Shoeless Joe had arguably the best rookie year in all of baseball history. In 1911, he became an everyday player for Cleveland. He set rookie records with 233 hits, 45 doubles, 126 runs, and an incredible .408 batting average and .468 on-base percentage.

He would have led the league in all of these categories as well but ended 2nd to Ty Cobb in average, hits, doubles, and runs. Later on, Ty Cobb claimed that Shoeless Joe was the best hitter he ever saw and Babe Ruth allegedly modeled his swing after Joe Jackson's.