The great Michael Jordan made No. 23 an iconic basketball number, and while there might not be a baseball player who quite reaches his level (or, y’know, even comes close), we thought we’d take a look at the players who have worn No. 23 in their MLB careers. Why? Because it’s 2023, and that’s as good of a reason as any when it comes to offseason content.
And instead of just doing a ranking of careers you could do on your own with a quick Baseball-Reference search — Ryne Sandberg has the highest bWAR while wearing the No. 23 on his back — we instead thought we’d take a look at the best seasons ever turned in by players wearing No. 23.
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The competition to make the list of the 23 best seasons by players wearing No. 23 was more fierce than I imagined, to be honest. How fierce? For example, Jermaine Dye’s outstanding 2006 season for the White Sox — 44 homers, 124 RBIs, fifth-place MVP finish — didn’t make the cut. Neither did Zac Gallen’s great 2022: 2.54 ERA, NL-leading 0.913 WHIP and fifth-place Cy finish. Or Doug Jones’ 36-save, 1.85 ERA season in 1992.
This is a list of truly stellar seasons. A couple of quick notes: First, we only picked one year per player. So a guy like Sandberg, who had four seasons with a bWAR of 7.0 or higher, is only on the list once. Second, MVPs and Cy Young awards matter. Third, the list is admittedly a bit subjective. It’s not just a ranking of WAR or OPS+.
Let’s get started.
23. Fernando Tatis, 1999 Cardinals
Numbers of note: 34 HR, 107 RBIs, 21 SB, .404 on-base percentage, 139 OPS+
Thoughts: A bit of a spoiler here, but this guy is part of the only father-son duo on the list. And, yes, his MLB record of two grand slams in one game happened in 1999.
22. Jim Turner, 1937 Boston Bees
Numbers of note: 6.1 bWAR, 2.38 ERA (led league), fourth in MVP vote
Thoughts: Nicknamed “Milkman Jim,” Turner was a 33-year-old rookie for the Bees (now Atlanta Braves) in 1937, having spent the previous 14 seasons playing minor league ball. Turner led the NL in ERA, complete games and shutouts in 1937. He wound up pitching nine years in the majors, retiring with a 3.22 ERA.
21. Nelson Cruz, 2019 Twins
Numbers of note: 41 HR, 108 RBIs, .311, 168 OPS+
Thoughts: Really, you could choose just about any year Cruz wore No. 23. From 2014 to 2019, playing for the Orioles, Mariners and Twins, Cruz averaged 41 homers, 105 RBIs and a 149 OPS+. I just went with 2019 because it was his highest OPS+ in the run.
20. Willie Horton, 1968 Tigers
Numbers of note: 5.4 bWAR, 36 HR, 165 OPS+
Thoughts: An icon in Detroit, Horton and his No. 23 were a staple in Tigers lineups from 1964 to 1976. Horton slugged 262 homers in a Tigers uniform, making four All-Star teams. His fourth-place finish in the 1968 AL MVP race was the best of his career. Oh, and Horton hit .304 with a homer and three RBIs in the World Series as the Tigers won in seven games. Both of his singles in Game 7 against Bob Gibson led to run-scoring innings in Detroit’s 4-1 win.
19. Jack Aker, 1966 Kansas City Athletics
Numbers of note: 4.6 bWAR, 1.99 ERA, 113 IP, 32 saves
Thoughts: Aker’s 1966 season was one of the 10 best by any MLB reliever in the decade — not bad for a guy who was originally drafted as an outfielder.
18. Ellis Burks, 2000 Giants
Numbers of note: .344, .419 on-base percentage, 163 OPS+, 24 HR, 96 RBIs
Thoughts: Burks was a really good player whose offensive numbers jumped when he got to Colorado in 1994, and many wrote him off as a thin-air wonder. But that just wasn’t the case. Burks battled injuries during his two-plus seasons with the Giants, but you see his numbers in 2000 (in only 122 games), and that was on the heels of a 31-homer season in 120 games in 1999 with San Francisco.
17. Chris Hoiles, 1993 Orioles
Numbers of note: 6.8 bWAR, 29 HR, .310/.416/.585, 162 OPS+
Thoughts: Raise your hand if you knew Hoiles had a 6.8 bWAR season in his career. And before you say, “Oh, I think FanGraphs’ WAR is more accurate,” know that Hoiles had a 7.0 fWAR in 1993. If WAR existed in 1993, he would have been much more appreciated by baseball fans outside of Baltimore.
16. Greg Vaughn, 1998 Padres
Numbers of note: 50 HR, 119 RBIs, 156 OPS+, 6.3 bWAR
Thoughts: Vaughn could mash the baseball. He had one other season with a 6-plus bWAR — 6.7 in 1993 for the Brewers — but we’ll go with this one, the one with 50 homers and a fourth-place finish in the NL MVP voting.
15. Jimmy Wynn, 1974 Dodgers
Numbers of note: 7.7 bWAR, 32 HR, 108 RBIs, 151 OPS+
Thoughts: Wynn became a star with the Astros, of course, turning in 11 great seasons in Houston, including two with a bWAR above 7.0. But he wore No. 24 in Texas, so those years don’t count for our list. The 1974 season was his first with the Dodgers, and he helped L.A. win the NL pennant, and homered in Game 1 of the World Series off Rollie Fingers.
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14. Michael Brantley, 2014 Indians
Numbers of note: 7.0 bWAR, .327, 148 OPS+, 20 HR 23 SB
Thoughts: His nickname, Dr. Smooth, does his sweet swing justice. In 2014, he added a little more power to his game, and the result was a third-place finish in the AL MVP voting.
13. Bobby Thomson, 1951 New York Giants
Numbers of note: 5.2 bWAR, 32 HR, 101 RBIs, .947 OPS
Thoughts: I was torn on which Bobby Thomson season to use — he averaged 27 homers and 102 RBIs in his five seasons wearing No. 23 — but then I remembered, “Oh, yeah, he hit the Shot Heard ’Round the World in 1951” and, folks, that’s one hell of a tiebreaker.
12. Adrian Gonzalez, 2009 Padres
Numbers of note: 6.9 bWAR, 40 HR, 162 OPS+
Thoughts: The 2009 season wasn’t Gonzalez’s highest MVP finish wearing No. 23, but it was his highest WAR (B-R and FG) and the only time he reached the 40-homer plateau, so that works.
11. Ted Simmons, 1975 Cardinals
Numbers of note: .332, 18 HR, 100 RBIs, 4.9 bWAR
Thoughts: Simmons played 21 seasons in his Hall of Fame career, and No. 23 was the only number he ever wore, so there were plenty of seasons to choose from. I went with 1975, but maybe consider it a tie with 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982 and 1983.
10. Carlos Pena, 2007 Devil Rays
Numbers of note: 7.2 bWAR, 46 HR, 121 RBIs, 172 OPS+
Thoughts: The potential to produce seasons like this is why Art Howe didn’t want to trade Pena in “Moneyball.” It took a few years for Pena to blossom into a truly feared hitter, but that’s what happened in 2007, the last year Tampa Bay was known as the Devil Rays. When the team mimicked his breakthrough in 2008 — remember that stunning run to the World Series? — Pena was right in the middle of that lineup.
9. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2021 Padres
Numbers of note: 6.6 bWAR, 42 HR, 25 SB, 166 OPS+
Thoughts: Yeah, you knew he was going to be on this list. It’s crazy to think that Tatis led the NL in homers in 2021 despite playing just 130 games. He’s been away for a while now, so it feels like people have forgotten how incredible he is as a player. He could have a huge 2023 season once he gets back and readjusted.
8. Bernard Gilkey, 1996 Mets
Numbers of note: 8.1 bWAR, 30 HR, 17 SB, .317 155 OPS+
Thoughts: When you get into that 8-WAR season, you’re talking about truly special seasons. Gilkey became a regular in his hometown of St. Louis, but his star turn — remember his cameo in “Men in Black” — came with the Mets.
7. Mark Gubicza, 1988 Royals
Numbers of note: 7.7 bWAR, 2.70 ERA, 269 IP
Thoughts: Gubicza was already a foundational piece of the Kansas City rotation by 1988, but that was the season he became one of the best pitcher in the bigs. He made his first All-Star team and finished third in the AL Cy Young voting — though he had an identical bWAR as the winner, Frank Viola.
6. Mark Teixeira, 2005 Rangers
Numbers of note: 7.2 bWAR, 43 HR, 144 RBIs, .954 OPS
Thoughts: Here’s a list of every season in MLB history by a switch-hitter with at least 40 homers, 140 RBIs and an OPS of .950 or better …
2005, Mark Teixeira
That’s it.
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5. Luis Tiant, 1974 Red Sox
Numbers of note: 7.7 bWAR, 2.92 ERA, 311 1/3 innings
Thoughts: We went back and forth between this season and Tiant’s first full season with the Red Sox — 1.91 ERA in 179 innings — but it’s hard to argue with the insane workload. It was the end of an era, really. After the 1974 season, only five pitchers ever threw at least 311 innings in a single season.
4. Kirk Gibson, 1988 Dodgers
Numbers of note: 6.5 bWAR, 25 HR, 148 OPS+
Thoughts: At the time, it felt a bit odd that Gibson won the NL MVP with only 76 RBIs, but the advanced stats that we have now show what the writers knew then — Gibson was elite. And then you throw in the iconic World Series homer vs. Dennis Eckersley and it’s an easy top-five choice for this list.
3. Don Mattingly, 1985 Yankees
Numbers of note: 6.5 bWAR, 35 HR, 145 RBIs
Thoughts: Peak Mattingly, before his back betrayed him, really was amazing. For a three-year stretch from 1984 to 1986, Mattingly produced a .340/.382/,560 slash line, with a 158 OPS+ and an average of 30 homers and 123 RBIs. His 1985 season gets the nod here because, as we said up top, MVPs matter.
2. Ryne Sandberg, 1984 Cubs
Numbers of note: 8.6 bWAR, 19 3B, 19 HR, 32 SB, 140 OPS+
Thoughts: Sandberg was a solid everyday starter in his first two seasons with the Cubs, but nobody was thinking “Hey, this guy could be a Hall of Famer” until his magical 1984 season. He won everything that year — Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All-Star nod — and helped lift the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time since 1945. Sandberg hit .368 in the NLCS, but the Cubs lost to the Padres in five games.
1. Zack Greinke, 2009 Royals
Numbers of note: 10.4 bWAR, 2.16 ERA, 2.33 FIP, 9.5 K/9
Thoughts: Greinke went through ups and downs his first few seasons in the big leagues — that’s massively underselling it, of course — but put it all together in his Age 25 season for the Royals. He didn’t allow an earned run through his first four starts of the season, and eight times during the year, he threw at least eight full innings and allowed one or zero earned runs. It’s really cool to see him back in Kansas City to wrap up his Cooperstown-bound career.
