David Freese breaks the all-time single-season post-season RBI record
Posted by Andy on October 28, 2011
With his 2-run double in the 1st inning of Game 7 tonight, David Freese now has 21 RBI this post-season, an all-time record. This particular stat of course favors players on good teams from the wild card era, who tend to have more games each post-season.
Before tonight's games, here were the all-time leaders:
| Rk | Player | Year | RBI ▾ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Spiezio | 2002 | 19 |
| 2 | David Freese | 2011 | 19 |
| 3 | Sandy Alomar | 1997 | 19 |
| 4 | David Ortiz | 2004 | 19 |
| 5 | Alex Rodriguez | 2009 | 18 |
| 6 | Ivan Rodriguez | 2003 | 17 |
| 7 | Ryan Howard | 2009 | 17 |
| 8 | Rich Aurilia | 2002 | 17 |
| 9 | John Valentin | 1999 | 17 |
| 10 | Barry Bonds | 2002 | 16 |
| 11 | Manny Ramirez | 2007 | 16 |
| 12 | B.J. Upton | 2008 | 16 |
| 13 | Fred McGriff | 1996 | 16 |
| 14 | Benito Santiago | 2002 | 16 |
| 15 | Nelson Cruz | 2011 | 16 |
| 16 | Albert Pujols | 2011 | 16 |
October 28th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Freese is also the first to get to 50 Total Bases in a single postseason. Pujols was the first to 48. (Playing 18 games helps.)
October 28th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
What's the record for most consecutive plate appearances that create lead changes? Freese's game 7 double made it three in a row.
October 28th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
I'd like to a comparison stat to use for pre-Wild Card players, IE RBI's per AB/Game. Thanks for the consistently great posts.
October 28th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I'm in favor of keeping World Series stats seperate from the other layers of playoffs.
October 28th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Well here are the most RBI in a single World Series:
Generated 10/28/2011.
October 28th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Single season RBI Leaders from the 2 round playoff era only:
Reggie Jackson, NYY 1978... 14
Dwight Evans, BOS 1986........13
Paul Molitor, TOR 1993...........13
Willie Stargell, PIT 1979......... 13
Dusty Baker, LAN 1977.......... 13
Davey Lopes, LAN 1978.........12
Dan Gladden, MIN 1987..........12
7 players................................... 11
October 28th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Molina's base-loaded walk in the 5th inning was the 9th ever in a 7th World Series game: http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/STKgo
Furcal's base-loaded HBP in the 5th inning was only the 2nd ever in a 7th World Series game:
http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/Vl3AU
October 28th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
#5: Richardson was the only World Series MVP from a losing team, thanks to the combined efforts of Ralph Terry and Bill Mazeroski.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
#3: Just looking at the wild card era, a few high RBI per post-season game performances:
Nomar played in only 4 post-season games in 1998, but had 11 RBI (2.75 per game). Among players with at least 10 post-season games played, John Valentin had 10 games played and 17 RBI (1.7 per game). Among players with more than 10 post-season games played, David Ortiz had 14 games played and 19 RBI (1.36 per game).
October 28th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
CONGRATS TO THE REDBIRDS!
October 28th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Waaaaaaaay 2 go CARDS!!!
October 28th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
Undoubtedly the best World Series I have personally witnessed.
October 29th, 2011 at 12:16 am
Freese had 55 RBI this season, which would seem to make him the most unlikely person on this list. Upton drove in 67, every other player looks to be over 80 for the season in which they appear.
October 29th, 2011 at 2:03 am
@5.
Only one of the top 6 WS RBI performances was in a winning cause. Guess it pays to have contributions spread throughout your lineup.
October 29th, 2011 at 3:03 am
One odd thing about this series (and something nobody will remember).
Prior to this series, there had been only 51 WS games ever where a 40+ year-old pitcher had appeared. This series had 6 such games, the most ever.
This year was also only the 6th series with two 40+ pitchers and the first where both such pitchers appeared more than once. Of those 6 series, four have occurred since 2003. Apparently, pitchers do last longer when you look after them.
October 29th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Allen Craig is the 3rd player to hit HR's in Game 6 & 7 of the same World Series. He's in good company, joining HOF'ers Mickey Mantle (1952 & 1964) & Roberto Clemente (1971).
October 29th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Anyone happen to know where this ranks among post-season OPS+ for anyone with, say, 50 PAs (or anyone that played through to the WS)? Or just OPS?
I see that his postseason OPS is 1.258 in 71 PAs with an utterly insane 1.9 WPA.
October 29th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
*
October 29th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
most WS RBIs doesn't mean team success:
1. Bobby Richardson, 1960, 12 WINNER
2. Mickey Mantle, 1960, 11 LOSER
3. Mike Napoli, 2011, 10 LOSER
4. Ted Kluszewski, 1959, 10 LOSER
5. Yogi Berra, 1956, 10 WINNER
6. Sandy Alomar, 1997, 10 LOSER
October 29th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@19
Bobby Richardson played for a loser. If you re-read your list you have Richardson as a winner and Mantle as a loser in the same series.
October 29th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
thanks, that's what i meant!
most WS RBIs doesn't mean team success:
1. Bobby Richardson, 1960, 12 LOSER
2. Mickey Mantle, 1960, 11 LOSER
3. Mike Napoli, 2011, 10 LOSER
4. Ted Kluszewski, 1959, 10 LOSER
5. Yogi Berra, 1956, 10 WINNER
6. Sandy Alomar, 1997, 10 LOSER
October 31st, 2011 at 9:39 am
@8
Jim Coates and Hal Smith had just as much to do with this.
November 2nd, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Freese's "only 55 RBI's" came in 333 ABs.