View Full Version : Biggest increase in batting average?
ipitch
04-28-2009, 10:24 AM
I don't know the answer to this. What player had the largest increase in batting average from one season to the next? Both seasons must have enough PAs to qualify for the batting title.
How about the biggest decrease?
BigRon
04-28-2009, 10:38 AM
I don't know the answer to this. What player had the largest increase in batting average from one season to the next? Both seasons must have enough PAs to qualify for the batting title.
How about the biggest decrease?
Don't know, but here's a conversation starter.
in 1952 Carl Furillo hit .247. The next season he hit .344 and won the NL Batting crown. A .097 increase. Furillo had some sort of eye injury in 52 which clearly led to his poor performance.
In 1961 Norm Cash had one of those seasons for the ages, leading the expansion AL at .361. In 1962 he hit .243, down .118.
I dont know the answer, but after 5 minutes of searching the biggest jump i found was Harry Heilmann who went from .309 to .394 in '20-'21 for an 85 point jump in BA.
Also, how far back are we going? In 1887 Tip O'Neil jumped up .107 from the year before, and then dropped .100 the following season, all qualifying for the BA title.
.328 > .435 > .335 in 3 seasons!
I presume you were more looking for modern (1901-) records?
Ubiquitous
04-28-2009, 11:03 AM
I believe Harry "The Hat" Walker holds the this honor for his 1946 and 1947 seasons.
In 1946 he batted .237 and in 1947 he hit .363 for a difference of 126 points.
Ubiquitous
04-28-2009, 11:06 AM
The biggest decrease is Fred Dunlap for his 1884 and 1885 seasons. 1884 was a .412 season and his 1885 season was a .270 season. A difference of 142 points.
I believe Harry "The Hat" Walker holds the this honor for his 1946 and 1947 seasons.
In 1946 he batted .237 and in 1947 he hit .363 for a difference of 126 points.
He only had 385 PA in '46, so i presume he wouldnt have qualified for the BA title.
Ubiquitous
04-28-2009, 11:15 AM
He did qualify for the batting title in 1946.
ipitch
04-28-2009, 11:28 AM
Thanks for the answers, guys.
The biggest decrease is Fred Dunlap for his 1884 and 1885 seasons. 1884 was a .412 season and his 1885 season was a .270 season. A difference of 142 points.
Yikes. I noticed that his team's batting average went from .292 to .221. :crazy
He did qualify for the batting title in 1946.
STL played 156 games that year. He needed 2.6AB's per team game to qualify at the time (405 AB). He only had 346.
Ubiquitous
04-28-2009, 11:36 AM
I got his war years mixed up with his post war years. Two years earlier he would have qualified while in 1946 he misses by about 60 AB.
In that case the leader is George Burns who in 1917 hit .226 and in 1918 he hit .352, a 126 point difference.