Andy Van Slyke

Born: 12/21/1960 in Utica, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1983-06-17 | Final Game: 1995-10-01

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Andrew James Van Slyke

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Biography

Andy Van Slyke was a prominent Major League Baseball player who enjoyed a successful career from 1983 to 1995. Known for his versatility and athleticism, Van Slyke played primarily as an outfielder and established himself as a key contributor on both offense and defense. Over the course of 1,658 games, he amassed 1,562 hits, 164 home runs, and 792 RBIs, finishing his career with a commendable batting average of .274. His speed on the bases was equally impressive, as he recorded 245 stolen bases, showcasing his ability to be a threat on the field. Van Slyke's career included three All-Star selections, reflecting his status as one of the top players of his time. He played during a transformative era in baseball, navigating the transition from the more traditional styles of play to the increasing emphasis on power hitting and athleticism that characterized the 1990s. Van Slyke was particularly noted for his defensive prowess, earning recognition for his skills in the outfield, which contributed significantly to his teams' successes. His impact on the game extended beyond his statistics, as he became a respected figure in the clubhouse and a fan favorite during his stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1658	5711	835	1562	293	91	164	792	245	667	1063	0.274	0.349	0.443	0.792	11752.0

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +5.3% above league average.

Career OBP .349 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.

Career SLG .443 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — +12.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.792 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — +10.0% 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
1983	STL	NL	101	309	51	81	15	5	8	38	21	46	64	0.262	.260 (avg)	.324 (+10%)	.389 (+8%)	.714 (+9%)	579.0
1984	STL	NL	137	361	45	88	16	4	7	50	28	63	71	0.244	.259 (-6%)	.322 (+10%)	.384 (-4%)	.707 (+2%)	348.9
1985	STL	NL	146	424	61	110	25	6	13	55	34	47	54	0.259	.257 (+1%)	.323 (+4%)	.390 (+12%)	.714 (+8%)	694.8
1986	STL	NL	137	418	48	113	23	7	13	61	21	47	85	0.270	.257 (+5%)	.325 (+5%)	.395 (+14%)	.720 (+10%)	814.4
1987	PIT	NL	157	564	93	165	36	11	21	82	34	56	122	0.293	.262 (+11%)	.331 (+8%)	.415 (+22%)	.746 (+16%)	1808.2
1988	PIT	NL	154	587	101	169	23	15	25	100	30	57	126	0.288	.254 (+13%)	.317 (+9%)	.377 (+34%)	.695 (+22%)	2324.8
1989	PIT	NL	130	476	64	113	18	9	9	53	16	47	100	0.237	.254 (-7%)	.319 (-4%)	.375 (-1%)	.694 (-3%)	-282.6
1990	PIT	NL	136	493	67	140	26	6	17	77	14	66	89	0.284	.257 (+10%)	.324 (+13%)	.385 (+21%)	.710 (+17%)	1718.1
1991	PIT	NL	138	491	87	130	24	7	17	83	10	71	85	0.265	.255 (+4%)	.323 (+10%)	.384 (+16%)	.708 (+13%)	1295.4
1992	PIT	NL	154	614	103	199	45	12	14	89	12	58	99	0.324	.255 (+27%)	.322 (+18%)	.377 (+34%)	.699 (+27%)	3107.9
1993	PIT	NL	83	323	42	100	13	4	8	50	11	24	40	0.310	.265 (+17%)	.332 (+7%)	.403 (+11%)	.735 (+10%)	540.4
1994	PIT	NL	105	374	41	92	18	3	6	30	7	52	72	0.246	.269 (-9%)	.338 (avg)	.424 (-16%)	.763 (-9%)	-536.9
1995	BAL	AL	17	63	6	10	1	0	3	8	0	5	15	0.159	.266 (-41%)	.337 (-35%)	.417 (-24%)	.755 (-29%)	-321.0
1995	PHI	NL	63	214	26	52	10	2	3	16	7	28	41	0.243	.266 (-9%)	.337 (-1%)	.417 (-16%)	.755 (-9%)	-321.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
31	100	8	19	6	2	1	10	9	23	0.190

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1992	NLCS	PIT	7	29	1	8	3	1	0	4	1	5	0.276
1991	NLCS	PIT	7	25	3	4	2	0	1	2	5	5	0.160
1990	NLCS	PIT	6	24	3	5	1	1	0	3	1	7	0.208
1985	NLCS	SLN	5	11	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	1	0.091
1985	WS	SLN	6	11	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5	0.091

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	82	53	539	37	4	72
3B	62	50	48	118	8	12
OF	1499	1348	3336	107	43	27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1983	SLN	1B	9	7	71	5	2	13
1983	SLN	3B	30	25	24	50	1	2
1983	SLN	OF	69	49	108	4	3	1
1984	SLN	1B	30	25	245	9	1	30
1984	SLN	3B	32	25	24	68	7	10
1984	SLN	OF	81	45	88	5	0	0
1985	SLN	1B	2	0	3	0	0	2
1985	SLN	OF	142	111	234	13	1	4
1986	SLN	1B	38	20	204	23	1	23
1986	SLN	OF	110	88	211	11	7	2
1987	PIT	1B	1	1	10	0	0	3
1987	PIT	OF	150	136	328	10	4	6
1988	PIT	OF	152	148	406	12	4	2
1989	PIT	1B	2	0	6	0	0	1
1989	PIT	OF	123	118	338	9	4	5
1990	PIT	OF	133	128	326	6	8	0
1991	PIT	OF	135	129	273	8	1	1
1992	PIT	OF	154	153	421	11	5	3
1993	PIT	OF	78	76	205	2	1	1
1994	PIT	OF	99	97	239	9	2	0
1995	BAL	OF	17	17	42	2	1	1
1995	PHI	OF	56	53	117	5	2	1

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
First Base	82
Third Base	62
Left Field	90
Center Field	1119
Right Field	314

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1992	Gold Glove	OF
1992	Player of the Week	Week of 1992-05-09
1992	Silver Slugger	OF
1992	TSN All-Star	OF
1991	Gold Glove	OF
1990	Gold Glove	OF
1989	Gold Glove	OF
1988	Gold Glove	OF
1988	Silver Slugger	OF
1988	TSN All-Star	OF
1988	TSN Player of the Year

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1995	BAL	AL	$600,000
1994	PIT	NL	$3,550,000
1993	PIT	NL	$4,900,000
1992	PIT	NL	$4,350,000
1991	PIT	NL	$2,180,000
1990	PIT	NL	$1,200,000
1989	PIT	NL	$2,150,000
1988	PIT	NL	$825,000
1987	PIT	NL	$550,000
1986	SLN	NL	$335,000
1985	SLN	NL	$170,000
Total Career Earnings			$20,810,000