Historically, 1994 was a rough year for baseball. A players’ strike shortened the season to an average of 114 games for each team. There would be no World Series for the first time since 1904. Due to the work stoppage, baseball would suffer a black eye that still echoes to this day. Had the season been played to completion, perhaps 1994 would be a memorable year for historical feats. Instead, the season seems to have been written off and all but forgotten. Even though individual awards were still bestowed upon the deserving recipients, the majority of these performances almost go unrecognized. Here are some of the best from the lost season of 1994.
Hitting
Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padres
Mr. Padre was having an astounding year in 1994. His .394 average and 165 hits in 110 games led the Major Leagues. Gwynn was the first player, many viewed, as having a real chance of being the first since Ted Williams in 1953 to hit .400 in a season. One factor was his plate discipline. Gwynn struck out only 19 times in 475 plate appearances. His .454 OBP led the National League as well. Gwynn was named an All-Star and also won a Silver Slugger.
Matt Williams, San Francisco Giants
Matt Williams found a power surge in 1994. He was hitting .267 with 43 home runs and 96 RBI in 112 games. Williams owned a .607 SLUG, and those 43 home runs led all of baseball. The San Francisco Giants slugger was on pace to break or tie the single-season home run record of 61 held by Roger Maris. Williams was an All-Star, awarded a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove, and finished second in the MVP voting.
Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros
Jeff Bagwell won his only MVP in 1994. The Houston slugger hit .368 with 39 home runs, 116 RBI, and scored 104 runs. He earned a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger to go with his All-Star appearance as well. Bagwell led all of baseball with 300 total bases and a .750 SLUG %. His National League-leading 1.201 OPS in 110 games consequently helped him take home the hardware.
Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox
The Big Hurt earned the second of back-to-back MVPs in 1994. The Southside slugger was named a Silver Slugger and made another All-Star appearance as well. Thomas led all of baseball with 106 runs, 109 walks, a .487 OBP, and a 1.217 OPS. He hit .353 with 38 home runs and 101 RBI in 113 games.
Kenny Lofton, Cleveland Indians
Lofton was a terror in the American League. He hit .349 with 12 home runs and scored 105 runs. Lofton led all of baseball with 60 stolen bases in 112 games. He was named an All-Star and won a Gold Glove. He also finished fourth in the AL MVP voting. Lofton led off for a Cleveland offense that was a juggernaut in 1994.
Albert Belle, Cleveland Indians
Lofton’s teammate Albert Belle was tearing the cover off the ball. Belle hit .357 with 36 home runs and 101 RBI in 106 games. His 294 total bases led the American League and his 1.152 OPS was third in the Major Leagues. Belle was an All-Star and Silver Slugger. He finished second in the AL MVP race.
Pitching
Ken Hill, Montreal Expos
Hill was 16-5 and leading an Expos rotation that included a very young Pedro Martinez. In 154 2/3 innings pitched, Hill managed a 3.32 ERA and allowed only 0.7 HR/9. Hill was named an All-Star and finished second in the Cy Young voting. He was the ace on baseball’s best team in Montreal. When the season came to a halt, so did the postseason and any World Series hopes of Hill and the 74-40 Expos.
Bret Saberhagen, New York Mets
Saberhagen was having his best year as a Met in 1994. He was 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 177 1/3 innings pitched. Saberhagen added 143 strikeouts and a 1.026 WHIP. 1994 looked like a return to form for Saberhagen after winning the 1989 Cy Young with the Kansas City Royals. Unfortunately, 1994 would be his best season until his retirement in 2001.
Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves
Mad Dog won the third of his four straight Cy Young Awards in 1994. He also took home the second of four ERA titles. He was 16-6 with a 1.56 ERA at the time of the stoppage. His ERA not only led baseball, but his 202 innings pitched and 10 complete games did as well. Maddux tallied 156 strikeouts, and in those 10 complete games, pitched four shutouts. He took home a Gold Glove and added another All-Star appearance to his list of accomplishments in 1994.
David Cone, Kansas City Royals
David Cone was pitching lights-out in 1994. The KC hurler went 16-4 with a 2.94 ERA in 171 2/3 innings pitched. Cone added 4 complete games, three of which were shutouts. His 1.072 WHIP was among the American League’s best. Cone added an All-Star nod to the lone Cy Young Award he won in 1994.
Randy Johnson, Seattle Mariners
The Big Unit had not killed any birds yet, but the Seattle Mariners flamethrower was sitting batters down at a phenomenal rate. Johnson was leading all of baseball with 204 strikeouts, four complete game shutouts, and 10.7 SO/9. He owned a 13-6 record in 172 innings pitched with nine complete games. Johnson was an All-Star and finished third in the Cy Young voting.
Main photo credits:
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
Players mentioned:
Tony Gwynn, Ted Williams, Matt Williams, Roger Maris, Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas, Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, Ken Hill, Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen, Greg Maddux, David Cone, Randy Johnson
