1998 MLB

1. David Wells: Threw a perfect game in May and was the ALCS MVP.

He became the first player since 1994 to throw a perfect game when beating the Twins.

Within the regular season he had the top winning percentage .818 after a 18-4 record.

He also led the league with five shutouts and a 1.04 WHIP.

He was 2^nd in the AL with eight complete games and 5^th with a 3.49 ERA.

He was 4-0 in the playoffs and won Game One of each Series the Yankees won.

Boomer Wells struck out nine in eight innings to open the ALDS for New York in a 2-0 win over Texas.

He helped the Pin Strips to a 7-2 win over Cleveland in Game One with 2 ER in 8 1/3 IP. His Game Five performance of 11 K’s and just one walk gives New York a 3-2 series lead.

Wells also picked up the win in Game One of the Fall Classic.

The Yankees set a American League record with 114 wins. They also set a record with 125 wins including the postseason.

They swept Texas outscoring the Rangers 9-1 in three games. New York beat the reigning AL champs Cleveland in six games and swept past San Diego in the Fall Classic. The Yanks had the top ERA in the AL at 3.82.

2. Kevin Brown: Was named the National League Pitcher of the Year by the Sporting News. He was the Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year.

He was also named 1^st team starting  pitcher by Baseball America.

He was an All-Star and finished 3^rd in the NL Cy Young voting.

During the regular season Brown finished 2^nd in the NL in ERA (2.39), strikeouts (257), and WHIP (1.07).

He was 18-7 and had seven complete games.

KB set the division series record that still stands with 16 strikeouts in Game One vs. Houston, a 2-1 win for San Diego.

He helped the Padres take Game Three allowing just one earned run in 6 and 2/3 innings.

In Game Two of the NLCS the Padres’ ace shutout Atlanta with eleven strikeouts as San Diego built a 2-0 series lead.

In two games of the World Series, Brown strikeout 13 Yankees in 14 1/3 innings.

San Diego advanced to their first World Series in 14 years after stunning the 106 win Braves in six games. They knocked out Houston in four games. The Padres won 98 games and the NL West by 9.5 games.

3. Nomar Garciaparra: Was the AL MVP runner-up.

He was one of the top hitters in the American League. He finished 5^th in hits (195), 6^th in batting (.323), and 7^th in RBI (122).

He was in top 10 in total bases, slugging, runs, triples and home runs with 35.

It was his 2 HR and 4 run performance that helped clinch the Red Sox the Wildcard.

He was also the AL Player of Week twice.

Nomar continued to have a hot bat in the postseason. He became the first player to have a hit and run in his first five postseason games.

He drove in four including 3 run HR to put Boston up 6-0 in 5^th of ALDS Game One win.

In the 4^th inning of Game Four, his HR gave the Sox a 1-0 lead they would hold until 8^th when David Justice put Cleveland ahead for good in the series clincher.

Garciaparra had 3 HR 11 RB, hit 5-15 (.333) and 4 runs in the series.

Boston won 92 games, the second most in the AL and won the Wild Card. They were third in the AL in scoring and batting average.