Ray Lankford
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1990-2004)
Ray Lankford was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2004 for the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres, a span of 15 seasons. In 1,701 career games, he hit .272 with 1,561 hits, 238 home runs, and 874 RBI. Ray Lankford was an All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 15,251.
- 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
- 5'11" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1990-08-21
- Last Game
- 2004-10-03
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Raymond Lewis Lankford
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,701 | 5,747 | 968 | 1,561 | 356 | 54 | 238 | 874 | 258 | 828 | 1,550 | .272 | .364 | .477 | .840 | 15,251 |
Career AVG .272 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .364 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +8.8% above league average.
Career SLG .477 vs. league average .415 across their career seasons — +14.8% above league average.
Career OPS .840 vs. league average .750 across their career seasons — +12.1% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | SLN | NL | 39 | 126 | 12 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 27 | .286 | .257 (+11%) | .324 (+9%) | .385 (+17%) | .710 (+13%) | 278.3 |
| 1991 | SLN | NL | 151 | 566 | 83 | 142 | 23 | 15 | 9 | 69 | 44 | 41 | 114 | .251 | .255 (-2%) | .323 (-7%) | .384 (+2%) | .708 (-2%) | -337.9 |
| 1992 | SLN | NL | 153 | 598 | 87 | 175 | 40 | 6 | 20 | 86 | 42 | 72 | 147 | .293 | .255 (+14%) | .322 (+15%) | .377 (+27%) | .699 (+22%) | 2597.7 |
| 1993 | SLN | NL | 127 | 407 | 64 | 97 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 45 | 14 | 81 | 111 | .238 | .265 (-10%) | .332 (+10%) | .403 (-14%) | .735 (-3%) | 58.6 |
| 1994 | SLN | NL | 109 | 416 | 89 | 111 | 25 | 5 | 19 | 57 | 11 | 58 | 113 | .267 | .269 (-1%) | .338 (+6%) | .424 (+15%) | .763 (+11%) | 931.4 |
| 1995 | SLN | NL | 132 | 483 | 81 | 134 | 35 | 2 | 25 | 82 | 24 | 63 | 110 | .277 | .266 (+4%) | .337 (+7%) | .417 (+23%) | .755 (+16%) | 1515.0 |
| 1996 | SLN | NL | 149 | 545 | 100 | 150 | 36 | 8 | 21 | 86 | 35 | 79 | 133 | .275 | .269 (+2%) | .340 (+7%) | .426 (+14%) | .767 (+11%) | 1289.2 |
| 1997 | SLN | NL | 133 | 465 | 94 | 137 | 36 | 3 | 31 | 98 | 21 | 95 | 125 | .295 | .266 (+10%) | .336 (+22%) | .419 (+40%) | .756 (+32%) | 3232.0 |
| 1998 | SLN | NL | 154 | 533 | 94 | 156 | 37 | 1 | 31 | 105 | 26 | 86 | 151 | .293 | .266 (+10%) | .335 (+17%) | .420 (+29%) | .755 (+23%) | 2807.4 |
| 1999 | SLN | NL | 122 | 422 | 77 | 129 | 32 | 1 | 15 | 63 | 14 | 49 | 110 | .306 | .271 (+13%) | .344 (+10%) | .433 (+14%) | .778 (+12%) | 1119.2 |
| 2000 | SLN | NL | 128 | 392 | 73 | 99 | 16 | 3 | 26 | 65 | 5 | 70 | 148 | .253 | .270 (-7%) | .344 (+6%) | .437 (+16%) | .782 (+12%) | 1026.9 |
| 2001 | SLN | NL | 91 | 264 | 38 | 62 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 39 | 4 | 44 | 105 | .235 | .263 (-11%) | .332 (+4%) | .426 (+16%) | .758 (+11%) | 553.7 |
| 2001 | SDN | NL | 40 | 125 | 20 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 6 | 18 | 40 | .288 | .263 (+9%) | .332 (+16%) | .426 (+13%) | .758 (+14%) | 553.7 |
| 2002 | SDN | NL | 81 | 205 | 20 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 2 | 30 | 61 | .224 | .261 (-14%) | .331 (-1%) | .416 (-15%) | .747 (-9%) | -249.5 |
| 2004 | SLN | NL | 92 | 200 | 36 | 51 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 2 | 29 | 55 | .255 | .266 (-4%) | .335 (+4%) | .427 (-1%) | .762 (+1%) | 68.0 |
| Career · 15 seasons | 1,701 | 5,747 | 968 | 1,561 | 356 | 54 | 238 | 874 | 258 | 828 | 1,550 | .272 | — | — | — | — | 15,444 | ||
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 (1701 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 847 | 2843 | 478 | 808 | 128 | 479 | .284 |
| Away | 854 | 2904 | 490 | 753 | 110 | 395 | .259 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-10-03 | STL | MIL | W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004-10-02 | STL | MIL | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-10-01 | STL | MIL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-30 | STL | MIL | L | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-29 | STL | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-28 | STL | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-20 | STL | MIL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-12 | STL | LAD | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-11 | STL | LAD | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004-09-10 | STL | LAD | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1586 | 1485 | 3530 | 72 | 63 | 11 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | SLN | OF | 35 | 30 | 92 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | SLN | OF | 149 | 135 | 367 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 1992 | SLN | OF | 153 | 151 | 438 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1993 | SLN | OF | 121 | 112 | 312 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 1994 | SLN | OF | 104 | 103 | 260 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 1995 | SLN | OF | 129 | 128 | 300 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 1996 | SLN | OF | 144 | 142 | 356 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | SLN | OF | 131 | 130 | 293 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 1998 | SLN | OF | 145 | 137 | 338 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1999 | SLN | OF | 106 | 103 | 214 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2000 | SLN | OF | 117 | 106 | 179 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 2001 | SLN | OF | 85 | 76 | 135 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 2001 | SDN | OF | 38 | 33 | 63 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | SDN | OF | 59 | 54 | 98 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 2004 | SLN | OF | 70 | 45 | 85 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 452 |
| Center Field | 1138 |
| Right Field | 2 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Player of the Week | Week of 1996-07-20 |
| 1995 | Player of the Week | Week of 1995-09-09 |
Salary History
Ray Lankford's recorded salaries total $47,795,001 over 14 seasons, 1990 to 2004. Lankford's career, 1990 to 2004, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | SLN | NL | $650,000 |
| 2002 | SDN | NL | $8,100,000 |
| 2001 | SLN | NL | $8,100,000 |
| 2000 | SLN | NL | $7,600,000 |
| 1999 | SLN | NL | $6,600,000 |
| 1998 | SLN | NL | $4,666,667 |
| 1997 | SLN | NL | $4,466,667 |
| 1996 | SLN | NL | $2,416,667 |
| 1995 | SLN | NL | $2,800,000 |
| 1994 | SLN | NL | $1,650,000 |
| 1993 | SLN | NL | $290,000 |
| 1992 | SLN | NL | $230,000 |
| 1991 | SLN | NL | $125,000 |
| 1990 | SLN | NL | $100,000 |
| Total recorded salary | $47,795,001 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | CA | 1986, 1987 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 16th | 6.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1992 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1991 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 28.0 | 120 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ray Lankford (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ray Lankford: the record in brief
August 21, 1990 and October 3, 2004 bracket Ray Lankford's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Lankford's seasons break down as the St. Louis Cardinals (1990 to 2004) and the San Diego Padres (2001 through 2002). Lankford played primarily as an outfielder and both batted and threw left-handed. The bio adds a birth date on June 5, 1967, in Los Angeles, CA, USA and a listed size of 5 feet, 11 inches and 180 pounds. Ray Lankford was the playing name; the full given name is Raymond Lewis.
Across 1,701 games at the plate, Lankford's career line reads 1,561 hits in 5,747 at bats for a .272 average, plus 238 home runs, 874 runs batted in, and 258 stolen bases. Lankford got on base at a .364 rate and slugged .477 (.840 OPS). Against a .265 league average for those years, Lankford's .272 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .840 to a league .750, 12.1% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ray Lankford
- What years did Ray Lankford play?
- Ray Lankford played in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2004.
- Was Ray Lankford a pitcher?
- No. Ray Lankford was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Ray Lankford hit?
- Ray Lankford hit 238 career home runs with 1,561 hits.
- What teams did Ray Lankford play for?
- Ray Lankford played for 2 teams: the St. Louis Cardinals (1990–2001, 2004) and the San Diego Padres (2001–2002).
- Did Ray Lankford win an MVP award?
- No. Ray Lankford did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Ray Lankford win?
- Ray Lankford was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Ray Lankford's career stats?
- In 1,701 games, Ray Lankford had 1,561 hits, 238 home runs, 874 RBI, 968 runs, and 258 stolen bases, with a .272 batting average.
- How much did Ray Lankford earn in his career?
- Ray Lankford's recorded salaries total $47,795,001 over 14 seasons, 1990 to 2004. Lankford's career, 1990 to 2004, falls within 1985 to 2016, the years the salary data covers.
- What was Ray Lankford's salary?
- Ray Lankford's last recorded salary was $650,000, in 2004. His highest recorded salary was $8,100,000, in 2001, and his lowest was $100,000, in 1990. The Salary History table lists each season from 1990 to 2004.
- What position did Ray Lankford play?
- Ray Lankford played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Ray Lankford and how much did he weigh?
- Ray Lankford was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Ray Lankford hit each season?
- Ray Lankford's home runs by season: 3 in 1990, 9 in 1991, 20 in 1992, 7 in 1993, 19 in 1994, 25 in 1995, 21 in 1996, 31 in 1997, 31 in 1998, 15 in 1999, 26 in 2000, 19 in 2001, 6 in 2002, and 6 in 2004. His most in one season was 31, in 1997 and 1998.
- What was Ray Lankford's career batting average?
- Ray Lankford batted .272 over his career, with 1,561 hits in 5,747 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ray Lankford have?
- Ray Lankford drove in 874 runs in his career.