Rank   Player    RBI    
1. Carlos Delgado  1058  
2. George Bell  740  
3. Joe Carter  736  
4. Lloyd Moseby  651  
5. Tony Fernandez  613  
6. Vernon Wells  598  
7. Jesse Barfield  527  
8. Ernie Whitt  518  
9. Willie Upshaw  478  
10. John Olerud  471  

For some reason I thought Carter passed Bell in his last year but it was in a different stat by just one.

I often get this one mixed up too - it helps if I remember it's counter-intuitive. Bell leads the great RBI man, and Carter leads the guy who once hits 47 homers.

I seem to remember Carter in his last year pressing to get to this franchise mark, or at least the announcers mentioning it late in the season while Carter was struuggling. I too for some reason thought he made it...looking at the stats, I see Carter did make it 100 RBI's, so that's probably what I'm remembering instead.

These record listings have led to some time wasting on baseball-reference.  I'm not sure that Olerud's 1993 gets the recognition for how great of a season that was for someone his age.

He had an OPS+ of 186 in his age 24 season (.363/.473/.599).

All seasons after WWII that have had a player 24 or younger with a higher OPS+?  (Done by eyeballing it, so I may be missing some)

• 2003
• 1969
• 1956

When your company is Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols - that's damned fine company.

Maybe it's just me, but I always think of Barfield's '86, Bell's '87, or Delgado's '00 as the great offensive performances in Jays history - I always seem to forget Olerud's - probably the lack of home runs.

In many ways, Olerud's 1993 doesn't look as impressive as Delgado's 2000: Carlos hit many more homers, actually broke the record Olerud set that season for doubles, drew more walks, drove in and scored more runs, and hit a pretty nifty .344 himself.  They were basically even in OBP (Olerud ahead by .473 to .470) while Delgado was comfortably ahead in slugging (.664 to .599). Its entirely the difference between 1993 and 2000 that gives Johnny his slight edge in OPS+.

Meanwhile, how about my man Fred McGriff - just three seasons as an everyday player in Toronto, but they were three of the best six seasons ever by a Toronto player in OPS+.

Olerud had clearly the best batting season in the American League in 1993.  Delgado was neck and neck with Giambi in 2000 (less impressive from a rate perspective, but with 50 more PAs).

Johnny O ought to have been the MVP in 1993 (and George Bell had no business winning in 1987 what with Alan Trammell having a shortstop's year for the ages).

Johnny O ought to have been the MVP in 1993

Well, Big Hurt did have a nice year himself -- he was second in the league in both OPS+ and Win Shares and Offensive Winning Percentage ... um, second to Olerud in all three ... but hey, the voters went and placed Johnny third on the ballot, behind his own teammate, Paul Molitor!

Hurt received all 28 first-place votes in '93, ironnically, given that the next year, he didn't receive all 28 -- he still won, he got 24 firsts, but that was a much better year for him.

Oh get off the Olerud train would you all?  I would rather have Robert Person any day.