Welcome to the next countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1930s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1930s (1930-1939), a total of 160 teams were eligible (16 teams x 10 seasons), so the top 20 teams are a fairly exclusive group. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their team dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #15 through #11.
Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1930s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard
#15: 1935 New York Yankees, 50.8 WAR162
The 1935 Yankees were a good, not great, team relative to other Yankees teams of the 1930s. They were a bit unlucky, with a win projection of 92 wins, three more than their actual total. Regardless, they were relegated to a second-place finish, three games behind the Tigers.
The Yankees’ 818 runs scored trailed the Tigers by a full 100 runs; this was not the juggernaut team that rolled over their rivals. They ranked a mere 4th in BA, tied for second in OBP, and were a rather distant 2nd in OPS. Pitching is what kept this club in contention, as they led the AL in ERA, WHIP, hits per 9 innings, and strikeout-to-walk rate.
Lou Gehrig was the dominant offensive leader for this edition, leading the AL in runs (125), walks (132), and OBP (.466). Teams could pitch around Gehrig when needed, as evidenced by his 21 intentional passes. George Selkirk (.312 BA, 12 triples, 94 RBI) and Red Rolfe (.300 BA, 108 runs scored) provided secondary support for Gehrig. The pitching was led by Red Ruffing, who posted a 16-11 mark with a 3.12 ERA. Lefty Gomez had similar metrics to Ruffing (3.18 ERA, 1.256 WHIP) but struggled to a 12-15 record.
#14: 1930 Philadelphia Athletics, 52.8 WAR162
The 1930 Athletics were the middle team in a 3-year run at the top of the AL, topping the runner-up Nationals by 8 games. The Athletics were unusually fortunate to win 102; their Pythagorean projection was for just 93 wins, or roughly even with the Nationals. They did stake their claim to being the best MLB team by defeating the Cardinals in a 6-game World Series.
Although the A’s had a strong offense, they scored 111 fewer runs than the Yankees (951 vs. 1,062). They ranked second in homers, second in doubles, fourth in BA, and second in both OBP and OPS. Their pitching numbers were also strong, but not dominant. The A’s trailed the Nationals in both ERA and WHIP, although they ranked first in strikeouts and strikeout-to-walk rate.
Al Simmons was one of four position players with high WAR162 numbers. Simmons led the AL with a .381 BA and 152 runs scored while swatting 36 homers and compiling 165 RBI. Foxx was close behind, with 37 homers, 156 RBI, and a 1.066 OPS. Catcher Mickey Cochrane batted .357 with 42 doubles, and Max Bishop had a .426 OBP, thanks to 128 walks. Lefty Grove assembled one of his best seasons on the mound, winning 28 games with a 2.54 ERA, 209 strikeouts, and 9 saves, all AL-best numbers. George Earnshaw added 22 wins (despite a 4.44 ERA) with a league-best 3 shutouts.
#13: 1938 New York Yankees, 53.7 WAR162
The 1938 Yankees were an excellent team that will forever live in the shadow of the far superior 1939 club. The 1938 squad rolled to the AL pennant, finishing 9.5 games ahead of the Red Sox, and went on to sweep the Cubs in the World Series, riding both the best offense and pitching in the league.
The Yankees scored 966 runs while launching 174 home runs, both figures far ahead of their AL rivals. Their BA was a surprisingly weak 6th in the league, but they rose to 2nd in OBP and OPS (a virtual tie for 1st) on the strength of their home runs and an AL-best 749 walks. The Yankees pitchers easily topped the AL in ERA and WHIP, and also tossed an AL-best 11 shutouts.
This Yankees team lacked a single star with huge WAR162 numbers, but had many players performing at a high level. Joe DiMaggio batted .324 with 32 home runs and 140 RBI to lead the way, and catcher Bill Dickey had one of his better seasons with a .313 BA, 27 homers, and 115 RBI. 35-year-old Lou Gehrig swatted 29 homers with 114 RBI, and Red Rolfe batted .311 from his third base position. Frankie Crosetti (AL-best 27 steals), Tommy Heinrich (22 homers, 91 RBI), and Joe Gordon (25 homers, 97 RBI) rounded out a deep offense. The pitching was dominated by Red Ruffing (21-7, 3.31 ERA) and Lefty Gomez (AL-best 4 shutouts, 18-12, 3.35 ERA).
#12: 1934 New York Yankees, 54.7 WAR162
Yet another Yankees team checks in at #12 in our Top 20 for the 1930s, albeit a 2nd-place finisher behind the resurgent Tigers. The Yankees were in an interesting transition window, with Babe Ruth on the way out and Joe DiMaggio about to appear. Lou Gehrig was the constant for the 1934 team, keeping them near the top of the American League.
The Yankees’ offense was no match for the Tigers in 1934, finishing 117 runs behind the pennant winners. They also ranked second in homers (behind the A’s) and were 4th in BA, 2nd in OBP, and 2nd in OPS. Their pitching staff led the AL in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, helping the team stay in the pennant chase.
Lou Gehrig put together one of his best seasons, leading the league in homers (49), RBI (166), BA (.363), OBP (.465), and OPS (1.172). The 39-year-old Babe Ruth added 22 home runs and a .448 OBP, while Ben Chapman batted .308 with 13 triples and 26 steals. Bill Dickey batted .322 and Tony Lazzeri chipped in with 11 steals and a .369 OBP. Lefty Gomez led the AL in multiple categories with 26 wins, a 2.33 ERA, 25 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 158 strikeouts. Johnny Murphy was effective as a starter and in relief, with 14 wins, and Red Ruffing won 19 games with 5 shutouts.
#11: 1934 Detroit Tigers, 55.3 WAR
The Tigers put together back-to-back pennant-winning campaigns in 1934 and 1935, unseating the Yankees and Nationals atop the AL. The 1934 team topped the league by 7 games over the Yankees before falling to the Cardinals in a 7-game World Series.
The Tigers had a potent offense in 1934, easily leading the AL in runs (959), BA (.300), OBP (.376), OPS (.800), doubles, and stolen bases. While they didn’t hit a lot of home runs, their combination of speed and gap power propelled them to the pennant. The pitching staff was solid, placing second in ERA and WHIP, and topping the AL in strikeout-to-walk rate.
Second baseman Charlie Gehringer authored one of his finest seasons, batting .356 with135 runs scored (AL-best) and 127 RBI. Hank Greenberg led the league with 63 doubles at age 23, batting .339 with 139 RBI. Shortstop Billy Rogell batted .296 with 13 steals, and catcher Mickey Cochrane batted .320 with a .428 OBP. Schoolboy Rowe was the staff ace, winning 24 games with a league-best strikeout-to-walk rate. Tommy Bridges added 22 wins, and Elden Auker chipped in with 15 as a starter and reliever.
Summary
That’s it for this entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1930s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #10 to #6, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!