Cross-position · VAL

MLB Greatest Single Seasons

The 100 highest single-season VAL ratings in MLB history, 1876–2026, every position group on one scale. 66 of them were the best season in the league that year.

Rankings as of 2026-10-03, as declared by the corpus that produced them.

How this is computed

Every MLB regular-season VAL (Value Above League) rating in the corpus, ranked on one scale across all position groups. VAL is position-aware and era-relative, so a season is scored against the league it was played in. Pool: 78,035 rated seasons by 14,909 players.

"Led league" means the season's VAL was the highest of any rated player that season — derived from the same VAL table, not an official award.
Team is read from the player's regular-season rows for that season; a traded season lists each team.
Age is as of June 30 of the season (the baseball-reference convention); blank where the corpus has no full birth date.
A season the VAL table does not rate is absent from this board rather than estimated.

All positions

MLB greatest single seasons by VAL, all positions
#	Player	Season	Team	Group	Age	VAL
1	Ty CobbLed league	1909	DET	Batter	22	24.0
2	Honus WagnerLed league	1908	PIT	Batter	34	23.9
3	Aaron JudgeLed league	2022	NYY	Batter	30	23.5
4	Shohei OhtaniLed league	2024	LAD	Batter	29	23.5
5	Aaron Judge	2024	NYY	Batter	32	23.3
6	Babe RuthLed league	1921	NYY	Batter	26	23.2
7	George SislerLed league	1920	BAL	Batter	27	23.0
8	Larry WalkerLed league	1997	COL	Batter	30	23.0
9	Ty CobbLed league	1917	DET	Batter	30	22.9
10	Ted WilliamsLed league	1949	BOS	Batter	30	22.9
11	Aaron JudgeLed league	2025	NYY	Batter	33	22.8
12	Ted WilliamsLed league	1942	BOS	Batter	23	22.7
13	Mickey MantleLed league	1956	NYY	Batter	24	22.7
14	Rogers HornsbyLed league	1922	STL	Batter	26	22.6
15	Babe RuthLed league	1923	NYY	Batter	28	22.6
16	Jimmie FoxxLed league	1932	ATH	Batter	24	22.6
17	Ted WilliamsLed league	1946	BOS	Batter	27	22.6
18	Lou GehrigLed league	1931	NYY	Batter	28	22.5
19	Babe RuthLed league	1926	NYY	Batter	31	22.3
20	Babe RuthLed league	1927	NYY	Batter	32	22.3
21	Barry BondsLed league	1993	SF	Batter	28	22.2
22	Babe Ruth	1920	NYY	Batter	25	22.1
23	Lou Gehrig	1927	NYY	Batter	24	22.1
24	Babe Ruth	1931	NYY	Batter	36	22.1
25	Miguel CabreraLed league	2013	DET	Batter	30	22.1
26	Barry BondsLed league	2001	SF	Batter	36	22.0
27	Lou GehrigLed league	1930	NYY	Batter	27	21.9
28	Frank RobinsonLed league	1966	BAL	Batter	30	21.9
29	Carl YastrzemskiLed league	1967	BOS	Batter	27	21.9
30	Alex RodriguezLed league	2007	NYY	Batter	31	21.9
31	Ty CobbLed league	1911	DET	Batter	24	21.8
32	Mickey MantleLed league	1961	NYY	Batter	29	21.8
33	Sammy Sosa	2001	CHC	Batter	32	21.8
34	Hank AaronLed league	1963	ATL	Batter	29	21.7
35	Lou GehrigLed league	1934	NYY	Batter	31	21.6
36	Jimmie FoxxLed league	1938	BOS	Batter	30	21.6
37	Duke SniderLed league	1954	LAD	Batter	27	21.6
38	Dick AllenLed league	1972	CWS	Batter	30	21.6
39	Mickey MantleLed league	1957	NYY	Batter	25	21.5
40	Honus WagnerLed league	1907	PIT	Batter	33	21.4
41	Chuck Klein	1932	PHI	Batter	27	21.4
42	Willie MaysLed league	1955	SF	Batter	24	21.4
43	Barry BondsLed league	1992	PIT	Batter	27	21.4
44	Ty Cobb	1907	DET	Batter	20	21.3
45	Babe RuthLed league	1924	NYY	Batter	29	21.3
46	Babe Ruth	1930	NYY	Batter	35	21.3
47	Stan MusialLed league	1948	STL	Batter	27	21.3
48	Norm Cash	1961	DET	Batter	26	21.3
49	Joe MorganLed league	1976	CIN	Batter	32	21.3
50	Mark McGwireLed league	1998	STL	Batter	34	21.3
51	Todd Helton	2001	COL	Batter	27	21.3
52	Jimmie FoxxLed league	1933	ATH	Batter	25	21.2
53	Ted WilliamsLed league	1941	BOS	Batter	22	21.2
54	Duke SniderLed league	1953	LAD	Batter	26	21.2
55	Mickey MantleLed league	1958	NYY	Batter	26	21.2
56	José CansecoLed league	1988	ATH	Batter	23	21.2
57	Albert PujolsLed league	2009	STL	Batter	29	21.2
58	Lou Gehrig	1932	NYY	Batter	29	21.1
59	Hank AaronLed league	1959	ATL	Batter	25	21.1
60	Willie MaysLed league	1964	SF	Batter	33	21.1
61	Willie McCoveyLed league	1969	SF	Batter	31	21.1
62	Billy Williams	1972	CHC	Batter	34	21.1
63	Babe RuthLed league	1928	NYY	Batter	33	21.0
64	Chuck Klein	1930	PHI	Batter	25	21.0
65	Hack Wilson	1930	CHC	Batter	30	21.0
66	Lou GehrigLed league	1936	NYY	Batter	33	21.0
67	Willie Mays	1954	SF	Batter	23	21.0
68	Shohei Ohtani	2025	LAD	Batter	30	21.0
69	Cy SeymourLed league	1905	CIN	Batter	32	20.9
70	Benny KauffLed league	1914	Indianapolis Hoosier-Feds	Batter	24	20.9
71	Hank GreenbergLed league	1937	DET	Batter	26	20.9
72	Reggie Jackson	1969	ATH	Batter	23	20.9
73	Barry BondsLed league	2002	SF	Batter	37	20.9
74	Ronald Acuña Jr.Led league	2023	ATL	Batter	25	20.9
75	Ty CobbLed league	1910	DET	Batter	23	20.8
76	Joe DiMaggio	1937	NYY	Batter	22	20.8
77	Lou Gehrig	1937	NYY	Batter	34	20.8
78	Stan Musial	1949	STL	Batter	28	20.8
79	Duke Snider	1955	LAD	Batter	28	20.8
80	Luis Gonzalez	2001	AZ	Batter	33	20.8
81	Tristram SpeakerLed league	1912	BOS	Batter	24	20.7
82	Home Run BakerLed league	1913	ATH	Batter	27	20.7
83	Ken Williams	1922	BAL	Batter	32	20.7
84	Babe Herman	1930	LAD	Batter	27	20.7
85	Tommy HolmesLed league	1945	ATL	Batter	28	20.7
86	Hank Aaron	1967	ATL	Batter	33	20.7
87	Bryce HarperLed league	2015	WSH	Batter	22	20.7
88	Nap LajoieLed league	1901	ATH	Batter	26	20.6
89	Dutch Leonard	1914	BOS	Pitcher	22	20.6
90	Lou Gehrig	1928	NYY	Batter	25	20.6
91	Al Rosen	1953	CLE	Batter	29	20.6
92	Frank RobinsonLed league	1962	CIN	Batter	26	20.6
93	Willie MaysLed league	1965	SF	Batter	34	20.6
94	Ty CobbLed league	1916	DET	Batter	29	20.5
95	Hank Greenberg	1938	DET	Batter	27	20.5
96	Ralph Kiner	1949	PIT	Batter	26	20.5
97	Ted Kluszewski	1954	CIN	Batter	29	20.5
98	Dick Allen	1966	PHI	Batter	24	20.5
99	Harmon Killebrew	1969	MIN	Batter	33	20.4
100	Jim Thome	2002	CLE	Batter	31	20.4

Best Batter seasons

MLB greatest batter seasons by VAL
#	Player	Season	Team	Age	VAL
1	Ty CobbLed league	1909	DET	22	24.0
2	Honus WagnerLed league	1908	PIT	34	23.9
3	Aaron Judge

Best Pitcher seasons

MLB greatest pitcher seasons by VAL
#	Player	Season	Team	Age	VAL
1	Dutch Leonard	1914	BOS	22	20.6
2	Pedro MartínezLed league	2000	BOS	28	19.8
3	Walter Johnson