Nick Punto, baseball player, 2001-2014

Nick Punto

Born: 11/8/1977 in San Diego, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 2001-09-09 | Final Game: 2014-09-27

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Nicholas Paul Punto

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Biography

Nick Punto, born in 1977, was a versatile infielder who played in Major League Baseball from 2001 to 2014. Over his career, he appeared in 1,163 games, showcasing his defensive prowess and adaptability across multiple positions, primarily at second base and shortstop. Punto's career hit total reached 798, complemented by 19 home runs and 263 RBIs. He was known for his gritty playing style and tenacity on the field, which endeared him to fans and teammates alike. Punto's ability to steal bases was a notable aspect of his game, totaling 104 stolen bases throughout his career, which reflected his speed and base-running acumen. With a career batting average of .245, he contributed significantly to his teams, helping to bolster their infield depth during his time in the league. As a member of multiple playoff teams, including the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, Punto played a role in the competitive landscape of baseball during the late 2000s and early 2010s, an era characterized by evolving strategies in both hitting and fielding. His legacy lies not only in his statistics but also in his reputation as a scrappy player who embodied the spirit of teamwork and perseverance.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1163 3253 421 798 141 27 19 263 104 386 651 0.245 0.323 0.323 0.646 -7782.8

Career AVG .245 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 6.0% below league average.

Career OBP .323 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .323 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — 22.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.646 vs. league average 0.742 across their career seasons — 12.9% below 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
2001 PHI NL 4 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.400 — — — — 0.0
2002 PHI NL 9 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.167 — — — — 0.0
2003 PHI NL 64 92 14 20 2 0 1 4 2 7 22 0.217 .264 (-18%) .332 (-18%) .422 (-36%) .754 (-28%) -459.6
2004 MIN AL 38 91 17 23 0 0 2 12 6 12 19 0.253 .266 (-5%) .335 (+1%) .427 (-26%) .762 (-14%) -176.9
2005 MIN AL 112 394 45 94 18 4 4 26 13 36 86 0.239 .264 (-10%) .330 (-9%) .418 (-20%) .749 (-15%) -1179.9
2006 MIN AL 135 459 73 133 21 7 1 45 17 47 68 0.290 .269 (+8%) .336 (+5%) .431 (-14%) .768 (-6%) -506.2
2007 MIN AL 150 472 53 99 18 4 1 25 16 55 90 0.210 .268 (-22%) .335 (-13%) .422 (-36%) .758 (-26%) -2538.3
2008 MIN AL 99 338 43 96 19 4 2 28 15 32 57 0.284 .263 (+8%) .333 (+3%) .416 (-8%) .749 (-3%) -187.4
2009 MIN AL 125 359 56 82 15 1 1 38 16 61 70 0.228 .262 (-13%) .332 (+1%) .417 (-32%) .750 (-17%) -1087.2
2010 MIN AL 88 252 24 60 11 1 1 20 6 28 50 0.238 .257 (-7%) .325 (-4%) .402 (-25%) .728 (-16%) -687.4
2011 STL NL 63 133 21 37 8 4 1 20 1 25 21 0.278 .255 (+9%) .320 (+21%) .399 (+6%) .719 (+12%) 348.9
2012 BOS AL 65 125 14 25 6 0 1 10 5 19 33 0.200 .254 (-21%) .318 (-6%) .405 (-33%) .724 (-21%) -431.2
2012 LAD NL 22 35 6 10 1 0 0 0 1 6 9 0.286 — — — — -431.2
2013 LAD NL 116 294 34 75 15 0 2 21 3 33 67 0.255 .253 (+1%) .317 (+3%) .396 (-18%) .714 (-8%) -378.6
2014 OAK AL 73 198 21 41 7 2 2 14 3 25 56 0.207 .251 (-18%) .313 (-6%) .386 (-24%) .700 (-16%) -498.9

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
28 64 0 14 2 0 0 4 10 24 0.219

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2014 ALWC OAK 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
2013 NLCS LAN 5 6 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 4 0.333
2013 NLDS2 LAN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2011 NLCS SLN 6 15 0 2 0 0 0 3 2 8 0.133
2011 NLDS1 SLN 3 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.167
2011 WS SLN 6 14 0 3 0 0 0 0 5 6 0.214
2009 ALDS1 MIN 3 9 0 4 1 0 0 1 3 1 0.444
2006 ALDS2 MIN 3 12 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.167

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 5 0 4 1 0 0
2B 408 299 667 946 29 236
3B 360 273 210 586 23 50
OF 12 3 10 1 0 0
SS 337 282 461 847 32 184

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2001 PHI SS 1 1 1 2 0 0
2002 PHI 2B 1 0 1 1 0 1
2002 PHI SS 1 0 1 0 1 0
2003 PHI 2B 16 7 36 28 1 6
2003 PHI 3B 9 3 5 6 1 0
2003 PHI SS 7 5 5 17 0 2
2004 MIN 2B 19 11 20 34 1 10
2004 MIN 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0
2004 MIN OF 2 1 2 1 0 0
2004 MIN SS 11 10 16 33 0 9
2005 MIN 2B 73 63 131 193 7 44
2005 MIN 3B 12 7 6 22 0 4
2005 MIN OF 3 1 1 0 0 0
2005 MIN SS 34 26 47 76 2 16
2006 MIN 2B 17 13 21 50 2 9
2006 MIN 3B 89 88 53 175 9 18
2006 MIN OF 3 1 6 0 0 0
2006 MIN SS 26 15 14 50 2 7
2007 MIN 2B 25 18 46 63 3 11
2007 MIN 3B 108 93 83 171 7 11
2007 MIN SS 27 24 44 70 3 17
2008 MIN 2B 26 23 54 79 2 18
2008 MIN 3B 12 6 3 16 0 1
2008 MIN OF 3 0 1 0 0 0
2008 MIN SS 61 60 103 187 8 46
2009 MIN 2B 63 58 119 150 0 36
2009 MIN 3B 5 3 3 6 0 1
2009 MIN SS 58 56 100 153 7 29
2010 MIN 2B 12 8 15 29 3 5
2010 MIN 3B 48 38 29 93 0 6
2010 MIN SS 31 31 48 80 5 16
2011 SLN 2B 45 23 58 91 2 26
2011 SLN 3B 7 3 2 10 1 0
2011 SLN SS 8 6 8 15 0 2
2012 BOS 1B 5 0 4 1 0 0
2012 BOS 2B 15 10 21 28 1 7
2012 BOS 3B 26 15 11 45 1 6
2012 BOS SS 6 5 8 19 0 1
2012 LAN 2B 11 6 15 23 0 7
2012 LAN 3B 5 0 0 1 0 0
2013 LAN 2B 33 21 41 47 1 15
2013 LAN 3B 35 17 15 40 4 3
2013 LAN SS 49 33 47 109 3 30
2014 OAK 2B 52 38 89 130 6 41
2014 OAK 3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
2014 OAK OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
2014 OAK SS 17 10 19 36 1 9

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 5
Second Base 408
Third Base 360
Shortstop 337
Left Field 1
Center Field 9
Right Field 2
Designated Hitter 17

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2014 OAK AL $2,750,000
2013 LAN NL $1,500,000
2012 BOS AL $1,500,000
2011 SLN NL $750,000
2010 MIN AL $4,000,000
2009 MIN AL $4,000,000
2008 MIN AL $2,400,000
2007 MIN AL $1,800,000
2006 MIN AL $690,000
2005 MIN AL $325,000
2004 MIN AL $307,500
2003 PHI NL $300,000
2002 PHI NL $200,000
Total Career Earnings $20,522,500

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Saddleback College Mission Viejo CA 1997, 1998