It's not epic, and it's not a season, but this seems as appropriate a place as anywhere--Brian Harper's few years catching for the Twins in the late-'80s/early-'90s. (His picture popped up today in that little photo gallery to the left of the Baseball Reference page.) From '79 to '87, he plays for five teams, plays all over the diamond, and basically does nothing. Then he has five-and-a-half really solid seasons with the Twins, hitting .294-.325 every year, with OBPs around .350 and slugging averages in the low-mid .400s (except for his last year there, very much a pitcher's era), and has a fantastic Series when the Twins win everything in '91. Then he leaves in '94, gets 300 more AB elsewhere the next two years, then he retires.
― clemenza, Monday, 12 August 2019 23:43 (four years ago) link
Dug up this:
http://www.banishedtothepen.com/brian-harper-a-baseball-life/
― clemenza, Monday, 12 August 2019 23:49 (four years ago) link
Jesus Aguilar is looking like a potential inner circle outlier season guy
― omar little, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 00:01 (four years ago) link
see also his former teammate, gio urshela
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 13 August 2019 02:12 (four years ago) link
rick porcello's 2016
― mookieproof, Thursday, 19 September 2019 17:41 (four years ago) link
a whole bunch of guys you forgot about the moment they retired
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― omar little, Thursday, 19 September 2019 17:44 (four years ago) link
Epic outlier in reverse: Wade Boggs, 1992 (his last season in Boston). No recollection--what happened? The Margo Adams thing was a couple of years earlier.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 February 2020 14:15 (four years ago) link
mike marshall, 1974
― But guess what? Nobody gives a toot!😂 (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 11 February 2020 06:16 (four years ago) link
Only in the freakish 100+ games, though--he was arguably better in '73, and definitely better in '72.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 11 February 2020 14:43 (four years ago) link
he was good for the couple years around it, but: jake arrieta's 2015. tbf it would be an epic outlier for almost anyone -- he was all but unhittable
up-thread mention rick porcello is apparently out of baseball at age 32? has to be one of the crappier pitchers to win 150 games
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 7 July 2021 04:55 (two years ago) link
On a similar note, R.A. Dickey's Cy year.
― clemenza, Thursday, 8 July 2021 23:31 (two years ago) link
Arietta was in the ESPN body issue, that was awesome
― frogbs, Thursday, 8 July 2021 23:53 (two years ago) link
I recall sam miller calling arietta “built” on EW
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Sunday, 11 July 2021 04:25 (two years ago) link