Pittsburgh Pirates: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Blink and you may have missed Ralph Kiner’s MLB career. For a guy who played in only 10 big league seasons, he accomplished a lot. It’s a shame he didn’t last longer. A back injury ended his career prematurely, making him what essentially equates to the Sandy Koufax of sluggers.

Kiner debuted in 1946 for the Pirates and finished the year with a league-leading 23 home runs. The total was a rare low during a decade when the National League lacked tremendous pop. Thankfully, Kiner hit just enough in his rookie year to set forth an amazing streak.

In every full season he spent in Pittsburgh, Kiner led the league in home runs. There’s no typo here. From 1946 to 1952, Kiner hit as many or more home runs than everyone else. Johnny Mize tied him twice and Hank Sauer tried to dethrone Kiner once.

Kiner was a rare player for any era. His league-leading home run totals were never pipsqueak like it was in 1946. He smashed 51 in 1947, 40 in 1948, 54 in 1949, 47 in 1950, 42 in 1951 and finally another 37 in 1952. All told, he hit 301 home runs for the Pirates.

The specific period from 1947 to 1951 was the best for Kiner. Each year, he hit 40+ home runs, while scoring and driving in 100+ runs. He led the league in OPS three times during those great seasons and made his mark on MLB history.

Although he doesn’t own any all-time Pirates records other than home runs per at-bat, he does have some single-season records. These include the .658 slugging percentage and 54 home runs in 1949, as well as the 137 walks in 1951.