Don Baylor, baseball player, 338 home runs, 1970-1988

Don Baylor

Born: 6/28/1949 in Austin, TX, USA

Died: 8/7/2017 in Austin, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1970-09-18 | Final Game: 1988-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Don Edward Baylor

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Biography

Don Baylor was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, celebrated for his powerful hitting and tenacious style of play. Born in 1949, he embarked on a professional career that spanned from 1970 until his retirement in 1988. Over the course of 2,292 games, Baylor compiled a formidable record, amassing 2,135 hits and 338 home runs, while driving in 1,276 runs. His batting average stood at .260, and he showcased his speed on the bases with 285 stolen bases. A notable highlight of his career came with his selection as an All-Star, which underscored his impact during an era characterized by offensive prowess. Baylor's career unfolded during a dynamic period in baseball history, where power hitters began to emerge as central figures in the game. Known for his aggressive approach at the plate and ability to get on base, he left an indelible mark on the teams he played for, including the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, and New York Yankees. His contributions extended beyond his statistics, as he was admired for his leadership qualities and resilience, becoming a role model for younger players. Following his playing days, Baylor remained influential in baseball, transitioning into coaching and mentoring roles, further cementing his legacy in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2292 8198 1236 2135 366 28 338 1276 285 805 1069 0.260 0.342 0.436 0.777 16763.0

Career AVG .260 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .342 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +5.5% above league average.

Career SLG .436 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +13.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.777 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +10.0% above 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
1970 BAL AL 8 17 4 4 0 0 0 4 1 2 3 0.235 — — — — 0.0
1971 BAL AL 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1972 BAL AL 102 320 33 81 13 3 11 38 24 29 50 0.253 .243 (+4%) .310 (+6%) .353 (+17%) .664 (+12%) 685.5
1973 BAL AL 118 405 64 116 20 4 11 51 32 35 48 0.286 .256 (+11%) .325 (+10%) .378 (+15%) .703 (+13%) 998.3
1974 BAL AL 137 489 66 133 22 1 10 59 29 43 56 0.272 .256 (+6%) .324 (+5%) .369 (+4%) .693 (+4%) 463.3
1975 BAL AL 145 524 79 148 21 6 25 76 32 53 64 0.282 .257 (+10%) .327 (+10%) .374 (+31%) .701 (+21%) 2158.4
1976 OAK AL 157 595 85 147 25 1 15 68 52 58 72 0.247 .255 (-3%) .320 (+3%) .360 (+2%) .681 (+2%) 374.1
1977 LAA AL 154 561 87 141 27 0 25 75 26 62 76 0.251 .264 (-5%) .329 (+2%) .401 (+8%) .730 (+5%) 633.7
1978 LAA AL 158 591 103 151 26 0 34 99 22 56 71 0.255 .257 (-1%) .323 (+3%) .378 (+25%) .702 (+15%) 1660.5
1979 LAA AL 162 628 120 186 33 3 36 139 22 71 51 0.296 .265 (+12%) .329 (+13%) .397 (+33%) .727 (+24%) 3111.8
1980 LAA AL 90 340 39 85 12 2 5 51 6 24 32 0.250 .264 (-6%) .326 (-3%) .387 (-12%) .714 (-8%) -465.4
1981 LAA AL 103 377 52 90 18 1 17 66 3 42 51 0.239 .255 (-7%) .320 (+1%) .368 (+16%) .688 (+9%) 580.1
1982 LAA AL 157 608 80 160 24 1 24 93 10 57 69 0.263 .261 (+1%) .324 (+2%) .388 (+9%) .712 (+6%) 700.1
1983 NYY AL 144 534 82 162 33 3 21 85 17 40 53 0.303 .260 (+16%) .324 (+11%) .389 (+27%) .714 (+20%) 2050.5
1984 NYY AL 134 493 84 129 29 1 27 89 1 38 68 0.262 .259 (+1%) .322 (+6%) .384 (+27%) .707 (+17%) 1681.0
1985 NYY AL 142 477 70 110 24 1 23 91 0 52 90 0.231 .257 (-10%) .323 (+2%) .390 (+10%) .714 (+6%) 669.5
1986 BOS AL 160 585 93 139 23 1 31 94 3 62 111 0.238 .257 (-8%) .325 (+5%) .395 (+11%) .720 (+9%) 1252.1
1987 BOS AL 108 339 64 81 8 0 16 57 5 40 47 0.239 .262 (-9%) .331 (+7%) .415 (-3%) .746 (+2%) 296.7
1987 MIN AL 20 49 3 14 1 0 0 6 0 5 12 0.286 — — — — 296.7
1988 OAK AL 92 264 28 58 7 0 7 34 0 34 44 0.220 .254 (-14%) .317 (+5%) .377 (-14%) .695 (-5%) -92.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
38 121 17 33 5 1 4 21 13 21 0.273

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1988 ALCS OAK 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0.000
1988 WS OAK 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1987 ALCS MIN 2 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.400
1987 WS MIN 5 13 3 5 0 0 1 3 1 1 0.385
1986 ALCS BOS 7 26 6 9 3 0 1 2 4 5 0.346
1986 WS BOS 4 11 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 0.182
1982 ALCS CAL 5 17 2 5 1 1 1 10 2 0 0.294
1979 ALCS CAL 4 16 2 3 0 0 1 2 1 2 0.188
1974 ALCS BAL 4 15 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.267
1973 ALCS BAL 4 11 3 3 0 0 0 1 3 5 0.273

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 148 135 1141 83 20 80
OF 822 776 1575 27 38 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1970 BAL OF 6 3 15 0 0 0
1971 BAL OF 1 1 4 0 0 0
1972 BAL 1B 9 8 54 2 1 5
1972 BAL OF 84 72 152 2 4 0
1973 BAL 1B 6 5 24 5 2 2
1973 BAL OF 110 96 204 5 4 0
1974 BAL 1B 8 7 42 1 0 2
1974 BAL OF 129 120 218 1 5 0
1975 BAL 1B 2 2 18 0 0 1
1975 BAL OF 135 133 268 8 5 0
1976 OAK 1B 69 62 629 44 9 40
1976 OAK OF 76 72 152 1 3 0
1977 CAL 1B 18 16 141 13 2 14
1977 CAL OF 77 77 139 3 5 0
1978 CAL 1B 17 17 118 9 4 6
1978 CAL OF 39 39 76 0 2 0
1979 CAL 1B 1 0 5 0 0 1
1979 CAL OF 97 97 198 3 5 0
1980 CAL OF 54 54 119 4 4 0
1981 CAL 1B 4 4 32 3 0 2
1981 CAL OF 1 1 6 0 0 0
1983 NYA 1B 1 1 13 2 1 0
1983 NYA OF 5 4 10 0 0 0
1984 NYA OF 5 4 8 0 1 0
1986 BOS 1B 13 13 65 4 1 7
1986 BOS OF 3 3 6 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 148
Left Field 625
Center Field 34
Right Field 200
Designated Hitter 1287

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1986 Outstanding DH Award
1986 Silver Slugger DH
1986 TSN All-Star DH
1985 Outstanding DH Award
1985 Roberto Clemente Award
1985 Silver Slugger DH
1985 TSN All-Star DH
1983 Silver Slugger DH
1979 Most Valuable Player
1979 Player of the Month May
1979 Player of the Month July
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-07-06
1979 TSN All-Star DH
1979 TSN Player of the Year
1976 Player of the Week Week of 1976-05-21
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-08-08

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1988 OAK AL $495,000
1987 OAK AL $731,123
1986 BOS AL $660,696
1985 NYA AL $810,000
Total Career Earnings $2,696,819

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1986 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 32.0 392 0
1982 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 8.0 392 0
1979 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 347.0 392 20
1978 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 51.0 392 0
1975 Most Valuable Player AL 20th 6.0 336 0