1989 Leaders & Numbers
Kevin Mitchell and Mark Davis respectively gave the Giants and Padres belated, brief—but very major—dividends from a 1987 seven-player trade. Despite a solid block of stats, Ruben Sierra’s MVP chances were diminished by critics who eagerly pointed out his shabby outfield defense (hence his sarcastic nickname, “Sie-error”). In the emerging era of the synthetic superslugger, relative pencil-necks Will Clark and Robin Yount posted some of the year’s most impressive numbers at the plate. Howard Johnson—HoJo to many—showed continued power to gradually prove that accusations of past corked bat usage were bunk. Like Dave Parker before him, Lonnie Smith completed the long road back to prominence after being sidetracked by drugs. Fred McGriff’s ongoing improvement in Toronto was enough to chase competing first baseman Cecil Fielder into Japanese exile—for now. If it’s an odd year, it must be Bret Saberhagen pitching at his best. For the second time in three years, Orel Hershiser’s outstanding pitching could buy him no better than a .500 record. The butt of jokes after a dreadful 2-19 mark for the 1985 Pirates, Jose DeLeon completed the transition from punch line to prime time in St. Louis. Mike Moore signed on with Oakland after a career 66-96 record at lowly Seattle and thrived on the opportunity to play for a winner. Following Dennis Eckersley’s cue, Jeff Russell converted from average starter to cagey closer. Baby-faced Greg Maddux solidified his standing as the real deal with the Cubs.
The Ten Best National League Hitters, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Team | G | BA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IB | HB | SB | CS | GD |
1. Kevin Mitchell | San Francisco | 154 | .291 | 543 | 100 | 158 | 34 | 6 | 47 | 125 | 55 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
2. Will Clark | San Francisco | 159 | .333 | 588 | 104 | 198 | 38 | 9 | 23 | 111 | 60 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 |
3. Howard Johnson | New York | 153 | .287 | 571 | 104 | 164 | 41 | 3 | 36 | 101 | 69 | 8 | 1 | 41 | 8 | 4 |
4. Lonnie Smith | Atlanta | 134 | .315 | 482 | 89 | 152 | 34 | 4 | 21 | 79 | 73 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 12 | 7 |
5. Pedro Guerrero | St. Louis | 162 | .311 | 570 | 60 | 177 | 42 | 1 | 17 | 117 | 66 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
6. Ryne Sandberg | Chicago | 157 | .290 | 606 | 104 | 176 | 25 | 5 | 30 | 76 | 51 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 9 |
7. Eric Davis | Cincinnati | 131 | .281 | 462 | 74 | 130 | 14 | 2 | 34 | 101 | 56 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 7 | 16 |
8. Bobby Bonilla | Pittsburgh | 163 | .281 | 616 | 96 | 173 | 37 | 10 | 24 | 86 | 56 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
9. Von Hayes | Philadelphia | 154 | .259 | 540 | 93 | 140 | 27 | 2 | 26 | 78 | 87 | 14 | 4 | 28 | 7 | 7 |
10. Jack Clark | San Diego | 142 | .242 | 455 | 76 | 110 | 19 | 1 | 26 | 94 | 114 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
The Ten Best American League Hitters, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Team | G | BA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IB | HB | SB | CS | GD |
1. Ruben Sierra | Texas | 162 | .306 | 634 | 101 | 194 | 35 | 14 | 29 | 119 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
2. Robin Yount | Milwaukee | 160 | .318 | 614 | 101 | 195 | 38 | 9 | 21 | 103 | 54 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 3 | 9 |
3. Rickey Henderson | New York-Oakland | 150 | .274 | 541 | 113 | 148 | 26 | 3 | 12 | 57 | 121 | 5 | 3 | 77 | 14 | 8 |
4. Fred McGriff | Toronto | 161 | .269 | 551 | 98 | 148 | 27 | 3 | 36 | 92 | 107 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 14 |
5. Alvin Davis | Seattle | 142 | .305 | 498 | 84 | 152 | 30 | 1 | 21 | 95 | 86 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
6. Wade Boggs | Boston | 156 | .330 | 621 | 113 | 205 | 51 | 7 | 3 | 54 | 88 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 19 |
7. Bo Jackson | Kansas City | 135 | .256 | 515 | 86 | 132 | 15 | 6 | 32 | 105 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 26 | 9 | 10 |
8. Kirby Puckett | Minnesota | 159 | .339 | 635 | 75 | 215 | 45 | 4 | 9 | 85 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 21 |
9. Don Mattingly | New York | 158 | .303 | 631 | 79 | 191 | 37 | 2 | 23 | 113 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
10. Dwight Evans | Boston | 146 | .285 | 520 | 82 | 148 | 27 | 3 | 20 | 100 | 98 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
The Ten Best National League Pitchers, 1989 |
||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Team | ERA | W | L | PCT | SV | BS | G | GS | IP | TB | ER | BB | IB | WP | HB | BK | SB | CS | GD |
1. Orel Hershiser | Los Angeles | 2.31 | 15 | 15 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 33 | 256.2 | 298 | 66 | 77 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 29 |
2. Jose DeLeon | St. Louis | 3.05 | 16 | 12 | .571 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 244.2 | 271 | 83 | 80 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
3. Bruce Hurst | San Diego | 2.69 | 15 | 11 | .577 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 244.2 | 306 | 73 | 66 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
4. Scott Garrelts | San Francisco | 2.28 | 14 | 5 | .737 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 29 | 193.1 | 220 | 49 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 9 |
5. Mark Davis | San Diego | 1.85 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 44 | 4 | 70 | 0 | 92.2 | 97 | 19 | 30 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
6. Ed Whitson | San Diego | 2.66 | 16 | 11 | .593 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 227 | 303 | 67 | 48 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 16 |
7. Greg Maddux | Chicago | 2.95 | 19 | 12 | .613 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 238.1 | 305 | 78 | 82 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 17 |
8. Mike Morgan | Los Angeles | 2.53 | 8 | 11 | .421 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 19 | 152.2 | 177 | 43 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
9. Joe Magrane | St. Louis | 2.91 | 18 | 9 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 33 | 234.2 | 293 | 76 | 65 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 11 | 24 |
10. Mike Scott | Houston | 3.10 | 20 | 10 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 32 | 229 | 292 | 79 | 62 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 10 |
The Ten Best American League Pitchers, 1989 |
||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Team | ERA | W | L | PCT | SV | BS | G | GS | IP | TB | ER | BB | IB | WP | HB | BK | SB | CS | GD |
1. Bret Saberhagen | Kansas City | 2.16 | 23 | 6 | .793 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 35 | 262.1 | 305 | 63 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 |
2. Mike Moore | Oakland | 2.61 | 19 | 11 | .633 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 241.2 | 270 | 70 | 82 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 19 |
3. Bert Blyleven | California | 2.73 | 17 | 5 | .773 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 241 | 305 | 73 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 25 |
4. Mark Gubicza | Kansas City | 3.04 | 15 | 11 | .577 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 255 | 334 | 86 | 55 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 20 |
5. Dave Stewart | Oakland | 3.32 | 21 | 9 | .700 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 257.2 | 389 | 85 | 69 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
6. Kevin Brown | Texas | 3.35 | 12 | 9 | .571 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 191 | 223 | 71 | 68 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 22 |
7. Jeff Russell | Texas | 1.98 | 6 | 4 | .600 | 38 | 6 | 71 | 0 | 72.2 | 69 | 16 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
8. Chris Bosio | Milwaukee | 2.95 | 15 | 10 | .600 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 234.2 | 304 | 77 | 47 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 14 |
9. Kirk McCaskill | California | 2.93 | 15 | 10 | .600 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 212 | 284 | 69 | 58 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
10. Roger Clemens | Boston | 3.13 | 17 | 11 | .607 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 253.1 | 314 | 88 | 88 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 19 | 17 | 23 |
Brown type indicates league leader.
Notes: Walks (BB) do not include intentional walks (IB). For pitchers, caught stealing (CS) also includes pickoffs.
How does This Great Game determine the best hitters and pitchers? Find out here.
Forward to 1990 Leaders & Numbers
Back to 1988 Leaders & Numbers
Share this page with a friend.
Have a comment, question or request? Contact us at This Great Game.
© 2019 This Great Game.