MLB: Mo Vaughn vs. Manny Ramirez pt.2

Let's play the numbers game, shall we?

Like I touched upon in the previous article, Manny amassed more RBIs, and a higher slugging and on-base percentage than Mo.

However, Mo never had the luxury of being sandwiched in a lineup with many different positional all-stars.

As for the higher percentages, Manny has been a more patient hitter at the plate than Vaughn as seen by his American League leading total of pitches per plate appearance (4+) and his lack of average strikeouts per season.

Looking at the seasons in which these players became starters in the everyday lineup, let’s compare how these hitters have fared throughout the different seasons…

(Keep in mind that Mo was with the Red Sox until the ‘99 season and that he became a starter in the Sox lineup in ‘93. Ramirez wasn’t a full-time starter for the Indians until ‘95. )

Runs: This category is a push. Some could argue that Ramirez has a microscopic edge but this seems too close to call.

Mo has amassed 98 (95), 118 (96), 91 (97), 107 (98), 63 (99…his year injured with a busted foot), 93 (00).

Manny is slightly ahead of Mo posting solid numbers since becoming an everyday starter: 85 (95), 94 (96), 99 (97), 108 (98), 131 (99), 92 (00*).

Mo’s career high is 118 runs in ‘96. Ramirez scored 131 times in ‘99.

However, these numbers are deceiving as runs are a stat that can be attributed to the talent in one’s lineup, same as RBI.

Hits: Here, Mo wins on a controversial judge’s decision.

The difference is rather marginal but while Mo has been in the league a couple years longer than Ramirez, Mo has reached the 200 hit plateau twice in his career: 160 (93), 122 (94), 165 (95), 207 (96, career high), 166 (97), 205 (98), 147 (99), 167 (00). Over the years, Mo has averaged about 167.3 hits per season.

Ramirez has 149 (95), 170 (96), 184 (97, career high), 168 (98), 174 (99), and 154 (00*). Ramirez’s hit average comes towards 166.5 hits.

Their hits-per-season average is virtually the same but Ramirez has never reached the 200 hit club like Vaughn has.

Home Runs: Ramirez gets the nod here.

Vaughn has been around longer so he was swatting balls over the Green Monster while Manny was still in the minors. However, Vaughn averaged close to 35 home runs over the years: 29 (93), 26 (94), 39 (95), 44 (96, career high), 35 (97), 40 (98), 33 (99), 36 (00).

Manny seems to have averaged just over 36 home runs a year with his many home run streaks taking a life of their own the past three years: 31 (95), 33 (96), 26 (97), 45 (98), 44 (99), 38 (00*).

Remarkably enough, Ramirez still hit more home runs than Vaughn in the 2000 season while missing 44 games with hamstring problems. Mo played in 161 out of 162 games and hit 36 home runs. Ramirez played in only 118 games last season and still belt 38 home runs. That factor in itself gives Ramirez the edge at the finish line.

RBI: As mentioned earlier, Ramirez has been a ruthless RBI machine throughout his young career, but he has gone to war with a much more potent lineup than Vaughn has over the years.

Since 98, Manny has gotten 145 (98), 165 (99, career high), 122 (00*) RBI, averaging about 123 RBI since playing everyday. Boston Globe baseball columnist Gordon Edes mathematically equated that Ramirez averages just over 1 RBI per game.

Mo has averaged about 111 RBI with his career high of 143 (96). Over the past three seasons he has gotten 115 (98), 108 (99), 117 (00).

Batting Average: Ramirez takes the gold here.

Since ‘95, Manny’s seasons have been: .308 (95), .309 (96), .328 (97), .294 (98), .333 (99), .351 (00*). His average for the seasons he has started has been close to a solid .321.

Mo has been solid since the ’93 season posting .297 (93), .310 (94), .300 (95), .326 (96), .315 (97), .337 (98), .281 (99), .272 (00). His average since he was a starter rounds out around .308.

*--Represents the 2000 season in which Ramirez missed 44 games with a massive hamstring injury.

And the Winner is: Ramirez in a hotly contested battle for offensive supremacy. Ramirez wins the batting average and home run category while Mo ever so narrowly takes the hits category. The runs and RBI category have been placed into the kitty and no one has been awarded either one on a judge’s decision.

Statistics put Manny on the winner’s podium but there are much more X factors to be accounted for.

There are more to these gentlemen than meet the eye…

Till tomorrow…

Ya’ll come back now, yah hear?