Bryce Harper Has Historic First Half In OPS

Using the Baseball Reference Play Index, I found the top 65 first halfs in sOPS+ (150+ PAs). Harper has 226 and is ranked 32nd. As far as I can tell, that is adjusted for the league average and park effects. It seems like when it adjusts for the league average it includes pitcher's hitting. If you look at the NL leaders this year, Harper has a 219 OPS+. Maybe that does not include pitcher's hitting.

The only players to ever have a better first half than Harper are Ruth, Bonds, TWilliams, Gehrig, Mantle, Frank Thomas, Foxx, Cobb, Hornsby, McGwire, Musial, McCovey, and Bautista.

In general, this is an incredible list to be in the middle of, especially at age 22. In fact, the only better first half at age 22 or younger is TWilliams in 1941, 232. The next highest is Bernie Carbo in 1970 with an even 200.

So here are the rankings

Rk	Player	Year	sOPS+		Rk	Player	Year	sOPS+
1	Babe Ruth	1920	278		34	Ted Williams	1948	225
2	Barry Bonds	2004	274		35	Frank Robinson	1967	225
3	Barry Bonds	2002	258		36	Babe Ruth	1928	224
4	Babe Ruth	1921	252		37	Mel Ott	1944	223
5	Lou Gehrig	1927	245		38	Larry Walker	1997	223
6	Ted Williams	1946	244		39	Gavvy Cravath	1919	221
7	Babe Ruth	1924	243		40	Babe Ruth	1919	221
8	Babe Ruth	1926	242		41	Tris Speaker	1916	220
9	Mickey Mantle	1957	241		42	Ted Williams	1947	220
10	Frank Thomas	1994	238		43	Reggie Jackson	1969	219
11	Barry Bonds	2001	238		44	Barry Bonds	2003	218
12	Babe Ruth	1918	238		45	Tommy Holmes	1945	218
13	Babe Ruth	1930	238		46	George Brett	1983	218
14	Mickey Mantle	1962	237		47	Ted Williams	1954	217
15	Babe Ruth	1923	237		48	Joe DiMaggio	1939	217
16	Jimmie Foxx	1933	235		49	John Olerud	1993	215
17	Ted Williams	1960	234		50	Willie Stargell	1971	215
18	Ty Cobb	1917	233		51	Joe Medwick	1937	215
19	Jimmie Foxx	1932	232		52	Bob Allison	1964	214
20	Ted Williams	1941	232		53	Jimmie Foxx	1938	213
21	Rogers Hornsby	1925	231		54	Lou Gehrig	1936	213
22	Babe Ruth	1931	231		55	Miguel Cabrera	2013	213
23	Mark McGwire	1996	230		56	Barry Bonds	1993	213
24	Ted Williams	1942	229		57	Rogers Hornsby	1922	213
25	Babe Ruth	1927	229		58	Norm Cash	1961	212
26	Stan Musial	1948	228		59	Benny Kauff	1914	212
27	Willie McCovey	1969	228		60	Phil Weintraub	1944	212
28	Rogers Hornsby	1928	228		61	Charlie Keller	1946	212
29	Mark McGwire	1998	227		62	Dick Allen	1966	211
30	Ty Cobb	1915	226		63	Albert Pujols	2009	211
31	Jose Bautista	2011	226		64	Derrek Lee	2005	211
32	Bryce Harper	2015	226		65	Duke Snider	1954	211
33	Mickey Mantle	1956	226

This next table shows the leaders in SLG in the first half with 150+ PAs for guys 24 and under. I think the first 3 guys are 24 and the next two 23. Harper is 6th. Again, an incredible list to be on.

Rk	Player	Year	SLG
1	Lou Gehrig	1927	0.830
2	Jimmie Foxx	1932	0.769
3	Mickey Mantle	1956	0.749
4	Reggie Jackson	1969	0.716
5	Willie Mays	1954	0.710
6	Bryce Harper	2015	0.704
7	Ken Griffey	1994	0.697
8	Joe DiMaggio	1939	0.695
9	Mark McGwire	1987	0.692
10	Albert Pujols	2003	0.690
11	Dick Allen	1966	0.687
12	Ted Williams	1941	0.684
13	Jimmie Foxx	1929	0.675
14	John Olerud	1993	0.671
15	Hank Greenberg	1935	0.671
16	Jimmie Foxx	1928	0.671
17	Babe Ruth	1918	0.671
18	Mel Ott	1929	0.669

Now for guys 22 and under.

Rk	Player	Year	SLG
1	Bryce Harper	2015	0.704
2	Ted Williams	1941	0.684
3	Jimmie Foxx	1929	0.675
4	Jimmie Foxx	1928	0.671
5	Mel Ott	1929	0.669
6	Joe DiMaggio	1937	0.661
7	Jimmie Foxx	1930	0.652
8	Eddie Mathews	1953	0.644
9	Joe DiMaggio	1936	0.627
10	Willie Horton	1965	0.621
11	Mel Ott	1930	0.621