1992 was the year that the Diamond Kings were removed from the base set and made into an insert set. The result was a glossier, higher-end card. I do remember that my very first pack of 1992 Donruss resulted in me pulling the Red Sox card. Always a good moment. Here we go.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS - PAUL MOLITOR
1991 saw Molitor settle into the designated hitter role and flourish. He was an All Star and led the league in at-bats (665), runs (133), hits (216) and triples (13). He hit .325/.399/.489 with 17 home runs, 75 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. He led the Brewers in slugging percentage and stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Molitor was the team's WAR leader. Second on the team was pitcher Chris Bosio, who had a 14-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 117 strikeouts and 58 walks in 204.2 innings pitched. Bill Wegman also had a good year with a 15-7 record, 2.84 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 40 walks in 193.1 innings pitched. Willie Randolph had a terrific season in his sole year in Milwaukee, hitting .327/.424/.374.
GRADE: A. Molitor had a terrific season and was the primary offensive force for the Brewers in 1991.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - WILL CLARK
Clark finished fourth in the N.L. MVP vote while being named to the All Star team and winning both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. He led the league in slugging percentage and total bases (303), hitting .301/.359/.536. He hit 29 home runs and led the Giants in RBIs (116), runs (84), hits (170), doubles (32) and triples (seven).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Based on his offense, certainly, though he was second on the team in WAR behind Matt Williams, who led the team in home runs. Williams hit .268/.310/.499 with 34 home runs and 98 RBIs. Second-baseman Robby Thompson was tied in WAR with Clark for second after hitting .262/.352/.447 with 19 home runs, 48 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
GRADE: A. I am going to give this one to Donruss because Clark was clearly the best hitter on the Giants. Williams was a better defensive player, which led to his higher WAR, but other than home runs, his numbers paled compared to Clark's.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS - JOE CARTER
Carter was in his first season with the Blue Jays and finished fifth in the MVP vote while making the All Star team and winning the Silver Slugger. Carter hit .273/.330/.503 and led the Blue Jays in doubles (42), home runs (33) and RBIs (108). He also stole 20 bases to place third on the team.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Close, but probably not. The Blue Jays WAR leader was Devon White, who hit .282/.342/.455 with 17 home runs, 110 runs scored and 60 RBIs. White stole 33 bases and won the Gold Glove. Carter was second in WAR. Then there was Roberto Alomar, who came to Toronto in the same deal as Carter. Alomar hit .295/.354/.436 with 188 hits, nine home runs and 69 RBIs with a team-leading 53 stolen bases.
GRADE: B+. Carter was the team's OPS and OPS+ leader, so there is certainly a good argument for him. Carter should have been a Diamond King at some point during his Indians days and finally made it with the Blue Jays.
TEXAS RANGERS - JULIO FRANCO
Second-baseman Franco won the batting title in 1991, hitting .341/.408/.474. Franco was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger. He also contributed 201 hits, 108 runs scored, 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 78 RBIs. He led the Rangers in stolen bases with 36.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Franco was the team's WAR leader and the batting title certainly helped. Second place belonged to Rafael Palmeiro, who hit .322/.389/.532 with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs while leading the team in hits (203) and runs (115). Ruben Sierra also had a big season, hitting .307/.357/.502 with 25 home runs and a team-leading 116 RBIs. Nolan Ryan was the team's best pitcher, going 12-6 with a 2.91 ERA and 203 strikeouts in 173 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. Franco had a terrific all-around season and won the batting title. The Rangers had a ton of good hitters so it was kind of difficult to stand out, but Franco had good numbers across the board.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES - CAL RIPKEN, JR.
Despite the fact that the Orioles finished in last place in 1991, Ripken won the A.L. MVP, as well as the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Ripken was still in the midst of his consecutive games streak and led the league in total bases (368). Ripken hit .323/.374/.566 with a team-leading 99 runs scored, 210 hits, 46 doubles, 34 home runs and 114 RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Ripken was far and away the best player on the team. Second place went to Mike Devereaux, an underrated player who hit .260/.313/.431 with 19 home runs and 59 RBIs. Reliever Todd Frohwirth was third behind an excellent season in the bullpen. He had a 1.87 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 29 walks in 96.1 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. This is probably the easiest pick in the set. Ripken led the Majors in WAR, not just the Orioles.
ATLANTA BRAVES - DAVID JUSTICE
Justice followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign by hitting .275/.377/.503. He missed a big chunk of time, playing in 109 games, but hit 21 home runs and drove in 87 runs. He also had 67 runs scored, 109 hits and 25 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Definitely not. The team's WAR leader was Tom Glavine, who had a 20-11 record with 192 strikeouts and 69 walks with a 2.55 ERA. He led the league in wins and complete games (nine) and won the N.L. Cy Young Award. Second place was Terry Pendleton, the N.L. MVP, who hit .319/.363/.517 with 22 home runs, 86 RBIs and 94 runs scored. He was the league batting leader and also led in hits (187). Steve Avery was third in WAR behind an 18-8 record with a 3.38 ERA in 210.1 innings pitched. And Ron Gant turned in another 30/30 season with 32 home runs and 34 stolen bases while driving in 105 runs. Justice was 12th on the team in WAR.
GRADE: F. Justice missed a lot of time, or he would be a better choice. But, by picking Justice, Donruss ignored both the MVP and the Cy Young winner in the league. Several other players would have been better choices as well.
CHICAGO CUBS - GEORGE BELL
In Bell's first, and only, season with the Cubs, he hit .285/.323/.468 with 25 home runs and 86 RBIs. He also contributed 63 runs scored, 159 hits and 27 doubles. Bell was an All Star. He did not lead the team in any of the aforementioned stats, but did finish second or third in most of them.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Due to his rather limited defensive abilities and one-dimensional hitting, Bell finished tenth on the team in WAR. He was the second or third best hitter on the team. The team WAR leader was Ryne Sandberg, the 1991 Diamond King, who hit .291/.379/.485 with 26 home runs and 100 RBIs. He also had 104 runs scored, 170 hits and 22 stolen bases. Pitcher Greg Maddux was second in WAR behind a record of 15-11 with a 3.34 ERA and 198 strikeouts versus 66 walks in 263 innings pitched. Andre Dawson was third with a line of .272/.302/.488 with 31 home runs and 104 RBIs.
GRADE: C+. Bell had a decent season, but the Cubs had three clearly better choices.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX - FRANK THOMAS
The Big Hurt was in his first full season in the Majors in 1991 and was an All Star, finished third in the A.L. MVP vote and won the Silver Slugger. He led the league in walks (138), on-base percentage and OPS (1.006). Thomas hit .318/.453/.553 with 104 runs scored, 32 home runs and 109 RBIs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Absolutely. Thomas was also the team's WAR leader. Robin Ventura finished second by hitting .284/.367/.442 with 23 home runs and 100 RBIs and won the Gold Glove. Jack McDowell was third behind his 17-10 record and 3.41 ERA with 191 strikeouts in 253.1 innings pitched while leading the league in complete games (15).
GRADE: A. Thomas was pretty clearly one of the best hitters in the game already at just 23 years old.
BOSTON RED SOX - WADE BOGGS
Boggs was an All Star and won the Silver Slugger while finishing second in the league in batting average. The third-baseman hit .332/.421/.460 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs. He led the team in runs scored (93), hits (181), doubles (42, tied), total bases (251) and was second in walks (89). He led the league in intentional walks (25).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No, he was second in WAR on the team to Roger Clemens. Clemens won the A.L. Cy Young Award by going 18-10 and leading the league in ERA (2.62), shutouts (four), innings pitched (271.1) and strikeouts (241). Jody Reed was third on the team in WAR as he hit .283/.349/.382 with 87 runs scored, 175 hits and tied with Boggs with 42 doubles. Jack Clark was the big slugger, leading the team with 28 home runs, 87 RBIs and 96 walks.
GRADE: B+. Boggs had his final Boggs-ian season with the Red Sox in 1991, but Donruss missed out on the Cy Young winner.
NEW YORK YANKEES - SCOTT SANDERSON
Sanderson was an All Star for the Yankees in 1991. He led the team in most major pitching categories, including wins (16, 10 losses), ERA (3.81), complete games (two), shutouts (two), innings pitched (208) and strikeouts (130). He walked just 29 batters.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? He was close, but was second on the team in WAR to Steve Sax. Sax hit .304/.345/.414 with 85 runs scored, 198 hits, ten home runs, 56 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. he led the team in runs scored, hits, average and on-base percentage. Roberto Kelly was third on the team in WAR as he hit .267/.333/.444 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.
GRADE: B+. Sanderson is sort of an odd pick, but had a very good season. Sax would have been the better pick, but Sanderson is fine.
HOUSTON ASTROS - JEFF BAGWELL
Bagwell was the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1991. The first-baseman hit .294/.387/.437 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. He led the Astros in all of the aforementioned stats except batting average, as well and also had 79 runs scored, 163 hits and 26 doubles.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Bagwell had the best season from a offensive standpoint, but was actually second on the team in WAR to Steve Finley. Finley hit .285/.331/.406 with 28 doubles, eight home runs and 54 RBIs. He led the team in runs scored (84), hits (170) and stolen bases (34). Craig Biggio had a decent season and finished third on the team in WAR by hitting .295/.358/.374 with 161 hits and 19 stolen bases. Pete Harnisch was the team's best pitcher, going 12-9 with a 2.70 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 216.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: A. Technically Finley had the better WAR, but it was fairly close. Bagwell's Rookie of the Year is kind of a clincher for him.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - JOHN KRUK
Kruk was named to the All Star team for the first time in 1991. The Phillies first-baseman hit .294/.367/.483, leading all qualifying Phillies hitters in average, on-base percentage and slugging. He also led in runs scored (84), hits (158), home runs (21) and RBIs (92).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Kruk was the Phillies WAR leader. Tommy Greene was in second place with a record of 13-7 and a 3.38 ERA, leading the team in strikeouts (154) in 207.2 innings pitched. In third place was Len Dykstra, who hit .297/.391/.427, but played in just 63 games due to injuries. Mitch Williams turned in a great season as the closer, going 12-7 with a 2.34 ERA, 84 strikeouts versus 62 walks in 88.1 innings pitched and saving 30 games.
GRADE: A. The Phillies did not have a ton of great options, but Kruk stood out.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - FELIX JOSE
Jose was the primary player the Cardinals acquired when they traded Willie McGee to the Athletics late in 1990. He stepped in and made the All Star team and hit .305/.360/.438. He also knocked 40 doubles, six triples and eight home runs while scoring 69 runs and stealing 20 bases. He led the team in hits with 173.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No, despite his decent numbers, Jose finished fifth on the team in WAR. Ozzie Smith was once again the leader, and he added a very good offensive season to his usual top-notch defense, hitting .285/.380/.367 with 96 runs scored, three home runs, 50 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. Milt Thompson was second, hitting .307/.368/.442, leading the team in average and slugging. Another good pick would have been Lee Smith, who had another exceptional season as the closer, leading the league with 47 saves and having an ERA of 2.34.
GRADE: B. I certainly understand this pick. Jose was a young player, who appeared to have a lot of future promise. He had a nice season, even if one of the Smiths would have been a better pick.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS - HAROLD BAINES
In his first full season in Oakland, Baines was an All Star. He hit .295/.383/.473 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs. He also contributed 144 hits, 76 runs scored and 25 doubles. Baines was second on the team in RBIs, third in hits, and fourth in runs scored and home runs.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. As said above, he did not lead the team in any category. Dave Henderson was the team's WAR leader, hitting .276/.346/.465 with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs while playing good defense in center field. Jose Canseco had the eye-popping stats, hitting .266/.359/.556 with 122 RBIs and a league-leading 44 home runs. Mike Moore was the best pitcher, going 17-8 with a 2.96 ERA in 210 innings pitched.
GRADE: C+. It is not that Baines had a bad year, far from it, he just did not really stand out among the team's other hitters. Canseco would have been the best pick.
NEW YORK METS - DWIGHT GOODEN
Gooden finished the 1991 season 13-7 to lead Mets starters in winning percentage (.650). He was tied for second on the team in wins and complete games (three), and was second in shutouts (one), ERA (3.60) and strikeouts (150). He walked just 56 batters in 190 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. The pitcher who led in all of those categories that Gooden finished second in was David Cone, who had a 14-14 record, but a 3.29 ERA and a league-leading 241 strikeouts. Cone completed five games and had 232.2 innings pitched. Howard Johnson was the team's top hitter, hitting .259/.342/.535 with 38 home runs, 117 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.
GRADE: B. Gooden was decent in 1991, but kind of ordinary, and there was no way to know this at the time, but this was the turning point in his career. It was downhill from here. There was a clearly better pitcher in David Cone in the Mets rotation.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS - BRIAN MCRAE
McRae joined his father Hal as the first father-son Diamond Kings. McRae, in his first full season, hit .261/.288/.372 with eight home runs and 64 RBIs. He led Royals hitters in hits (164), runs scored (86), triples (nine) and stolen bases (20).
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Definitely not. McRae did not finish in the top twelve of Royals players in WAR. There were several better picks. The Royals' best player was probably Danny Tartabull, who hit .316/.397/.593 with 31 home runs and 100 RBIs. Bret Saberhagen was the WAR leader, going 13-8 with a 3.07 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 196.1 innings pitched. Kevin Appier was 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 207.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: F. Donruss makes a lot of McRae's three errors and .993 fielding percentage, but it appears he had very little range (call it the Derek Jeter Effect). He also only led the team in hits and runs scored because of being at the top of the lineup, but as his on-base percentage and slugging percentage show, he was a very poor offensive player. This should have been Tartabull.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES - JAY BELL
Bell, the Pirates' shortstop, only led the league in one category in 1991, sacrifice hits. He had 30, the second year in a row he led in that category. Bell hit .270/.330/.428 and had 96 runs scored, 164 hits, 32 doubles, 16 home runs, 67 RBIs and ten stolen bases. He led the team with eight triples.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. 1991 Diamond King Barry Bonds finished second in the N.L. MVP race by hitting .292/.410/.514 with 25 home runs and 116 RBIs. Bonds also stole 43 bases and walked 107 times while leading the league in on-base percentage and OPS. Bonds was the team's WAR leader. Bobby Bonilla was second, a hair above Bell. Bonilla hit .302/.391/.492 with 18 home runs and 100 RBIs.
GRADE: B. Bonds and Bonilla certainly had the eye-popping stats, but Bell was a good player. He just was not the best player on the team.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS - BRETT BUTLER
Butler's first season with the Dodgers resulted in his only All Star appearance of his career. He finished seventh in the MVP race and led the league in runs scored (112) and walks (108). Butler hit .296/.401/.343 with 182 hits, 13 doubles, five triples, two home runs, 38 RBIs and 38 stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes, Butler was the Dodgers WAR leader in 1991. Mike Morgan was second, with a 14-10 record and a 2.78 ERA in 236.1 innings pitched. Tim Belcher was third, behind a 10-9 record, but a 2.62 ERA in 209.1 innings pitched. Darryl Strawberry turned in a decent season in his first year in L.A., hitting .265/.361/.491 with 28 home runs and 99 RBIs.
GRADE: A. Butler was terrific in 1991, and easily the best player on the team.
CINCINNATI REDS - HAL MORRIS
Morris was in his second full season in the Majors in 1991 and was the team's leader in batting average and on-base percentage. He hit .318/.374/.479 with 72 runs scored, 152 hits, 33 doubles, 14 home runs, 59 RBIs and ten stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Morris was fifth on the team in WAR in 1991. Barry Larkin was first, hitting .302/.378/.506 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. Jose Rijo was second, with a 15-6 record, 2.51 ERA and 172 strikeouts versus 55 walks in 204.1 innings pitched. He finished fourth in the Cy Young vote in 1991. Chris Sabo hit .301/.354/.505 with 26 home runs, 88 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Paul O'Neill hit .256/.346/.481 with 28 home runs and 91 RBIs.
GRADE: C+. Morris was a decent hitter, but there were several better players on the team. Rijo should have been the pick.
CALIFORNIA ANGELS - MARK LANGSTON
Langston finished sixth in the Cy Young race in 1991 and was named to the All Star team. He also won a Gold Glove Award. Langston had a record of 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA. He led the Angels in several pitching categories, including wins, innings pitched (246.1), complete games (seven) and strikeouts (183). He did walk 96 batters.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? It is very close, but Jim Abbott might have been slightly better. Abbott had a record of 18-11, but had an ERA of 2.89, a shutout, five complete games and 158 strikeouts versus 73 walks in 243 innings pitched. Chuck Finley gave the Angels three great southpaws as he had a record of 18-9 with a 3.80 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 227.1 innings pitched. Wally Joyner had a nice season, hitting .301/.360/.488 with 21 home runs and 96 RBIs. And Bryan Harvey was terrific out of the bullpen, saving 46 games with a 1.60 ERA and 101 strikeouts versus 17 walks in just 78.2 innings.
GRADE: B+. I think Abbott might have been a better choice, particularly given the obstacles he overcame, but there was nothing wrong with the Langston pick.
MINNESOTA TWINS - SCOTT ERICKSON
Erickson was a 20-game winner for the World Champion Twins. In his first full season, he led the league in wins and finished second in the Cy Young race. He was 20-8 with a 3.18 ERA and struck out 108 batters versus 71 walks in 204 innings pitched. He threw five complete games and three shutouts.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. His second-place finish in the Cy Young vote was based primarily on his win total. He likely was not even the best pitched on the team. Kevin Tapani was the team's WAR leader with a 16-9 record, 2.99 ERA and 135 strikeouts versus 40 walks in 244 innings pitched. Shane Mack was the team's best overall hitter with a line of .310/.363/.529 with 18 home runs and 74 RBIs. And then there's A.L. Rookie of the Year Chuck Knoblauch, who hit .281/.351/.350 at second base.
GRADE: B. Erickson had a nice season, and probably stood out due to his 20 wins, even if he was not the best player from an analytical perspective.
SEATTLE MARINERS - RANDY JOHNSON
The Big Unit was effectively wild in the first part of his career. For the second season in a row he led the league in walks (152), but he had a 13-10 record and a 3.98 ERA. He struck out 228 batters in just 201.1 innings pitched and had two complete games and a shutout.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Johnson was still very much a work in progress in 1991, but there were definite flashes of what he would become. Ken Griffey Jr. was still the Mariners' best player, hitting .327/.399/.527 with 22 home runs, 100 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Edgar Martinez was very good again, hitting .307/.405/.452. Brian Holman actually had a higher WAR than Johnson in the rotation, though his 13-14 record, 3.69 ERA and 108 strikeouts to 77 walks in 195.1 innings pitched, do not really stand out.
GRADE: B. Johnson was beginning to capture attention beyond his freakish height at this point, but he was still coming around to the dominance that would characterize his career. Griffey was better though.
CLEVELAND INDIANS - GREG SWINDELL
Swindell was proof that win-loss records are not definitive proof of the quality of a pitcher. Swindell had a horrible 9-16 record, which is tempered by the fact that the Indians lost 105 games. He had a 3.48 ERA, seven complete games, and 169 strikeouts to 31 walks in 238 innings pitched, all of which led the staff.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Swindell was the team's WAR leader, slightly. Tom Candiotti was second, but was traded to the Blue Jays halfway through the season. Carlos Baerga emerged as a quality player, hitting .288/.346/.398 with 171 hits. Albert Belle also emerged, hitting .282/.323/.540 with 28 home runs and 95 RBIs.
GRADE: A. I am impressed with Donruss looking beyond Swindell's record here. He really did have a very good season, which would be missed if looking just at his 9-16 record.
MONTREAL EXPOS - DENNIS MARTINEZ
Martinez made national headlines when he pitched a perfect game in 1991. But beyond that, he was an All Star and finished fifth in the Cy Young vote. Martinez led the league in ERA (2.39), complete games (nine) and shutouts (five). He had a record of 14-11 with 123 strikeouts to 62 walks in 222 innings pitched.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? Yes. Martinez was the team's WAR leader. In second place was Larry Walker, who hit .290/.349/.458 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs and played spectacular defense. Ivan Calderon was third, hitting .300/.368/.481 with 19 home runs, 75 RBIs and 31 stolen bases, but was less than impressive defensively.
GRADE: A. This is not just for Martinez's perfect game, he had an outstanding season in 1991.
DETROIT TIGERS - TONY PHILLIPS
Phillips was a true utility player in 1991, appearing at every position except first base, catcher and pitcher. He had a good year in addition to his versatility, hitting .284/.371/.438 with 87 runs scored, 160 hits, 28 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 72 RBIs and ten stolen bases.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? No. Phillips was third on the team in WAR. Lou Whitaker was first, hitting .279/.391/.489 with 23 home runs and 78 RBIs. He walked 90 times compared to 45 strikeouts. In second place was the newly acquired Mickey Tettleton, who hit .263/.387/.491 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs. Then there was Cecil Fielder, who finished second in the MVP vote for the second season in a row, hitting .261/.347/.513 with 44 home runs and 133 RBIs.
GRADE: B. I am guessing Donruss did not want to take any of the three players mentioned here because they were all Diamond Kings in the last two years. Phillips was a valuable player, but his stats paled compared to the others.
SAN DIEGO PADRES - FRED MCGRIFF
McGriff was the primary return the Padres received from sending Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar to the Blue Jays. McGriff did not disappoint in his first year in San Diego, hitting .278/.396/.494 with 31 home runs and 106 RBIs. He led the Padres in runs scored (84), home runs, RBIs, walks (105), on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He finished tenth in the MVP race.
WAS HE THE BEST CHOICE? By OPS, yes, though he was actually fourth on the team in WAR. Tony Gwynn was the leader, hitting .317/.355/.432. Andy Benes had an impressive season, going 15-11 with 3.03 ERA with 167 strikeouts versus 59 walks in 223 innings pitched. Bruce Hurst also had a nice year, going 15-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 221.2 innings pitched.
GRADE: B+. McGriff was very good in 1991, so this could have gone either way. I think Benes or Hurst would have been slightly better picks though.
RECAP
I am not sure why Donruss never seems to get many of the major award winners. This set included only the A.L. MVP (Cal Ripken Jr.) and the N.L. Rookie of the Year (Jeff Bagwell). None of the others made it. The N.L. MVP and Cy Young winners were both from the Braves, and that pick was less than great. On a positive note, there were seven future Hall of Famers here. And McGriff could still get in.
BEST PICK: Cal Ripken Jr. Ripken was the best player in the game in 1991 and led the Majors in WAR. Honorable mention goes to Frank Thomas, who had a massive offensive season in 1991 and justifiably captured hobby attention.
WORST PICK: Brian McRae. Donruss is really bad at picking Royals players. McRae was a well-below average hitter with an OPS+ of 82 in 1991. Honorable mention is David Justice, who was a decent hitter, but picking him meant ignoring both the MVP and Cy Young winners from the National League.
BIGGEST SNUB: Tom Glavine. Glavine was the N.L. overall WAR leader and was a significantly better pick than Justice for the Braves. Runner-up is probably Terry Pendleton, also from the Braves, who won the MVP, and was, once again, significantly better than Justice.
WEIRDEST PICK HISTORICALLY: Felix Jose. Jose had an 11-year career in the Majors in which he made one All Star team, but never led the league in any category. He had a career WAR of 6.4. Runner-up is Hal Morris, who had a career WAR of 13.4 over thirteen seasons in the big leagues, but never led the league in any statistic and was never an All Star.
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