Ryan Klesko
Born: 6/12/1971 in Westminster, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1992-09-12 | Final Game: 2007-09-25
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 220 lbs
Full name: Ryan Anthony Klesko
Biography
Ryan Klesko was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1992 to 2007. Born in 1971, Klesko made his mark during a dynamic era of baseball characterized by offensive power and increased home run totals. Over the course of his 1,736 games, he showcased his formidable hitting ability, accumulating 1,564 hits and launching 278 home runs. His offensive prowess also translated into 987 RBIs, which underscored his role as a key run producer for his teams.
Klesko's playing style was defined by his combination of power and speed; he recorded 91 stolen bases, demonstrating his athleticism on the base paths. In recognition of his talents, he earned an All-Star selection during his career, highlighting his status among the game's elite. Klesko's contributions were particularly notable during his time with the Atlanta Braves, where he was part of a team that consistently competed for championships. He finished his career with a respectable batting average of .279, leaving a lasting impact on the teams he played for and the fans who admired his skill and determination on the field.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1736 | 5611 | 874 | 1564 | 343 | 33 | 278 | 987 | 91 | 817 | 1077 | 0.279 | 0.370 | 0.500 | 0.870 | 17435.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | ATL | NL | 13 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1993 | ATL | NL | 22 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.353 | 0.0 |
| 1994 | ATL | NL | 92 | 245 | 42 | 68 | 13 | 3 | 17 | 47 | 1 | 26 | 48 | 0.278 | 809.9 |
| 1995 | ATL | NL | 107 | 329 | 48 | 102 | 25 | 2 | 23 | 70 | 5 | 47 | 72 | 0.310 | 2150.2 |
| 1996 | ATL | NL | 153 | 528 | 90 | 149 | 21 | 4 | 34 | 93 | 6 | 68 | 129 | 0.282 | 1873.8 |
| 1997 | ATL | NL | 143 | 467 | 67 | 122 | 23 | 6 | 24 | 84 | 4 | 48 | 130 | 0.261 | 796.5 |
| 1998 | ATL | NL | 129 | 427 | 69 | 117 | 29 | 1 | 18 | 70 | 5 | 56 | 66 | 0.274 | 929.5 |
| 1999 | ATL | NL | 133 | 404 | 55 | 120 | 28 | 2 | 21 | 80 | 5 | 53 | 69 | 0.297 | 1384.0 |
| 2000 | SDP | NL | 145 | 494 | 88 | 140 | 33 | 2 | 26 | 92 | 23 | 91 | 81 | 0.283 | 1920.4 |
| 2001 | SDP | NL | 146 | 538 | 105 | 154 | 34 | 6 | 30 | 113 | 23 | 88 | 89 | 0.286 | 2537.5 |
| 2002 | SDP | NL | 146 | 540 | 90 | 162 | 39 | 1 | 29 | 95 | 6 | 76 | 86 | 0.300 | 2777.4 |
| 2003 | SDP | NL | 121 | 397 | 47 | 100 | 18 | 0 | 21 | 67 | 2 | 65 | 83 | 0.252 | 658.5 |
| 2004 | SDP | NL | 127 | 402 | 58 | 117 | 32 | 2 | 9 | 66 | 3 | 73 | 67 | 0.291 | 1146.5 |
| 2005 | SDP | NL | 137 | 443 | 61 | 110 | 19 | 1 | 18 | 58 | 3 | 75 | 80 | 0.248 | 535.5 |
| 2006 | SDP | NL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.750 | 0.0 |
| 2007 | SFG | NL | 116 | 362 | 51 | 94 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 44 | 5 | 46 | 68 | 0.260 | -84.6 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 165 | 25 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 26 | 46 | 0.236 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | NLDS2 | SDN | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.667 |
| 2005 | NLDS1 | SDN | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.200 |
| 1999 | NLCS | ATL | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0.125 |
| 1999 | WS | ATL | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.167 |
| 1999 | NLDS1 | ATL | 4 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.333 |
| 1998 | NLDS1 | ATL | 3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.273 |
| 1998 | NLCS | ATL | 5 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0.083 |
| 1997 | NLDS2 | ATL | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 |
| 1997 | NLCS | ATL | 5 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0.235 |
| 1996 | NLDS1 | ATL | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.125 |
| 1996 | NLCS | ATL | 6 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0.250 |
| 1996 | WS | ATL | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.100 |
| 1995 | NLCS | ATL | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.000 |
| 1995 | WS | ATL | 6 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0.312 |
| 1995 | NLDS1 | ATL | 4 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.467 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 747 | 670 | 5517 | 455 | 47 | 500 |
| OF | 888 | 863 | 1143 | 34 | 31 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | ATL | 1B | 5 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 | ATL | 1B | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | ATL | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | ATL | 1B | 6 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 | ATL | OF | 74 | 71 | 67 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1995 | ATL | 1B | 4 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | ATL | OF | 102 | 100 | 111 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 1996 | ATL | 1B | 2 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1996 | ATL | OF | 144 | 142 | 191 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 1997 | ATL | 1B | 22 | 6 | 63 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 1997 | ATL | OF | 130 | 126 | 182 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1998 | ATL | 1B | 7 | 5 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 1998 | ATL | OF | 120 | 119 | 147 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999 | ATL | 1B | 75 | 66 | 493 | 30 | 6 | 37 |
| 1999 | ATL | OF | 53 | 50 | 61 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | SDN | 1B | 136 | 128 | 1028 | 91 | 9 | 104 |
| 2000 | SDN | OF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | SDN | 1B | 145 | 143 | 1135 | 84 | 11 | 92 |
| 2002 | SDN | 1B | 112 | 111 | 918 | 73 | 7 | 92 |
| 2002 | SDN | OF | 31 | 30 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | SDN | 1B | 111 | 103 | 849 | 84 | 6 | 67 |
| 2004 | SDN | 1B | 18 | 15 | 138 | 16 | 2 | 19 |
| 2004 | SDN | OF | 104 | 102 | 135 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | SDN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | SDN | OF | 121 | 120 | 204 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 2007 | SFN | 1B | 100 | 89 | 755 | 66 | 3 | 73 |
| 2007 | SFN | OF | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 747 |
| Left Field | 854 |
| Right Field | 34 |
| Designated Hitter | 9 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Player of the Week | Week of 2001-09-01 |
| 2000 | Player of the Week | Week of 2000-07-22 |
| 1996 | Player of the Week | Week of 1996-04-06 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | SFN | NL | $1,750,000 |
| 2006 | SDN | NL | $9,000,000 |
| 2005 | SDN | NL | $9,000,000 |
| 2004 | SDN | NL | $6,000,000 |
| 2003 | SDN | NL | $5,500,000 |
| 2002 | SDN | NL | $6,000,000 |
| 2001 | SDN | NL | $5,750,000 |
| 2000 | SDN | NL | $5,750,000 |
| 1999 | ATL | NL | $4,750,000 |
| 1998 | ATL | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 1997 | ATL | NL | $2,450,000 |
| 1996 | ATL | NL | $315,000 |
| 1995 | ATL | NL | $190,000 |
| 1994 | ATL | NL | $111,500 |
| 1993 | ATL | NL | $109,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $60,175,500 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 25.0 | 140 | 0 |