Which MLB Players Had the Best Final Seasons of All Time?
By: Andrew Martin
Tags: Sports, Baseball, History, MLB, Retirement

Outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson. (Image via Wikipedia)

Which MLB Players Had the Best Final Seasons of All Time?

Some baseball legends left fans wanting more with incredible production in their last year

It’s always a melancholy experience to watch baseball stars ride off into the sunset during their final season after years of entertaining and dominating. Typically, this occurs at the end of a long career and their level of play isn’t quite what it used to be. However, a select few go out on top, putting in amazing final seasons that punctuate the end of glorious careers. Here are some of the best of those swan songs.

Sandy Koufax, Pitcher: Because he had to retire at the age of 30 due to an arthritic elbow, fans didn’t get a chance to properly say goodbye. However, his 1966 season, which turned out to be the final of his 12-year career was perhaps his best. Pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was 27–9 with a 1.74 ERA and 317 strikeouts in 41 starts. He threw 27 complete games and five shutouts, accumulating 323 winnings. Not only did he lead the league in all those categories (except losses), he won the Cy Young Award and finished second in MVP voting. If he had to leave the game so early, it’s nice that he was able to truly go out on top.

Ted Williams, Outfielder: Although he missed nearly five seasons in his prime due to military service, it seemed like the legendary hitter could literally roll out of bed and hit well over .300. Thus, it shouldn’t surprise that he still dominated during his last year with the Boston Red Sox in 1960 when he was 41. In 113 games, the left-handed Williams batted .316 with 29 home runs and 72 RBIs. He walked 75 times against 41 strikeouts and posted a ridiculous .451 OBP. He went out in the grandest way possible, smacking a home run off Jack Fisher and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park in the final at-bat of his legendary career.

David Ortiz, Designated Hitter: 56 years later, the Red Sox saw another franchise icon go out with a bang, as they said goodbye to popular DH David Ortiz in 2016. The 40-year-old left-handed slugger batted .315 with 38 home runs and 127 RBIs. In addition to leading the league in RBIs, he also led with 48 doubles, and a .620 slugging percentage. After 14 years of being the offensive star of the team and helping them win three World Series after an 86-year drought, many fans saw no reason why he couldn’t continue playing after such an impressive season. However, he didn’t return, electing to go out on a very high note.

Larry French, Pitcher: The southpaw was one of the better pitchers in baseball during his 14-year big-league career, winning 197 games with a 3.44 ERA. However, his most productive season turned out to be his last. In 1942 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the 34-year-old appeared in 38 games (14 starts). He went 15–4 with a 1.83 ERA, including eight complete games and four shutouts. Although he struck out just 62 batters in 147.2 innings, he also coughed up just one home run, which came on September 10th.

Joe Jackson, Outfielder: Much like Koufax, Shoeless Joe left at the height of his career. Instead of suffering an injury, he was banned from the game due to his knowledge of a ring of players and gamblers that conspired to throw the 1919 World Series. In 1920, at the age of 32, Jackson had one of his best seasons. He hit .382 with 12 home runs, 121 RBI, 218 hits, 42 doubles and a league-leading 20 triples for the Chicago White Sox. The left-handed batter was the third-best hitter of his time. His .356 average is surpassed only by Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby. If he had continued to churn out seasons like this, there’s no telling where his totals would have ended up, as his .356 batting average left fans wanting more.

Barry Bonds, Outfielder: Despite being 42 in his final season (2007 with the San Francisco Giants), Bonds was more or less forced from the game because of his ties to performance enhancing substances. Regardless of whether or not he had unethical help, he showed he could not only play but also dominate in that final year. In 126 games, he hit .276 with 28 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also led the majors with 132 walks and a .480 OBP. With his rising age and production that was not declining, he essentially broke baseball, even if there are doubts about the veracity of his many accomplishments.