That One Season

I started this account after spending way too much time on @baseball_ref researching seasons for the Immaculate Grid. Hoping you'll enjoy some deep dives on players with underrated, unheralded, or just plain interesting seasons. Let's start with Paul Lo Duca's 2001 season.

@notgaetti @baseball_ref @CodifyBaseball @theaceofspaeder @TheWARmonger_ @JessicaDBrand @BigLeagueDigest @OleTimeHardball @obvious_shirts @ColeWright @CubsZone That 2005 season is insane. Almost as good as his .982 OPS across 28 games with the Pirates in 2011.

Not enough people talk about Derrek Lee • .281/.365/.495 (.859 OPS), 122 OPS+ • 1959 H, 432 2B, 331 HR, 1078 RBI • 2003 WS Champion with Florida • 2005 NL batting champ (.335) • Played at least 155 games 7x • 2x All-Star, 3x Gold Glover • Reached 20 HR 9x, 30 HR 4x • Silver Slugger, MVP-3 in 2005 • Drove in 90 runs 5x, 100 runs 2x • 34.6 WAR (22.6 of them with CHC) • Career 28 HR, 90 RBI per 162 games • Unspeakable numbers vs Jeff Suppan • Hit 12 grand slams, 3 walk-off HR, 2 ITP • Received zero HOF votes (of 442 ballots) • Best clean season of the PED era in 2005: • .335 BA, 1.080 OPS, 50 2B, 46 HR, 107 RBI • Led league in H, 2B, BA, SLG, OPS, OPS+, TB • Also led in oWAR and had 23 intentional walks • 1 of 2 players in @Cubs history with at least a .900 OPS and a minimum of 4000 PA with the team (along with Sammy Sosa)

@MLBGuyRocked Sneaky Gold Glove winner with the White Sox

Jake Peavy That guy rocked.

Don’t sleep on Never Nervous Pervis dropping 20 and 11 his third year in the league en route to winning MIP

@BBGreatMoments 2013 Mark Melancon

Name a relief pitcher you always trusted the moment they came out of the bullpen

@hallofgoodpod Sneaky 202 Ks season in 2006, huge for the @immaculategrid

A real ball knower still thinks about Jeremy Bonderman

@CodifyBaseball @FanDuel Where's Nick Gonzales?

NL MVP Odds Right Now (@FanDuel): Shohei Ohtani, -320 Matt Olson, +850 Kyle Schwarber, +1800 Bryce Harper, +2000 Elly De La Cruz, +2700 Corbin Carroll, +3500 Juan Soto, +3500 James Wood, +4000 Drake Baldwin, +5000 Ronald Acuna Jr., +6000 Manny Machado, +8000 Oneil Cruz, +8000

He was one of three Giants that season to win a Silver Slugger, joining Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds, who overshadowed Aurilia just a tad with 73 HRs of his own.

Aurilia exploded for career highs in nearly every major hitting category in 2001, accumulating over a third of his career bWAR in one season.

Only two shortstops in MLB history have a season with 35+ HRs, 200+ hits, and 100+ runs: Alex Rodriguez (3 times) and Rich Aurilia in 2001.

@FastbreakHoops5 Not forgotten but Trevor Ariza is one of the first guys that comes to mind. John Wall kicking it to Ariza for the corner 3 is etched in my brain.

name a forgotten/underrated 3&D player.

@RememberThtDude @Rockies @rockiesbottom @SleeperRockies @DNVR_Rockies @DLineCo @coors_merchant @Mickey_Maniak @Rockies_Now @sarahr7d @DNVR_Sports One of my favorite negative WAR seasons ever

Remember this dude? Dante Bichette, OF California Angels 1988-1990 Milwaukee Brewers 1991-1992 Colorado Rockies 1993-1999 Cincinnati Reds 2000 Boston Red Sox 2000-2001 #Rockies

@pghrenegades Prime John Jaso was a problem

John Jaso

Lo Duca went on to make four straight all-star teams but never hit more than 13 homers or had an OPS above .800 again in his career.

Lo Duca is one of five catchers in MLB history to have a season with 25+ HRs, .320+ AVG, and more Walks than Strikeouts.

I started this account after spending way too much time on @baseball_ref researching seasons for the Immaculate Grid. Hoping you'll enjoy some deep dives on players with underrated, unheralded, or just plain interesting seasons. Let's start with Paul Lo Duca's 2001 season.