point.
GRADE: F. O'Brien was just very ordinary in 1989, though he had been pretty good in previous seasons with the Rangers. The Indians had several better candidates. I am really not sure how Donruss kept ignoring Carter, especially in a season like 1989.
MONTREAL EXPOS - BRYN SMITH
The veteran Smith had a 10-11 record with an ERA of 2.84. He threw 215.2 innings and struck out 129 batters while walking 54. He pitched three complete games and one shutout while recording the best WHIP on the staff (1.071).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Smith was maybe the third best pitcher on the staff (though he was second in WAR, the three were very close). Mark Langston, who pitched his first ten games of the year in Seattle, was the team's WAR leader as he went 12-9 with a 2.39 ERA and 175 strikeouts versus 93 walks in 176.2 innings pitched. Dennis Martinez had the best record and most wins as he was 16-7 with a 3.18 ERA, 142 strikeouts and 49 walks in 232 innings pitched. As for position players, how was Tim Wallach never a Diamond King? The third-baseman hit .277/.341/.419 with 13 home runs and 77 RBIs and was fantastic defensively. He also led the league in doubles with 42.
GRADE: C. He had a good ERA and a low WHIP, but he had a losing record and there were two arguably better, and certainly higher-regarded, pitchers on the same team.
SAN DIEGO PADRES - ED WHITSON
Whitson pitched to a record of 16-11 and led the team with a 2.66 ERA. He notched 117 strikeouts and 48 walks in 227 innings. Whitson also led the team in wins and WHIP (1.084) and was second in complete games (five), shutouts (one), strikeouts and innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Whitson did lead the team in WAR by a slim margin over newly-acquired Bruce Hurst. Hurst turned in a very similar season, going 15-11 with a 2.69 ERA and a team-leading 179 strikeouts in 244.2 innings pitched with ten complete games. The Padres also had the 1989 N.L. Cy Young winner in closer Mark Davis, who saved a league-leading 44 games and had a 4-3 record, a 1.85 ERA and 92 strikeouts versus 31 walks in 92.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: B+. Whitson probably was the best pick, though it is sort of odd that Davis did not get picked. Davis probably should have been the pick, though Whitson had the higher WAR.
RECAP
This was sort of a weird year for the Diamond Kings. A lot of these were not really bad picks in the context of 1989, but they did not age well. Few of these players were really superstars for more than the briefest of periods. Of particular note is the fact that there are only two future Hall of Famers (Smoltz and Griffey), though Whitaker belongs in the Hall of Fame and it is a travesty that he is not in. Also odd is the fact that only one of the major award winners from 1989 was selected (Mitchell).
BEST PICK: Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell was the N.L. MVP while leading the league in home runs and RBIs, but also tied for the highest WAR of any player chosen. The player he tied with was Howard Johnson, who is my runner-up.
WORST PICK: Pete O'Brien. O'Brien just did not do anything notable. His numbers were barely above average and 12 home runs out of a first-baseman are not anything to be excited about at all. Dan Gladden had a slightly lower WAR, but his average and steals were at least somewhat notable.
BIGGEST SNUB: Bret Saberhagen. Saberhagen had the highest WAR in the game (9.7) and won the Cy Young Award with a terrific season, yet lost out to Bo Jackson. Runner-up is probably A.L. MVP Robin Yount.
WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY: Mike Bielecki. Despite a 14-year career in the Majors, Bielecki's career numbers were 70-73 with a 4.18 ERA and 5.9 career WAR. He was never an All Star and never led the league in any category. The runner-up is possibly Jim Deshaies, who was also never an All Star, and only led the league in games started in 1994 (25), as well as earned runs and home runs allowed that season. His career WAR was 11.9 over 12 seasons and he had a career record of 84-95 with a 4.14 ERA.
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