Matt Lawton

Born: 11/30/1971 in Gulfport, MS, USA

MLB Debut: 1995-09-05 | Final Game: 2006-05-16

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Matthew Lawton

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Biography

Matt Lawton, born in 1971, was a prominent professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1995 to 2006. Primarily serving as a position player, Lawton played in a total of 1,334 games over his eleven-season career. He made a significant impact in Major League Baseball, recording 1,273 hits, 138 home runs, and 631 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .267. Known for his speed on the bases, Lawton also stole 165 bases, showcasing his ability to contribute offensively in multiple ways. A two-time All-Star, Lawton was recognized for his offensive prowess and solid defensive skills during a competitive era in baseball that included the rise of power hitters and the evolving dynamics of the game in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His ability to get on base and produce runs made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians, among others. Lawton’s career was marked by his versatility and durability, as he consistently performed at a high level across various positions, leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1334	4763	756	1273	267	17	138	631	165	681	613	0.267	0.368	0.417	0.785	5493.8

Career AVG .267 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .368 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +9.3% above league average.

Career SLG .417 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.785 vs. league average 0.761 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
1995	MIN	AL	21	60	11	19	4	1	1	12	1	7	11	0.317	.266 (+19%)	.337 (+23%)	.417 (+12%)	.755 (+17%)	204.4
1996	MIN	AL	79	252	34	65	7	1	6	42	4	28	28	0.258	.269 (-4%)	.340 (avg)	.426 (-14%)	.767 (-8%)	-336.0
1997	MIN	AL	142	460	74	114	29	3	14	60	7	76	81	0.248	.266 (-7%)	.336 (+9%)	.419 (-1%)	.756 (+3%)	551.6
1998	MIN	AL	152	557	91	155	36	6	21	77	16	86	64	0.278	.266 (+5%)	.335 (+15%)	.420 (+14%)	.755 (+14%)	1962.3
1999	MIN	AL	118	406	58	105	18	0	7	54	26	57	42	0.259	.271 (-5%)	.344 (+2%)	.433 (-18%)	.778 (-9%)	-639.8
2000	MIN	AL	156	561	84	171	44	2	13	88	23	91	63	0.305	.270 (+13%)	.344 (+17%)	.437 (+5%)	.782 (+11%)	1613.9
2001	MIN	AL	103	376	71	110	25	0	10	51	19	63	46	0.293	.263 (+11%)	.332 (+19%)	.426 (+3%)	.758 (+10%)	997.2
2001	NYN	NL	48	183	24	45	11	1	3	13	10	22	34	0.246	.263 (-7%)	.332 (+6%)	.426 (-14%)	.758 (-5%)	997.2
2002	CLE	AL	114	416	71	98	19	2	15	57	8	59	34	0.236	.261 (-10%)	.331 (+3%)	.416 (-4%)	.747 (-1%)	76.2
2003	CLE	AL	99	374	57	93	19	0	15	53	10	47	47	0.249	.264 (-6%)	.332 (+3%)	.422 (-1%)	.754 (+1%)	178.8
2004	CLE	AL	150	591	109	164	25	0	20	70	23	74	84	0.277	.266 (+4%)	.335 (+9%)	.427 (-2%)	.762 (+3%)	660.9
2005	PIT	NL	101	374	53	102	28	1	10	44	16	58	61	0.273	.264 (+3%)	.330 (+15%)	.418 (+3%)	.749 (+9%)	811.3
2005	CHC	NL	19	78	8	19	2	0	1	5	1	4	8	0.244	.264 (-8%)	.330 (-12%)	.418 (-27%)	.749 (-20%)	811.3
2005	NYY	AL	21	48	6	6	0	0	2	4	1	7	8	0.125	—	—	—	—	811.3
2006	SEA	AL	11	27	5	7	0	0	0	1	0	2	2	0.259	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1244	1191	2595	59	42	19

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1995	MIN	OF	19	14	34	1	1	0
1996	MIN	OF	75	65	196	4	3	1
1997	MIN	OF	138	126	278	9	7	3
1998	MIN	OF	151	147	398	12	4	5
1999	MIN	OF	109	103	213	3	4	0
2000	MIN	OF	143	141	278	4	5	1
2001	MIN	OF	94	90	193	2	4	2
2001	NYN	OF	48	46	96	1	0	0
2002	CLE	OF	108	107	229	6	6	2
2003	CLE	OF	74	73	133	4	1	0
2004	CLE	OF	142	142	266	9	4	3
2005	PIT	OF	98	98	206	4	1	2
2005	CHN	OF	19	19	33	0	1	0
2005	NYA	OF	19	14	31	0	1	0
2006	SEA	OF	7	6	11	0	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Left Field	385
Center Field	115
Right Field	794
Designated Hitter	53

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
2001	Player of the Week	Week of 2001-07-06

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
2006	SEA	AL	$400,000
2005	PIT	NL	$7,750,000
2004	CLE	AL	$7,250,000
2003	CLE	AL	$6,750,000
2002	CLE	AL	$5,250,000
2001	MIN	AL	$3,900,000
2000	MIN	AL	$2,000,000
1999	MIN	AL	$1,700,000
1998	MIN	AL	$215,000
1997	MIN	AL	$150,000
1996	MIN	AL	$115,000
1995	MIN	AL	$109,000
Total Career Earnings			$35,589,000