and his .424 average in 1924 still sets the pace for any post-1900 season. During these five seasons, Hornsby led the league consecutively in on-base percentage and slugging, and won the Triple Crown twice, in 1922 (.401, 42 HR, 152 RBI) and 1925 (.403, 39 HR, 143 RBI).

After the 1937 season, Hornsby retired with a lifetime slugging average of .577, a National League record for more than 60 years. He batted .358 and slugged 301 home runs, numbers to which no second baseman -- not Napoleon Lajoie, Jackie Robinson, Eddie Collins or Rod Carew -- has come close.

6. Mickey Mantle OPS+172
When Mickey Mantle broke into the major leagues in 1951, Casey Stengel, the wily manager of the Yankees, said of the rookie, "With his combination of speed andpower, he should win the Triple Crown every year." Mantle won it only once; even so, his place at the table of great hitters is undeniable.

In his first five seasons, Mantle put up decent numbers, batting .295 with 121 homers and 445 runs batted in. In 1955, he led the majors in on-base percentage (.431), slugging (.611) and OPS+ (181), but it wasn't until 1956, the year he won the Triple Crown, that Mantle had his first truly dominant season. Along with belting 52 homers, knocking in 130 runs and hitting .353, Mantle led the league in OPS+ with a remarkable 210.

By this time, Mantle was established as a hitter and a producer, and from 1956 to 1964, Mantle led the major leagues in OPS+ seven times, including