Jason Kendall
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1996-2010)
Jason Kendall was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1996 to 2010 for 5 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 15 seasons. In 2,085 career games, he hit .288 with 2,195 hits, 75 home runs, and 744 RBI. Jason Kendall was a 3-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 2,078.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 181 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1996-04-01
- Last Game
- 2010-08-30
- Awards
- 3× All-Star
Full name: Jason Daniel Kendall
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,085 | 7,627 | 1,030 | 2,195 | 394 | 35 | 75 | 744 | 189 | 721 | 686 | .288 | .366 | .378 | .744 | 2,078 |
Career AVG .288 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — +8.3% above league average.
Career OBP .366 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +9.2% above league average.
Career SLG .378 vs. league average .423 across their career seasons — 10.5% below league average.
Career OPS .744 vs. league average .758 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | PIT | NL | 130 | 414 | 54 | 124 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 5 | 35 | 30 | .300 | .269 (+11%) | .340 (+9%) | .426 (-6%) | .767 (+1%) | 174.5 |
| 1997 | PIT | NL | 144 | 486 | 71 | 143 | 36 | 4 | 8 | 49 | 18 | 49 | 53 | .294 | .266 (+10%) | .336 (+16%) | .419 (+4%) | .756 (+9%) | 1192.3 |
| 1998 | PIT | NL | 149 | 535 | 95 | 175 | 36 | 3 | 12 | 75 | 26 | 51 | 51 | .327 | .266 (+23%) | .335 (+23%) | .420 (+13%) | .755 (+17%) | 2229.5 |
| 1999 | PIT | NL | 78 | 280 | 61 | 93 | 20 | 3 | 8 | 41 | 22 | 38 | 32 | .332 | .271 (+22%) | .344 (+24%) | .433 (+18%) | .778 (+21%) | 1274.2 |
| 2000 | PIT | NL | 152 | 579 | 112 | 185 | 33 | 6 | 14 | 58 | 22 | 79 | 79 | .320 | .270 (+18%) | .344 (+19%) | .437 (+7%) | .782 (+13%) | 1946.4 |
| 2001 | PIT | NL | 157 | 606 | 84 | 161 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 53 | 13 | 44 | 48 | .266 | .263 (+1%) | .332 (+1%) | .426 (-16%) | .758 (-9%) | -714.1 |
| 2002 | PIT | NL | 145 | 545 | 59 | 154 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 15 | 49 | 29 | .283 | .261 (+8%) | .331 (+6%) | .416 (-15%) | .747 (-6%) | -351.1 |
| 2003 | PIT | NL | 150 | 587 | 84 | 191 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 58 | 8 | 49 | 40 | .325 | .264 (+23%) | .332 (+20%) | .422 (-2%) | .754 (+8%) | 1350.3 |
| 2004 | PIT | NL | 147 | 574 | 86 | 183 | 32 | 0 | 3 | 51 | 11 | 60 | 41 | .319 | .266 (+20%) | .335 (+19%) | .427 (-9%) | .762 (+3%) | 822.3 |
| 2005 | OAK | AL | 150 | 601 | 70 | 163 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 8 | 50 | 39 | .271 | .264 (+3%) | .330 (+4%) | .418 (-23%) | .749 (-11%) | -885.1 |
| 2006 | OAK | AL | 143 | 552 | 76 | 163 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 11 | 53 | 54 | .295 | .269 (+10%) | .336 (+9%) | .431 (-21%) | .768 (-8%) | -488.9 |
| 2007 | OAK | AL | 80 | 292 | 24 | 66 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 27 | .226 | .268 (-16%) | .335 (-22%) | .422 (-34%) | .758 (-29%) | -1397.8 |
| 2007 | CHN | NL | 57 | 174 | 21 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 15 | .270 | .268 (+1%) | .335 (+8%) | .422 (-16%) | .758 (-5%) | -1397.8 |
| 2008 | MIL | NL | 151 | 516 | 46 | 127 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 49 | 8 | 50 | 45 | .246 | .263 (-7%) | .333 (-2%) | .416 (-22%) | .749 (-13%) | -993.8 |
| 2009 | MIL | NL | 134 | 452 | 48 | 109 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 7 | 46 | 58 | .241 | .262 (-8%) | .332 (-1%) | .417 (-27%) | .750 (-15%) | -993.9 |
| 2010 | KCA | AL | 118 | 434 | 39 | 111 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 12 | 37 | 45 | .256 | .257 (-1%) | .325 (-2%) | .402 (-26%) | .728 (-16%) | -1011.3 |
| Career · 16 seasons | 2,085 | 7,627 | 1,030 | 2,195 | 394 | 35 | 75 | 744 | 189 | 721 | 686 | .288 | — | — | — | — | 756 | ||
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 (2085 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1047 | 3732 | 521 | 1064 | 37 | 366 | .285 |
| Away | 1038 | 3895 | 509 | 1131 | 38 | 378 | .290 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-08-30 | KCR | TEX | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-08-28 | KCR | CLE | L | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010-08-27 | KCR | CLE | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010-08-24 | KCR | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-08-23 | KCR | DET | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-08-22 | KCR | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-08-21 | KCR | CHW | W | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-08-19 | KCR | CLE | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010-08-18 | KCR | CLE | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-08-17 | KCR | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 2025 | 1990 | 13019 | 989 | 144 | 148 |
| OF | 29 | 27 | 48 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | PIT | C | 129 | 117 | 797 | 71 | 18 | 10 |
| 1997 | PIT | C | 142 | 139 | 952 | 103 | 11 | 20 |
| 1998 | PIT | C | 144 | 143 | 1015 | 58 | 9 | 10 |
| 1999 | PIT | C | 75 | 74 | 505 | 48 | 7 | 13 |
| 2000 | PIT | C | 147 | 145 | 990 | 81 | 10 | 12 |
| 2001 | PIT | C | 133 | 127 | 739 | 52 | 12 | 7 |
| 2001 | PIT | OF | 27 | 27 | 47 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2002 | PIT | C | 143 | 140 | 797 | 64 | 9 | 13 |
| 2003 | PIT | C | 146 | 145 | 841 | 48 | 10 | 3 |
| 2004 | PIT | C | 146 | 145 | 998 | 78 | 10 | 13 |
| 2005 | OAK | C | 147 | 146 | 986 | 51 | 7 | 6 |
| 2006 | OAK | C | 141 | 141 | 924 | 54 | 5 | 9 |
| 2007 | OAK | C | 80 | 80 | 485 | 34 | 4 | 4 |
| 2007 | OAK | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | CHN | C | 52 | 50 | 362 | 24 | 5 | 2 |
| 2008 | MIL | C | 149 | 149 | 1025 | 94 | 6 | 13 |
| 2009 | MIL | C | 133 | 131 | 882 | 61 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010 | KCA | C | 118 | 118 | 721 | 68 | 13 | 11 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 2025 |
| Left Field | 20 |
| Right Field | 10 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Player of the Week | Week of 1998-08-15 |
| 1996 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | KCA | AL | $3,750,000 |
| 2010 | KCA | AL | $2,250,000 |
| 2009 | MIL | NL | $5,000,000 |
| 2008 | MIL | NL | $4,250,000 |
| 2007 | OAK | AL | $12,858,194 |
| 2006 | OAK | AL | $11,492,454 |
| 2005 | OAK | AL | $10,571,429 |
| 2004 | PIT | NL | $8,571,429 |
| 2003 | PIT | NL | $8,571,429 |
| 2002 | PIT | NL | $6,571,429 |
| 2001 | PIT | NL | $5,100,000 |
| 2000 | PIT | NL | $2,250,000 |
| 1999 | PIT | NL | $1,250,000 |
| 1998 | PIT | NL | $600,000 |
| 1997 | PIT | NL | $235,000 |
| 1996 | PIT | NL | $109,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $83,430,364 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 30.0 | 140 | 1 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jason Kendall (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Jason Kendall
Jason Kendall: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 1, 1996 and the final game on August 30, 2010, Jason Kendall built the record summarized on this page. By club, Kendall's seasons break down as the Pittsburgh Pirates (1996 to 2004), the Oakland Athletics (2005 through 2007), the Chicago Cubs (2007), the Milwaukee Brewers (2008 through 2009), and the Kansas City Royals (2010). Kendall is listed as a catcher at 181 pounds on a 6-foot-0 frame. Kendall both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is June 26, 1974, in San Diego, CA, USA. Jason Kendall was the playing name; the full given name is Jason Daniel.
Across 2,085 games at the plate, Kendall's career line reads 2,195 hits in 7,627 at bats for a .288 average, along with 75 home runs, 744 runs batted in, and 189 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .366 and the slugging percentage .378, for an OPS of .744. Kendall's .288 average ran 8.3% above the .266 that the league posted over the same seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jason Kendall
- What years did Jason Kendall play?
- Jason Kendall played in Major League Baseball from 1996 to 2010.
- Was Jason Kendall a pitcher?
- No. Jason Kendall was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Jason Kendall hit?
- Jason Kendall hit 75 career home runs with 2195 hits.
- What was Jason Kendall's career batting average?
- Jason Kendall batted .288 over his career, with 2,195 hits in 7,627 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jason Kendall have?
- Jason Kendall drove in 744 runs in his career.
- Is Jason Kendall in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jason Kendall has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.