The best baseball seasons are defined by tight pennant races, competitive postseasons and World Series, individual greatness and milestones and historically good teams. A bad season lacks any of these things.
That’s why I’ve ranked the 23 best MLB seasons, in descending order of win total. These are the seasons that stood the test of time and have remained unmatched for a century and more.
1. Babe Ruth 1921
Babe Ruth’s 1921 season is one of the best baseball seasons of all time. He hit 59 home runs, a number that has never been exceeded by any other player in major league history.
When he joined the Yankees in 1920, Ruth immediately became a national icon and the pride of New York City. He also sparked the Roaring Twenties era of baseball.
When Ruth arrived in New York, he started a run of offensive dominance that is unlikely to be repeated. He led the American League in slugging, home runs, walks, and on-base percentage 12 times between 1920 and 1931.
2. Joe DiMaggio 1941
The 1941 season was one of the greatest for New York Yankees star center fielder Joe DiMaggio. He accomplished many impressive feats that year, but perhaps the most notable was his 56-game hitting streak.
The streak, which began May 15th and continued until July 16th, was far and away the longest in MLB history. Only Ted Williams has matched DiMaggio’s streak.
In 1942, after the United States entered World War II, DiMaggio volunteered for military service. He served in the Army Air Force and played on baseball teams to lift the morale of the troops.
After serving, he returned to the Yankees in 1946. His offensive numbers were down from his previous seasons, but he still managed to win the AL batting title and was named the league Most Valuable Player.
3. Ty Cobb 1911
In 1911, Ty Cobb dominated baseball like no other player had before or after. He led the league in 11 major offensive categories, including hits, doubles, triples, batting average, slugging percentage, runs, RBI, stolen bases, OPS and OPS+.
He also won the American League Most Valuable Player award for his superb season. He posted career highs in average, hits, runs, batting, doubles, triples and slugging.
His batting record of 4,189 was not broken until 1985 by Pete Rose, while his career home run mark of 892 was not surpassed until 1979 by Lou Brock. He also set numerous other records, including runs-scored, hits, slugging and walks.
4. Babe Ruth 1912
Babe Ruth changed baseball in a number of ways, beginning with his transformation from a pitcher into a slugging outfielder. He helped break the dead-ball era and helped establish a style of long-distance hitting that would become a staple in MLB.
He won 87 games during his five seasons with the Boston Red Sox, established himself as one of the top left-handed pitchers in the game, and was part of three World Series championship teams.
He then moved on to the New York Yankees in 1919, and his eye-popping batting performances helped establish him as a superstar in the league. He became the most recognizable player in the sport and helped the Yankees win six American League pennants.
5. Babe Ruth 1914
Babe Ruth made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. He didn’t get a lot of playing time at first, but as he got older and grew into the player he would become, he became a star.
In 1916, he won 23 games and posted a league-leading 1.75 ERA. He also had nine shutouts, a left-handed record that was held until it was tied in 1978.
He didn’t have the home run power or off-field exploits of later generations, but his career was still in its infancy and the baseball world was just starting to recognize him. He was also still only 19 years old.
6. Willie Mays 1916
One of baseball’s greatest players, Willie Mays is one of the best-known names in the game. He played with the New York Giants for twenty-two years and was a dominant force on the field for decades.
In his career, he hit over 3,000 hits and set major league records for home runs and stolen bases. His effortless play made him a joy to watch at every part of the game.
Born in Westfield, Alabama, Willie Mays grew up with an athletic father and mother who both were champion track athletes. They began to teach young Willie to catch a ball before he could walk, which made him a natural player.
7. Babe Ruth 1917
Despite his off-the-field escapades, Babe Ruth still had a great baseball career. His best season came in 1916, when he won 23 games and tossed nine shutouts to help Boston win the World Series.
He was also one of the most successful pitchers in history, and had an ERA of 1.75 that still stands as a league record for left-handed pitchers. He won a total of 94 games during his career, and was a two-time World Series champion.
In 1917, he won 24 games and threw 35 complete games for the Red Sox. He topped the AL in ERA and pitched 29 scoreless innings, which is still an American League record for a left-handed pitcher.
8. Babe Ruth 1918
Babe Ruth was born in Baltimore on February 6, 1895. His father George ran a saloon, and his mother Catherine was often sick.
As a child, Babe became an outcast. He would wander the dockyards and drink and chew tobacco. He also taunted police officers. His parents feared he would become a troublemaker, so they sent him to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, a Catholic orphanage and reformatory.
While there, he developed a relationship with Brother Matthias, a monk who became his father figure. He spent a lot of time straddling the line between right and wrong.
At age 19, he became a professional baseball player. In a spring training game in South Carolina, he pitched two complete games and allowed only six hits and one run. He then went on to play for the Orioles.
9. Babe Ruth 1919
Babe Ruth’s early life was filled with adversity. He was sent to a reform school (a place for troubled children) run by the Brothers, men who had taken vows to lead religious lives.
After spending 12 years there, he came out of his teen years as one of the top players in baseball. He was signed to a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles in 1914.
The next season, he hit 54 home runs with 158 runs scored and 135 RBI. It was the start of a career that changed baseball forever and set modern era records that still stand today.
He was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919 and immediately dominated the game. He would go on to win four World Series titles and anchor what was called “Murderer’s Row.”
10. Babe Ruth 1920
When it comes to sluggers in Major League Baseball, Babe Ruth is one of the most famous. He’s known for swatting a prodigious 714 home runs and is a legend for his booming bat.
He began his career as a pitcher, but soon moved to the outfield after he was traded by Boston before the 1920 season. He was a dominant left-handed hurler who led the Boston Red Sox to three World Series titles.
He became a household name during the Golden Age of Sports, an era in which teams changed their uniforms to more aesthetically appealing designs and the game itself was altered by innovations such as livelier ballparks and outlawed “trick pitches.” In 1919, he led the American League with 29 home runs.
