Kirby Puckett, baseball player, 207 home runs, 1984-1995

Kirby Puckett

⭐ Hall of Fame 2001

Born: 3/14/1960 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 3/6/2006 in Phoenix, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1984-05-08 | Final Game: 1995-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 178 lbs

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Kirby Puckett was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, known for his exceptional hitting ability and charismatic presence on the field. Born in 1960, he made his debut with the Minnesota Twins on May 8, 1984, and played his entire career with the team until his retirement on September 28, 1995. Over the course of 1,783 games, Puckett amassed 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, and 1,085 RBIs, culminating in an impressive career batting average of .318. His speed on the bases was notable as well, recording 134 stolen bases during his tenure. Puckett's style of play was characterized by his aggressive hitting and strong defensive skills, making him a key player for the Twins throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Puckett's contributions to the game were recognized with numerous accolades, including ten All-Star selections and a Hall of Fame induction in 2001. He was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series and also received the All-Star Game MVP award, showcasing his ability to perform in high-pressure situations. His legacy is firmly established in baseball history, particularly within the context of the post-deadball era, where his offensive prowess helped elevate the Twins to two World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. Puckett remains a beloved figure in Minnesota and is remembered not only for his accomplishments on the field but also for his infectious enthusiasm and leadership off the field.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1783 7244 1071 2304 414 57 207 1085 134 450 965 0.318 0.360 0.477 0.837 22551.2

Career AVG .318 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +22.5% above league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.

Career SLG .477 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — +21.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.837 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — +16.2% 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
1984 MIN AL 128 557 63 165 12 5 0 31 14 16 69 0.296 .259 (+14%) .322 (-1%) .384 (-13%) .707 (-7%) -796.2
1985 MIN AL 161 691 80 199 29 13 4 74 21 41 87 0.288 .257 (+12%) .323 (+2%) .390 (-2%) .714 (avg) -65.8
1986 MIN AL 161 680 119 223 37 6 31 96 20 34 99 0.328 .257 (+27%) .325 (+12%) .395 (+36%) .720 (+25%) 3339.6
1987 MIN AL 157 624 96 207 32 5 28 99 12 32 91 0.332 .262 (+26%) .331 (+11%) .415 (+28%) .746 (+21%) 2541.2
1988 MIN AL 158 657 109 234 42 5 24 121 6 23 83 0.356 .254 (+40%) .317 (+18%) .377 (+44%) .695 (+32%) 3838.6
1989 MIN AL 159 635 75 215 45 4 9 85 11 41 59 0.339 .254 (+33%) .319 (+18%) .375 (+24%) .694 (+21%) 2609.4
1990 MIN AL 146 551 82 164 40 3 12 80 5 57 73 0.298 .257 (+15%) .324 (+12%) .385 (+16%) .710 (+14%) 1601.2
1991 MIN AL 152 611 92 195 29 6 15 89 11 31 78 0.319 .255 (+25%) .323 (+9%) .384 (+20%) .708 (+15%) 1622.4
1992 MIN AL 160 639 104 210 38 4 19 110 17 44 97 0.329 .255 (+29%) .322 (+16%) .377 (+30%) .699 (+23%) 2902.9
1993 MIN AL 156 622 89 184 39 3 22 89 8 47 93 0.296 .265 (+12%) .332 (+5%) .403 (+18%) .735 (+12%) 1459.9
1994 MIN AL 108 439 79 139 32 3 20 112 6 28 47 0.317 .269 (+17%) .338 (+7%) .424 (+27%) .763 (+18%) 1457.5
1995 MIN AL 137 538 83 169 39 0 23 99 3 56 89 0.314 .266 (+18%) .337 (+12%) .417 (+23%) .755 (+18%) 2040.5

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
24 97 16 30 3 2 5 16 8 17 0.309

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1991 ALCS MIN 5 21 4 9 1 0 2 6 1 4 0.429
1991 WS MIN 7 24 4 6 0 1 2 4 5 7 0.250
1987 ALCS MIN 5 24 3 5 1 0 1 3 0 5 0.208
1987 WS MIN 7 28 5 10 1 1 0 3 2 1 0.357

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 4 0 0 1 0 0
3B 4 0 0 0 0 0
OF 1696 1684 4392 142 51 37
SS 3 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1984 MIN OF 128 128 438 16 3 4
1985 MIN OF 161 160 465 19 8 5
1986 MIN OF 160 157 429 8 6 3
1987 MIN OF 147 147 341 8 5 2
1988 MIN OF 158 157 450 12 3 4
1989 MIN OF 157 154 438 13 4 3
1990 MIN 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 MIN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1990 MIN OF 141 140 354 9 4 3
1990 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1991 MIN OF 152 152 373 13 6 5
1992 MIN 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1992 MIN 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
1992 MIN OF 149 147 394 9 3 3
1992 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1993 MIN OF 139 139 312 13 2 2
1994 MIN OF 95 95 204 13 3 2
1995 MIN 2B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1995 MIN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1995 MIN OF 109 108 194 9 4 1
1995 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 4
Third Base 4
Shortstop 2
Left Field 10
Center Field 1432
Right Field 276
Designated Hitter 81

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1996 Roberto Clemente Award
1994 Silver Slugger OF
1994 TSN All-Star OF
1993 All-Star Game MVP
1993 Branch Rickey Award
1992 Gold Glove OF
1992 Player of the Month June
1992 Player of the Month May
1992 Player of the Week Week of 1992-06-06
1992 Silver Slugger OF
1992 TSN All-Star OF
1991 ALCS MVP
1991 Gold Glove OF
1989 Gold Glove OF
1989 Silver Slugger OF
1989 TSN All-Star OF
1988 Gold Glove OF
1988 Silver Slugger OF
1988 TSN All-Star OF
1987 Gold Glove OF
1987 Player of the Week Week of 1987-08-29
1987 Silver Slugger OF
1987 TSN All-Star OF
1986 Gold Glove OF
1986 Player of the Month April
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-04-25
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-08-01
1986 Silver Slugger OF
1986 TSN All-Star OF

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1997 MIN AL $7,200,000
1996 MIN AL $6,200,000
1995 MIN AL $6,300,000
1994 MIN AL $5,300,000
1993 MIN AL $5,300,000
1992 MIN AL $2,966,667
1991 MIN AL $3,166,667
1990 MIN AL $2,816,667
1989 MIN AL $2,000,000
1988 MIN AL $1,090,000
1987 MIN AL $465,000
1986 MIN AL $255,000
1985 MIN AL $130,000
Total Career Earnings $43,190,001

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Bradley University Peoria IL 1981
Triton College River Grove IL 1982

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1995 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 2.0 392 0
1994 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 100.0 392 0
1992 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 209.0 392 3
1991 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 78.0 392 0
1989 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 84.0 392 0
1988 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 219.0 392 0
1987 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 201.0 392 0
1986 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 105.0 392 0
1985 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 3.0 392 0
1984 Rookie of the Year AL 3rd 23.0 140 0