Pittsburgh Pirates: Ranking the Team’s Eight MVP Seasons

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had eight MVP winners in their history. But not all MVPs are as good as the next. Out of the eight seasons, who had the best?

The Most Valuable Player award is one of the most highly sought after awards not just in baseball, but in any sport. The award is given to who the voters think is the best player that year. In the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, they have had eight different MVP seasons from seven different players.

But not every MVP is as good as the others. Sometimes, when looking back at it, MVP awards were majorly affected by what stats and factors were more valuable at the time.

Obviously, batting average in 1960 meant way more than it does in 2020. Plus, voters in seasons past might look at factors that are mostly out of a player’s control like RBIs, as a player can’t control how many times they step to the plate with runners on. They may also value something such as team record, even though a player can not single handily win games, to sway their vote.

With how different eras can be, we will be using era adjusted stats like wRC+ and OPS+ like we did with our top five rankings at each position. These give us a clearer picture of how good they were for the time. So, with that out of the way, let’s get into number seven!

1960 National League MVP – Dick Groat

Dick Groat’s 1960 NL MVP Award was definitely a product of the era. Although he was not an awful batter that season, it really was not an MVP worthy season.

Groat finished out the 1960 campaign with a .325/.371/.394 line, a 110 OPS+ and 116 wRC+. In today’s game, this would be like if Francisco Cervelli was an MVP candidate in 2015, or Jack Wilson was an MVP candidate in 2007. Overall, not what you would expect from a modern MVP, but remember this was 1960.

Groat’s batting average led the league, which carried him to an MVP award, along with the Pittsburgh Pirates going to the World Series, despite being 29th in wRC+ and 36th in wOBA (.347) that season.

However, Groat was mainly known for his glove. Groat was a gifted defender at short with +16 total zone runs above average. Groat’s 5.8 fWAR in 1960 ranked 9th in the MLB and 8th in the National League. However, like I said earlier, this was really an MVP product of the era. While Eddie Mathews, Frank Robinson, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks out did Groat in every meaningful offensive category and WAR, the batting average plus the World Series appearance really helped him secure voters’ ballots.

1979 National League MVP – Willie Stargell

It’s odd to think that out of all the years Willie Stargell played, and how great he was in previous seasons, this was the year Stargell finally captured NL MVP honors. Not that he was bad or anything, but it was far from his best season.

The slugger still hit .281/.352/.552 with a 139 OPS+/137 wRC+ and 32 home runs in 480 plate appearances. But it pales in comparison from his 1971-1978 stats when he hit .290/.382/.561, and averaged 30-40 home runs a season, including 4, 150+ OPS+ seasons.

1979 was the fourth full season Stargell played first base. He only had -5 total zone runs above average at the corner infield position, but his bat was the big threat here. Plus with it being 1979, many voters may have looked at his three errors and .997 fielding percentage. Overall, he had a 2.7 fWAR which only ranked 30th in the National League

Stargell actually tied with Keith Hernandez for National League MVP, despite getting more first place votes, and Hernandez having better overall offensive stats, a bWAR over triple of Stargell’s, and being a top tier defender, not just at first base but in all of baseball. Undoubtedly, Stargell benefited from the Fam-A-Lee Pittsburgh Pirates being the story of MLB that year on their way to a World Series Championship, and Stargell being the leader of the group.

1966 National League MVP – Roberto Clemente

1966 was the beginning of a series of  phenomenal seasons where the next was better than the last by The Great One. In 690 plate appearances during the 1966 season, Roberto Clemente had a .317/.360/.536 line with a .385 wOBA. Clemente hit the most home runs in a single season of his career in 1966 with 29. He also had 31 doubles and 11 triples to go along with that. Overall, offensively, he was great with a 146 OPS+ and 143 wRC+.

But Clemente’s defense was a sight to behold. That year, the outfielder had +18 total zone runs above average, the third most in all of baseball. You can’t talk about how good Clemente’s defense was without talking about how good his arm was. While we don’t have metrics like arm runs above average to analyze just how good he was, he had 17 outfield assists, which led all outfielders. Also, anyone who ever watched Clemente play or has talked to anyone that did knows he had an absolute howitzer for a right arm.

Clemente’s fWAR of 7.1 was 4th in the National League, and he was 6th in the NL in bWAR at 8.2. He also ranked 14th in wRC+. While the gap in overall performance this year isn’t as wide as it was with the two other names I’ve talked about so far, it’s debatable whether or not Clemente should have won the award, but seeing as voters didn’t have WAR, OPS+, wRC+, ect. back then to decide who to vote for, Clemente had the 5th highest batting average, and was tied for the second highest mark with Dick Allen of all players who finished top 5 in MVP voting. Still, looking back at it, Celmente was a very warranted MVP.

2013 National League MVP – Andrew McCutchen

2013 was a magical year for Pittsburgh Pirates fans, and one that will go down in the franchise’s history as one of the most memorable seasons ever. Not only did they break their 20 year curse of failing to reach .500 and not reaching the postseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates also got an MVP-caliber season from the best center fielder in franchise history, Andrew McCutchen.

That year, the center fielder put up a .317/.404/.508 line with 21 home runs in 674 plate appearances. Pitchers hated facing Cutch as he only struck out 15% of the time and walked in 11.6% of plate appearances. McCutchen was not just a threat in the batter’s box with a 157 OPS+, 156 wRC+ and .383 wOBA, but he was also a threat on the base paths. Cutch stole 27 bags in 37 attempts and had 6.4 base running runs above average.

Defensively, he wasn’t the best in the league, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t good. He still posted above average numbers with a +3 DRS, 3.2 UZR, 7 total zone runs, 2.2 range runs above average, and 1.6 arm runs above average.

Unlike the other names we’ve talked about, McCutchen in 2013 was undoubtedly the MVP. Cutch, Mike Trout and Shin-Soo Choo were the only three players in baseball to have at least 20 home runs and stolen bases, and a 150+ wRC+. He was top three in the National League in wRC+ and OPS+. His 8.1 fWAR outranked rival Cardinals’ catcher Yadier Molina who had a 7.8 fWAR, and was only outdone in fWAR by Trout (10.2) and Miguel Cabrera (8.6) in all of baseball.

1927 National Leavue MVP – Paul Waner

Paul Waner was the first National League MVP in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1927, the Hall of Fame outfielder was outstanding, even for his time. In a whopping 709 plate appearances, Waner batted .380/.437/.549.

No player was a home run hitter as this was the Deadball Era, so he only hit 9 home runs. But Waner still collected plenty of extra base hits including 42 doubles and 18 triples. Waner’s overall offense was placed at 155 OPS+ and 160 wRC+.

Waner was primarily a right fielder, where he was an excellent defender. He had +6 total zone runs above average to go with 20 outfield assists. He also only made seven errors. Pretty good considering the construction of a baseball glove and that he was only one of five players to make less than 10 errors.

Waner had a 7.4 fWAR, which ranked 3rd in baseball. His wRC+ 2nd, and his .450 wOBA was also number two in baseball in 1927. The only man to rank ahead of Waner in those three categories consistently was Cardinals’ legend Rogers Hornsby, who overall was a much better ball player, but it’s still a bit odd even by going with the old standards of voting. Hornsby had way more home runs at 26, a few less RBIs, and a still strong .361 batting average.

1990 National League MVP – Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds had some unbelievable seasons in his career, and that all started with his outstanding 1990 breakout campaign. His 1990 season was unbelievable. In 621 plate appearances, Bonds hit .301/.406/.565 with 33 home runs and 52 stolen bases. This is one of two seasons in MLB history where a player had at least 50 stolen bases and 30 home runs. Eric Davis’ 1987 season is the only other season like this in history.

Not only was he an immense threat offensively, but he was outstanding defensively with +28 total zone runs above average, the highest mark in baseball that season. He also threw out 14 runners showing he had an above average arm.

Bonds’ had a 170 OPS+ and 165 wRC+. He also had a .420 wOBA. Bonds already didn’t strikeout much. He had a 13.4% strikeout rate. But pair that with a 15% walk rate and you have a very dangerous batter who can swipe whatever bag he wanted.

Bonds’ wRC+, OPS+ and wOBA all led the league, and MLB in general. Bonds fell just a tenth of a point shy of getting to 10 fWAR. Still, it’s the 3rd highest in Pittsburgh Pirates history, only passed by Honus Wagner in 1905 and 1908.

1992 National League MVP – Barry Bonds

How do you follow up being about 70% better than the league average batter? You do it by being 100% better than the league average batter. That’s what Bonds did two years after he won the NL MVP in 1990.

Just like the Pittsburgh Pirates ended their 20 year losing streak with an MVP season, they started it with an MVP season, this time with Bonds. Bonds somehow was an even better batter than he was in 1990. Through 612 plate appearances, Bonds hit .311/.456/.624. Not only did Bonds lower his 13.4% strikeout rate to just 11.3%, he walked a lot more, drawing a walk 20.8% of the time. Bonds hit 33 home runs and stole 39 bases, the start of a seven-year stretch where he hit 30+ home runs and stole 25+ bases.

Bonds wasn’t as great defensively as he was in 1990, but he was still really good with +6 total zone runs above average. Runners learned to stay put when the ball was hit Bonds’ way as he only had four outfield assists after having double digits four times in the previous five seasons.

Bonds had a 204 OPS+ and 198 wRC+, essentially making him about 100% better than the league average. It’s the highest wRC+ mark in Pittsburgh Pirates history. Needless to say, it also led baseball, and it wasn’t even close. The next closest was Gary Sheffield at 172. Bonds’ 9.6 fWAR also was far ahead of the next closest, Ryne Sanberg at 7.4. Not only is this the best season by an MVP winner in Pirates history, but possibly the best season ever by a Pirates’ batter.