If you're ever in a situation where your life depended on guessing someone's OPS for a season, go with Willie Bloomquist.
Age | Tm | PA | OPS |
---|---|---|---|
25 | SEA | 220 | .638 |
26 | SEA | 201 | .613 |
27 | SEA | 267 | .622 |
28 | SEA | 283 | .619 |
29 | SEA | 188 | .650 |
30 | SEA | 192 | .662 |
31 | KCR | 468 | .663 |
32 | KCR | 94 | .625 |
9 Seasons | 1951 | .649 |
Now, I did take out Bloomquist's rookie season, when he posted a 1.102 OPS in 38 PAs. That was in 2002, and it was 38 PAs, and it was Willlie Bloomquist.
I love the peak Willie had. Sure, he began his career as a .620 OPS guy, but many will remember that three year run when he was a .660 OPS guy.
The truly amazing thing, at least to me, is how Bloomquist has remained Bloomquist in varying circumstances and through various means. At age 30, he didn't play very much in Seattle and had one of the most power-free seasons ever, hitting .279/.377/.285. He hit one double and 45 singles. The next year, he lands in KC, plays an absolute ton, and takes/shows a completely different game, hitting .265/.308/.355. The walks disappear, replaced by an extra base hit explosion. Net OPS change: .001. He just needed more playing time to show what he could do.