Much has been made about Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis becoming the first players to ever hit the All-Star Break with 30+ homers and more than 90 RBI's.
Davis is on pace for 62 bombs and 157 runs batted in while Cabrera is in line to slug 52 dingers and plate 164 Tigers.
If either finishes with 50 and 150 they would join pretty elite company.
There have been 46 seasons in MLB history of 150+ RBI's and 42 where a slugger has hit more than 50 Home Runs.
Here's the group that has done both within the same season.
The old guys
Babe Ruth
1921 - 59/171
1927 - 60/164
Hack Wilson
1930 - 56/191 (Single-season record for RBI's)
Jimmie Foxx
1932 - 58/169
1938 - 50/175
The users
Sammy Sosa
2001 - 64/160
Alex Rodriguez
2007 - 54/156
That's it. Five guys, seven times, ever.
Pretty elite potential company.
Notes
Of those 46, 150-RBI seasons Gehrig (7) and Ruth (6) had nearly 30 percent between the two of them.
Gehrig had more than 165 RBI's FOUR times but never hit more than 49 long balls - which he did twice.
In 1930, SIX players eclipsed the 150 mark, including Wilson's record of 191. No one has been within 25 of that mark since 1938. Gehrig's 184 in 1931 is the second most ever. Hank Greenberg's 183 in 1937 is the only other single-season where someone had over 175.
Mark McGwire had five seasons with more than 50 homers but never led the league in RBI's or drove in more than 147.
****
There will be talk of a repeat triple crown for Cabrera, an MVP debate that could top Trout-Cabrera of 2012, and playoff spots up for grabs, but the historic race to rarefied 50/150 air bears watching as well.
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