Top 5 Seasons by a 20-Year-Old in MLB History

Regardless of your views on this year’s MVP race, the triple crown, or WAR, there’s no denying that Mike Trout’s season was absolutely one for the ages. But for a change of pace, let’s shift our focus from comparing him to his contemporaries this year, and let’s look at how Trout stacks up against every other 20-year-old in baseball history. Below is a list of the five best 20-year-old seasons in history:

5. Ted Williams (1939): As a 20-year-old, the Splendid Splinter led the league in RBI (145) and Total Bases (344) in his rookie season, as well as tallying 107 walks against 64 strikeouts. It’s also hard to believe that his line of .327/.436/.609 was substantially below his career average of .344/.482/.634 (of note, his career on-base percentage of .482 is the highest in baseball history). He finished 4th in the 1939 MVP voting behind Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, and a 20-year-old Bob Feller, who would have been #6 had this list continued (24 wins and 24 complete games; both league-leading marks).

4. Mel Ott (1929): Ott was practially a veteran by the time his Age-20 season rolled around; it was his fourth year in the league, and started with 35 games as a 17-year-old in 1926. Ott was a rare breed for the time: a power hitter with a great eye at the plate. As a 20-year-old, Ott hit 42 home runs (second in the NL), only struck out 38 times, and lead the league in walks with 113 (it wasn’t even close: he had a full 20 more than second place George Grantham). He placed 11th in NL MVP voting that year.