Brett Butler
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1981-1997)
Brett Butler was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1997 for 5 teams, including the Atlanta Braves, a span of 17 seasons. In 2,213 career games, he hit .290 with 2,375 hits, 54 home runs, and 578 RBI. Brett Butler was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 12,133.
- 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
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1981-08-20
- Last Game
- 1997-09-28
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Brett Morgan Butler
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,213 | 8,180 | 1,359 | 2,375 | 277 | 131 | 54 | 578 | 558 | 1,129 | 907 | .290 | .377 | .376 | .753 | 12,133 |
Career AVG .290 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +11.3% above league average.
Career OBP .377 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career SLG .376 vs. league average .396 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .753 vs. league average .724 across their career seasons — near 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 40 | 126 | 17 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 17 | .254 | .255 (-1%) | .320 (+10%) | .368 (-14%) | .688 (-3%) | 2.6 |
| 1982 | ATL | NL | 89 | 240 | 35 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 25 | 35 | .217 | .261 (-17%) | .324 (-10%) | .388 (-42%) | .712 (-28%) | -953.0 |
| 1983 | ATL | NL | 151 | 549 | 84 | 154 | 21 | 13 | 5 | 37 | 39 | 54 | 56 | .281 | .260 (+8%) | .324 (+6%) | .389 (+1%) | .714 (+3%) | 362.1 |
| 1984 | CLE | AL | 159 | 602 | 108 | 162 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 49 | 52 | 86 | 62 | .269 | .259 (+4%) | .322 (+12%) | .384 (-8%) | .707 (+1%) | 443.4 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | 152 | 591 | 106 | 184 | 28 | 14 | 5 | 50 | 47 | 63 | 42 | .311 | .257 (+21%) | .323 (+17%) | .390 (+10%) | .714 (+13%) | 1645.9 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | 161 | 587 | 92 | 163 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 51 | 32 | 70 | 65 | .278 | .257 (+8%) | .325 (+9%) | .395 (-5%) | .720 (+1%) | 295.7 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | 137 | 522 | 91 | 154 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 41 | 33 | 91 | 55 | .295 | .262 (+12%) | .331 (+21%) | .415 (+2%) | .746 (+10%) | 1474.0 |
| 1988 | SFN | NL | 157 | 568 | 109 | 163 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 43 | 43 | 97 | 64 | .287 | .254 (+13%) | .317 (+24%) | .377 (+5%) | .695 (+14%) | 2016.5 |
| 1989 | SFN | NL | 154 | 594 | 100 | 168 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 31 | 59 | 69 | .283 | .254 (+11%) | .319 (+9%) | .375 (-6%) | .694 (+1%) | 304.4 |
| 1990 | SFN | NL | 160 | 622 | 108 | 192 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 44 | 51 | 90 | 62 | .309 | .257 (+20%) | .324 (+22%) | .385 (avg) | .710 (+10%) | 1701.4 |
| 1991 | LAN | NL | 161 | 615 | 112 | 182 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 38 | 108 | 79 | .296 | .255 (+16%) | .323 (+24%) | .384 (-11%) | .708 (+5%) | 1305.2 |
| 1992 | LAN | NL | 157 | 553 | 86 | 171 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 39 | 41 | 95 | 67 | .309 | .255 (+21%) | .322 (+28%) | .377 (+4%) | .699 (+15%) | 2171.8 |
| 1993 | LAN | NL | 156 | 607 | 80 | 181 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 42 | 39 | 86 | 69 | .298 | .265 (+12%) | .332 (+17%) | .403 (-8%) | .735 (+3%) | 760.6 |
| 1994 | LAN | NL | 111 | 417 | 79 | 131 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 33 | 27 | 68 | 52 | .314 | .269 (+16%) | .338 (+21%) | .424 (+5%) | .763 (+12%) | 1291.8 |
| 1995 | NYN | NL | 90 | 367 | 54 | 114 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 21 | 43 | 42 | .311 | .266 (+16%) | .337 (+13%) | .417 (-6%) | .755 (+2%) | 274.5 |
| 1995 | LAN | NL | 39 | 146 | 24 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 9 | .274 | .266 (+3%) | .337 (+9%) | .417 (-20%) | .755 (-7%) | 274.5 |
| 1996 | LAN | NL | 34 | 131 | 22 | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 22 | .267 | .269 (-1%) | .340 (-8%) | .426 (-32%) | .767 (-21%) | -469.8 |
| 1997 | LAN | NL | 105 | 343 | 52 | 97 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 15 | 42 | 40 | .283 | .266 (+6%) | .336 (+8%) | .419 (-23%) | .756 (-9%) | -369.8 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 2,213 | 8,180 | 1,359 | 2,375 | 277 | 131 | 54 | 578 | 558 | 1,129 | 907 | .290 | — | — | — | — | 12,532 | ||
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 (2213 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1102 | 3959 | 678 | 1202 | 21 | 260 | .304 |
| Away | 1111 | 4221 | 681 | 1173 | 33 | 318 | .278 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-28 | LAD | COL | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-24 | LAD | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-21 | LAD | COL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-19 | LAD | COL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-16 | LAD | STL | W | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-09-15 | LAD | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-14 | LAD | HOU | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-09 | LAD | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-09-08 | LAD | MIA | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-09-07 | LAD | MIA | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 2159 | 2080 | 5296 | 122 | 41 | 32 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | ATL | OF | 37 | 33 | 76 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | ATL | OF | 77 | 55 | 129 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | ATL | OF | 143 | 130 | 284 | 13 | 4 | 4 |
| 1984 | CLE | OF | 156 | 149 | 448 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
| 1985 | CLE | OF | 150 | 148 | 437 | 19 | 1 | 5 |
| 1986 | CLE | OF | 159 | 151 | 434 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 1987 | CLE | OF | 136 | 135 | 393 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 1988 | SFN | OF | 155 | 150 | 395 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 1989 | SFN | OF | 152 | 149 | 407 | 11 | 6 | 3 |
| 1990 | SFN | OF | 159 | 158 | 420 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1991 | LAN | OF | 161 | 160 | 372 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| 1992 | LAN | OF | 155 | 152 | 353 | 9 | 2 | 3 |
| 1993 | LAN | OF | 155 | 154 | 369 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | LAN | OF | 111 | 108 | 260 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | NYN | OF | 90 | 88 | 207 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1995 | LAN | OF | 38 | 39 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | LAN | OF | 34 | 34 | 74 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | LAN | OF | 91 | 87 | 163 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 182 |
| Center Field | 1987 |
| Right Field | 10 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Branch Rickey Award | |
| 1996 | Lou Gehrig Memorial Award | |
| 1995 | Player of the Week | Week of 1995-07-22 |
| 1992 | Player of the Month | July |
| 1992 | Player of the Week | Week of 1992-07-25 |
Salary History
Brett Butler's recorded salaries total $23,673,303 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Butler's career ran from 1981 to 1997. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | LAN | NL | $1,733,304 |
| 1996 | LAN | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 1995 | NYN | NL | $2,000,000 |
| 1994 | LAN | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 1993 | LAN | NL | $3,333,333 |
| 1992 | LAN | NL | $3,333,333 |
| 1991 | LAN | NL | $2,833,333 |
| 1990 | SFN | NL | $1,100,000 |
| 1989 | SFN | NL | $900,000 |
| 1988 | SFN | NL | $900,000 |
| 1987 | CLE | AL | $765,000 |
| 1986 | CLE | AL | $850,000 |
| 1985 | CLE | AL | $425,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $23,673,303 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Durant | OK | 1977, 1978, 1979 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 1.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1992 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 21th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1991 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 7th | 103.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 24th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1988 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Brett Butler (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Brett Butler: the record in brief
The profile opens with Brett Butler's first major league game on August 20, 1981; the last one listed came on September 28, 1997. Club by club, the record runs the Atlanta Braves (1981 through 1983), the Cleveland Indians (1984 through 1987), the San Francisco Giants (1988 through 1990), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1991 through 1997), and the New York Mets (1995). Butler, an outfielder by primary position, both batted and threw left-handed. Butler is listed at 160 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The birth record reads June 15, 1957, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Brett Butler was the playing name; the full given name is Brett Morgan.
Butler collected 2,375 hits in 8,180 at bats across 2,213 games, good for a .290 batting average, plus 54 homers, 578 RBI, and 558 stolen bases. Butler's career OPS of .753 combines a .377 on-base mark with .376 slugging. Set against a .261 league average for the same years, Butler's .290 average sits 11.3% above it. The highest hit total in a season was 192, in 1990.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brett Butler
- What years did Brett Butler play?
- Brett Butler played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1997.
- Was Brett Butler a pitcher?
- No. Brett Butler was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Brett Butler hit?
- Brett Butler hit 54 career home runs with 2,375 hits.
- What teams did Brett Butler play for?
- Brett Butler played for 5 teams: the Atlanta Braves (1981–1983), the Cleveland Indians (1984–1987), the San Francisco Giants (1988–1990), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1991–1997), and the New York Mets (1995).
- Did Brett Butler win an MVP award?
- No. Brett Butler did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Brett Butler win?
- Brett Butler was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Brett Butler's career stats?
- In 2,213 games, Brett Butler had 2,375 hits, 54 home runs, 578 RBI, 1,359 runs, and 558 stolen bases, with a .290 batting average.
- How much did Brett Butler earn in his career?
- Brett Butler's recorded salaries total $23,673,303 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Butler's career ran from 1981 to 1997. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Brett Butler's salary?
- Brett Butler's last recorded salary was $1,733,304, in 1997. His highest recorded salary was $3,500,000, in 1994, and his lowest was $425,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1997.
- What position did Brett Butler play?
- Brett Butler played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Brett Butler and how much did he weigh?
- Brett Butler was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Brett Butler hit each season?
- Brett Butler's home runs by season: 0 in 1981, 0 in 1982, 5 in 1983, 3 in 1984, 5 in 1985, 4 in 1986, 9 in 1987, 6 in 1988, 4 in 1989, 3 in 1990, 2 in 1991, 3 in 1992, 1 in 1993, 8 in 1994, 1 in 1995, 0 in 1996, and 0 in 1997. His most in one season was 9, in 1987.
- What was Brett Butler's career batting average?
- Brett Butler batted .290 over his career, with 2,375 hits in 8,180 at bats.
- How many RBI did Brett Butler have?
- Brett Butler drove in 578 runs in his career.