SURPRISE, Ariz. -- If only former Royals slugger John Mayberry had played his career in today's era.
Mayberry would have been an analytics darling.
Mayberry, who played six years with the Royals in the 1970s, hit 255 homers over a career that included stops with the Astros, Blue Jays and Yankees. And he was an absolute on-base machine, posting a career .360 OBP.
In 1973, Mayberry hit 26 home runs, drove in 100 runs, and led the league with 122 walks and a .417 OBP. For that, he earned $50,000.
Two years later, Mayberry hit 34 homers and drew a league-high 119 walks, posting a .