Lance Johnson

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1987-2000)

Lance Johnson was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 2000 for 5 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 14 seasons. In 1,447 career games, he hit .291 with 1,565 hits, 34 home runs, and 486 RBI. Lance Johnson was an All-Star.

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 .291
HR 34
RBI 486
H 1,565
OPS .720
PIV -2,174
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / L
Height / Weight
5'10" / 160 lb
Born
7/6/1963 in Cincinnati, OH, USA
MLB Debut
1987-07-10
Last Game
2000-05-27
Awards
All-Star

Full name: Kenneth Lance Johnson

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Career Batting Statistics

Lance Johnson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1,447 5,379 767 1,565 175 117 34 486 327 352 384 .291 .334 .386 .720 -2,174

Career AVG .291 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — +10.4% above league average.

Career OBP .334 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .386 vs. league average .408 across their career seasons — 5.3% below league average.

Career OPS .720 vs. league average .740 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Lance Johnson 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
1987 SLN NL 33 59 4 13 2 1 0 7 6 4 6 .220 .262 (-16%) .331 (-19%) .415 (-31%) .746 (-25%) -246.6
1988 CHA AL 33 124 11 23 4 1 0 6 6 6 11 .185 .254 (-27%) .317 (-30%) .377 (-38%) .695 (-34%) -661.3
1989 CHA AL 50 180 28 54 8 2 0 16 16 17 24 .300 .254 (+18%) .319 (+13%) .375 (-2%) .694 (+5%) 179.2
1990 CHA AL 151 541 76 154 18 9 1 51 36 33 45 .285 .257 (+10%) .324 (avg) .385 (-7%) .710 (-4%) -385.9
1991 CHA AL 159 588 72 161 14 13 0 49 26 26 58 .274 .255 (+7%) .323 (-6%) .384 (-11%) .708 (-9%) -898.3
1992 CHA AL 157 567 67 158 15 12 3 47 41 34 33 .279 .255 (+9%) .322 (-1%) .377 (-4%) .699 (-3%) -321.5
1993 CHA AL 147 540 75 168 18 14 0 47 35 36 33 .311 .265 (+17%) .332 (+7%) .403 (-2%) .735 (+2%) 207.6
1994 CHA AL 106 412 56 114 11 14 3 54 26 26 23 .277 .269 (+3%) .338 (-5%) .424 (-7%) .763 (-6%) -526.6
1995 CHA AL 142 607 98 186 18 12 10 57 40 32 31 .306 .266 (+15%) .337 (+1%) .417 (+2%) .755 (+1%) 62.2
1996 NYN NL 160 682 117 227 31 21 9 69 50 33 40 .333 .269 (+23%) .340 (+6%) .426 (+12%) .767 (+10%) 1188.0
1997 NYN NL 72 265 43 82 10 6 1 24 15 33 21 .309 .266 (+16%) .336 (+14%) .419 (-4%) .756 (+4%) 291.4
1997 CHN NL 39 145 17 44 6 2 4 15 5 9 10 .303 .266 (+14%) .336 (+2%) .419 (+9%) .756 (+5%) 291.4
1998 CHN NL 85 304 51 85 8 4 2 21 10 26 22 .280 .266 (+5%) .335 (avg) .420 (-16%) .755 (-9%) -416.9
1999 CHN NL 95 335 46 87 11 6 1 21 13 37 20 .260 .271 (-4%) .344 (-4%) .433 (-22%) .778 (-14%) -758.5
2000 NYA AL 18 30 6 9 1 0 0 2 2 0 7 .300 — — — — 0.0
Career · 15 seasons 1,447 5,379 767 1,565 175 117 34 486 327 352 384 .291 — — — — -1,996

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

Lance Johnson — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
11 35 3 7 1 1 1 7 2 2 .200

Playoff Batting by Year

Lance Johnson — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1998 NLDS1 CHN 3 12 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 .167
1993 ALCS CHA 6 23 2 5 1 1 1 6 2 1 .217
1987 NLCS SLN 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1987 WS SLN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1446 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Lance Johnson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home712259736273512236.283
Away734277840482922250.298

Last 10 Games — Batting

Lance Johnson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
2000-05-27 NYYBOSW 000000000
2000-05-26 NYYBOSL 100000001
2000-05-24 NYYCHWW 333000100
2000-05-20 NYYCLEL 300000002
2000-05-16 NYYCHWL 100000000
2000-05-14 NYYDETL 100000000
2000-05-13 NYYDETL 100000000
2000-05-12 NYYDETL 100000000
2000-05-07 NYYBALL 100000000
2000-05-01 NYYCLEW 100000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Lance Johnson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1387 1271 3509 68 62 21

Season-by-Season Fielding

Lance Johnson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1987 SLN OF 25 13 27 0 2 0
1988 CHA OF 31 27 63 1 2 0
1989 CHA OF 45 42 113 0 2 0
1990 CHA OF 148 129 353 5 10 3
1991 CHA OF 157 146 425 11 2 3
1992 CHA OF 157 151 433 11 6 3
1993 CHA OF 146 136 427 7 9 1
1994 CHA OF 103 100 317 1 0 1
1995 CHA OF 140 132 338 8 3 2
1996 NYN OF 157 156 391 9 12 3
1997 NYN OF 66 62 152 4 4 2
1997 CHN OF 39 32 79 0 3 0
1998 CHN OF 78 68 154 5 4 2
1999 CHN OF 91 77 235 6 3 1
2000 NYA OF 4 0 2 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Lance Johnson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Left Field 53
Center Field 1327
Right Field 21
Designated Hitter 9

Salary History

Lance Johnson's recorded salaries total $24,931,600 over 14 seasons, 1987 to 2000. Johnson's career, 1987 to 2000, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.

Lance Johnson — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
2000 NYA AL $350,000
1999 CHN NL $5,100,000
1998 CHN NL $4,900,000
1997 NYN NL $3,050,000
1996 NYN NL $2,715,000
1995 CHA AL $2,666,667
1994 CHA AL $2,666,667
1993 CHA AL $2,266,666
1992 CHA AL $530,000
1991 CHA AL $385,000
1990 CHA AL $100,000
1989 CHA AL $76,600
1988 CHA AL $62,500
1987 SLN NL $62,500
Total recorded salary $24,931,600

College History

Lance Johnson — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Triton College River Grove IL 1982, 1983
University of South Alabama Mobile AL 1984

Award Voting History

Lance Johnson — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1996 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 7.0 392 0

Most Similar Players

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

Career Spans

Lance Johnson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Duff Cooley
    .294 avg, 26 HR
  2. 88
    Luis Polonia
    .293 avg, 36 HR
  3. 83
    Mickey Rivers
    .295 avg, 61 HR
  4. 82
    Chicken Wolf
    .290 avg, 18 HR
  5. 81
    Jack Smith
    .287 avg, 40 HR
  6. 74
    Patsy Dougherty
    .284 avg, 17 HR

Lance Johnson: the record in brief

July 10, 1987 and May 27, 2000 bracket Lance Johnson's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Club by club, the record runs the St. Louis Cardinals (1987), the Chicago White Sox (1988 through 1995), the New York Mets (1996 to 1997), the Chicago Cubs (1997 through 1999), and the New York Yankees (2000). Johnson played primarily as an outfielder and threw and hit left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on July 6, 1963, in Cincinnati, OH, USA and a listed size of 160 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. Lance Johnson was the playing name; the full given name is Kenneth Lance.

Johnson finished with 1,565 hits from 5,379 at bats in 1,447 games, which works out to .291, along with 34 home runs, 486 RBI, and 327 stolen bases. Reaching base at a .334 clip and slugging .386, Johnson finished with a .720 OPS. Measured against the leagues Johnson played in, the .291 career average compares with a .264 league average over the same seasons, 10.4% above the league.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lance Johnson

What years did Lance Johnson play?
Lance Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 2000.
Was Lance Johnson a pitcher?
No. Lance Johnson was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Lance Johnson hit?
Lance Johnson hit 34 career home runs with 1,565 hits.
What teams did Lance Johnson play for?
Lance Johnson played for 5 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1987), the Chicago White Sox (1988–1995), the New York Mets (1996–1997), the Chicago Cubs (1997–1999), and the New York Yankees (2000).
Did Lance Johnson win an MVP award?
No. Lance Johnson did not win the MVP award.
What awards did Lance Johnson win?
Lance Johnson was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
What were Lance Johnson's career stats?
In 1,447 games, Lance Johnson had 1,565 hits, 34 home runs, 486 RBI, 767 runs, and 327 stolen bases, with a .291 batting average.
How much did Lance Johnson earn in his career?
Lance Johnson's recorded salaries total $24,931,600 over 14 seasons, 1987 to 2000. Johnson's career, 1987 to 2000, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
What was Lance Johnson's salary?
Lance Johnson's last recorded salary was $350,000, in 2000. His highest recorded salary was $5,100,000, in 1999, and his lowest was $62,500, in 1987. The Salary History table lists each season from 1987 to 2000.
What position did Lance Johnson play?
Lance Johnson played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Lance Johnson and how much did he weigh?
Lance Johnson was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds.
How many home runs did Lance Johnson hit each season?
Lance Johnson's home runs by season: 0 in 1987, 0 in 1988, 0 in 1989, 1 in 1990, 0 in 1991, 3 in 1992, 0 in 1993, 3 in 1994, 10 in 1995, 9 in 1996, 5 in 1997, 2 in 1998, 1 in 1999, and 0 in 2000. His most in one season was 10, in 1995.
What was Lance Johnson's career batting average?
Lance Johnson batted .291 over his career, with 1,565 hits in 5,379 at bats.
How many RBI did Lance Johnson have?
Lance Johnson drove in 486 runs in his career.