Chris Gwynn
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1987-1996)
Chris Gwynn was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1996 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Kansas City Royals, and the San Diego Padres, a span of 10 seasons. In 599 career games, he hit .261 with 263 hits, 17 home runs, and 118 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
- Outfielder
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1987-08-14
- Last Game
- 1996-09-29
Full name: Christopher Karlton Gwynn
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 599 | 1,007 | 119 | 263 | 36 | 11 | 17 | 118 | 2 | 71 | 171 | .261 | .308 | .369 | .678 | -1,029 |
Career AVG .261 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .308 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.
Career SLG .369 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.
Career OPS .678 vs. league average .727 across their career seasons — 6.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | LAN | NL | 17 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .219 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | LAN | NL | 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .182 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | LAN | NL | 32 | 68 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 | .235 | .254 (-7%) | .319 (-21%) | .375 (-14%) | .694 (-17%) | -206.0 |
| 1990 | LAN | NL | 101 | 141 | 19 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 28 | .284 | .257 (+10%) | .324 (-4%) | .385 (+9%) | .710 (+3%) | 20.7 |
| 1991 | LAN | NL | 94 | 139 | 18 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 10 | 23 | .252 | .255 (-2%) | .323 (-7%) | .384 (+7%) | .708 (avg) | -34.0 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | 34 | 84 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | .286 | .255 (+12%) | .322 (-6%) | .377 (+7%) | .699 (+1%) | -28.0 |
| 1993 | KCA | AL | 103 | 287 | 36 | 86 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 24 | 34 | .300 | .265 (+13%) | .332 (+6%) | .403 (-4%) | .735 (+1%) | 50.1 |
| 1994 | LAN | NL | 58 | 71 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 7 | .268 | .269 (-1%) | .338 (-2%) | .424 (-7%) | .763 (-5%) | -39.4 |
| 1995 | LAN | NL | 67 | 84 | 8 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 | .214 | .266 (-20%) | .337 (-20%) | .417 (-20%) | .755 (-20%) | -300.6 |
| 1996 | SDN | NL | 81 | 90 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 28 | .178 | .269 (-34%) | .340 (-24%) | .426 (-40%) | .767 (-33%) | -491.4 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 599 | 1,007 | 119 | 263 | 36 | 11 | 17 | 118 | 2 | 71 | 171 | .261 | — | — | — | — | -1,029 | ||
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 (599 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 288 | 450 | 48 | 120 | 4 | 43 | .267 |
| Away | 311 | 557 | 71 | 143 | 13 | 75 | .257 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-09-29 | SDP | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-25 | SDP | COL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-24 | SDP | COL | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-22 | SDP | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-21 | SDP | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-19 | SDP | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-15 | SDP | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-14 | SDP | CIN | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-13 | SDP | CIN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-09-11 | SDP | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 4 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| OF | 286 | 180 | 351 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | LAN | OF | 10 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | LAN | OF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | LAN | OF | 19 | 13 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990 | LAN | OF | 44 | 18 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | LAN | OF | 41 | 23 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | KCA | OF | 19 | 18 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | KCA | 1B | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | KCA | OF | 83 | 73 | 149 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994 | LAN | OF | 20 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | LAN | 1B | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1995 | LAN | OF | 17 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | SDN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | SDN | OF | 29 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 4 |
| Left Field | 197 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 87 |
| Designated Hitter | 7 |
Salary History
Chris Gwynn's recorded salaries total $2,280,000 over 8 seasons, 1989 to 1996. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gwynn's career ran from 1987 to 1996. No salary is recorded for 1987 and 1988.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | SDN | NL | $360,000 |
| 1995 | LAN | NL | $275,000 |
| 1994 | LAN | NL | $250,000 |
| 1993 | KCA | AL | $505,000 |
| 1992 | KCA | AL | $425,000 |
| 1991 | LAN | NL | $260,000 |
| 1990 | LAN | NL | $125,000 |
| 1989 | LAN | NL | $80,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,280,000 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State University | San Diego | CA | 1983, 1984, 1985 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Chris Gwynn (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Chris Gwynn: the record in brief
Between the debut on August 14, 1987 and the final game on September 29, 1996, Chris Gwynn built the record summarized on this page. The team column moves through the Los Angeles Dodgers (1987 through 1995), the Kansas City Royals (1992 through 1993), and the San Diego Padres (1996). Gwynn played primarily as an outfielder and batted and threw left-handed. Born on October 13, 1964, in Los Angeles, CA, USA, Gwynn was listed at 6 feet, 0 inches and 200 pounds. Gwynn's full given name, per the bio, is Christopher Karlton Gwynn.
Gwynn finished with 263 hits from 1,007 at bats in 599 games, which works out to .261, along with 17 homers and 118 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .308 and .369 give Gwynn a career OPS of .678. Against a .261 league average for those years, Gwynn's .261 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 6.8% below league average (.678 against .727). The hits column peaks at 86, in 1993. Gwynn drove in a season-high 25 runs in 1993.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chris Gwynn
- What years did Chris Gwynn play?
- Chris Gwynn played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1996.
- Was Chris Gwynn a pitcher?
- No. Chris Gwynn was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Chris Gwynn hit?
- Chris Gwynn hit 17 career home runs with 263 hits.
- What teams did Chris Gwynn play for?
- Chris Gwynn played for 3 teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (1987–1991, 1994–1995), the Kansas City Royals (1992–1993), and the San Diego Padres (1996).
- What were Chris Gwynn's career stats?
- In 599 games, Chris Gwynn had 263 hits, 17 home runs, 118 RBI, 119 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .261 batting average.
- How much did Chris Gwynn earn in his career?
- Chris Gwynn's recorded salaries total $2,280,000 over 8 seasons, 1989 to 1996. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Gwynn's career ran from 1987 to 1996. No salary is recorded for 1987 and 1988.
- What was Chris Gwynn's salary?
- Chris Gwynn's last recorded salary was $360,000, in 1996. His highest recorded salary was $505,000, in 1993, and his lowest was $80,000, in 1989. The Salary History table lists each season from 1989 to 1996.
- What position did Chris Gwynn play?
- Chris Gwynn played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Chris Gwynn and how much did he weigh?
- Chris Gwynn was listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds.
- How many home runs did Chris Gwynn hit each season?
- Chris Gwynn's home runs by season: 0 in 1987, 0 in 1988, 0 in 1989, 5 in 1990, 5 in 1991, 1 in 1992, 1 in 1993, 3 in 1994, 1 in 1995, and 1 in 1996. His most in one season was 5, in 1990 and 1991.
- What was Chris Gwynn's career batting average?
- Chris Gwynn batted .261 over his career, with 263 hits in 1,007 at bats.
- How many RBI did Chris Gwynn have?
- Chris Gwynn drove in 118 runs in his career.
- Is Chris Gwynn in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Chris Gwynn has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.