Steve Sax, baseball player, 1981-1994

Steve Sax

Born: 1/29/1960 in Sacramento, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1981-08-18 | Final Game: 1994-05-08

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Stephen Louis Sax

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Biography

Steve Sax, born in 1960, was a prominent American baseball player who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball from 1981 until his retirement in 1994. Known for his exceptional speed and versatility on the field, Sax played primarily as a second baseman and was a key figure in the game during the 1980s and early 1990s. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,769 games, amassing 1,949 hits and compiling a batting average of .281. His offensive prowess was highlighted by 54 home runs and 550 RBIs, but it was his base-running skills that truly set him apart, finishing his career with 444 stolen bases. Sax's career was marked by notable achievements, including being named the Rookie of the Year and earning five All-Star selections. He played a crucial role on several successful teams, contributing to the excitement of the era as baseball experienced a surge in popularity. His ability to blend both speed and skill made him a valuable asset, and he was celebrated for his tenacity and competitive spirit on the diamond. Steve Sax remains a significant figure in baseball history, remembered for his contributions during a transformative period for the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1769 6940 913 1949 278 47 54 550 444 556 584 0.281 0.335 0.358 0.692 -2661.6

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +8.4% above league average.

Career OBP .335 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .358 vs. league average .390 across their career seasons — 8.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.692 vs. league average 0.715 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
1981 LAD NL 31 119 15 33 2 0 2 9 5 7 14 0.277 .255 (+8%) .320 (-1%) .368 (-7%) .688 (-4%) -65.0
1982 LAD NL 150 638 88 180 23 7 4 47 49 49 53 0.282 .261 (+8%) .324 (+3%) .388 (-8%) .712 (-3%) -240.4
1983 LAD NL 155 623 94 175 18 5 5 41 56 58 73 0.281 .260 (+8%) .324 (+5%) .389 (-10%) .714 (-3%) -225.6
1984 LAD NL 145 569 70 138 24 4 1 35 34 47 53 0.243 .259 (-7%) .322 (-7%) .384 (-21%) .707 (-15%) -1603.9
1985 LAD NL 136 488 62 136 8 4 1 42 27 54 43 0.279 .257 (+8%) .323 (+9%) .390 (-19%) .714 (-6%) -355.6
1986 LAD NL 157 633 91 210 43 4 6 56 40 59 58 0.332 .257 (+29%) .325 (+20%) .395 (+12%) .720 (+15%) 2094.3
1987 LAD NL 157 610 84 171 22 7 6 46 37 44 61 0.280 .262 (+7%) .331 (avg) .415 (-11%) .746 (-6%) -746.3
1988 LAD NL 160 632 70 175 19 4 5 57 42 45 51 0.277 .254 (+9%) .317 (+2%) .377 (-9%) .695 (-4%) -419.0
1989 NYY AL 158 651 88 205 26 3 5 63 43 52 44 0.315 .254 (+24%) .319 (+14%) .375 (+3%) .694 (+8%) 1144.3
1990 NYY AL 155 615 70 160 24 2 4 42 43 49 46 0.260 .257 (+1%) .324 (-3%) .385 (-16%) .710 (-10%) -1149.2
1991 NYY AL 158 652 85 198 38 2 10 56 31 41 38 0.304 .255 (+19%) .323 (+7%) .384 (+8%) .708 (+7%) 867.5
1992 CHW AL 143 567 74 134 26 4 4 47 30 43 42 0.236 .255 (-8%) .322 (-10%) .377 (-16%) .699 (-13%) -1535.8
1993 CHW AL 57 119 20 28 5 0 1 8 7 8 6 0.235 .265 (-11%) .332 (-15%) .403 (-25%) .735 (-20%) -426.9
1994 OAK AL 7 24 2 6 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
26 87 11 24 3 0 0 4 6 9 0.276

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1988 NLCS LAN 7 30 7 8 0 0 0 3 3 3 0.267
1988 WS LAN 5 20 3 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.300
1985 NLCS LAN 6 20 1 6 3 0 0 1 1 5 0.300
1983 NLCS LAN 4 16 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.250
1981 NLCS LAN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1981 NWDIV LAN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1981 WS LAN 2 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 1679 1664 3574 4805 187 998
3B 7 5 3 12 3 0
OF 33 26 40 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1981 LAN 2B 29 28 64 93 4 22
1982 LAN 2B 149 145 347 452 19 83
1983 LAN 2B 152 151 331 399 30 74
1984 LAN 2B 141 140 318 450 21 99
1985 LAN 2B 135 132 330 357 22 84
1985 LAN 3B 1 0 0 1 0 0
1986 LAN 2B 154 154 367 432 16 71
1987 LAN 2B 152 151 342 420 14 92
1987 LAN 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1987 LAN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1988 LAN 2B 158 156 276 429 14 69
1989 NYA 2B 158 158 312 460 10 117
1990 NYA 2B 154 154 292 457 10 102
1991 NYA 2B 149 148 274 443 7 107
1991 NYA 3B 5 5 3 11 3 0
1992 CHA 2B 141 141 305 390 20 75
1993 CHA 2B 1 0 0 3 0 0
1993 CHA OF 32 26 39 0 0 0
1994 OAK 2B 6 6 16 20 0 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 1679
Third Base 7
Left Field 27
Right Field 6
Designated Hitter 26

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1986 Player of the Month September
1986 Silver Slugger 2B
1986 TSN All-Star 2B
1982 Rookie of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1995 CHA AL $3,475,000
1994 CHA AL $3,475,000
1994 OAK AL $109,000
1993 CHA AL $1,975,000
1992 CHA AL $3,575,000
1991 NYA AL $1,650,001
1990 NYA AL $950,000
1989 NYA AL $1,150,000
1988 LAN NL $838,182
1986 LAN NL $584,624
1985 LAN NL $465,000
Total Career Earnings $18,246,807

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1989 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 3.0 392 0
1988 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 1.0 336 0
1986 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 13.0 336 0
1982 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 63.0 120 9