Loading…
| # | Player | Team | OVR ▾ | AVG | OPS | HR | RBI | SB | Barrel% | Exit Velo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No qualified players yet. | |||||||||||
The best single seasons by a designated hitter, 348 qualified seasons since 1973, ranked by OPS+ (100 x OBP/lgOBP + SLG/lgSLG - 1, same league-season, no park adjustment). Swipe the table sideways on mobile; filter by era below.
Showing 91 of 91 ranked seasons
| # | Player | Year | Team | OPS+ | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | SB | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | 2023 | LAA | 189 | .412 | .654 | 44 | 95 | 20 | 594 |
| 2 | Yordan Alvarez | 2022 | HOU | 188 | .406 | .613 | 37 | 97 | 1 | 561 |
| 3 | Edgar Martinez | 1995 | SEA | 186 | .479 | .628 | 29 | 113 | 4 | 639 |
| 4 | Shohei Ohtani | 2024 | LAN | 184 | .390 | .646 | 54 | 130 | 59 | 728 |
| 5 | Marcell Ozuna | 2020 | ATL | 183 | .431 | .636 | 18 | 56 | 0 | 267 |
| 6 | Travis Hafner | 2006 | CLE | 180 | .439 | .659 | 42 | 117 | 0 | 563 |
| 7 | David Ortiz | 2007 | BOS | 179 | .445 | .621 | 35 | 117 | 3 | 667 |
| 8 | Shohei Ohtani | 2025 | LAN | 178 | .392 | .622 | 55 | 102 | 20 | 725 |
| 9 | Frank Thomas | 1991 | CHA | 178 | .453 | .553 | 32 | 109 | 1 | 700 |
| 10 | J. D. Martinez | 2018 | BOS | 178 | .402 | .629 | 43 | 130 | 6 | 649 |
| 11 | Victor Martinez | 2014 | DET | 174 | .409 | .565 | 32 | 103 | 3 | 641 |
| 12 | David Ortiz | 2016 | BOS | 172 | .401 | .620 | 38 | 127 | 2 | 626 |
| 13 | Yordan Alvarez | 2024 | HOU | 171 | .392 | .567 | 35 | 86 | 6 | 635 |
| 14 | Nelson Cruz | 2020 | MIN | 168 | .397 | .595 | 16 | 33 | 0 | 214 |
| 15 | David Ortiz | 2006 | BOS | 167 | .413 | .636 | 54 | 137 | 1 | 686 |
| 16 | Nelson Cruz | 2019 | MIN | 167 | .392 | .639 | 41 | 108 | 0 | 520 |
| 17 | Frank Thomas | 2000 | CHA | 166 | .436 | .625 | 43 | 143 | 1 | 707 |
| 18 | Edgar Martinez | 1996 | SEA | 166 | .464 | .595 | 26 | 103 | 3 | 634 |
| 19 | George Springer | 2025 | TOR | 166 | .399 | .560 | 32 | 84 | 18 | 579 |
| 20 | Rafael Palmeiro | 1999 | TEX | 164 | .420 | .630 | 47 | 148 | 2 | 674 |
| 21 | Manny Ramirez | 2001 | BOS | 164 | .405 | .609 | 41 | 125 | 0 | 620 |
| 22 | Travis Hafner | 2005 | CLE | 164 | .408 | .595 | 33 | 108 | 0 | 578 |
| 23 | Paul Molitor | 1987 | ML4 | 164 | .438 | .566 | 16 | 75 | 45 | 542 |
| 24 | Milton Bradley | 2008 | TEX | 164 | .436 | .563 | 22 | 77 | 5 | 509 |
| 25 | David Ortiz | 2005 | BOS | 163 | .397 | .604 | 47 | 148 | 1 | 713 |
| 26 | Edgar Martinez | 1997 | SEA | 163 | .456 | .554 | 28 | 108 | 2 | 678 |
| 27 | David Ortiz | 2013 | BOS | 163 | .395 | .564 | 30 | 103 | 4 | 600 |
| 28 | Shohei Ohtani | 2021 | LAA | 161 | .372 | .592 | 46 | 100 | 26 | 639 |
| 29 | Brent Rooker | 2024 | OAK | 161 | .365 | .562 | 39 | 112 | 11 | 614 |
| 30 | Jim Rice | 1977 | BOS | 160 | .376 | .593 | 39 | 114 | 5 | 710 |
| 31 | Jim Thome | 2006 | CHA | 160 | .416 | .598 | 42 | 109 | 0 | 610 |
| 32 | David Ortiz | 2011 | BOS | 159 | .398 | .554 | 29 | 96 | 1 | 605 |
| 33 | Edgar Martinez | 1998 | SEA | 157 | .429 | .565 | 29 | 102 | 1 | 672 |
| 34 | Travis Hafner | 2004 | CLE | 156 | .410 | .583 | 28 | 109 | 3 | 573 |
| 35 | Kyle Schwarber | 2025 | PHI | 155 | .365 | .563 | 56 | 132 | 10 | 724 |
| 36 | Marcell Ozuna | 2024 | ATL | 155 | .378 | .546 | 39 | 104 | 1 | 687 |
| 37 | Edwin Encarnacion | 2012 | TOR | 155 | .384 | .557 | 42 | 110 | 13 | 644 |
| 38 | Hal McRae | 1976 | KCA | 155 | .407 | .461 | 8 | 73 | 22 | 609 |
| 39 | Edgar Martinez | 1999 | SEA | 155 | .447 | .554 | 24 | 86 | 7 | 608 |
| 40 | Edgar Martinez | 2001 | SEA | 154 | .423 | .543 | 23 | 116 | 4 | 581 |
| 41 | Jim Thome | 2007 | CHA | 154 | .410 | .563 | 35 | 96 | 0 | 536 |
| 42 | David Ortiz | 2004 | BOS | 152 | .380 | .603 | 41 | 139 | 0 | 669 |
| 43 | Edgar Martinez | 2000 | SEA | 152 | .423 | .579 | 37 | 145 | 3 | 665 |
| 44 | Edwin Encarnacion | 2015 | TOR | 152 | .372 | .557 | 39 | 111 | 3 | 624 |
| 45 | Bob Hamelin | 1994 | KCA | 151 | .388 | .599 | 24 | 65 | 4 | 374 |
| 46 | Jason Giambi | 2006 | NYA | 149 | .413 | .558 | 37 | 113 | 2 | 579 |
| 47 | David Ortiz | 2003 | BOS | 149 | .369 | .592 | 31 | 101 | 0 | 509 |
| 48 | Frank Thomas | 2003 | CHA | 148 | .390 | .562 | 42 | 105 | 0 | 662 |
| 49 | Chili Davis | 1994 | CAL | 148 | .410 | .561 | 26 | 84 | 3 | 468 |
| 50 | Hal McRae | 1982 | KCA | 147 | .369 | .542 | 27 | 133 | 4 | 676 |
| 51 | Shohei Ohtani | 2022 | LAA | 147 | .356 | .519 | 34 | 95 | 11 | 666 |
| 52 | David Ortiz | 2015 | BOS | 147 | .360 | .553 | 37 | 108 | 0 | 614 |
| 53 | Chili Davis | 1991 | MIN | 146 | .385 | .507 | 29 | 93 | 5 | 634 |
| 54 | John Jaha | 1999 | OAK | 146 | .414 | .556 | 35 | 111 | 2 | 570 |
| 55 | Paul Molitor | 1991 | ML4 | 145 | .399 | .489 | 17 | 75 | 19 | 749 |
| 56 | Mike Easler | 1984 | BOS | 145 | .376 | .516 | 27 | 91 | 1 | 666 |
| 57 | J. D. Martinez | 2019 | BOS | 145 | .383 | .557 | 36 | 105 | 2 | 656 |
| 58 | David Ortiz | 2014 | BOS | 145 | .355 | .517 | 35 | 104 | 0 | 602 |
| 59 | Chili Davis | 1995 | CAL | 145 | .429 | .514 | 20 | 86 | 3 | 522 |
| 60 | Paul Molitor | 1993 | TOR | 144 | .402 | .509 | 22 | 111 | 22 | 725 |
| 61 | Hal McRae | 1974 | KCA | 144 | .375 | .475 | 15 | 88 | 11 | 607 |
| 62 | Richie Zisk | 1981 | SEA | 144 | .366 | .485 | 16 | 43 | 0 | 388 |
| 63 | Dave Winfield | 1992 | TOR | 142 | .377 | .491 | 26 | 108 | 2 | 670 |
| 64 | Harold Baines | 1989 | CHA | 142 | .395 | .465 | 16 | 72 | 0 | 583 |
| 65 | Greg Luzinski | 1981 | CHA | 142 | .365 | .476 | 21 | 62 | 0 | 441 |
| 66 | Frank Robinson | 1973 | CAL | 141 | .372 | .489 | 30 | 97 | 1 | 630 |
| 67 | Rico Carty | 1976 | CLE | 141 | .379 | .442 | 13 | 83 | 1 | 628 |
| 68 | Oscar Gamble | 1974 | CLE | 139 | .363 | .469 | 19 | 59 | 5 | 509 |
| 69 | Hal McRae | 1977 | KCA | 138 | .366 | .515 | 21 | 92 | 18 | 720 |
| 70 | Andre Thornton | 1982 | CLE | 138 | .386 | .484 | 32 | 116 | 6 | 708 |
| 71 | Paul Molitor | 1992 | ML4 | 138 | .389 | .461 | 12 | 89 | 31 | 700 |
| 72 | Rico Carty | 1978 | TOR | 137 | .348 | .502 | 31 | 99 | 1 | 593 |
| 73 | Frank Robinson | 1974 | CAL | 136 | .367 | .453 | 22 | 68 | 5 | 579 |
| 74 | Harold Baines | 1991 | OAK | 136 | .383 | .473 | 20 | 90 | 0 | 566 |
| 75 | Brian Downing | 1987 | CAL | 134 | .400 | .487 | 29 | 77 | 5 | 695 |
| 76 | Andre Thornton | 1984 | CLE | 134 | .366 | .484 | 33 | 99 | 6 | 689 |
| 77 | Don Baylor | 1983 | NYA | 134 | .361 | .494 | 21 | 85 | 17 | 597 |
| 78 | Orlando Cepeda | 1973 | BOS | 123 | .350 | .444 | 20 | 86 | 0 | 608 |
| 79 | Billy Williams | 1975 | OAK | 115 | .341 | .419 | 23 | 81 | 0 | 602 |
| 80 | Tony Oliva | 1973 | MIN | 112 | .345 | .410 | 16 | 92 | 2 | 624 |
| 81 | Carlos May | 1973 | CHA | 110 | .334 | .412 | 20 | 96 | 8 | 617 |
| 82 | Tom Grieve | 1976 | TEX | 110 | .301 | .418 | 20 | 81 | 4 | 600 |
| 83 | Willie Horton | 1975 | DET | 109 | .319 | .421 | 25 | 92 | 1 | 667 |
| 84 | Al Kaline | 1974 | DET | 109 | .337 | .389 | 13 | 64 | 2 | 630 |
| 85 | Deron Johnson | 1973 | OAK | 107 | .330 | .407 | 19 | 81 | 0 | 530 |
| 86 | Tommy Davis | 1973 | BAL | 106 | .341 | .391 | 7 | 89 | 11 | 590 |
| 87 | Tony Oliva | 1975 | MIN | 105 | .344 | .378 | 13 | 58 | 0 | 515 |
| 88 | Tommy Davis | 1974 | BAL | 102 | .325 | .377 | 11 | 84 | 6 | 673 |
| 89 | Alex Johnson | 1973 | TEX | 97 | .322 | .377 | 8 | 68 | 10 | 663 |
| 90 | Hank Aaron | 1975 | ML4 | 95 | .332 | .355 | 12 | 60 | 0 | 543 |
| 91 | Deron Johnson | 1975 | CHA | 94 | .300 | .388 | 19 | 75 | 0 | 621 |
Single seasons with PA >= 3.1 x the league's scheduled games that year (the batting-title rule shape, applied era-consistently). Era adjustment is league-season normalization only, not park-adjusted; WAR-style value is tracked separately.
Legends Deck rates every designated hitter using real 2026 Statcast data. For hitters, the key inputs are exit velocity, barrel rate, xwOBA, sprint speed, whiff rate, and chase rate. No scout opinions, no card-by-card tuning: the same fixed pipeline for every player.
Full methodology: How Legends Deck card ratings work. Or read the ranked breakdown: Best Designated Hitters in MLB 2026.
The historical board above covers 1871-2025 and is built from the SABR/Lahman database (CC BY-SA): a season counts at a position when the player played the most games there that year, and seasons where pitching made up at least half of a player's games stay on the pitcher boards. Rankings use league-season-normalized OPS+ and ERA+ (no park adjustment); WAR-style value rankings are planned separately and not used here yet.