Best Season in MLB History: Ruth’s 1920 Tops Bonds’ 2001 by NUT
The Best Season in MLB History
The best season in MLB history by NUT is Babe Ruth’s 1920: +12.5 season NUT, batting .376 with 54 home runs and 137 RBI.Barry Bonds’ 2001, a common pick for No. 1, ranks #10 at +10.0.
NUT is one number for production against league average, built on the advanced hitting and pitching stats analysts trust. Defense is left out. Every season since 1876 is graded against its own league, so a .376 in 1920 and a .328 in 2001 are compared by how far each stood above its era. Hitters need 100 plate appearances and pitchers 25 innings, and Negro Leagues seasons have their own boards on each season page.
Top 10 Hitting Seasons of All Time
Ruth has 5 of the top 10 and 8 of the top 25. His 60-homer 1927 ranks #9 overall and fifth among his own seasons, because he stood further above the league in other years.
Top 5 Pitching Seasons of All Time
Hitters and pitchers are graded on separate scales, so compare a pitcher’s value with other pitchers. Martínez did it in 213.1 innings during one of the highest-scoring eras in the game.
The Best Seasons Since 2000
Yordan Alvarez’s +5.2, the best of 2026, ranks #367 among hitting seasons. See every all-time board, careers and teams included or build the best lineup of all time.
Quick Answers
What is the best season in MLB history?
By NUT, Babe Ruth’s 1920: +12.5 season NUT, batting .376 with 54 home runs. His 1921 is second at +12.3.
Is Barry Bonds’ 2001 the best season ever?
Not by NUT. His +10.0 ranks #10 among hitters, behind 5 Babe Ruth seasons, 3 by Ted Williams and 1 by Jimmie Foxx. It is the best since 2000.
What is the best pitching season ever?
By NUT, Pedro Martínez’s 1999: +7.3 season NUT with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 213.1 innings.
What is the best season of the last 10 years?
Aaron Judge’s 2024 at +8.9 season NUT, #20 all time among hitters. He batted .322 with 58 home runs.