What years did Rickey Henderson play?

Rickey Henderson played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 2003.

Was Rickey Henderson a pitcher?

No. Rickey Henderson was a position player (Outfielder).

How many home runs did Rickey Henderson hit?

Rickey Henderson hit 297 career home runs with 3,055 hits.

What teams did Rickey Henderson play for?

Rickey Henderson played for 9 teams: the Oakland Athletics (1979–1984, 1989–1995, 1998), the New York Yankees (1985–1989), the Toronto Blue Jays (1993), the San Diego Padres (1996–1997, 2001), the Anaheim Angels (1997), the New York Mets (1999–2000), the Seattle Mariners (2000), the Boston Red Sox (2002), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003).

How many MVP awards did Rickey Henderson win?

Rickey Henderson won 1 MVP award, in 1990.

What awards did Rickey Henderson win?

Rickey Henderson won the MVP award (1990), the Gold Glove (1981), and 3 Silver Slugger awards (1981, 1985, and 1990). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games.

What were Rickey Henderson's career stats?

In 3,081 games, Rickey Henderson had 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, 1,115 RBI, 2,295 runs, and 1,406 stolen bases, with a .279 batting average.

What was Rickey Henderson's salary?

Rickey Henderson's last recorded salary was $350,000, in 2002. His highest recorded salary was $4,800,000, in 1994, and his lowest was $300,000, in 2001. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 2002.

What position did Rickey Henderson play?

Rickey Henderson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Rickey Henderson and how much did he weigh?

Rickey Henderson was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.

How many home runs did Rickey Henderson hit each season?

Rickey Henderson's home runs by season: 1 in 1979, 9 in 1980, 6 in 1981, 10 in 1982, 9 in 1983, 16 in 1984, 24 in 1985, 28 in 1986, 17 in 1987, 6 in 1988, 12 in 1989, 28 in 1990, 18 in 1991, 15 in 1992, 21 in 1993, 6 in 1994, 9 in 1995, 9 in 1996, 8 in 1997, 14 in 1998, 12 in 1999, 4 in 2000, 8 in 2001, 5 in 2002, and 2 in 2003. His most in one season was 28, in 1986 and 1990.

What was Rickey Henderson's career batting average?

Rickey Henderson batted .279 over his career, with 3,055 hits in 10,961 at bats.

Rickey Henderson

Outfielder · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1979-2003)

Rickey Henderson was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 2003 for 9 teams, including the Athletics, a span of 25 seasons. In 3,081 career games, he hit .279 with 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, and 1,115 RBI. Rickey Henderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 and was a 10-time All-Star, an MVP, an ALCS MVP, a Gold Glove, and a 3-time Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 37,642.

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 October 18, 2026

⭐ Hall of Fame 2009

AVG .279

HR 297

RBI 1,115

H 3,055

OPS .820

PIV 37,642

Position: Outfielder
Bats / Throws: R / L
Height / Weight: 5'10" / 180 lb
Born: 12/25/1958 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died: 12/20/2024 in Oakland, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1979-06-24
Last Game: 2003-09-19
Hall of Fame: Inducted 2009 (BBWAA)
Awards: 10× All-Star · MVP · ALCS MVP · Gold Glove · 3× Silver Slugger

Full name: Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Career Batting Statistics

Rickey Henderson — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
3,081	10,961	2,295	3,055	510	66	297	1,115	1,406	2,190	1,694	.279	.401	.419	.820	37,642

Career AVG .279 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +6.1% above league average.

Career OBP .401 vs. league average .330 across their career seasons — +21.5% above league average.

Career SLG .419 vs. league average .404 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS .820 vs. league average .734 across their career seasons — +11.7% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rickey Henderson 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
1979	OAK	AL	89	351	49	96	13	3	1	26	33	34	39	.274	.265 (+3%)	.329 (+3%)	.397 (-15%)	.727 (-7%)	-342.5
1980	OAK	AL	158	591	111	179	22	4	9	53	100	117	54	.303	.264 (+14%)	.326 (+29%)	.387 (+3%)	.714 (+15%)	2532.5
1981	OAK	AL	108	423	89	135	18	7	6	35	56	64	68	.319	.255 (+25%)	.320 (+27%)	.368 (+19%)	.688 (+23%)	1998.0
1982	OAK	AL	149	536	119	143	24	4	10	51	130	116	94	.267	.261 (+2%)	.324 (+23%)	.388 (-2%)	.712 (+9%)	1641.9
1983	OAK	AL	145	513	105	150	25	7	9	48	108	103	80	.292	.260 (+12%)	.324 (+27%)	.389 (+8%)	.714 (+17%)	2290.1
1984	OAK	AL	142	502	113	147	27	4	16	58	66	86	81	.293	.259 (+13%)	.322 (+24%)	.384 (+19%)	.707 (+21%)	2459.7
1985	NYA	AL	143	547	146	172	28	5	24	72	80	99	65	.314	.257 (+22%)	.323 (+30%)	.390 (+32%)	.714 (+31%)	3752.7
1986	NYA	AL	153	608	130	160	31	5	28	74	87	89	81	.263	.257 (+2%)	.325 (+10%)	.395 (+19%)	.720 (+15%)	1940.6
1987	NYA	AL	95	358	78	104	17	3	17	37	41	80	52	.291	.262 (+10%)	.331 (+28%)	.415 (+20%)	.746 (+23%)	1959.2
1988	NYA	AL	140	554	118	169	30	2	6	50	93	82	54	.305	.254 (+20%)	.317 (+24%)	.377 (+6%)	.695 (+14%)	1871.3
1989	NYA	AL	65	235	41	58	13	1	3	22	25	56	29	.247	.254 (-3%)	.319 (+23%)	.375 (-7%)	.694 (+7%)	549.5
1989	OAK	AL	85	306	72	90	13	2	9	35	52	70	39	.294	.254 (+16%)	.319 (+33%)	.375 (+17%)	.694 (+24%)	549.5
1990	OAK	AL	136	489	119	159	33	3	28	61	65	97	60	.325	.257 (+26%)	.324 (+35%)	.385 (+50%)	.710 (+43%)	4548.5
1991	OAK	AL	134	470	105	126	17	1	18	57	58	98	73	.268	.255 (+5%)	.323 (+24%)	.384 (+10%)	.708 (+16%)	2009.1
1992	OAK	AL	117	396	77	112	18	3	15	46	48	95	56	.283	.255 (+11%)	.322 (+32%)	.377 (+21%)	.699 (+26%)	2498.5
1993	OAK	AL	90	318	77	104	19	1	17	47	31	85	46	.327	.265 (+23%)	.332 (+41%)	.403 (+37%)	.735 (+39%)	2830.0
1993	TOR	AL	44	163	37	35	3	1	4	12	22	35	19	.215	.265 (-19%)	.332 (+7%)	.403 (-21%)	.735 (-8%)	2830.0
1994	OAK	AL	87	296	66	77	13	0	6	20	22	72	45	.260	.269 (-4%)	.338 (+21%)	.424 (-14%)	.763 (+2%)	477.2
1995	OAK	AL	112	407	67	122	31	1	9	54	32	72	66	.300	.266 (+12%)	.337 (+21%)	.417 (+7%)	.755 (+13%)	1341.5
1996	SDN	NL	148	465	110	112	17	2	9	29	37	125	90	.241	.269 (-11%)	.340 (+21%)	.426 (-19%)	.767 (-2%)	569.0
1997	SDN	NL	88	288	63	79	11	0	6	27	29	71	62	.274	.266 (+3%)	.336 (+25%)	.419 (-11%)	.756 (+5%)	703.8
1997	ANA	AL	32	115	21	21	3	0	2	7	16	26	23	.183	.266 (-32%)	.336 (+2%)	.419 (-38%)	.756 (-20%)	703.8
1998	OAK	AL	152	542	101	128	16	1	14	57	66	118	114	.236	.266 (-11%)	.335 (+12%)	.420 (-17%)	.755 (-4%)	49.2
1999	NYN	NL	121	438	89	138	30	0	12	42	37	82	82	.315	.271 (+16%)	.344 (+23%)	.433 (+7%)	.778 (+14%)	1628.7
2000	NYN	NL	31	96	17	21	1	0	0	2	5	25	20	.219	.270 (-19%)	.344 (+12%)	.437 (-48%)	.782 (-21%)	-234.4
2000	SEA	AL	92	324	58	77	13	2	4	30	31	63	55	.238	.270 (-12%)	.344 (+5%)	.437 (-25%)	.782 (-12%)	-234.4
2001	SDN	NL	123	379	70	86	17	3	8	42	25	81	84	.227	.263 (-14%)	.332 (+10%)	.426 (-18%)	.758 (-6%)	-106.4
2002	BOS	AL	72	179	40	40	6	1	5	16	8	38	47	.223	.261 (-14%)	.331 (+12%)	.416 (-16%)	.747 (-4%)	38.5
2003	LAN	NL	30	72	7	15	1	0	2	5	3	11	16	.208	.264 (-21%)	.332 (-3%)	.422 (-28%)	.754 (-17%)	-168.2
Career · 29 seasons			3,081	10,961	2,295	3,055	510	66	297	1,115	1,406	2,190	1,694	.279	—	—	—	—	40,687

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

Rickey Henderson — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
60	222	47	63	12	4	5	20	37	32	.284

Playoff Batting by Year

Rickey Henderson — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2000	ALCS	SEA	3	9	2	2	1	0	0	1	2	2	.222
2000	ALDS2	SEA	3	5	3	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	.400
1999	NLCS	NYN	6	23	2	4	1	0	0	1	0	5	.174
1999	NLDS2	NYN	4	15	5	6	0	0	0	1	3	1	.400
1996	NLDS2	SDN	3	12	2	4	0	0	1	1	2	3	.333
1993	ALCS	TOR	6	25	4	3	2	0	0	0	4	5	.120
1993	WS	TOR	6	22	6	5	2	0	0	2	5	2	.227
1992	ALCS	OAK	6	23	5	6	0	0	0	1	4	4	.261
1990	ALCS	OAK	4	17	1	5	0	0	0	3	1	2	.294
1990	WS	OAK	4	15	2	5	2	0	1	1	3	4	.333
1989	ALCS	OAK	5	15	8	6	1	1	2	5	7	0	.400
1989	WS	OAK	4	19	4	9	1	2	1	3	2	2	.474
1981	ALCS	OAK	3	11	0	4	2	1	0	1	1	2	.364
1981	AWDIV	OAK	3	11	3	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	.182

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (3080 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Rickey Henderson — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	1543	5319	1088	1455	135	526	.274
Away	1537	5637	1205	1598	161	588	.283

Last 10 Games — Batting

Rickey Henderson — Last 10 Games — Batting
Date	Tm	Opp	Res	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
2003-09-19	LAD	SFG	L	0	1	0	0	0	0
2003-09-08	LAD	AZ	W	1	0	0	0	0	1
2003-09-03	LAD	HOU	L	3	0	0	0	0	0
2003-09-01	LAD	HOU	L	1	0	1	0	0	0
2003-08-31	LAD	COL	W	3	0	0	0	0	1
2003-08-29	LAD	COL	W	3	1	1	1	1	0
2003-08-24	LAD	NYN	L	4	0	0	0	0	0
2003-08-23	LAD	NYN	L	1	0	0	0	0	0
2003-08-22	LAD	NYN	W	3	0	1	0	1	1
2003-08-21	LAD	WSN	W	1	0	0	0	0	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Rickey Henderson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	2826	2757	6468	131	141	23

Season-by-Season Fielding

Rickey Henderson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1979	OAK	OF	88	89	215	5	6	0
1980	OAK	OF	157	157	407	15	7	1
1981	OAK	OF	107	107	327	7	7	0
1982	OAK	OF	144	144	379	2	9	0
1983	OAK	OF	142	136	349	9	3	1
1984	OAK	OF	140	132	341	7	11	1
1985	NYA	OF	141	140	439	7	9	3
1986	NYA	OF	146	144	426	4	6	0
1987	NYA	OF	69	69	189	3	4	1
1988	NYA	OF	136	135	320	7	12	5
1989	NYA	OF	65	64	144	3	1	0
1989	OAK	OF	82	81	191	3	3	1
1990	OAK	OF	118	118	289	5	5	0
1991	OAK	OF	119	118	249	10	8	1
1992	OAK	OF	108	105	231	9	4	2
1993	OAK	OF	74	74	182	5	5	1
1993	TOR	OF	44	44	76	1	2	0
1994	OAK	OF	71	70	166	4	4	0
1995	OAK	OF	90	89	162	5	2	1
1996	SDN	OF	134	122	228	3	6	0
1997	SDN	OF	78	74	160	4	7	1
1997	ANA	OF	13	12	26	0	0	0
1998	OAK	OF	151	144	327	3	4	1
1999	NYN	OF	116	113	168	0	2	0
2000	NYN	OF	29	29	35	0	2	0
2000	SEA	OF	88	87	181	0	3	0
2001	SDN	OF	104	98	158	5	3	2
2002	BOS	OF	54	45	83	4	5	0
2003	LAN	OF	18	17	20	1	1	1

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Rickey Henderson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Left Field	2421
Center Field	446
Right Field	27
Designated Hitter	149

Awards & Honors

Rickey Henderson — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
1999	TSN Comeback Player of the Year
1991	Player of the Week	Week of 1991-09-28
1990	Most Valuable Player
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-05-05
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-07-07
1990	Silver Slugger	OF
1990	TSN All-Star	OF
1989	ALCS MVP
1985	Player of the Month	June
1985	Player of the Week	Week of 1985-06-21
1985	Silver Slugger	OF
1985	TSN All-Star	OF
1982	Player of the Week	Week of 1982-08-27
1981	Gold Glove	OF
1981	Silver Slugger	OF
1981	TSN All-Star	OF

Salary History

Rickey Henderson's recorded salaries total $41,595,000 over 18 seasons, 1985 to 2002. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Henderson's career ran from 1979 to 2003. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2003.

Rickey Henderson — Salary History
Year	Team	League	Salary
2002	BOS	AL	$350,000
2001	SDN	NL	$300,000
2000	NYN	NL	$2,000,000
1999	NYN	NL	$1,900,000
1998	OAK	AL	$1,150,000
1997	SDN	NL	$3,045,000
1996	SDN	NL	$3,250,000
1995	OAK	AL	$3,800,000
1994	OAK	AL	$4,800,000
1993	OAK	AL	$3,550,000
1992	OAK	AL	$3,250,000
1991	OAK	AL	$3,250,000
1990	OAK	AL	$2,350,000
1989	NYA	AL	$2,120,000
1988	NYA	AL	$1,770,000
1987	NYA	AL	$1,670,000
1986	NYA	AL	$1,570,000
1985	NYA	AL	$1,470,000
Total recorded salary (partial)			$41,595,000

Award Voting History

Rickey Henderson — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
1990	Most Valuable Player	AL	1st	317.0	392	14
1989	Most Valuable Player	AL	9th	67.0	392	0
1988	Most Valuable Player	AL	18th	8.0	392	0
1985	Most Valuable Player	AL	3rd	174.0	392	0
1983	Most Valuable Player	AL	24th	1.0	392	0
1982	Most Valuable Player	AL	10th	38.0	392	0
1981	Most Valuable Player	AL	2nd	308.0	392	12
1980	Most Valuable Player	AL	10th	51.0	392	0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Rickey Henderson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Compare Rickey Henderson

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See Rickey Henderson in Another Era

Translate Rickey Henderson's peak season across eras →

Rickey Henderson: the record in brief

According to the bio, Rickey Henderson debuted on June 24, 1979 and played a final game on September 19, 2003. By club, Henderson's seasons break down as the Oakland Athletics (1979 through 1998), the New York Yankees (1985 through 1989), the Toronto Blue Jays (1993), the San Diego Padres (1996 to 2001), the Anaheim Angels (1997), the New York Mets (1999 through 2000), the Seattle Mariners (2000), and the Boston Red Sox (2002), among other clubs in the table. Henderson, born on December 25, 1958, in Chicago, IL, USA, is listed as an outfielder and batted right-handed and threw left-handed. Henderson's listed size is 5'10" and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on December 20, 2024, in Oakland, CA, USA.

Across 3,081 games at the plate, Henderson's career line reads 3,055 hits in 10,961 at bats for a .279 average, plus 297 home runs, 1,115 runs batted in, and 1,406 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .401 and .419 give Henderson a career OPS of .820.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rickey Henderson

What years did Rickey Henderson play?: Rickey Henderson played in Major League Baseball from 1979 to 2003.
Was Rickey Henderson a pitcher?: No. Rickey Henderson was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Rickey Henderson hit?: Rickey Henderson hit 297 career home runs with 3,055 hits.
Is Rickey Henderson in the Hall of Fame?: Yes. Rickey Henderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
What teams did Rickey Henderson play for?: Rickey Henderson played for 9 teams: the Oakland Athletics (1979–1984, 1989–1995, 1998), the New York Yankees (1985–1989), the Toronto Blue Jays (1993), the San Diego Padres (1996–1997, 2001), the Anaheim Angels (1997), the New York Mets (1999–2000), the Seattle Mariners (2000), the Boston Red Sox (2002), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003).
How many MVP awards did Rickey Henderson win?: Rickey Henderson won 1 MVP award, in 1990.
What awards did Rickey Henderson win?: Rickey Henderson won the MVP award (1990), the Gold Glove (1981), and 3 Silver Slugger awards (1981, 1985, and 1990). He was selected to 10 All-Star Games.
What were Rickey Henderson's career stats?: In 3,081 games, Rickey Henderson had 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, 1,115 RBI, 2,295 runs, and 1,406 stolen bases, with a .279 batting average.
How much did Rickey Henderson earn in his career?: Rickey Henderson's recorded salaries total $41,595,000 over 18 seasons, 1985 to 2002. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Henderson's career ran from 1979 to 2003. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2003.
What was Rickey Henderson's salary?: Rickey Henderson's last recorded salary was $350,000, in 2002. His highest recorded salary was $4,800,000, in 1994, and his lowest was $300,000, in 2001. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 2002.
What position did Rickey Henderson play?: Rickey Henderson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Rickey Henderson and how much did he weigh?: Rickey Henderson was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds.
How many home runs did Rickey Henderson hit each season?: Rickey Henderson's home runs by season: 1 in 1979, 9 in 1980, 6 in 1981, 10 in 1982, 9 in 1983, 16 in 1984, 24 in 1985, 28 in 1986, 17 in 1987, 6 in 1988, 12 in 1989, 28 in 1990, 18 in 1991, 15 in 1992, 21 in 1993, 6 in 1994, 9 in 1995, 9 in 1996, 8 in 1997, 14 in 1998, 12 in 1999, 4 in 2000, 8 in 2001, 5 in 2002, and 2 in 2003. His most in one season was 28, in 1986 and 1990.
What was Rickey Henderson's career batting average?: Rickey Henderson batted .279 over his career, with 3,055 hits in 10,961 at bats.