Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
I realize in wartime they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel, but where did they ever scrape you up?
—Mr. Roberts in "Mr. Roberts"
Two weeks into the season and no Barry Bonds…So who's the best player in baseball? Brian Roberts, of course.
Roberts hit his sixth homer of the season tonight after collecting just 12 all of last season. He's scored 16 runs, driven in 17, is 6-for-7 in steals, and has ungodly ratios (.421/.507/.860/1.367).
If that weren't enough, his stats project to 69 home runs 197 RBI and 185 runs. His career totals for those stats at the start of the season were 12, 122, and 232, respectively.
Can he keep up that sort of production? Is there such a precedent?
Well, Roberts' HR total is 5.75 times his previous career totals. Has that ever been done? Lemme—and I don't mean the guy from Motorhead—check…
There are twenty guys who have out-produced their previous career HR totals by at least that much (min. 500 career ABs):
| Name | Yr | HR | Prev HR | HR Breakout |
| Fred Pfeffer | 1884 | 25 | 2 | 12.50 |
| Jigger Statz | 1923 | 10 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Kirby Puckett | 1986 | 31 | 4 | 7.75 |
| Jo-Jo Moore | 1934 | 15 | 2 | 7.50 |
| Johnny Barrett | 1944 | 7 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Tommy Corcoran | 1891 | 7 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Del Unser | 1969 | 7 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Jack Crooks | 1892 | 7 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Fred Mann | 1884 | 7 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Dickie Thon | 1983 | 20 | 3 | 6.67 |
| John O'Brien | 1896 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Maury Wills | 1962 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Joe Harris | 1922 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Tom O'Brien | 1899 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Pat Meares | 1995 | 12 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Cozy Dolan | 1904 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Barry Bonnell | 1979 | 12 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Baldy Louden | 1914 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Bill Crowley | 1884 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Bill Hinchman | 1908 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Abner Dalrymple | 1884 | 22 | 4 | 5.50 |
| Al Kaline | 1955 | 27 | 5 | 5.40 |
| Norm McMillan | 1929 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Ski Melillo | 1929 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Bill Sweeney | 1910 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Buck Ewing | 1883 | 10 | 2 | 5.00 |
| Austin McHenry | 1920 | 10 | 2 | 5.00 |
| Ed Gremminger | 1903 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Fred Corey | 1884 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Jackie Tavener | 1927 | 5 | 1 | 5.00 |
So, in the last thirty years, there are four guys. Of course none hit nearly as many as Roberts' projection, and all were either at or within one of their career highs.
So don't go stocking up on Brian Roberts rookie cards just yet.
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