Lenn Sakata

Born: 6/8/1954 in Honolulu, HI, USA

MLB Debut: 1977-07-21 | Final Game: 1987-06-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Lenn Haruki Sakata

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Biography

Lenn Sakata, born in 1954, was a versatile position player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1977 until 1987. Over the course of his career, he played in 565 games, primarily serving as an infielder and outfielder. Known for his speed on the bases, Sakata recorded 30 stolen bases, contributing to his team's offensive strategies during a time when speed was an essential component of the game. He finished his career with 296 hits, 25 home runs, and 109 RBIs, achieving a batting average of .230. Sakata's playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, which included the introduction of more specialized roles and a growing emphasis on athleticism. While he may not have been a household name, his contributions in key moments and his ability to adapt to various positions on the field underscored his value as a reliable teammate. After retiring in 1987, Sakata left behind a legacy characterized by grit and versatility, reflecting the evolving nature of baseball in the late 20th century.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
565	1289	163	296	46	4	25	109	30	97	158	0.230	0.286	0.330	0.616	-3296.3

Career AVG .230 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.

Career OBP .286 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 12.1% below league average.

Career SLG .330 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 15.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.616 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — 14.1% 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
1977	ATL	AL	53	154	13	25	2	0	2	12	1	9	22	0.162	.264 (-39%)	.329 (-37%)	.401 (-47%)	.730 (-42%)	-1138.1
1978	ATL	AL	30	78	8	15	4	0	0	3	1	8	11	0.192	.257 (-25%)	.323 (-17%)	.378 (-36%)	.702 (-27%)	-336.9
1979	ATL	AL	4	14	1	7	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	0.500	—	—	—	—	0.0
1980	BAL	AL	43	83	12	16	3	2	1	9	2	6	10	0.193	.264 (-27%)	.326 (-25%)	.387 (-19%)	.714 (-22%)	-340.6
1981	BAL	AL	61	150	19	34	4	0	5	15	4	11	18	0.227	.255 (-11%)	.320 (-12%)	.368 (-4%)	.688 (-8%)	-209.9
1982	BAL	AL	136	343	40	89	18	1	6	31	7	30	39	0.259	.261 (-1%)	.324 (avg)	.388 (-5%)	.712 (-3%)	-173.3
1983	BAL	AL	66	134	23	34	7	0	3	12	8	16	17	0.254	.260 (-3%)	.324 (+4%)	.389 (-4%)	.714 (avg)	29.7
1984	BAL	AL	81	157	23	30	1	0	3	11	4	6	15	0.191	.259 (-26%)	.322 (-32%)	.384 (-34%)	.707 (-33%)	-925.3
1985	BAL	AL	55	97	15	22	3	0	3	6	3	6	15	0.227	.257 (-12%)	.323 (-14%)	.390 (-10%)	.714 (-12%)	-201.8
1986	OAK	AL	17	34	4	12	2	0	0	5	0	3	6	0.353	—	—	—	—	0.0
1987	NYY	AL	19	45	5	12	0	1	2	4	0	2	4	0.267	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1983	WS	BAL	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	431	259	601	908	28	216
3B	12	12	3	23	2	1
C	1	0	0	0	0	0
OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
SS	102	82	128	261	16	50

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1977	ML4	2B	53	50	102	159	4	43
1978	ML4	2B	29	24	50	66	3	12
1979	ML4	2B	4	4	10	13	0	5
1980	BAL	2B	34	20	55	72	2	18
1980	BAL	SS	4	0	0	1	0	0
1981	BAL	2B	20	9	30	42	1	10
1981	BAL	SS	42	32	52	106	6	23
1982	BAL	2B	83	44	106	145	6	34
1982	BAL	SS	56	50	76	154	10	27
1983	BAL	2B	60	36	84	117	2	36
1983	BAL	C	1	0	0	0	0	0
1984	BAL	2B	76	38	80	161	3	33
1984	BAL	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1985	BAL	2B	50	22	58	87	6	18
1986	OAK	2B	16	10	21	39	1	4
1987	NYA	2B	6	2	5	7	0	3
1987	NYA	3B	12	12	3	23	2	1