.308/ .440 /.465
Now, I've played around with esthetically-pleasing slash-stats before, especially those of the high OBP, low-SLG brand. But this time I'm using Robinson's exquisite 1952 as the benchmark.
Here are all seasons in the live ball era, where a batter has posted an OBP above .440 yet without slugging over .465 in at least 400 PA.
| First | Last | Year | Team | Age | PA | wOBA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPSp | SB | BB% | K% | wRAA |
| Tony | Phillips | 1993 | DET | 34 | 707 | 0.386 | 0.313 | 0.443 | 0.398 | 0.841 | 129 | 16 | 18.67 | 14.43 | 33.7 |
| Richie | Ashburn | 1958 | PHI | 31 | 725 | 0.399 | 0.350 | 0.440 | 0.441 | 0.881 | 136 | 30 | 13.38 | 6.62 | 44.9 |
| Richie | Ashburn | 1955 | PHI | 28 | 644 | 0.407 | 0.338 | 0.449 | 0.448 | 0.897 | 141 | 12 | 16.3 | 5.59 | 40.7 |
| Ferris | Fain | 1955 | DET | 34 | 716 | 0.383 | 0.260 | 0.455 | 0.326 | 0.781 | 115 | 10 | 26.26 | 6.98 | 31.4 |
| Richie | Ashburn | 1954 | PHI | 27 | 703 | 0.389 | 0.313 | 0.441 | 0.376 | 0.817 | 117 | 11 | 17.78 | 6.54 | 30.7 |
| Jackie | Robinson | 1952 | BRO | 33 | 636 | 0.430 | 0.308 | 0.440 | 0.465 | 0.905 | 152 | 24 | 16.67 | 6.29 | 49 |
| Eddie | Stanky | 1950 | NY1 | 33 | 691 | 0.420 | 0.300 | 0.460 | 0.412 | 0.872 | 132 | 9 | 20.84 | 7.24 | 42.1 |
| Eddie | Yost | 1950 | WS1 | 23 | 731 | 0.401 | 0.295 | 0.440 | 0.405 | 0.845 | 118 | 6 | 19.29 | 8.62 | 33.2 |
| Augie | Galan | 1947 | CIN | 35 | 491 | 0.413 | 0.314 | 0.449 | 0.416 | 0.865 | 130 | 0 | 19.14 | 3.87 | 29.5 |
| Roy | Cullenbine | 1941 | SLA | 27 | 629 | 0.430 | 0.317 | 0.452 | 0.465 | 0.917 | 144 | 6 | 19.24 | 6.84 | 46.4 |
| Buddy | Myer | 1938 | WS1 | 34 | 534 | 0.428 | 0.336 | 0.454 | 0.465 | 0.919 | 131 | 9 | 17.42 | 5.99 | 37.1 |
| Mickey | Cochrane | 1935 | DET | 32 | 522 | 0.420 | 0.319 | 0.452 | 0.450 | 0.902 | 135 | 5 | 18.39 | 2.87 | 33.7 |
| Max | Bishop | 1933 | PHA | 33 | 505 | 0.401 | 0.294 | 0.446 | 0.399 | 0.845 | 126 | 1 | 20.99 | 9.11 | 27.6 |
| Max | Bishop | 1927 | PHA | 27 | 489 | 0.381 | 0.277 | 0.442 | 0.323 | 0.765 | 102 | 8 | 21.47 | 5.73 | 14.6 |
| Eddie | Collins | 1926 | CHA | 39 | 455 | 0.420 | 0.344 | 0.441 | 0.459 | 0.900 | 135 | 13 | 13.63 | 1.76 | 27.5 |
| Eddie | Collins | 1925 | CHA | 38 | 533 | 0.434 | 0.346 | 0.461 | 0.442 | 0.903 | 130 | 19 | 16.32 | 1.5 | 35.6 |
| Johnny | Bassler | 1924 | DET | 29 | 456 | 0.415 | 0.346 | 0.441 | 0.422 | 0.863 | 124 | 2 | 13.6 | 2.41 | 24.2 |
| Eddie | Collins | 1924 | CHA | 37 | 676 | 0.428 | 0.349 | 0.441 | 0.455 | 0.896 | 132 | 42 | 13.17 | 2.37 | 42.7 |
| Eddie | Collins | 1923 | CHA | 36 | 632 | 0.428 | 0.360 | 0.455 | 0.453 | 0.908 | 140 | 48 | 13.29 | 1.27 | 40.3 |
There have been 18 similar seasons, but Robinson's ranks the best insofar as OPS+ and wRAA. Tony Phillips produced the last season of this kind in 1993, and before that it hadn't been seen since 1958. Phillips never before and never again posted a .300 average other than in 1993, and thus never came close to that sort of on-base performance. Although, always one to post a high walk rate, his .369 BAbip in '93 was unprecedented.
Richie Ashburn, who met the requirements in 3 separate seasons, was another fascinating player. He had 6 seasons where he managed a 6.0 WAR or better, and berry nearly missed out on a seventh (5.8) without ever hitting more than 4 HR in a single season, until his final year when he only hit 7. The highest he ever slugged was .448 in 1955.
If we expand the query to include player-seasons with SLG percentages over Robinson's .465 but similarly remained within 25 points of their OBP, we then get a few more comps:
| First | Last | Year | Team | Age | PA | wOBA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS+ | SB | BB% | K% | wRAA |
| Wade | Boggs | 1988 | BOS | 30 | 719 | 0.425 | 0.366 | 0.476 | 0.490 | 173 | 2 | 17.39 | 4.73 | 60.3 |
| Joe | Cunningham | 1959 | SLN | 27 | 556 | 0.410 | 0.345 | 0.453 | 0.478 | 150 | 2 | 15.83 | 8.45 | 39.6 |
| Jackie | Robinson | 1952 | BRO | 33 | 636 | 0.430 | 0.308 | 0.440 | 0.465 | 152 | 24 | 16.67 | 6.29 | 49 |
| Ferris | Fain | 1951 | PHA | 30 | 511 | 0.426 | 0.344 | 0.451 | 0.471 | 151 | 0 | 15.66 | 3.91 | 36.3 |
| Roy | Cullenbine | 1941 | SLA | 27 | 629 | 0.430 | 0.317 | 0.452 | 0.465 | 144 | 6 | 19.24 | 6.84 | 46.4 |
| Buddy | Myer | 1938 | WS1 | 34 | 534 | 0.428 | 0.336 | 0.454 | 0.465 | 131 | 9 | 17.42 | 5.99 | 37.1 |
| Arky | Vaughan | 1936 | PIT | 24 | 701 | 0.434 | 0.335 | 0.453 | 0.474 | 150 | 6 | 16.83 | 3 | 50.1 |
| Joe | Sewell | 1923 | CLE | 24 | 682 | 0.441 | 0.353 | 0.456 | 0.479 | 146 | 9 | 14.37 | 1.76 | 50.6 |
Wade Boggs' 1988 then enters the ring as the only similar season to post far-and-away a better wRAA and OPS+. Robinson still manages a better wOBA, however, due to his stolen bases. Joe Cunningham and Ferris Fain put up equally impressive seasons in '59 and '51, but both those seasons can be attributed to career-high BAbip rates. Robinson on the other hand, was a bit below his career BAbip rate in 1952, demonstrating that this season was more in-tune with his natural skill-set. Jackie's 1952 is also the only season of the group in which the player reached double-digits in steals.
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