Jay Bruce
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2008-2021)
Jay Bruce was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2021 for 6 teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,650 career games, he hit .244 with 1,455 hits, 319 home runs, and 951 RBI. Jay Bruce was a 3-time All-Star and a 2-time Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 7,810.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 230 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2008-05-27
- Last Game
- 2021-04-14
- Awards
- 3× All-Star · 2× Silver Slugger
Full name: Jay Allen Bruce
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,650 | 5,964 | 839 | 1,455 | 312 | 32 | 319 | 951 | 65 | 600 | 1,572 | .244 | .314 | .467 | .781 | 7,810 |
Career AVG .244 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .314 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .467 vs. league average .410 across their career seasons — +14.0% above league average.
Career OPS .781 vs. league average .732 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | CIN | NL | 108 | 413 | 63 | 105 | 17 | 1 | 21 | 52 | 4 | 33 | 110 | .254 | .263 (-4%) | .333 (-6%) | .416 (+9%) | .749 (+2%) | 131.5 |
| 2009 | CIN | NL | 101 | 345 | 47 | 77 | 15 | 2 | 22 | 58 | 3 | 38 | 75 | .223 | .262 (-15%) | .332 (-9%) | .417 (+12%) | .750 (+3%) | 125.0 |
| 2010 | CIN | NL | 148 | 509 | 80 | 143 | 23 | 5 | 25 | 70 | 5 | 58 | 136 | .281 | .257 (+9%) | .325 (+8%) | .402 (+22%) | .728 (+16%) | 1634.8 |
| 2011 | CIN | NL | 157 | 585 | 84 | 150 | 27 | 2 | 32 | 97 | 8 | 71 | 158 | .256 | .255 (+1%) | .320 (+6%) | .399 (+19%) | .719 (+13%) | 1638.6 |
| 2012 | CIN | NL | 155 | 560 | 89 | 141 | 35 | 5 | 34 | 99 | 9 | 62 | 155 | .252 | .254 (-1%) | .318 (+3%) | .405 (+27%) | .724 (+16%) | 1697.3 |
| 2013 | CIN | NL | 160 | 626 | 89 | 164 | 43 | 1 | 30 | 109 | 7 | 63 | 185 | .262 | .253 (+3%) | .317 (+4%) | .396 (+20%) | .714 (+13%) | 1549.8 |
| 2014 | CIN | NL | 137 | 493 | 71 | 107 | 21 | 1 | 18 | 66 | 12 | 44 | 149 | .217 | .251 (-14%) | .313 (-10%) | .386 (-3%) | .700 (-7%) | -552.9 |
| 2015 | CIN | NL | 157 | 580 | 72 | 131 | 35 | 4 | 26 | 87 | 9 | 58 | 145 | .226 | .254 (-11%) | .316 (-7%) | .404 (+7%) | .721 (+1%) | -51.5 |
| 2016 | CIN | NL | 97 | 370 | 60 | 98 | 22 | 6 | 25 | 80 | 4 | 27 | 83 | .265 | .255 (+4%) | .321 (-2%) | .417 (+34%) | .738 (+18%) | 1111.7 |
| 2016 | NYN | NL | 50 | 169 | 14 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 43 | .219 | .255 (-14%) | .321 (-9%) | .417 (-6%) | .738 (-7%) | 1111.7 |
| 2017 | NYN | NL | 103 | 406 | 61 | 104 | 20 | 0 | 29 | 75 | 0 | 39 | 102 | .256 | .254 (avg) | .324 (-1%) | .425 (+22%) | .750 (+12%) | 878.9 |
| 2017 | CLE | AL | 43 | 149 | 21 | 37 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 1 | 18 | 37 | .248 | .254 (-3%) | .324 (+2%) | .425 (+12%) | .750 (+8%) | 878.9 |
| 2018 | NYN | NL | 94 | 319 | 31 | 71 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 37 | 2 | 41 | 75 | .223 | .247 (-10%) | .318 (-2%) | .409 (-10%) | .727 (-7%) | -299.1 |
| 2019 | SEA | AL | 47 | 165 | 27 | 35 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 28 | 1 | 16 | 53 | .212 | .252 (-16%) | .322 (-12%) | .434 (+23%) | .757 (+8%) | 149.3 |
| 2019 | PHI | NL | 51 | 145 | 16 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 29 | .221 | .252 (-13%) | .322 (-27%) | .434 (+17%) | .757 (-2%) | 149.3 |
| 2020 | PHI | NL | 32 | 96 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 | .198 | .244 (-19%) | .321 (-22%) | .417 (+12%) | .739 (-2%) | -87.2 |
| 2021 | NYA | AL | 10 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 13 | .118 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,650 | 5,964 | 839 | 1,455 | 312 | 32 | 319 | 951 | 65 | 600 | 1,572 | .244 | — | — | — | — | 10,066 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1650 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 833 | 2941 | 442 | 705 | 169 | 473 | .240 |
| Away | 817 | 3023 | 397 | 750 | 150 | 478 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-04-14 | NYY | TOR | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-04-13 | NYY | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021-04-10 | NYY | TBR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-04-09 | NYY | TBR | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-04-07 | NYY | BAL | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-04-06 | NYY | BAL | W | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-04-05 | NYY | BAL | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021-04-04 | NYY | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-04-03 | NYY | TOR | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-04-01 | NYY | TOR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 64 | 60 | 410 | 27 | 7 | 37 |
| OF | 1510 | 1464 | 2994 | 104 | 51 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | CIN | OF | 105 | 103 | 223 | 8 | 11 | 4 |
| 2009 | CIN | OF | 98 | 89 | 200 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | CIN | OF | 146 | 133 | 343 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 2011 | CIN | OF | 155 | 151 | 306 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 2012 | CIN | OF | 154 | 149 | 297 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 2013 | CIN | OF | 160 | 160 | 330 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| 2014 | CIN | 1B | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | CIN | OF | 131 | 128 | 231 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| 2015 | CIN | OF | 150 | 150 | 300 | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | CIN | OF | 95 | 95 | 186 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| 2016 | NYN | OF | 43 | 43 | 79 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | NYN | 1B | 11 | 10 | 76 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| 2017 | NYN | OF | 92 | 91 | 195 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | CLE | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | CLE | OF | 41 | 40 | 56 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | NYN | 1B | 21 | 20 | 150 | 10 | 1 | 14 |
| 2018 | NYN | OF | 64 | 62 | 117 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | SEA | 1B | 16 | 15 | 101 | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| 2019 | SEA | OF | 28 | 26 | 50 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | PHI | OF | 31 | 30 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | PHI | 1B | 2 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | PHI | OF | 17 | 14 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | NYA | 1B | 10 | 10 | 55 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 64 |
| Left Field | 59 |
| Center Field | 36 |
| Right Field | 1437 |
| Designated Hitter | 26 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Player of the Week | Week of 2019-06-08 |
| 2013 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 2012 | Player of the Week | Week of 2012-04-29 |
| 2012 | Player of the Week | Week of 2012-09-09 |
| 2012 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 2011 | Player of the Month | May |
| 2011 | Player of the Week | Week of 2011-05-30 |
| 2011 | Player of the Week | Week of 2011-08-14 |
| 2010 | Player of the Week | Week of 2010-10-03 |
Salary History
Jay Bruce's recorded salaries total $50,774,165 over 8 seasons, 2009 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Bruce's career ran from 2008 to 2021. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2008.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | CIN | NL | $12,541,666 |
| 2015 | CIN | NL | $12,000,000 |
| 2014 | CIN | NL | $10,000,000 |
| 2013 | CIN | NL | $7,541,667 |
| 2012 | CIN | NL | $5,041,666 |
| 2011 | CIN | NL | $2,791,666 |
| 2010 | CIN | NL | $440,000 |
| 2009 | CIN | NL | $417,500 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $50,774,165 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 30.0 | 420 | 0 |
| 2012 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 46.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 2008 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 5th | 7.0 | 160 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jay Bruce (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jay Bruce: the record in brief
Jay Bruce's major league career runs from a debut on May 27, 2008 to a final game on April 14, 2021. Club by club, the record runs the Cincinnati Reds (2008 to 2016), the New York Mets (2016 through 2018), the Cleveland Indians (2017), the Seattle Mariners (2019), the Philadelphia Phillies (2019 through 2020), and the New York Yankees (2021). Born on April 3, 1987, in Beaumont, TX, USA, Bruce is listed as an outfielder and both batted and threw left-handed. The bio gives 230 pounds on a 6-foot-3 frame. Bruce's full given name, per the bio, is Jay Allen Bruce.
Across 1,650 games at the plate, Bruce's career line reads 1,455 hits in 5,964 at bats for a .244 average, adding 319 homers, 951 RBI, and 65 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .314 and the slugging percentage .467, for an OPS of .781. The .244 career average is close to the .254 the league hit across the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jay Bruce
- What years did Jay Bruce play?
- Jay Bruce played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2021.
- Was Jay Bruce a pitcher?
- No. Jay Bruce was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Jay Bruce hit?
- Jay Bruce hit 319 career home runs with 1,455 hits.
- What teams did Jay Bruce play for?
- Jay Bruce played for 6 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (2008–2016), the New York Mets (2016–2018), the Cleveland Indians (2017), the Seattle Mariners (2019), the Philadelphia Phillies (2019–2020), and the New York Yankees (2021).
- Did Jay Bruce win an MVP award?
- No. Jay Bruce did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Jay Bruce win?
- Jay Bruce won 2 Silver Slugger awards (2012 and 2013). He was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Jay Bruce's career stats?
- In 1,650 games, Jay Bruce had 1,455 hits, 319 home runs, 951 RBI, 839 runs, and 65 stolen bases, with a .244 batting average.
- How much did Jay Bruce earn in his career?
- Jay Bruce's recorded salaries total $50,774,165 over 8 seasons, 2009 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Bruce's career ran from 2008 to 2021. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2008.
- What was Jay Bruce's salary?
- Jay Bruce's last recorded salary was $12,541,666, in 2016. His highest recorded salary was $12,541,666, in 2016, and his lowest was $417,500, in 2009. The Salary History table lists each season from 2009 to 2016.
- What position did Jay Bruce play?
- Jay Bruce played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Jay Bruce and how much did he weigh?
- Jay Bruce was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 230 pounds.
- How many home runs did Jay Bruce hit each season?
- Jay Bruce's home runs by season: 21 in 2008, 22 in 2009, 25 in 2010, 32 in 2011, 34 in 2012, 30 in 2013, 18 in 2014, 26 in 2015, 33 in 2016, 36 in 2017, 9 in 2018, 26 in 2019, 6 in 2020, and 1 in 2021. His most in one season was 36, in 2017.
- What was Jay Bruce's career batting average?
- Jay Bruce batted .244 over his career, with 1,455 hits in 5,964 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jay Bruce have?
- Jay Bruce drove in 951 runs in his career.