Keith Hernandez, baseball player, 162 home runs, 1974-1990

Keith Hernandez

Born: 10/20/1953 in San Francisco, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1974-08-30 | Final Game: 1990-07-24

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

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Biography

Keith Hernandez, born in 1953, was a prominent first baseman who played from 1974 until his retirement in 1990. He established himself as one of the premier hitters of his era, amassing a remarkable 2,182 hits over the course of 2,088 games, and finishing his career with a commendable batting average of .296. Known for his exceptional plate discipline and ability to drive in runs, Hernandez recorded 1,071 RBIs and hit 162 home runs. Additionally, he showcased versatility on the basepaths with 98 stolen bases, making him a multifaceted threat at the plate. Hernandez was a five-time All-Star, a testament to his consistent performance and popularity during his playing days. His career coincided with the transitional period of Major League Baseball, where the game began to shift towards a more offensive-minded approach. He was not only celebrated for his hitting prowess but also for his outstanding defensive skills, earning numerous accolades for his fielding abilities. Hernandez's legacy continues to resonate, as he played a crucial role in the New York Mets' 1986 World Series championship team, solidifying his place in baseball history as a player who significantly impacted the game both offensively and defensively.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2088 7370 1124 2182 426 60 162 1071 98 1070 1012 0.296 0.384 0.436 0.821 25171.4

Career AVG .296 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +14.2% above league average.

Career OBP .384 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — +18.5% above league average.

Career SLG .436 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +13.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.821 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — +15.6% 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
1974 STL NL 14 34 3 10 1 2 0 2 0 7 8 0.294 — — — — 0.0
1975 STL NL 64 188 20 47 8 2 3 20 0 17 26 0.250 .257 (-3%) .327 (-6%) .374 (-3%) .701 (-4%) -174.2
1976 STL NL 129 374 54 108 21 5 7 46 4 49 53 0.289 .255 (+13%) .320 (+17%) .360 (+19%) .681 (+18%) 1380.2
1977 STL NL 161 560 90 163 41 4 15 91 7 79 88 0.291 .264 (+10%) .329 (+15%) .401 (+14%) .730 (+15%) 1889.5
1978 STL NL 159 542 90 138 32 4 11 64 13 82 68 0.255 .257 (-1%) .323 (+9%) .378 (+3%) .702 (+5%) 766.4
1979 STL NL 161 610 116 210 48 11 11 105 11 80 78 0.344 .265 (+30%) .329 (+26%) .397 (+29%) .727 (+28%) 3666.3
1980 STL NL 159 595 111 191 39 8 16 99 14 86 73 0.321 .264 (+21%) .326 (+25%) .387 (+27%) .714 (+26%) 3451.4
1981 STL NL 103 376 65 115 27 4 8 48 12 61 45 0.306 .255 (+20%) .320 (+25%) .368 (+26%) .688 (+25%) 1910.7
1982 STL NL 160 579 79 173 33 6 7 94 19 100 67 0.299 .261 (+14%) .324 (+22%) .388 (+6%) .712 (+14%) 1979.3
1983 STL NL 55 218 34 62 15 4 3 26 1 24 30 0.284 .260 (+9%) .324 (+8%) .389 (+11%) .714 (+10%) 355.7
1983 NYN NL 95 320 43 98 8 3 9 37 8 64 42 0.306 .260 (+17%) .324 (+30%) .389 (+12%) .714 (+20%) 355.7
1984 NYN NL 154 550 83 171 31 0 15 94 2 97 89 0.311 .259 (+20%) .322 (+27%) .384 (+17%) .707 (+21%) 2786.8
1985 NYN NL 158 593 87 183 34 4 10 91 3 77 59 0.309 .257 (+20%) .323 (+19%) .390 (+10%) .714 (+14%) 1876.4
1986 NYN NL 149 551 94 171 34 1 13 83 2 94 69 0.310 .257 (+20%) .325 (+27%) .395 (+13%) .720 (+19%) 2594.0
1987 NYN NL 154 587 87 170 28 2 18 89 0 81 104 0.290 .262 (+10%) .331 (+14%) .415 (+5%) .746 (+9%) 1355.8
1988 NYN NL 95 348 43 96 16 0 11 55 2 31 57 0.276 .254 (+9%) .317 (+5%) .377 (+10%) .695 (+8%) 482.5
1989 NYN NL 75 215 18 50 8 0 4 19 0 27 39 0.233 .254 (-8%) .319 (+1%) .375 (-13%) .694 (-7%) -160.8
1990 CLE AL 43 130 7 26 2 0 1 8 0 14 17 0.200 .257 (-22%) .324 (-13%) .385 (-38%) .710 (-27%) -541.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
30 117 13 31 3 1 2 21 20 19 0.265

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1988 NLCS NYN 7 26 2 7 0 0 1 5 6 7 0.269
1986 NLCS NYN 6 26 3 7 1 1 0 3 3 6 0.269
1986 WS NYN 7 26 1 6 0 0 0 4 5 1 0.231
1982 NLCS SLN 3 12 3 4 0 0 0 1 2 3 0.333
1982 WS SLN 7 27 4 7 2 0 1 8 4 2 0.259

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2014 1942 17909 1682 115 1654
OF 7 6 7 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1974 SLN 1B 9 8 70 1 2 8
1975 SLN 1B 56 48 469 36 2 34
1976 SLN 1B 110 97 862 107 10 87
1977 SLN 1B 158 150 1453 106 12 146
1978 SLN 1B 158 148 1436 96 10 124
1979 SLN 1B 160 156 1489 146 8 145
1980 SLN 1B 157 157 1572 115 9 146
1981 SLN 1B 98 97 1054 86 3 99
1981 SLN OF 3 2 2 0 0 0
1982 SLN 1B 158 153 1586 135 11 140
1982 SLN OF 4 4 5 0 0 0
1983 SLN 1B 54 53 581 51 6 62
1983 NYN 1B 90 89 837 96 7 85
1984 NYN 1B 153 152 1214 142 8 127
1985 NYN 1B 157 152 1310 139 4 113
1986 NYN 1B 149 146 1199 149 5 115
1987 NYN 1B 154 151 1298 149 10 110
1988 NYN 1B 93 91 734 77 2 63
1989 NYN 1B 58 55 405 31 4 22
1990 CLE 1B 42 39 340 20 2 28

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2012
Left Field 5
Right Field 2

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1988 Gold Glove 1B
1988 Player of the Week Week of 1988-04-29
1987 Gold Glove 1B
1986 Gold Glove 1B
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-08-08
1986 TSN All-Star 1B
1985 Gold Glove 1B
1985 Player of the Month July
1985 Player of the Week Week of 1985-07-12
1985 TSN All-Star 1B
1984 Gold Glove 1B
1984 Silver Slugger 1B
1984 TSN All-Star 1B
1983 Gold Glove 1B
1982 Gold Glove 1B
1982 Player of the Week Week of 1982-04-16
1981 Gold Glove 1B
1980 Gold Glove 1B
1980 Silver Slugger 1B
1980 TSN All-Star 1B
1979 Gold Glove 1B
1979 Most Valuable Player
1979 Player of the Month August
1979 TSN All-Star 1B
1979 TSN Player of the Year
1978 Gold Glove 1B

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1991 CLE AL $1,750,000
1990 CLE AL $1,750,000
1989 NYN NL $2,000,000
1988 NYN NL $1,850,000
1987 NYN NL $1,800,000
1986 NYN NL $1,650,000
1985 NYN NL $1,100,000
Total Career Earnings $11,900,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1986 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 179.0 336 2
1985 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 61.0 336 0
1984 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 195.0 336 1
1983 Most Valuable Player NL 21th 1.0 336 0
1982 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 12.0 336 0
1981 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 9.0 336 0
1980 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 29.0 336 0
1979 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 216.0 336 10