Ranking the Greatest MLB Players Who Never Won a World Series in the Modern Era | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sophia Dalton Why make Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio a two-for-one special? Well, why not?
They're both Hall of Famers who were synonymous with the success of the Houston Astros in the 1990s and early 2000s. Between 1994 and 2005, specifically, the Astros were the National League's second-winningest team while their two big stars were the NL's second- and ninth-best players by rWAR.
At Bagwell's peak between '94 and '03, an average season for the slugging first baseman included a 156 OPS+ and 37 home runs. Biggio began his peak a little earlier in '91, mustering a 129 OPS+, 15 homers and 33 stolen bases per year as a wily leadoff man between then and '99.
Unfortunately, neither Bagwell nor Biggio did much in their six trips to the playoffs between 1997 and 2005. Both players finished their postseason careers with OPSes in the .600s.
Even more tragically, both players were past their respective primes by the time they finally made it to the World Series in '05. Bagwell, who was on the verge of retirement, managed just one hit in eight at-bats. Biggio, who was in his third-to-last season, went 4-for-18. The Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox.