This tweet by Friend of the VORG @JamesSmyth621 caught my attention this weekend:
Albert Pujols on pace for 126 RBIs and only 66 runs. Fewest runs scored in a 120+ RBI season is 74 by Alex Rodriguez in 2010 (125 RBIs).
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) August 21, 2016
It got me wondering what the record was for difference between fewest runs scored and most runs batted in in a season.
Using the season stats from Fangraphs, here are the players with at least a 50 difference since 1920 (when RBI became an official stat). Pujols’ projected 60 difference would set an all-time record:
| Season | Name | Team | R | RBI | R-RBI |
| 1960 | Vic Wertz | Red Sox | 45 | 103 | -58 |
| 1971 | Harmon Killebrew | Twins | 61 | 119 | -58 |
| 1989 | Pedro Guerrero | Cardinals | 60 | 117 | -57 |
| 1959 | Gus Bell | Reds | 59 | 115 | -56 |
| 1955 | Ray Boone | Tigers | 61 | 116 | -55 |
| 1996 | Juan Gonzalez | Rangers | 89 | 144 | -55 |
| 1999 | Rafael Palmeiro | Rangers | 96 | 148 | -52 |
| 1970 | Johnny Bench | Reds | 97 | 148 | -51 |
| 1983 | Terry Kennedy | Padres | 47 | 98 | -51 |
| 2010 | Alex Rodriguez | Yankees | 74 | 125 | -51 |
| 1984 | Dave Kingman | Athletics | 68 | 118 | -50 |
For completeness sake, here are the record-holders for more runs scored than RBI in a season:
| Season | Name | Team | R | RBI | R-RBI |
| 1927 | Lloyd Waner | Pirates | 133 | 27 | 106 |
| 1930 | Woody English | Cubs | 152 | 59 | 93 |
| 1945 | Eddie Stanky | Dodgers | 128 | 39 | 89 |
| 1922 | Lu Blue | Tigers | 131 | 45 | 86 |
| 1925 | Johnny Mostil | White Sox | 135 | 50 | 85 |
| 2000 | Luis Castillo | Marlins | 101 | 17 | 84 |
| 1980 | Willie Wilson | Royals | 132 | 49 | 83 |
| 1944 | Snuffy Stirnweiss | Yankees | 125 | 43 | 82 |
| 1962 | Maury Wills | Dodgers | 130 | 48 | 82 |
| 1937 | Red Rolfe | Yankees | 143 | 62 | 81 |
| 1996 | Rickey Henderson | Padres | 110 | 29 | 81 |