San Francisco Giants: The Best Willie Mac Award Seasons

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Jun 13, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; View of AT&T Park from the south of the stadium before the game between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /

Darrell Evans (1983)

Wins Above Replacement: 4

Evans was a big part of the Giants lineup in the 1980’s, and 1983 was a strong season for the first baseman. He led the team in nearly every offensive category and finished with a slashline of .277/.378/.516 for an OPS of .894. He appeared in the 1983 All-Star game and was awarded the Willie Mac Award at year’s end.

As with Clark and Morgan before him, Evans was a great player on a bad team. The Giants weren’t as committed to winning in those days as fans would have hoped, and Evans was in the last year of his contract.

It would be Evans’ eighth and final season in San Francisco before signing with the Detroit Tigers in the off-season. Evans would go on to win the World Series that year with the Tigers, so it was a bittersweet moment for the Giants and their fans.

Robby Thompson (1991)

Wins Above Replacement: 5.1

Thompson was often overlooked throughout his career with the Giants. He was either being overshadowed by Will Clark, Matt Williams or Barry Bonds. No matter who was hitting behind Thompson, there was no denying the impact Thompson was having at the plate and in the infield.

Thompson was a fixture at the 2-hole in the Giants lineup for most of his career from 1986-1996, and 1991 was no exception. He hit 19 home runs for San Francisco in 1991, which was a career high at the time and he had a slashline of .262/.352/.447 for an OPS of .799.

Winning the Willie Mac Award was further proof that no matter which player was making the headlines, Thompson was admired and respected in the Giants locker room as much as anyone.