If Babe Ruth played today's baseball, would he be a substandard player?

Question

Back then, pitches were easier to hit because the balls were HIGH UP in the strike zone. Today, I think that Ruth would be a struggling player if he played as he did back then.

Don't you agree?

Answer 1

he wouldnt be as good as he was back then but would still be very good according to baseball prospectus

Answer 2

No, I don't agree. There are a lot of speculation in that statement. First off, if ruth played today maybe he would have a different work ethic. Maybe the availability of todays technology would turn Ruth into crazy machine like athlete guy. Who knows? What we do know is he was the TOP of the sport back then, hit the HELL out of the ball swinging one of the biggest bats (the size bat he used was pretty crazy, saw it in the HOF) AND could pitch. All that while not taking it too seriously (in terms of a healthy athlete standpoint). Do you really think he would be substandard, whatever that is supposed to mean? He may not be the #1 all star, but substandard?

Answer 3

There is a new book out that is entitled "The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns", and it asks that very same question. The projections show Ruth as being a very Barry Bonds like player (hopefully with out any steriods). He would hit 60-70 homers each year while batting in the 330-350 range. With the lack of quality pitching today it is very likely he would put up better numbers than he ever did. Keep in mind he would probably play longer due to the DH.

Answer 4

If Babe Ruth played today, we would not a substandard player. Ruth lived in a era were the pitching was different. The home-run rise cannot be attributed to people just getting Herculean strength out of the blue. Although steroids has its parts, there are home run hitters out there who do not use enhancing drugs. Also, back then, when a person hit a walk-off homerun with runners in scoring position, he would be merely granted a single, one rbi, and no runs granted to the other men, as only one run was needed to win the game. Therefore, the rise in home runs has to be the result of a mix of pitching, rules, and smaller fields.

Babe Ruth, along with being a great home run hitter, had excellent contact with a .342 career batting average, second only to Ty Cobb's .366. Although the pitching differences can also be accounted for in batting (for example, why doesn't any one bat .400 anymore?), there is no doubt that he was excellent hitter. He was also one of the greatest pitchers of his time, with playoff records only recently broken and one of the top lifetime ERA's 2.28.

In the end, Babe Ruth needs to can only be compared to his peers to analyze how he would do in today's game. He lived in a time were home runs were rare, yet achieved the second (discounting steroidsters mcgwire, sosa, and bonds) highest home run total for a season, and the second highest lifetime HR count. He was not known for his fielding, but that is simply because he was a pitcher. If he played in today's game we would surely be extremely dominant. He would not back .340 but definately .310 or .320, he would probably hit just as many home runs, and, possibly, be an average (he didn't face home run hitters either) to above-average hitter.

Answer 5

No he would still be Babe Ruth. The strike zone was bigger and pitches weren't afraid to throw inside like they are now. Today's ballparks are smaller, not bigger, with 360 ft. power alleys because everyone wants to see the long ball. Bat technology has improved, they are lighter and harder today. Ruth swung what, 44-48 oz. bat? Like to see someone try that in today's game. Probably have to take steriods just to lift the bat!!!!!

As far as competition, you mean the watered down competition of today because there are many more teams, where career .240 hitters make a million dollars? Where Paul Mirabelli has a job just because he can catch a knuckleball? When Ruth played, you faced better players because there were fewer openings. You had to be good.

Kevin B., not to be rude but you said he wouldn't be as good. According to the link you provided, his adjusted career HR total would be 1,074( give or take)...... How in the world is that not as good?

Answer 6

...Sorry to say, but Babe Ruth would be a AAA player--at best. He might even have a short career, five, six years. He might make it as a middle reliever as a pitcher. Today's' specialty pitchers would tie him up. Even the pitchers of a quarter of a century earlier. Dennis Eckersley would eat him alive. Breaking ball pitchers would stop Ruth cold. While the pitchers are spread out with 14 more teams than MLB had 79 plus years ago, and great athletes have more sports choices, modern training methods would cause Ruth to be over-matched. Of course, if Ruth had the advantage of modern training then that might be a different story.

Answer 7

Guys like Fielder and Ortiz are fat and out of shape, but still dominate. Ruth would be the highest paid player today, just like he was then. How many at bats did it take for Aaron and Bonds to reach 714 homers? How many games did they play in a season back when Ruth played? Think about him having 5000 more at bats in his career today, a clean white ball to hit and not a soiled brown baseball that only gets replaced when the cover is damaged. Pitchers could scuff and spit on the ball back then to get more curve and action. Center field was farther away back then. He had five prime hitting years taken away at the beginning of his career because he was one of the greatest pitchers who ever lived. Anyone who says he wouldn't dominate in today's game can't be taken seriously and is probably a mental midget.

Answer 8

If Ruth played today he would be just as dominant if not more so because the pitching is watered down today due to excess teams. Ruth is the best baseball player ever to play 80 years ago or today.

Answer 9

I'm not sure if he would be struggling, but he wouldn't hit as many home runs. Not only where the pitches easyer, but the old fields where smaller too. Plus he would have harder competition considering modern baseball players are better then they where during Babe Ruths time.

Answer 10

I'll disagree. When Ruth played the ball was dead and the fields bigger. Also when he played there was a rule that when a ball was a homerun it had to still land fair. Now this wasn't his whole career but would of added about 70 more homers on his career.

Answer 11

baseball players today are all pretty muscular and they're in very good shape.. if you saw Babe Ruth walking down the street and you didn't know who he was, you probably wouldn't think of him as even being an athlete.. if Babe Ruth had modern-day training, he might do well.. but if you took him exactly the way he was back then, I don't think he'd be very good in the major leagues of this day and age..