By Bill Simons

Various sportswriters, including yours truly, have published all-time, Jewish All-Star team selections. But this is the first print ranking of the 25 top seasons of Jewish ballplayers from the beginnings of the major league game to the present. The #1 designates the best and then the list moves down. We are a contentious people, whether talking Talmud, politics or baseball, so disputation is expected and welcome.

1. Hank Greenberg 1938. With U.S. antisemitism at its peak and Detroit – home to Henry Ford and Father Charles Coughlin – its American epicenter, the big Tiger first baseman slugged 58 home runs, just short of the then most cherished mark in sports, Babe Ruth’s 60. For good measure, he hit .315, knocked in 147 runs and scored another 143. 
2. Sandy Koufax 1965. After another Cy Young Award season (26 wins-8 losses, 2.04 ERA, 8 shutouts, 382 strikeouts – and the fourth no hitter of his career, a perfect game), the L.A. Dodgers lefty declined to pitch game one of the World Series due to Yom Kippur. He then came back to shut out the Minnesota Twins in games five and seven, the final triumph after only two days rest. 
3. Sandy Koufax 1963. Recipient of Cy Young and MVP awards, Koufax was nearly invincible, registering 25 wins against five losses, 1.88 ERA, 11 shutouts, 306 strikeouts.
4. Al Rosen 1953. In perhaps the greatest season ever by a third baseman, the muscular Cleveland Indians slugger just missed the Triple Crown by a fraction of a point on his batting average. His .336 BA, 43 HRs, 145 RBIs made him the unanimous AL MVP. 
5. Hank Greenberg 1940. Winning his second MVP after making the switch from first base to left field, Greenberg (.340 BA, 41 HRs, 50 2Bs,150 RBIs) paced the Tigers to another pennant. 
6. 6. Sandy Koufax 1966. Battling excruciating arm pain with an elbow that swelled to the size of a cantaloupe, Koufax finished his career with the best final season in MLB history (27 wins-9 losses, 1.73 ERA, 317 strikeouts) while notching a third Cy Young Award. 
7. Hank Greenberg 1935. This marked the first time that a Jew won a Most Valuable Player Award. Greenberg, the Tigers’ power hitter (.328 BA, 203 Hs, 46 2Bs, 16 3Bs, 36 HRs, 168 RBIs, 120 Rs), led the team to a repeat pennant. 
8. Steve Stone 1980. On the basis of a 25-7 won-lost record and .781 winning percentage, the Baltimore Orioles righty won the AL Cy Young Award. 
9. Hank Greenberg 1937. Greenberg recorded another milestone campaign (.337 BA, 200 Hs, 49 2Bs, 14 3Bs, 40 HRs, 137 Rs). The future Hall of Famer’s 184 RBIs remains one short of Lou Gehrig’s 185 AL single-season record. 
10. Ryan Braun 2011. The All-Star Milwaukee Brewers left fielder’s MVP season (.332 BA, 33 HRs, 111 RBIs, 109 Rs) was tainted by use of PEDs. 
11. Ryan Braun 2012. His power-hitting peaked with 41 HRs in another All-Star season (.319 BA, 191 H, 112 RBIs, 108 Rs). 
12. Shawn Green 1999. Green had a tremendous all-around year for the Toronto Blue Jays, making only one error in RF and dominating offensively (.309 BA, 45 2Bs, 42 HRs, 123 RBIs, 20 SBs). 
13. Shawn Green 2001. The 6’4” right fielder had one of the greatest seasons in Brooklyn or L.A. Dodgers history (.297 BA, 49 HRs, 125 RBIs, 121 Rs, 20 SBs). Observance of Yom Kippur may have kept him from reaching the coveted 50 HR milestone. 
14.  Alex Bregman 2019. Based on outstanding defensive play at third base and shortstop, and a monster year at the plate (.296 BA, 41 HRs, 112 RBIs), augmented by illicit sign stealing, the fiery Houston Astro finished second in the MVP vote and socked three World Series home runs. 
15. Hank Greenberg 1934. Hammerin’ Hank, emergent as the Tigers’ pre-eminent slugger (.339, 201 H, 26 HRs, 139 RBIs), contributing mightily to the first of 4 pennants Detroit would win during his tenure. Greenberg’s 63 doubles are still the fourth highest season total in MLB history. He hit two HRs on Rosh Hashanah, but chose synagogue over ballpark on Yom Kippur. 
16. Alex Bregman 2018. With a fifth-place finish in the MVP vote, the prime of Bregman (.286, 51 2Bs, 31 HRs, 103 RBIs) announced itself. 
17. Hank Greenberg 1946. Due to World War II service, Greenberg had not played a complete season since 1940. Even though he could no longer hit for high average (.277), he bested Ted Williams for the AL HR (44) and RBI (127) crowns. 
18. Ken Holtzman 1973. Grounded by a 2.97 ERA, the Oakland A’s All-Star righthander notched 21 of the wins, against 13 losses, that made him the Jewish leader in career victories (174). Holtzman also won 2 1973 World Series games. 
19. Sandy Koufax 1964. Due to injury, Koufax’s season ended on August 16. Despite the abbreviated campaign, the southpaw was brilliant (19 wins-5 losses, 1.74 ERA, seven shoutouts, 223 strikeouts). 
20. Kevin Youkilis 2008. Stellar defense by the versatile infielder at first and third base, and a potent bat (.312 BA, 43 2Bs, 29 HRs, 115 RBIs) earned the burly Red Sox All-Star third place in MVP voting. 
21. Sid Gordon 1948. The New York Giants All-Star led third baseman in fielding percentage, hit well (.299 BA, 30 HRs, 107 RBIs), and finished fourth NL MVP rankings. 
22. Lip Pike 1871. Hitting .377 and leading the league in home runs, the Troy Haymaker right fielder gave Jews a presence in the 1871 debut season of the National Association, baseball’s first major league. 
23. Max Fried 2022. Like his hero Koufax, Fried is prone to injury. Nonetheless, he pitched well enough (14 wins-seven losses, .667 winning percentage, 2.48 ERA) to place second in Cy Young Award voting. For good measure, he won a Golden Glove. 
24. Ian Kinsler 2011. Despite a batting average (.255) well below his career mark, the Texas Ranger second baseman joined that elite company of ballplayers to hit 30-plus home runs (32) and steal 30-plus bases (30) in the same season. He scored 121 runs and turned 103 double plays, tops at the keystone. 
25. Erskine Mayer 1915. The year before, the Philadelphia Phillies righty became the first Jewish MLB pitcher to top 20 victories in a season, but in 1915, he came back with an even more dominant campaign (21wins-15 losses, 2.36 ERA, 20 complete games). 

Let the arguments begin!