Ruben Sierra
Born: 10/6/1965 in Rio Piedras, P.R.
MLB Debut: 1986-06-01 | Final Game: 2006-07-09
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Ruben Angel Sierra
Biography
Ruben Sierra, born in 1965, was a prominent position player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1986 until his retirement in 2006. Over the course of his 20-year career, Sierra played in 2,186 games, accumulating 2,152 hits along with 306 home runs and 1,322 RBIs. His career batting average stood at .268, and he showcased his speed on the basepaths by stealing 142 bases. Sierra was selected as an All-Star four times, demonstrating his status as one of the key offensive players of his era.
Sierra played in a time when the game was evolving, transitioning from the power-centric play of the 1980s into the more offensive-minded approach of the 1990s and early 2000s. Known for his strong batting skills and ability to drive in runs, he became a reliable asset for several teams, including the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and New York Yankees. His combination of power and speed made him a versatile player, capable of impacting games in multiple ways. As a respected veteran in the league, Sierra left a lasting legacy through his contributions on the field and is remembered as one of the more formidable hitters of his generation.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2186 | 8044 | 1084 | 2152 | 428 | 59 | 306 | 1322 | 142 | 610 | 1239 | 0.268 | 0.315 | 0.450 | 0.765 | 4934.7 |
Career AVG .268 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .315 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .450 vs. league average .411 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.
Career OPS 0.765 vs. league average 0.743 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TEX | AL | 113 | 382 | 50 | 101 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 55 | 7 | 22 | 65 | 0.264 | .257 (+3%) | .325 (-7%) | .395 (+21%) | .720 (+8%) | 354.9 |
| 1987 | TEX | AL | 158 | 643 | 97 | 169 | 35 | 4 | 30 | 109 | 16 | 39 | 114 | 0.263 | .262 (avg) | .331 (-9%) | .415 (+13%) | .746 (+3%) | 100.9 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | 156 | 615 | 77 | 156 | 32 | 2 | 23 | 91 | 18 | 44 | 91 | 0.254 | .254 (avg) | .317 (-5%) | .377 (+12%) | .695 (+4%) | 303.7 |
| 1989 | TEX | AL | 162 | 634 | 101 | 194 | 35 | 14 | 29 | 119 | 8 | 43 | 82 | 0.306 | .254 (+20%) | .319 (+9%) | .375 (+45%) | .694 (+28%) | 3131.0 |
| 1990 | TEX | AL | 159 | 608 | 70 | 170 | 37 | 2 | 16 | 96 | 9 | 49 | 86 | 0.280 | .257 (+8%) | .324 (+2%) | .385 (+11%) | .710 (+7%) | 670.2 |
| 1991 | TEX | AL | 161 | 661 | 110 | 203 | 44 | 5 | 25 | 116 | 16 | 56 | 91 | 0.307 | .255 (+20%) | .323 (+10%) | .384 (+31%) | .708 (+21%) | 2644.9 |
| 1992 | TEX | AL | 124 | 500 | 66 | 139 | 30 | 6 | 14 | 70 | 12 | 31 | 59 | 0.278 | .255 (+9%) | .322 (-2%) | .377 (+18%) | .699 (+9%) | 584.6 |
| 1992 | OAK | AL | 27 | 101 | 17 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 0.277 | .255 (+8%) | .322 (+11%) | .377 (+13%) | .699 (+12%) | 584.6 |
| 1993 | OAK | AL | 158 | 630 | 77 | 147 | 23 | 5 | 22 | 101 | 25 | 52 | 97 | 0.233 | .265 (-12%) | .332 (-13%) | .403 (-3%) | .735 (-8%) | -1256.3 |
| 1994 | OAK | AL | 110 | 426 | 71 | 114 | 21 | 1 | 23 | 92 | 8 | 23 | 64 | 0.268 | .269 (-1%) | .338 (-12%) | .424 (+14%) | .763 (+2%) | -56.3 |
| 1995 | OAK | AL | 70 | 264 | 40 | 70 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 42 | 4 | 24 | 42 | 0.265 | .266 (-1%) | .337 (-4%) | .417 (+12%) | .755 (+4%) | 151.1 |
| 1995 | NYY | AL | 56 | 215 | 33 | 56 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 44 | 1 | 22 | 34 | 0.260 | .266 (-2%) | .337 (-5%) | .417 (+3%) | .755 (-1%) | 151.1 |
| 1996 | NYY | AL | 96 | 360 | 39 | 93 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 52 | 1 | 40 | 58 | 0.258 | .269 (-4%) | .340 (-4%) | .426 (-6%) | .767 (-5%) | -394.2 |
| 1996 | DET | AL | 46 | 158 | 22 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 20 | 25 | 0.222 | .269 (-18%) | .340 (-10%) | .426 (-27%) | .767 (-20%) | -394.2 |
| 1997 | CIN | NL | 25 | 90 | 6 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 0.244 | .266 (-8%) | .336 (-13%) | .419 (-7%) | .756 (-10%) | -172.6 |
| 1997 | TOR | AL | 14 | 48 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0.208 | — | — | — | — | -172.6 |
| 1998 | CHW | AL | 27 | 74 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 0.216 | .266 (-19%) | .335 (-26%) | .420 (+9%) | .755 (-7%) | -121.0 |
| 2000 | TEX | AL | 20 | 60 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0.233 | .270 (-14%) | .344 (-18%) | .437 (-35%) | .782 (-28%) | -285.7 |
| 2001 | TEX | AL | 94 | 344 | 55 | 100 | 22 | 1 | 23 | 67 | 2 | 19 | 52 | 0.291 | .263 (+10%) | .332 (-3%) | .426 (+32%) | .758 (+16%) | 904.4 |
| 2002 | SEA | AL | 122 | 419 | 47 | 113 | 23 | 0 | 13 | 60 | 4 | 31 | 66 | 0.270 | .261 (+3%) | .331 (-4%) | .416 (avg) | .747 (-2%) | -173.0 |
| 2003 | TEX | AL | 43 | 133 | 14 | 35 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 27 | 0.263 | .264 (avg) | .332 (avg) | .422 (-6%) | .754 (-3%) | -57.1 |
| 2003 | NYY | AL | 63 | 174 | 19 | 48 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 1 | 13 | 20 | 0.276 | .264 (+4%) | .332 (-3%) | .422 (+3%) | .754 (+1%) | -57.1 |
| 2004 | NYY | AL | 107 | 307 | 40 | 75 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 65 | 1 | 25 | 55 | 0.244 | .266 (-8%) | .335 (-12%) | .427 (+7%) | .762 (-1%) | -219.4 |
| 2005 | NYY | AL | 61 | 170 | 14 | 39 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 41 | 0.229 | .264 (-13%) | .330 (-20%) | .418 (-12%) | .749 (-15%) | -527.0 |
| 2006 | MIN | AL | 14 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0.179 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | ALDS2 | NYA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.333 |
| 2004 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0.333 |
| 2004 | ALDS2 | NYA | 3 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0.167 |
| 2003 | ALCS | NYA | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 |
| 2003 | ALDS1 | NYA | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 2003 | WS | NYA | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.250 |
| 1995 | ALDS2 | NYA | 5 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0.174 |
| 1992 | ALCS | OAK | 6 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0.333 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1622 | 1565 | 2951 | 108 | 94 | 23 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TEX | OF | 107 | 93 | 200 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 1987 | TEX | OF | 157 | 156 | 272 | 17 | 11 | 6 |
| 1988 | TEX | OF | 153 | 152 | 310 | 11 | 7 | 3 |
| 1989 | TEX | OF | 162 | 162 | 313 | 13 | 9 | 2 |
| 1990 | TEX | OF | 151 | 150 | 283 | 7 | 10 | 1 |
| 1991 | TEX | OF | 161 | 160 | 305 | 15 | 7 | 3 |
| 1992 | TEX | OF | 119 | 119 | 224 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 1992 | OAK | OF | 25 | 25 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | OAK | OF | 133 | 131 | 291 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| 1994 | OAK | OF | 98 | 97 | 155 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| 1995 | OAK | OF | 62 | 60 | 89 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1995 | NYA | OF | 10 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | NYA | OF | 33 | 33 | 56 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 | DET | OF | 23 | 22 | 52 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 1997 | CIN | OF | 24 | 22 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | TOR | OF | 7 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | CHA | OF | 14 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | TEX | OF | 36 | 33 | 59 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2002 | SEA | OF | 60 | 54 | 91 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | TEX | OF | 23 | 20 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | NYA | OF | 17 | 13 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NYA | OF | 29 | 22 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | NYA | OF | 18 | 13 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 202 |
| Center Field | 31 |
| Right Field | 1425 |
| Designated Hitter | 452 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Player of the Week | Week of 2004-05-01 |
| 2001 | MLB Players Choice Comeback Player | |
| 2001 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1991 | Player of the Month | May |
| 1991 | Player of the Week | Week of 1991-09-07 |
| 1989 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1989 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1989 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1989 | TSN Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | NYA | AL | $1,500,000 |
| 2004 | NYA | AL | $1,000,000 |
| 2003 | TEX | AL | $600,000 |
| 2002 | SEA | AL | $1,900,000 |
| 1998 | CHA | AL | $500,000 |
| 1997 | CIN | NL | $6,700,000 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | $6,200,000 |
| 1995 | OAK | AL | $6,200,000 |
| 1994 | OAK | AL | $4,700,000 |
| 1993 | OAK | AL | $4,200,000 |
| 1992 | TEX | AL | $5,000,000 |
| 1991 | TEX | AL | $2,650,000 |
| 1990 | TEX | AL | $1,625,000 |
| 1989 | TEX | AL | $350,000 |
| 1988 | TEX | AL | $230,000 |
| 1986 | TEX | AL | $60,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $43,415,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 1.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1991 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 63.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 2nd | 228.0 | 392 | 6 |
| 1987 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 20th | 5.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1986 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 6th | 1.0 | 140 | 0 |
