gold star for USAHOF

12. Johnny Mize

12. Johnny Mize
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: January 7, 1913 in Demorest, GA USA
  • Weight: 215 lbs.
  • Height: 6'2"
  • Bats: L
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 16, 1936
  • Final Game: September 26, 1953
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1937
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1940
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1940
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1942
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1942
  • TSN All-Star - 1942
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1947
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1947
  • TSN All-Star - 1947
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1948
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1948
  • TSN All-Star - 1948
  • Babe Ruth Award - 1952
  • MVP - 1937
  • MVP - 1938
  • MVP - 1939
  • MVP - 1940
  • MVP - 1941
  • MVP - 1942
  • MVP - 1946
  • MVP - 1947
  • MVP - 1948
  • MVP - 1950
  • MVP - 1951
 
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You could argue that Johnny Mize had three distinct periods of Johnny Mize’s Hall of Fame career that was spent with three different teams.

The first third was where he was an elite performer for with the St. Louis Cardinals, the second with the New York Giants where he was still good, but missed three years due to World War II, and the final where he was a role player with the New York Yankees but won five World Series Championships.

As you can imagine for the purpose of this list we only care about the first third, which incredibly almost never happened.

Mize was tearing it up in the Minors and the Cincinnati Reds approached the Cardinals to buy his rights providing he could provide a physical.  That was in 1934, the year where he tore his hamstring and the Reds voided the deal a couple of months later.  Many thought that at the age of 22 that Johnny Mize was done in baseball but since we are writing about him here, clearly he wasn’t.

He would crack the main roster in 1936 and from 1937 to 1942 he would become one of the most feared hitters in the National League.  Mize had a 25 Home Run season in 1937 with a .364/.427/.595 Slash Line but he improved his power numbers while keeping his Batting Average and OBP over the next three seasons.  Mize was the National League Home Run Champion in 1939 and 1940, while also winning the Batting Title in 1939.  He would also lead his league in Slugging Percentage and OPS three years in a row from 1938 to 1940 and he was the runner-up for the MVP in 1939 and 1940. 

Mize would be traded to the New York Giants after 1941 but in the time he was with the Redbirds he would record a Slash Line of .336/.419/.600, which was just an incredible run.

He would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 via the Veteran’s Committee, and in 2014, he was inducted as part of the first class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: First Base
  • Acquired: Signed prior to the 1930 Season.
  • Departed:

    Purchased by the Cincinnati Reds 12/13/34.

    Acquired (2):

    Returned to the Cincinnati Reds 4/15/35.

    Departed (2):

    Traded to the New York Giants for Bill Lohrman, Johnny McCarthy, Ken O’Dea and $50,000 12/11/41.
  • Games Played: 854
  • Notable Statistics: 546 Runs Scored
    1,048 Hits
    218 Doubles
    66 Triples
    158 Home Runs
    653 Runs Batted In
    14 Stolen Bases
    .336/.419/.600 Slash Line
    38.7 bWAR

    No Playoff Games
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    All-Star (1937, 1939, 1940 & 1941)
    Highest bWAR for a Position Player (1939 & 1940)
    Highest Offensive bWAR (1939 & 1940)
    Highest Batting Average (1939)
    Highest Slugging Percentage (1938, 1939 & 1940)
    Highest OPS (1938, 1939 & 1940)
    Most At Bats (1937)
    Most Runs Scored (1937)
    Most Total Bases (1938, 1939 & 1940)
    Most Doubles (1941)
    Most Triples  (1938)
    Most Home Runs (1939 & 1940)
    Most Runs Batted In (1940)
    Highest OPS+ (1939 & 1940)
    Most Extra Base Hits (1938, 1939 & 1940)
    Most Intentional Walks (1936, 1940 & 1941)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1936)

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