Vince Coleman
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1997)
Vince Coleman was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1997 for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 13 seasons. In 1,371 career games, he hit .264 with 1,425 hits, 28 home runs, and 346 RBI. Vince Coleman was a 2-time All-Star and a Rookie of the Year.
- 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
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 170 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1985-04-18
- Last Game
- 1997-04-14
- Awards
- 2× All-Star · Rookie of the Year
Full name: Vincent Maurice Coleman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,371 | 5,406 | 849 | 1,425 | 176 | 89 | 28 | 346 | 752 | 477 | 960 | .264 | .324 | .345 | .668 | -5,967 |
Career AVG .264 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .324 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .345 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — 13.7% below league average.
Career OPS .668 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — 8.2% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | SLN | NL | 151 | 636 | 107 | 170 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 40 | 110 | 50 | 115 | .267 | .257 (+4%) | .323 (-1%) | .390 (-14%) | .714 (-8%) | -790.1 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | 154 | 600 | 94 | 139 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 29 | 107 | 60 | 98 | .232 | .257 (-10%) | .325 (-8%) | .395 (-29%) | .720 (-19%) | -1777.0 |
| 1987 | SLN | NL | 151 | 623 | 121 | 180 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 43 | 109 | 70 | 126 | .289 | .262 (+10%) | .331 (+10%) | .415 (-14%) | .746 (-3%) | -142.7 |
| 1988 | SLN | NL | 153 | 616 | 77 | 160 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 38 | 81 | 49 | 111 | .260 | .254 (+2%) | .317 (-2%) | .377 (-10%) | .695 (-6%) | -605.7 |
| 1989 | SLN | NL | 145 | 563 | 94 | 143 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 65 | 50 | 90 | .254 | .254 (avg) | .319 (-1%) | .375 (-11%) | .694 (-6%) | -535.8 |
| 1990 | SLN | NL | 124 | 497 | 73 | 145 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 39 | 77 | 35 | 88 | .292 | .257 (+13%) | .324 (+5%) | .385 (+4%) | .710 (+4%) | 380.0 |
| 1991 | NYN | NL | 72 | 278 | 45 | 71 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 37 | 39 | 47 | .255 | .255 (avg) | .323 (+7%) | .384 (-15%) | .708 (-5%) | -103.5 |
| 1992 | NYN | NL | 71 | 229 | 37 | 63 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 41 | .275 | .255 (+8%) | .322 (+10%) | .377 (-5%) | .699 (+2%) | 160.7 |
| 1993 | NYN | NL | 92 | 373 | 64 | 104 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 38 | 21 | 58 | .279 | .265 (+5%) | .332 (-5%) | .403 (-7%) | .735 (-6%) | -429.2 |
| 1994 | KCA | AL | 104 | 438 | 61 | 105 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 33 | 50 | 29 | 72 | .240 | .269 (-11%) | .338 (-16%) | .424 (-20%) | .763 (-18%) | -1427.9 |
| 1995 | KCA | AL | 75 | 293 | 39 | 84 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 48 | .287 | .266 (+7%) | .337 (+3%) | .417 (-4%) | .755 (-1%) | -38.1 |
| 1995 | SEA | AL | 40 | 162 | 27 | 47 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 10 | 32 | .290 | .266 (+9%) | .337 (-1%) | .417 (-5%) | .755 (-3%) | -38.1 |
| 1996 | CIN | NL | 33 | 84 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 31 | .155 | .269 (-43%) | .340 (-31%) | .426 (-47%) | .767 (-40%) | -560.8 |
| 1997 | DET | AL | 6 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .071 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 1,371 | 5,406 | 849 | 1,425 | 176 | 89 | 28 | 346 | 752 | 477 | 960 | .264 | — | — | — | — | -5,908 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1370 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 687 | 2697 | 464 | 754 | 21 | 203 | .280 |
| Away | 683 | 2704 | 385 | 669 | 7 | 142 | .247 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-04-14 | DET | MIL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-13 | DET | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-13 | DET | CHW | L | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997-04-10 | DET | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997-04-04 | DET | CHW | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-04-01 | DET | MIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-05-28 | CIN | MIA | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-05-27 | CIN | MIA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1996-05-25 | CIN | COL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996-05-23 | CIN | COL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1311 | 1283 | 2452 | 109 | 68 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | SLN | OF | 150 | 149 | 305 | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| 1986 | SLN | OF | 149 | 145 | 300 | 12 | 9 | 2 |
| 1987 | SLN | OF | 150 | 150 | 274 | 16 | 9 | 3 |
| 1988 | SLN | OF | 150 | 149 | 290 | 14 | 9 | 1 |
| 1989 | SLN | OF | 142 | 134 | 247 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| 1990 | SLN | OF | 120 | 115 | 244 | 12 | 5 | 2 |
| 1991 | NYN | OF | 70 | 70 | 132 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | NYN | OF | 61 | 60 | 112 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993 | NYN | OF | 90 | 88 | 162 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 1994 | KCA | OF | 99 | 98 | 164 | 11 | 7 | 3 |
| 1995 | KCA | OF | 69 | 69 | 109 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 1995 | SEA | OF | 38 | 38 | 82 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | CIN | OF | 20 | 17 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | DET | OF | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 1153 |
| Center Field | 154 |
| Right Field | 25 |
| Designated Hitter | 10 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Player of the Week | Week of 1986-09-19 |
| 1985 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1985 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
Vince Coleman's recorded salaries total $16,057,500 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. Coleman's career, 1985 to 1997, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | DET | AL | $500,000 |
| 1996 | CIN | NL | $500,000 |
| 1995 | KCA | AL | $250,000 |
| 1994 | KCA | AL | $3,312,500 |
| 1993 | NYN | NL | $2,312,500 |
| 1992 | NYN | NL | $3,212,500 |
| 1991 | NYN | NL | $3,112,500 |
| 1990 | SLN | NL | $1,012,500 |
| 1989 | SLN | NL | $775,000 |
| 1988 | SLN | NL | $700,000 |
| 1987 | SLN | NL | $160,000 |
| 1986 | SLN | NL | $150,000 |
| 1985 | SLN | NL | $60,000 |
| Total recorded salary | $16,057,500 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee | FL | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 20.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1985 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 11th | 16.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1985 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 120.0 | 120 | 24 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Vince Coleman (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Vince Coleman: the record in brief
According to the bio, Vince Coleman debuted on April 18, 1985 and played a final game on April 14, 1997. Coleman played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1985 to 1990), the New York Mets (1991 to 1993), the Kansas City Royals (1994 to 1995), the Seattle Mariners (1995), the Cincinnati Reds (1996), and the Detroit Tigers (1997). Coleman is listed as an outfielder at 6'0" and 170 pounds. The bio says Coleman switch-hit and threw right-handed. Coleman was born on September 22, 1961, in Jacksonville, FL, USA. The bio lists the given name Vincent Maurice.
Coleman finished with 1,425 hits from 5,406 at bats in 1,371 games, which works out to .264, adding 28 home runs, 346 runs batted in, and 752 stolen bases. Coleman got on base at a .324 rate and slugged .345 (.668 OPS). Coleman hit .264 while the league hit .261 over the same span, a figure close to average. The OPS comparison is .668 to a league .728, 8.2% below average. 1987 produced Coleman's most hits, 180 of them for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vince Coleman
- What years did Vince Coleman play?
- Vince Coleman played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1997.
- Was Vince Coleman a pitcher?
- No. Vince Coleman was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Vince Coleman hit?
- Vince Coleman hit 28 career home runs with 1,425 hits.
- What teams did Vince Coleman play for?
- Vince Coleman played for 6 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1985–1990), the New York Mets (1991–1993), the Kansas City Royals (1994–1995), the Seattle Mariners (1995), the Cincinnati Reds (1996), and the Detroit Tigers (1997).
- Did Vince Coleman win an MVP award?
- No. Vince Coleman did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Vince Coleman win?
- Vince Coleman won the Rookie of the Year award (1985). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
- What were Vince Coleman's career stats?
- In 1,371 games, Vince Coleman had 1,425 hits, 28 home runs, 346 RBI, 849 runs, and 752 stolen bases, with a .264 batting average.
- How much did Vince Coleman earn in his career?
- Vince Coleman's recorded salaries total $16,057,500 over 13 seasons, 1985 to 1997. Coleman's career, 1985 to 1997, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
- What was Vince Coleman's salary?
- Vince Coleman's last recorded salary was $500,000, in 1997. His highest recorded salary was $3,312,500, in 1994, and his lowest was $60,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1997.
- What position did Vince Coleman play?
- Vince Coleman played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Vince Coleman and how much did he weigh?
- Vince Coleman was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
- How many home runs did Vince Coleman hit each season?
- Vince Coleman's home runs by season: 1 in 1985, 0 in 1986, 3 in 1987, 3 in 1988, 2 in 1989, 6 in 1990, 1 in 1991, 2 in 1992, 2 in 1993, 2 in 1994, 5 in 1995, 1 in 1996, and 0 in 1997. His most in one season was 6, in 1990.
- What was Vince Coleman's career batting average?
- Vince Coleman batted .264 over his career, with 1,425 hits in 5,406 at bats.
- How many RBI did Vince Coleman have?
- Vince Coleman drove in 346 runs in his career.