Fred McGriff
The Crime Dog's greatest tragedy wasn't missing 500 home runs by seven — it was playing in the wrong era for recognition. McGriff's 493 career homers fell just short of what was once an automatic Hall of Fame threshold, while his peak years coincided with the steroid boom that inflated offensive numbers around him.
His 1992 season with San Diego showcases why he belonged with the elite: a .950 OPS and 136 OPS+ in a pitcher-friendly ballpark, leading the NL with 35 homers. McGriff's consistency was his calling card — he hit between 27-37 home runs in eight consecutive seasons from 1988-1995, a remarkable stretch of sustained excellence.
The Contemporary Era Committee finally corrected baseball's oversight in 2023, recognizing what scouts always knew: McGriff was a pure hitter whose 114 career OPS+ and three Silver Sluggers reflected genuine talent, not chemical enhancement.
Career · Batting
19 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TOR | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .400 | 55 |
| 1987 | TOR | 107 | 295 | 20 | 43 | .247 | .881 | 118 |
| 1988 | TOR | 154 | 536 | 34 | 82 | .282 | .928 | 133 |
| 1989 | TOR | 161 | 551 | 36 | 92 | .269 | .924 | 133 |
| 1990 | TOR | 153 | 557 | 35 | 88 | .300 | .930 | 131 |
| 1991 | SD | 153 | 528 | 31 | 106 | .278 | .890 | 126 |
| 1992 | SD | 152 | 531 | 35 | 104 | .286 | .950 | 136 |
| 1993 | SD | 151 | 557 | 37 | 101 | .291 | .924 | 126 |
| 1994 | ATL | 113 | 424 | 34 | 94 | .318 | 1.012 | 133 |
| 1995 | ATL | 144 | 528 | 27 | 93 | .280 | .850 | 113 |
| 1996 | ATL | 159 | 617 | 28 | 107 | .295 | .859 | 112 |
| 1997 | ATL | 152 | 564 | 22 | 97 | .277 | .797 | 105 |
| 1998 | TB | 151 | 564 | 19 | 81 | .284 | .815 | 108 |
| 1999 | TB | 144 | 529 | 32 | 104 | .310 | .957 | 123 |
| 2000 | TB | 158 | 566 | 27 | 106 | .277 | .826 | 106 |
| 2001 | TB | 146 | 513 | 31 | 102 | .306 | .930 | 123 |
| 2002 | CHC | 146 | 523 | 30 | 103 | .273 | .858 | 115 |
| 2003 | LAD | 86 | 297 | 13 | 40 | .249 | .750 | 99 |
| 2004 | TB | 27 | 72 | 2 | 7 | .181 | .577 | 76 |
| Career | 2460 | 8757 | 493 | 1550 | .284 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.