The 100 Greatest in 100 Days: #60 Mike Piazza

Backstopping the list at #60 is Dodgers and Mets legend Mike Piazza.  Piazza is, without question, the greatest offensive catcher of all time. Among catchers, he’s #1 all-time in home runs, offensive WAR, slugging %, and OPS+ (min. 500 games). He has the highest batting average since 1937 among catchers (min .500 games). His 185 OPS+ in 1997 is the most ever by a catcher (min. 500 plate appearances) and he has two of the top-3 single-season OPS+ marks ever for a catcher (min. 500 plate appearances). He has the most 30-home run seasons, most 90-RBI seasons, and most 80-run seasons by a catcher. Proving Piazza’s numbers weren’t just elite for a catcher, he is one of only eight players at any position with at least a career .308 batting average, 143 OPS+, and 400 home runs.  Piazza finished in the top-10 in MVP voting seven times including two runner-ups and a third-place finish.

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Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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