Mike Greenwell

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1985-1996)

Mike Greenwell was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996 for the Boston Red Sox, a span of 12 seasons. In 1,269 career games, he hit .303 with 1,400 hits, 130 home runs, and 726 RBI. Mike Greenwell was a 2-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 13,708.

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

AVG .303
HR 130
RBI 726
H 1,400
OPS .831
PIV 13,708
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 170 lb
Born
7/18/1963 in Louisville, KY, USA
Died
10/9/2025 in Boston, MA, USA
MLB Debut
1985-09-05
Last Game
1996-09-28
Awards
2× All-Star · Silver Slugger

Full name: Michael Lewis Greenwell

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Career Batting Statistics

Mike Greenwell — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,269 4,623 657 1,400 275 38 130 726 80 460 364 .303 .368 .463 .831 13,708

Career AVG .303 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +16.3% above league average.

Career OBP .368 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.

Career SLG .463 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — +16.5% above league average.

Career OPS .831 vs. league average .726 across their career seasons — +14.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Mike Greenwell Stats, Bio & Career Records
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 BOS AL 17 31 7 10 1 0 4 8 1 3 4 .323 — — — — 0.0
1986 BOS AL 31 35 4 11 2 0 0 4 0 5 7 .314 — — — — 0.0
1987 BOS AL 125 412 71 135 31 6 19 89 5 35 40 .328 .262 (+25%) .331 (+17%) .415 (+37%) .746 (+28%) 2259.7
1988 BOS AL 158 590 86 192 39 8 22 119 16 87 38 .325 .254 (+28%) .317 (+31%) .377 (+40%) .695 (+36%) 4497.1
1989 BOS AL 145 578 87 178 36 0 14 95 13 56 44 .308 .254 (+21%) .319 (+16%) .375 (+18%) .694 (+17%) 1984.5
1990 BOS AL 159 610 71 181 30 6 14 73 8 65 43 .297 .257 (+15%) .324 (+13%) .385 (+13%) .710 (+13%) 1685.8
1991 BOS AL 147 544 76 163 26 6 9 83 15 43 35 .300 .255 (+17%) .323 (+8%) .384 (+9%) .708 (+9%) 881.3
1992 BOS AL 49 180 16 42 2 0 2 18 2 18 19 .233 .255 (-9%) .322 (-5%) .377 (-26%) .699 (-16%) -411.4
1993 BOS AL 146 540 77 170 38 6 13 72 5 54 46 .315 .265 (+19%) .332 (+14%) .403 (+19%) .735 (+17%) 1882.4
1994 BOS AL 95 327 60 88 25 1 11 45 2 38 26 .269 .269 (avg) .338 (+3%) .424 (+7%) .763 (+5%) 297.1
1995 BOS AL 120 481 67 143 25 4 15 76 9 38 35 .297 .266 (+11%) .337 (+3%) .417 (+10%) .755 (+7%) 612.0
1996 BOS AL 77 295 35 87 20 1 7 44 4 18 27 .295 .269 (+9%) .340 (-1%) .426 (+3%) .767 (+1%) 19.1
Career · 12 seasons 1,269 4,623 657 1,400 275 38 130 726 80 460 364 .303 — — — — 13,708

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

Mike Greenwell — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
17 48 3 7 1 0 1 3 6 5 .146

Playoff Batting by Year

Mike Greenwell — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1995 ALDS1 BOS 3 15 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .200
1990 ALCS BOS 4 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000
1988 ALCS BOS 4 14 2 3 1 0 1 3 3 0 .214
1986 ALCS BOS 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500
1986 WS BOS 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1269 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Mike Greenwell — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home629227935971264387.312
Away640234429868866339.294

Last 10 Games — Batting

Mike Greenwell — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1996-09-28 BOSNYYL 400000100
1996-09-27 BOSNYYW 402000000
1996-09-26 BOSNYYW 411000001
1996-09-25 BOSBALL 402100000
1996-09-24 BOSBALW 401000001
1996-09-23 BOSNYYW 502000001
1996-09-22 BOSNYYL 402100000
1996-09-21 BOSNYYL 422100000
1996-09-20 BOSNYYW 412100000
1996-09-19 BOSDETW 412000011

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Mike Greenwell — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
C 1 0 3 0 1 0
OF 1164 1126 2091 85 42 15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Mike Greenwell — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1985 BOS OF 17 6 14 0 0 0
1986 BOS OF 15 3 18 1 0 1
1987 BOS C 1 0 3 0 1 0
1987 BOS OF 91 88 162 8 5 0
1988 BOS OF 147 147 302 6 6 2
1989 BOS OF 139 139 220 11 8 1
1990 BOS OF 159 157 287 13 7 1
1991 BOS OF 143 141 263 9 3 3
1992 BOS OF 41 41 85 1 0 0
1993 BOS OF 134 130 261 6 2 1
1994 BOS OF 84 82 141 10 1 3
1995 BOS OF 118 118 201 11 6 1
1996 BOS OF 76 74 137 9 4 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Mike Greenwell Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Catcher 1
Left Field 1124
Center Field 1
Right Field 47
Designated Hitter 59

Awards & Honors

Mike Greenwell — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1996 Player of the Week Week of 1996-09-07
1988 Player of the Month June
1988 Player of the Week Week of 1988-06-24
1988 Silver Slugger OF
1988 TSN All-Star OF

Salary History

Mike Greenwell's recorded salaries total $21,740,000 over 10 seasons, 1986 to 1996. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Greenwell's career ran from 1985 to 1996. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.

Mike Greenwell — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1996 BOS AL $3,700,000
1995 BOS AL $3,600,000
1994 BOS AL $3,325,000
1993 BOS AL $3,425,000
1992 BOS AL $3,050,000
1991 BOS AL $2,650,000
1990 BOS AL $1,225,000
1989 BOS AL $500,000
1988 BOS AL $205,000
1986 BOS AL $60,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $21,740,000

Award Voting History

Mike Greenwell — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1988 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 242.0 392 0
1987 Rookie of the Year AL 4th 9.0 140 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Mike Greenwell (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Bibb Falk
    .314 avg, 69 HR
  2. 95
    Tommy Holmes
    .302 avg, 88 HR
  3. 94
    Wally Moon
    .289 avg, 142 HR
  4. 93
    Bruce Campbell
    .290 avg, 106 HR
  5. 92
    Bob Nieman
    .295 avg, 125 HR
  6. 91
    Rusty Greer
    .305 avg, 119 HR

Mike Greenwell: the record in brief

According to the bio, Mike Greenwell debuted on September 5, 1985 and played a final game on September 28, 1996. The team column never changes: it is the Boston Red Sox from 1985 to 1996. Greenwell, born on July 18, 1963, in Louisville, KY, USA, is listed as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The bio gives 6 feet, 0 inches and 170 pounds. Greenwell's death is recorded on October 9, 2025, in Boston, MA, USA. Greenwell's full given name, per the bio, is Michael Lewis Greenwell.

Greenwell finished with 1,400 hits from 4,623 at bats in 1,269 games, which works out to .303, along with 130 home runs, 726 RBI, and 80 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .368 and .463 give Greenwell a career OPS of .831. Greenwell's .303 average ran 16.3% above the .261 that the league posted over the same seasons. The OPS comparison is .831 to a league .726, 14.5% above average. The single-season home run high is 22, set in 1988.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mike Greenwell

What years did Mike Greenwell play?
Mike Greenwell played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1996.
Was Mike Greenwell a pitcher?
No. Mike Greenwell was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Mike Greenwell hit?
Mike Greenwell hit 130 career home runs with 1,400 hits.
What teams did Mike Greenwell play for?
Mike Greenwell played for one team, the Boston Red Sox (1985–1996).
Did Mike Greenwell win an MVP award?
No. Mike Greenwell did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Mike Greenwell win?
Mike Greenwell won the Silver Slugger award (1988). He was selected to 2 All-Star Games.
What were Mike Greenwell's career stats?
In 1,269 games, Mike Greenwell had 1,400 hits, 130 home runs, 726 RBI, 657 runs, and 80 stolen bases, with a .303 batting average.
How much did Mike Greenwell earn in his career?
Mike Greenwell's recorded salaries total $21,740,000 over 10 seasons, 1986 to 1996. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Greenwell's career ran from 1985 to 1996. No salary is recorded for 1985 and 1987.
What was Mike Greenwell's salary?
Mike Greenwell's last recorded salary was $3,700,000, in 1996. His highest recorded salary was $3,700,000, in 1996, and his lowest was $60,000, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1986 to 1996.
What position did Mike Greenwell play?
Mike Greenwell played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Mike Greenwell and how much did he weigh?
Mike Greenwell was listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds.
How many home runs did Mike Greenwell hit each season?
Mike Greenwell's home runs by season: 4 in 1985, 0 in 1986, 19 in 1987, 22 in 1988, 14 in 1989, 14 in 1990, 9 in 1991, 2 in 1992, 13 in 1993, 11 in 1994, 15 in 1995, and 7 in 1996. His most in one season was 22, in 1988.
What was Mike Greenwell's career batting average?
Mike Greenwell batted .303 over his career, with 1,400 hits in 4,623 at bats.
How many RBI did Mike Greenwell have?
Mike Greenwell drove in 726 runs in his career.