Babe Ruth will go down as one of the greatest baseball players of all time and is known for shaping the sport into what it is today. 

He revolutionized the sport as his powerful and flexible swing gave him an advantage over other players in the MLB (Major League Baseball).

His skill and power in his era was so unmatched that he even had scientists undergo tests on him where they found he really was a freak of nature, and had the body of a man ahead of his time.

Babe’s Background

Born in 1985, George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. stood at 6’2 and weighed 215 pounds, already bigger than the average man in those times. He grew up to be one of the most recognized players in the game and started his career at the Boston Red Sox before starring for the New York Yankees. This is where he spent 14 years of his career and cemented his place in the Hall of Fame.

The Statistics

Babe’s stats are simply staggering, showing an impressive average of over 40 home runs per season between 1918 and 1933. During this time, he also led the American League in home runs in 11 of the 17 years, and in 6 of those years, he hit more than twice as many homers as the player who finished second. 

In 1927, Babe smashed an incredible 60 home runs, nearly triple that of his closest competitor Lou Gehrig. Additionally, Babe also displayed remarkable power on other aspects of the game, such as RBIs and batting average. 

His lifetime statistics also include 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,214 RBI, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage and a .690 slugging percentage.

Babe In Today’s Game 

While it is difficult to say whether modern pitchers are truly different than those in Babe Ruth’s day, there are a few key factors that may have influenced his career performance. First, in the early 20th century, there were only 7 other teams in the major leagues, so players like Babe often faced the same players and knew their style of play. Additionally, starting pitchers in that era often threw 150-200 pitches during a single game, meaning they were likely much more fatigued by their third or fourth at-bats against Babe.

These days, major league pitching staffs consist of as many as 30 different pitchers on a single team. This means that most batters face fresher arms as they step up to the plate for their later at-bats, so in theory Babe could have had a harder time in getting the home runs. 

The Final Home Run

Babe finished his career in legendary fashion in 1935 whilst playing a single season for the Boston Braves. It was fitting that in his last game he hit his 714th and last home run, extending his record that would then go on and stand for nearly 40 years.