Joe DiMaggio hit .352 in 1940, won his second consecutive American League batting title, drove in 133 runs, and hit 31 home runs -- and the New York Yankees finished third. That's the cruel arithmetic of the 1940 season. The best hitter in baseball did everything a franchise player could do, and it wasn't enough. The pitching staff crumbled, the team went 88-66, and DiMaggio's monster year became a footnote to a dynasty's first stumble in five seasons.
The Numbers Behind the Crown
DiMaggio's batting line was staggering by any era's standards. In 132 games and 508 at-bats, he collected 179 hits -- 28 doubles, 9 triples, 31 home runs. He struck out just 30 times while drawing 61 walks. At 25 years old, he was doing things at the plate that looked less like performance and more like routine -- the ball jumping off his bat with a consistency that made opposing pitchers audibly grumble.
His .352 average led the American League for the second straight year, following the .381 he'd posted in . The 29-point drop didn't matter. He still had the league's best batting eye, still punished mistakes harder than anyone in the game, still made the whole thing look effortless in that way only DiMaggio could manage.
The Supporting Cast Showed Up
The offense around DiMaggio wasn't the issue. Joe Gordon hit 30 home runs from second base -- a position that wasn't supposed to produce that kind of power -- and drove in 103 runs. Charlie Keller drew a league-leading 106 walks while adding 21 homers. George Selkirk chipped in 19 long balls in just 118 games. Bill Dickey was 33 and slowing down (.247), but still called every game like the future Hall of Famer he was.
The bats were fine. The rotation was the wreck.
Individual Brilliance, Collective Disappointment
Lefty Gomez went 3-3 with a 6.59 ERA in nine appearances, his arm shredded by injury. Without Gomez anchoring the left side of the rotation alongside Red Ruffing, the staff had a hole it couldn't fill. The -- Gordon's error against Detroit, the losses to the Browns, the slow fade from contention -- happened because the pitching couldn't hold leads that DiMaggio's bat kept building.
It's a strange thing, watching a player have one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history while his team finishes two games out. DiMaggio didn't talk about the frustration publicly. He didn't talk about much of anything publicly. But the gap between what he did at the plate and what the team accomplished in the standings had to sting.
| AVG | .352 (AL leader, 2nd consecutive title) |
| HR | 31 (team leader) |
| RBI | 133 (team leader) |
| Hits | 179 |
| 2B / 3B | 28 / 9 |
| BB / SO | 61 / 30 |
| Games | 132 |
| Team Finish | 3rd place, 88-66, 2 GB |
The Peak Before the Streak
What makes DiMaggio's 1940 campaign even more interesting is what came next. In , he'd hit safely in -- the most famous individual record in American sports. The hitting streak swallowed everything, including the memory of what he'd done the year before.
But the 1940 batting title deserves its own space. DiMaggio wasn't building toward the streak. He was simply doing what he'd done every year since arriving in pinstripes in 1936 -- hitting the ball harder and more consistently than anyone else alive. The streak made him immortal. The 1940 season proved he was already the best hitter in the game before anyone started counting consecutive games.
Back-to-Back Crowns
DiMaggio's consecutive batting titles -- .381 in 1939, .352 in 1940 -- came in seasons that couldn't have felt more different. The first title came with a World Series ring and a sweep of Cincinnati. The second came with a third-place finish and the end of the dynasty. Same player, same dominance, two completely different outcomes. The difference wasn't DiMaggio. It was the 27 other guys on the roster (and one left-hander's arm).
Season Opens
DiMaggio begins the season as the defending AL batting champion after his .381 mark in 1939. The Yankees are heavy favorites for a fifth straight pennant.
Midseason Dominance
DiMaggio is hitting well above .350 as teammate Buddy Rosar hits for the cycle against Cleveland. The offense isn't the problem -- the pitching staff is hemorrhaging runs.
Gordon's Cycle, DiMaggio Keeps Rolling
Joe Gordon hits for the cycle at Fenway. DiMaggio continues his march toward the batting crown, but the team is running out of games to make up ground.
Title Without a Pennant
Detroit clinches the AL pennant. DiMaggio finishes at .352 -- his second straight batting title -- but the Yankees end 88-66, two games behind the Tigers.
DiMaggio didn't complain. He never complained. He just hit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Joe DiMaggio win the 1940 AL batting title?
Yes. DiMaggio won his second consecutive American League batting title in 1940 with a .352 average, following his .381 mark in 1939. He also led the Yankees with 31 home runs and 133 RBI, making it one of the finest individual seasons in franchise history despite the team's third-place finish.
What were Joe DiMaggio's 1940 statistics?
DiMaggio hit .352/.418/.626 with 31 home runs, 133 RBI, and 179 hits in 132 games. He struck out just 30 times in 508 at-bats while drawing 61 walks. He led the American League in batting average for the second straight season.
Why didn't DiMaggio win the 1940 MVP despite winning the batting title?
The 1940 AL MVP went to Hank Greenberg of the pennant-winning Detroit Tigers, who hit .340 with 41 home runs and 150 RBI. MVP voters historically favored players on pennant winners, and the Yankees' third-place finish worked against DiMaggio despite his outstanding individual numbers.