Top 25 MLB batting seasons of all time

11. Barry Bonds, 2004

By the time 2004 rolled around, Barry Bonds had struck enough fear into every pitcher in the league that there was almost no chance he was going to be pitched to more than twice a game. The fear, combined with what is the best batting eye in MLB history, helped him draw 232 walks (120 of them intentional) in 617 plate appearances.

Bonds ended up with only 373 official at-bats in 147 games in 2004, but still homered 45 times, once every 8.3 at-bats. He also had 27 doubles and three triples, making 70 of his 135 hits good for extra bases. No hitter in all the years of Major League Baseball that are to come will have opposing pitchers shook enough to register a .609 OBP.

The magical ride that Bonds and BALCO took us on in the early 2000s had to come to an end at some point, and 2004 was the last season before Bonds had to allow his head to begin shrinking back down to normal human levels. He was injured for most of the 2005 season, but still slugged .554 with 54 home runs in his age-41 and age-42 seasons. Bonds would have liked to continue his career after 2007, but was likely blackballed out of the league.