Steve Balboni

Born: 1/16/1957 in Brockton, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1981-04-22 | Final Game: 1993-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Stephen Charles Balboni

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Biography

Steve Balboni, born in 1957, was a professional baseball player who made a notable impact in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1993. Primarily recognized for his power-hitting ability, Balboni played in a total of 960 games, accumulating 714 hits, 181 home runs, and 495 RBIs throughout his career. His batting average stood at .229, a reflection of both his strengths and weaknesses at the plate, as he was known for striking out frequently while also providing significant power in the lineup. Balboni's lone stolen base illustrated his role as a traditional power hitter rather than a speed threat, which was common among sluggers of his era. Balboni's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by an increasing emphasis on power hitting and the integration of advanced training techniques. He played for several teams, including the Kansas City Royals, where he gained prominence for his contributions to the team's offense. As a member of the Royals, Balboni became known for his ability to hit home runs in crucial situations, helping to define his legacy as a clutch performer. His journey through the league exemplified the evolving dynamics of baseball during the late 20th century, where power became a central focus of offensive strategy. Balboni's career remains a testament to the power-hitting archetype that has continued to influence the game.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
960	3120	351	714	127	11	181	495	1	273	856	0.229	0.293	0.451	0.743	1564.6

Career AVG .229 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 11.6% below league average.

Career OBP .293 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 9.8% below league average.

Career SLG .451 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — +15.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.743 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1981	NYY	AL	4	7	2	2	1	1	0	2	0	1	4	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1982	NYY	AL	33	107	8	20	2	1	2	4	0	6	34	0.187	.261 (-28%)	.324 (-30%)	.388 (-28%)	.712 (-29%)	-534.5
1983	NYY	AL	32	86	8	20	2	0	5	17	0	8	23	0.233	.260 (-11%)	.324 (-9%)	.389 (+11%)	.714 (+2%)	5.3
1984	KCR	AL	126	438	58	107	23	2	28	77	0	45	139	0.244	.259 (-6%)	.322 (-1%)	.384 (+29%)	.707 (+16%)	1224.8
1985	KCR	AL	160	600	74	146	28	2	36	88	1	52	166	0.243	.257 (-5%)	.323 (-5%)	.390 (+22%)	.714 (+10%)	993.3
1986	KCR	AL	138	512	54	117	25	1	29	88	0	43	146	0.229	.257 (-11%)	.325 (-12%)	.395 (+14%)	.720 (+2%)	12.4
1987	KCR	AL	121	386	44	80	11	1	24	60	0	34	97	0.207	.262 (-21%)	.331 (-18%)	.415 (+3%)	.746 (-6%)	-597.9
1988	KCR	AL	21	63	2	9	2	0	2	5	0	1	20	0.143	.254 (-44%)	.317 (-51%)	.377 (-29%)	.695 (-39%)	-406.6
1988	SEA	AL	97	350	44	88	15	1	21	61	0	23	67	0.251	.254 (-1%)	.317 (-6%)	.377 (+27%)	.695 (+12%)	-406.6
1989	NYY	AL	110	300	33	71	12	2	17	59	0	25	67	0.237	.254 (-7%)	.319 (-7%)	.375 (+23%)	.694 (+9%)	354.4
1990	NYY	AL	116	266	24	51	6	0	17	34	0	35	91	0.192	.257 (-26%)	.324 (-10%)	.385 (+5%)	.710 (-2%)	-100.8
1993	TEX	AL	2	5	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.600	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
17	61	3	12	0	0	0	4	8	16	0.197

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1985	ALCS	KCA	7	25	1	3	1	2	8	0.120
1985	WS	KCA	7	25	2	8	3	5	4	0.320
1984	ALCS	KCA	3	11	0	1	0	1	4	0.091

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	630	606	5579	386	64	521

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1981	NYA	1B	3	2	14	1	0	2
1982	NYA	1B	26	25	194	13	2	23
1983	NYA	1B	23	23	178	9	3	19
1984	KCA	1B	125	123	1102	79	15	102
1985	KCA	1B	160	159	1573	101	12	138
1986	KCA	1B	137	136	1236	98	18	115
1987	KCA	1B	55	54	521	41	6	39
1988	KCA	1B	13	10	94	5	2	11
1988	SEA	1B	40	39	334	25	2	34
1989	NYA	1B	20	15	150	7	1	15
1990	NYA	1B	28	20	183	7	3	23