Mike Piazza, baseball player, 427 home runs, 1992-2007

Mike Piazza

⭐ Hall of Fame 2016

Born: 9/4/1968 in Norristown, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1992-09-01 | Final Game: 2007-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Michael Joseph Piazza

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Biography

Mike Piazza was an iconic figure in Major League Baseball, celebrated for his exceptional hitting prowess and offensive production during his career from 1992 to 2007. Born in 1968, Piazza emerged as one of the greatest catchers in the history of the sport, finishing his career with impressive statistics that included 2,127 hits, 427 home runs, and 1,335 RBIs, all while maintaining a remarkable batting average of .308. His offensive skill set was complemented by his ability to steal bases, totaling 17 throughout his career. Piazza's playing style was characterized by a powerful swing and keen batting eye, which allowed him to excel in an era that increasingly valued offensive output. Piazza's accolades reflect his significant impact on the game; he was a 12-time All-Star and earned the distinction of Rookie of the Year, as well as the TSN Rookie Player of the Year. His performance in the 1996 All-Star Game earned him the MVP award, solidifying his status as a premier player of his time. In recognition of his outstanding career, Piazza was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, a testament to his contributions to the game and his lasting legacy as one of the most formidable hitters of his generation. His journey from a late-round draft pick to a Hall of Fame catcher exemplifies the potential for greatness in the sport, inspiring future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1912 6911 1048 2127 344 8 427 1335 17 759 1113 0.308 0.377 0.545 0.922 30942.5

Career AVG .308 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — +15.6% above league average.

Career OBP .377 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +12.2% above league average.

Career SLG .545 vs. league average .421 across their career seasons — +29.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.922 vs. league average 0.756 across their career seasons — +21.9% 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
1992 LAD NL 21 69 5 16 3 0 1 7 0 4 12 0.232 .255 (-9%) .322 (-12%) .377 (-15%) .699 (-14%) -152.4
1993 LAD NL 149 547 81 174 24 2 35 112 3 46 86 0.318 .265 (+20%) .332 (+11%) .403 (+39%) .735 (+27%) 2885.7
1994 LAD NL 107 405 64 129 18 0 24 92 1 33 65 0.319 .269 (+18%) .338 (+9%) .424 (+27%) .763 (+19%) 1536.2
1995 LAD NL 112 434 82 150 17 0 32 93 1 39 80 0.346 .266 (+30%) .337 (+18%) .417 (+45%) .755 (+33%) 2864.0
1996 LAD NL 148 547 87 184 16 0 36 105 0 81 93 0.336 .269 (+25%) .340 (+24%) .426 (+32%) .767 (+28%) 3594.9
1997 LAD NL 152 556 104 201 32 1 40 124 5 69 77 0.362 .266 (+35%) .336 (+28%) .419 (+52%) .756 (+41%) 4995.6
1998 LAD NL 37 149 20 42 5 0 9 30 0 11 27 0.282 .266 (+6%) .335 (-2%) .420 (+18%) .755 (+9%) 218.7
1998 MIA NL 5 18 1 5 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0.278 — — — — 218.7
1998 NYN NL 109 394 67 137 33 0 23 76 1 47 53 0.348 .266 (+31%) .335 (+24%) .420 (+44%) .755 (+36%) 218.7
1999 NYN NL 141 534 100 162 25 0 40 124 2 51 70 0.303 .271 (+12%) .344 (+5%) .433 (+33%) .778 (+20%) 2166.6
2000 NYN NL 136 482 90 156 26 0 38 113 4 58 69 0.324 .270 (+20%) .344 (+15%) .437 (+40%) .782 (+29%) 3058.8
2001 NYN NL 141 503 81 151 29 0 36 94 0 67 87 0.300 .263 (+14%) .332 (+16%) .426 (+34%) .758 (+26%) 2830.8
2002 NYN NL 135 478 69 134 23 2 33 98 0 57 82 0.280 .261 (+7%) .331 (+8%) .416 (+31%) .747 (+21%) 2004.2
2003 NYN NL 68 234 37 67 13 0 11 34 0 35 40 0.286 .264 (+8%) .332 (+13%) .422 (+14%) .754 (+14%) 670.0
2004 NYN NL 129 455 47 121 21 0 20 54 0 68 78 0.266 .266 (avg) .335 (+8%) .427 (+4%) .762 (+6%) 678.5
2005 NYN NL 113 398 41 100 23 0 19 62 0 41 67 0.251 .264 (-5%) .330 (-1%) .418 (+8%) .749 (+4%) 311.9
2006 SDP NL 126 399 39 113 19 1 22 68 0 34 66 0.283 .269 (+5%) .336 (+2%) .431 (+16%) .768 (+10%) 754.8
2007 OAK AL 83 309 33 85 17 1 8 44 0 18 61 0.275 .268 (+3%) .335 (-7%) .422 (-2%) .758 (-4%) -296.3

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
32 120 14 29 8 0 6 15 11 22 0.242

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2006 NLDS2 SDN 4 10 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.100
2000 NLCS NYN 5 17 7 7 3 0 2 4 5 0 0.412
2000 NLDS2 NYN 4 14 1 3 1 0 0 0 4 3 0.214
2000 WS NYN 5 22 3 6 2 0 2 4 0 4 0.273
1999 NLCS NYN 6 24 1 4 0 0 1 4 1 6 0.167
1999 NLDS2 NYN 2 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.222
1996 NLDS1 LAN 3 10 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 2 0.300
1995 NLDS2 LAN 3 14 1 3 1 0 1 1 0 2 0.214

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 70 66 503 35 8 45
C 1630 1607 10844 733 124 88

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1992 LAN C 16 16 94 7 1 1
1993 LAN 1B 1 0 2 0 0 1
1993 LAN C 146 141 899 99 11 10
1994 LAN C 104 99 640 38 10 7
1995 LAN C 112 110 805 52 9 8
1996 LAN C 146 144 1055 70 9 6
1997 LAN C 139 139 1045 74 16 10
1998 LAN C 37 37 277 25 2 1
1998 FLO C 4 4 27 3 1 1
1998 NYN C 99 99 680 57 8 5
1999 NYN C 137 135 953 47 11 5
2000 NYN C 124 124 862 38 3 10
2001 NYN C 131 128 919 58 9 5
2002 NYN C 121 119 811 46 12 3
2003 NYN 1B 1 0 3 0 0 0
2003 NYN C 64 64 346 31 7 7
2004 NYN 1B 68 66 498 35 8 44
2004 NYN C 50 49 260 15 5 1
2005 NYN C 101 100 618 39 2 5
2006 SDN C 99 99 553 34 8 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1629
First Base 70
Designated Hitter 122

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2002 Player of the Week Week of 2002-09-14
2002 Silver Slugger C
2002 TSN All-Star C
2001 Silver Slugger C
2001 TSN All-Star C
2000 Player of the Week Week of 2000-04-15
2000 Silver Slugger C
2000 TSN All-Star C
1999 Player of the Week Week of 1999-07-10
1999 Silver Slugger C
1999 TSN All-Star C
1998 Player of the Week Week of 1998-04-11
1998 Player of the Week Week of 1998-04-25
1998 Silver Slugger C
1998 TSN All-Star C
1997 Player of the Month August
1997 Player of the Month June
1997 Player of the Week Week of 1997-08-30
1997 Silver Slugger C
1997 TSN All-Star C
1996 All-Star Game MVP
1996 Silver Slugger C
1996 TSN All-Star C
1995 Player of the Month August
1995 Player of the Week Week of 1995-05-06
1995 Player of the Week Week of 1995-08-26
1995 Silver Slugger C
1995 TSN All-Star C
1994 Player of the Month May
1994 Player of the Week Week of 1994-05-21
1994 Silver Slugger C
1994 TSN All-Star C
1993 Player of the Week Week of 1993-05-01
1993 Player of the Week Week of 1993-10-02
1993 Player of the Week Week of 1993-06-19
1993 Rookie of the Year
1993 Silver Slugger C
1993 TSN All-Star C
1993 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Featured In Rankings

#2
Top 20 Catchers in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 2 of 20
→

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2007 OAK AL $8,500,000
2006 SDN NL $1,250,000
2005 NYN NL $16,071,429
2004 NYN NL $16,071,429
2003 NYN NL $15,571,429
2002 NYN NL $10,571,429
2001 NYN NL $13,571,429
2000 NYN NL $12,071,429
1999 NYN NL $7,171,428
1998 LAN NL $8,000,000
1997 LAN NL $7,000,000
1996 LAN NL $2,700,000
1995 LAN NL $900,000
1994 LAN NL $600,000
1993 LAN NL $126,000
Total Career Earnings $120,176,002

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Miami-Dade College - North Campus Miami FL 1988
University of Miami Coral Gables FL 1987

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2001 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 14.0 448 0
2000 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 271.0 448 3
1999 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 109.0 448 0
1998 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 15.0 448 0
1997 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 263.0 392 3
1996 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 237.0 392 0
1995 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 214.0 392 3
1994 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 121.0 392 0
1993 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 49.0 392 0
1993 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 140.0 140 28