Darnell Coles
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1983-1997)
Darnell Coles was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1997 for 8 teams, including the Seattle Mariners, a span of 15 seasons. In 957 career games, he hit .245 with 709 hits, 75 home runs, and 368 RBI.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1983-09-04
- Last Game
- 1997-05-22
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 957 | 2,891 | 333 | 709 | 142 | 14 | 75 | 368 | 20 | 237 | 445 | .245 | .307 | .382 | .689 | -1,798 |
Career AVG .245 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.
Career OBP .307 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.
Career SLG .382 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .689 vs. league average .723 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 27 | 92 | 9 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 12 | .283 | .260 (+8%) | .324 (+3%) | .389 (+1%) | .714 (+1%) | 23.0 |
| 1984 | SEA | AL | 48 | 143 | 15 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 26 | .161 | .259 (-38%) | .322 (-20%) | .384 (-49%) | .707 (-36%) | -755.6 |
| 1985 | SEA | AL | 27 | 59 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 17 | .237 | .257 (-8%) | .323 (+5%) | .390 (-9%) | .714 (-3%) | -17.0 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | 142 | 521 | 67 | 142 | 30 | 2 | 20 | 86 | 6 | 45 | 84 | .273 | .257 (+6%) | .325 (+2%) | .395 (+15%) | .720 (+9%) | 831.5 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | 53 | 149 | 14 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 23 | .181 | .262 (-31%) | .331 (-20%) | .415 (-26%) | .746 (-23%) | -579.8 |
| 1987 | PIT | NL | 40 | 119 | 20 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 19 | 20 | .227 | .262 (-14%) | .331 (+1%) | .415 (+7%) | .746 (+4%) | -579.8 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | 68 | 211 | 20 | 49 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 36 | 1 | 20 | 41 | .232 | .254 (-9%) | .317 (-6%) | .377 (-1%) | .695 (-3%) | -160.2 |
| 1988 | SEA | AL | 55 | 195 | 32 | 57 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 34 | 3 | 17 | 26 | .292 | .254 (+15%) | .317 (+12%) | .377 (+34%) | .695 (+24%) | -160.2 |
| 1989 | SEA | AL | 146 | 535 | 54 | 135 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 59 | 5 | 27 | 61 | .252 | .254 (-1%) | .319 (-8%) | .375 (-4%) | .694 (-6%) | -558.3 |
| 1990 | SEA | AL | 37 | 107 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 17 | .215 | .257 (-17%) | .324 (-24%) | .385 (-13%) | .710 (-18%) | -331.6 |
| 1990 | DET | AL | 52 | 108 | 13 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 21 | .204 | .257 (-21%) | .324 (-13%) | .385 (-35%) | .710 (-25%) | -331.6 |
| 1991 | SFN | NL | 11 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .214 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1992 | CIN | NL | 55 | 141 | 16 | 44 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 15 | .312 | .255 (+22%) | .322 (avg) | .377 (+28%) | .699 (+15%) | 263.2 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | 64 | 194 | 26 | 49 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 1 | 16 | 29 | .253 | .265 (-5%) | .332 (-4%) | .403 (-8%) | .735 (-6%) | -188.6 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | 48 | 143 | 15 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 25 | .210 | .269 (-22%) | .338 (-22%) | .424 (-18%) | .763 (-20%) | -510.8 |
| 1995 | SLN | NL | 63 | 138 | 13 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 20 | .225 | .266 (-16%) | .337 (-6%) | .417 (-18%) | .755 (-13%) | -276.3 |
| 1997 | COL | NL | 21 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .318 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 957 | 2,891 | 333 | 709 | 142 | 14 | 75 | 368 | 20 | 237 | 445 | .245 | — | — | — | — | -3,332 | ||
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 (957 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 481 | 1401 | 183 | 356 | 45 | 199 | .254 |
| Away | 476 | 1490 | 150 | 353 | 30 | 169 | .237 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-05-22 | COL | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-20 | COL | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-19 | COL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-17 | COL | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-15 | COL | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-12 | COL | PHI | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-05-10 | COL | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-08 | COL | PIT | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997-05-04 | COL | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997-05-01 | COL | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 84 | 54 | 511 | 31 | 8 | 33 |
| 3B | 366 | 325 | 255 | 626 | 74 | 57 |
| OF | 347 | 311 | 554 | 16 | 12 | 3 |
| SS | 18 | 12 | 20 | 38 | 5 | 10 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | SEA | 3B | 26 | 26 | 17 | 47 | 4 | 8 |
| 1984 | SEA | 3B | 42 | 37 | 28 | 62 | 8 | 10 |
| 1984 | SEA | OF | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | SEA | 3B | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | SEA | OF | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | SEA | SS | 15 | 12 | 19 | 37 | 5 | 10 |
| 1986 | DET | 3B | 133 | 128 | 107 | 242 | 23 | 23 |
| 1986 | DET | OF | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | DET | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | 1B | 9 | 5 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | DET | 3B | 36 | 31 | 31 | 63 | 17 | 5 |
| 1987 | DET | OF | 8 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DET | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | PIT | 3B | 10 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987 | PIT | OF | 26 | 23 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | PIT | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | PIT | OF | 55 | 54 | 98 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | SEA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | SEA | OF | 47 | 47 | 66 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1989 | SEA | 1B | 18 | 11 | 118 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 1989 | SEA | 3B | 26 | 25 | 15 | 59 | 4 | 6 |
| 1989 | SEA | OF | 89 | 86 | 184 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| 1990 | SEA | 1B | 4 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | SEA | 3B | 6 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| 1990 | SEA | OF | 20 | 17 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | DET | 3B | 8 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 1990 | DET | OF | 11 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | SFN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | SFN | OF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | CIN | 1B | 20 | 17 | 146 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 1992 | CIN | 3B | 23 | 14 | 8 | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | CIN | OF | 5 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | TOR | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | TOR | 3B | 16 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| 1993 | TOR | OF | 44 | 39 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1994 | TOR | 1B | 10 | 7 | 48 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1994 | TOR | 3B | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 | TOR | OF | 29 | 24 | 49 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | SLN | 1B | 18 | 12 | 122 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 1995 | SLN | 3B | 22 | 20 | 13 | 26 | 2 | 1 |
| 1995 | SLN | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | COL | 3B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | COL | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 84 |
| Third Base | 367 |
| Shortstop | 17 |
| Left Field | 123 |
| Right Field | 227 |
| Designated Hitter | 67 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | COL | NL | $200,000 |
| 1995 | SLN | NL | $300,000 |
| 1994 | TOR | AL | $500,000 |
| 1993 | TOR | AL | $500,000 |
| 1990 | SEA | AL | $690,000 |
| 1989 | SEA | AL | $560,000 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | $375,000 |
| 1987 | DET | AL | $170,000 |
| 1986 | DET | AL | $75,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $3,370,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Darnell Coles (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Darnell Coles: the record in brief
September 4, 1983 and May 22, 1997 bracket Darnell Coles's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the Seattle Mariners (1983 to 1990), the Detroit Tigers (1986 to 1990), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1987 to 1988), the San Francisco Giants (1991), the Cincinnati Reds (1992), the Toronto Blue Jays (1993 through 1994), the St. Louis Cardinals (1995), and the Colorado Rockies (1997). Coles, a third baseman by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. Coles is listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 185 pounds. The birth record reads June 2, 1962, in San Bernardino, CA, USA.
Coles finished with 709 hits from 2,891 at bats in 957 games, which works out to .245, plus 75 homers, 368 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .307 and .382 give Coles a career OPS of .689. The league as a whole hit .260 across Coles's seasons, which puts the .245 career mark 5.8% below average. 1986 was Coles's biggest home run year, with 20. The hits column peaks at 142, in 1986.
Frequently Asked Questions about Darnell Coles
- What years did Darnell Coles play?
- Darnell Coles played in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1997.
- Was Darnell Coles a pitcher?
- No. Darnell Coles was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Darnell Coles hit?
- Darnell Coles hit 75 career home runs with 709 hits.
- What was Darnell Coles's career batting average?
- Darnell Coles batted .245 over his career, with 709 hits in 2,891 at bats.
- How many RBI did Darnell Coles have?
- Darnell Coles drove in 368 runs in his career.
- Is Darnell Coles in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Darnell Coles has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.