Rather than discuss the list of National League MVP candidates, a list that begins (and should end) with Barry Bonds, today might be a good time to list the greatest offensive seasons in history (to help sort them out, I employed Bill James' new Win Shares method).

10. Rogers Hornsby, 1922
OBP: .459 (1)
Slugging: .722 (1)
Runs: 141 (1) RBI: 152 (1)

Hornsby also topped the National League with 46 doubles, 42 home runs (nobody else hit more than 26 homers). Oh, and he batted .401, the first of three times that he'd clear the magical .400 mark. So why was Hornsby's 1922 season his greatest? Because, like Ruth in 1920, Hornsby was the first player in his league to show what could be done.

9. Ted Williams, 1946
OBP: .497 (1)
Slugging: .667 (1)
Runs: 142 (1) RBI: 123 (2)

Ted Williams, 1946? What about Ted Williams in 1941, when he batted .406? What about Ted Williams in 1949, when he scored 150 runs and drove in 159?

Williams was great in both seasons, but he was just a smidgeon better in 1946. In '41, he played only 143 of his team's 155 games. And that was a pretty good year for hitters around the American League. In '49 ... well, there's really nothing negative you can say about Ted's '49 season; it just wasn't quite as good as his '46 season. In 1946, run production was quite low in the American League, perhaps due to sub-standard baseballs still in use because of wartime material shortages. Williams' OPS (on-base + slugging) was 1164, well ahead of second-place Hank Greenberg's 977.

And Williams did win his first MVP Award, as the Red Sox captured their first pennant since 1918.

8. Mickey Mantle, 1957
OBP: .512 (2)
Slugging: .665 (2)
Runs: 121 (1) RBI: 94 (6)

It's perhaps a surprise to see Mantle's '57 season list here, given that he didn't lead the American League in on-base or slugging percentage, finishing behind the great Williams in both categories. And five American Leaguers drove in more runs than Mantle did. So what made his season so great? Again, you have to look at the context. It was a down year for hitters in the American League and Yankee Stadium was probably the best pitcher's park in the American League.

7. Barry Bonds, 1993
OBP: .458 (1)
Slugging: .677 (1)
Runs: 129 (2) RBI: 123 (1)

While it's true that Bonds never came close to hitting 73 home runs before 2001, it's also true that he showed big-time power eight years ago, leading the National League with 46 home runs and 25 road homers. Bonds had previously won two MVP Awards, but it wasn't until 1993 that he became the most feared hitter in the game, as he drew 43 intentional walks, the second-highest figure to that time. That was Bonds' first season in San Francisco, and though the Giants did not reach the postseason, they did win 103 games.

6. Mickey Mantle, 1956
OBP: .464 (2)
Slugging: .705 (1)
Runs: 132 (1) RBI: 130 (1)

Mantle had a lot of great seasons -- he was essentially the best hitter on the planet from 1952 through 1964 -- but 1956 was arguably his greatest. In addition to the stats listed above, Mantle led the majors with 52 home runs, stole 10 bases (and was caught only once), and grounded into only four double plays (which was typical of his early career). Mickey Mantle is, of course, a legendary figure. But strangely enough, few seem to realize just how devastating Mantle was with a bat in his hands.

5. Babe Ruth, 1921
OBP: .512 (1)
Slugging: .846 (1)
Runs: 177 (1) RBI: 171 (1)

A great Ruth season as he broke his own record with 59 homers, leading John B. Foster to write, "There is no one with whom he can be compared, including all ballplayers of all time." Those words still are true, by the way.

4. Babe Ruth, 1923
OBP: .545 (1)
Slugging: .764 (1)
Runs: 151 (1) RBI: 131 (1)

When people talk about Ruth's great seasons, they tend to focus on 1920 or 1921 or 1927 (when he hit 60 homers), while forgetting about 1923. But by 1923 the pitchers knew exactly how dangerous Ruth could be, and so he walked 170 times ... and that was the all-time record until 2001.

3. Babe Ruth, 1920
OBP: .532 (1)
Slugging: .847 (1)
Runs: 158 (1) RBI: 137 (1)

Really, you could take Ruth's three best seasons and order them in any fashion you like. I favor his 1920 season over the others because it was the first; nobody ever knew that you could hit 30 home runs in a season before Ruth hit 29 in 1919 ... and in 1920, he hit 54. That .847 slugging percentage was the all-time record until 2001.

2. Honus Wagner, 1908
OBP: .415 (1)
Slugging: .542 (1)
Runs: 100 (2)
RBI: 109 (1)

Wagner's stats don't look so hot when you compare them those posted by Bonds and Babe Ruth in their best seasons ... but then, neither Bonds nor Ruth played in 1908, the height of the Dead Ball Era and the lowest-scoring season in National League history. A typical game in 1908 included 6.6 runs scored by both teams, combined. In that context, Wagner's season looks mighty impressive because it was.

And consider how dominant Wagner was when compared to the other top hitters: His .542 slugging was 90 points better than Mike Donlin's .452 (only five players even slugged .400 or better!). He led in OBP, one of only three players above .365. He led in total bases (308 to 268). He led in batting average (.354 to .334 and one of just five players to hit .300). He led in RBI by just three (109 to 106), but only five players knocked in as many as 68. He also led in hits, doubles, triples and stolen bases and was second in home runs.

1. Barry Bonds, 2001
OBP: .515 (1)
Slugging: .863 (1)
Runs: 129 (3)
RBI: 137 (4)

Set major-league records for home runs, walks and slugging percentage. In a pitcher's park.

Rob can be reached at rob.neyer@dig.com, and to order his books, including the just-published Feeding the Green Monster, click here.