Mike Greenwell

Born: 7/18/1963 in Louisville, KY, USA

Died: 10/9/2025 in Boston, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1985-09-05 | Final Game: 1996-09-28

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Michael Lewis Greenwell

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Mike Greenwell, born in 1963, was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, known for his consistent hitting and versatility as a position player. He played his entire career from 1985 to 1996, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Over the course of 1,269 games, Greenwell amassed 1,400 hits, showcasing a remarkable batting average of .303, which firmly established him as one of the most reliable hitters of his era. His offensive contributions included 130 home runs and 726 RBIs, complemented by 80 stolen bases, reflecting his ability to not only drive in runs but also to add dynamic speed on the bases. Greenwell's performance earned him two All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the top players during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He played during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the increasing emphasis on offensive production and the emergence of power hitters. Greenwell's all-around game and approach at the plate made him a fan favorite in Boston, where he became synonymous with the Red Sox's competitive spirit. His legacy is remembered as one of skillful hitting and dedication, leaving a lasting impact on both the franchise and its loyal supporters.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1269	4623	657	1400	275	38	130	726	80	460	364	0.303	0.368	0.463	0.831	13670.4

Career AVG .303 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +16.3% above league average.

Career OBP .368 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.

Career SLG .463 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — +16.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.831 vs. league average 0.726 across their career seasons — +14.5% 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
1985	BOS	AL	17	31	7	10	1	0	4	8	1	3	4	0.323	—	—	—	—	0.0
1986	BOS	AL	31	35	4	11	2	0	0	4	0	5	7	0.314	—	—	—	—	0.0
1987	BOS	AL	125	412	71	135	31	6	19	89	5	35	40	0.328	.262 (+25%)	.331 (+17%)	.415 (+37%)	.746 (+28%)	2259.7
1988	BOS	AL	158	590	86	192	39	8	22	119	16	87	38	0.325	.254 (+28%)	.317 (+31%)	.377 (+40%)	.695 (+36%)	4497.1
1989	BOS	AL	145	578	87	178	36	0	14	95	13	56	44	0.308	.254 (+21%)	.319 (+16%)	.375 (+18%)	.694 (+17%)	1984.5
1990	BOS	AL	159	610	71	181	30	6	14	73	8	65	43	0.297	.257 (+15%)	.324 (+13%)	.385 (+13%)	.710 (+13%)	1685.8
1991	BOS	AL	147	544	76	163	26	6	9	83	15	43	35	0.300	.255 (+17%)	.323 (+8%)	.384 (+9%)	.708 (+9%)	881.3
1992	BOS	AL	49	180	16	42	2	0	2	18	2	18	19	0.233	.255 (-9%)	.322 (-5%)	.377 (-26%)	.699 (-16%)	-448.7
1993	BOS	AL	146	540	77	170	38	6	13	72	5	54	46	0.315	.265 (+19%)	.332 (+14%)	.403 (+19%)	.735 (+17%)	1882.4
1994	BOS	AL	95	327	60	88	25	1	11	45	2	38	26	0.269	.269 (avg)	.338 (+3%)	.424 (+7%)	.763 (+5%)	297.1
1995	BOS	AL	120	481	67	143	25	4	15	76	9	38	35	0.297	.266 (+11%)	.337 (+3%)	.417 (+10%)	.755 (+7%)	612.0
1996	BOS	AL	77	295	35	87	20	1	7	44	4	18	27	0.295	.269 (+9%)	.340 (-1%)	.426 (+3%)	.767 (+1%)	19.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
17	48	3	7	1	0	1	3	6	5	0.146

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1995	ALDS1	BOS	3	15	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0.200
1990	ALCS	BOS	4	14	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	0.000
1988	ALCS	BOS	4	14	2	3	1	1	3	3	0	0.214
1986	ALCS	BOS	2	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.500
1986	WS	BOS	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
C	1	0	3	0	1	0
OF	1164	1126	2091	85	42	15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1985	BOS	OF	17	6	14	0	0	0
1986	BOS	OF	15	3	18	1	0	1
1987	BOS	C	1	0	3	0	1	0
1987	BOS	OF	91	88	162	8	5	0
1988	BOS	OF	147	147	302	6	6	2
1989	BOS	OF	139	139	220	11	8	1
1990	BOS	OF	159	157	287	13	7	1
1991	BOS	OF	143	141	263	9	3	3
1992	BOS	OF	41	41	85	1	0	0
1993	BOS	OF	134	130	261	6	2	1
1994	BOS	OF	84	82	141	10	1	3
1995	BOS	OF	118	118	201	11	6	1
1996	BOS	OF	76	74	137	9	4	2

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Catcher	1
Left Field	1124
Center Field	1
Right Field	47
Designated Hitter	59

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1996	Player of the Week	Week of 1996-09-07
1988	Player of the Month	June
1988	Player of the Week	Week of 1988-06-24
1988	Silver Slugger	OF
1988	TSN All-Star	OF

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1996	BOS	AL	$3,700,000
1995	BOS	AL	$3,600,000
1994	BOS	AL	$3,325,000
1993	BOS	AL	$3,425,000
1992	BOS	AL	$3,050,000
1991	BOS	AL	$2,650,000
1990	BOS	AL	$1,225,000
1989	BOS	AL	$500,000
1988	BOS	AL	$205,000
1986	BOS	AL	$60,000
Total Career Earnings			$21,740,000