Gary Matthews
Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1972-1987)
Gary Matthews was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1987 for 5 teams, including the San Francisco Giants, a span of 16 seasons. In 2,033 career games, he hit .281 with 2,011 hits, 234 home runs, and 978 RBI. Gary Matthews was an All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, and an NLCS MVP. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 20,295.
- 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
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 185 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1972-09-06
- Last Game
- 1987-10-02
- Awards
- All-Star · Rookie of the Year · NLCS MVP
Full name: Gary Nathaniel Matthews
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,033 | 7,147 | 1,083 | 2,011 | 319 | 51 | 234 | 978 | 183 | 940 | 1,125 | .281 | .364 | .439 | .802 | 20,295 |
Career AVG .281 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.
Career OBP .364 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +12.1% above league average.
Career SLG .439 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — +14.1% above league average.
Career OPS .802 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — +13.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | SFN | NL | 20 | 62 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 13 | .290 | .243 (+19%) | .310 (+15%) | .353 (+50%) | .664 (+34%) | 307.2 |
| 1973 | SFN | NL | 148 | 540 | 74 | 162 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 58 | 17 | 58 | 83 | .300 | .256 (+17%) | .325 (+13%) | .378 (+17%) | .703 (+15%) | 1640.6 |
| 1974 | SFN | NL | 154 | 561 | 87 | 161 | 27 | 6 | 16 | 82 | 11 | 70 | 69 | .287 | .256 (+12%) | .324 (+13%) | .369 (+20%) | .693 (+17%) | 1958.2 |
| 1975 | SFN | NL | 116 | 425 | 67 | 119 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 58 | 13 | 65 | 53 | .280 | .257 (+9%) | .327 (+15%) | .374 (+15%) | .701 (+15%) | 1368.5 |
| 1976 | SFN | NL | 156 | 587 | 79 | 164 | 28 | 4 | 20 | 84 | 12 | 75 | 94 | .279 | .255 (+9%) | .320 (+12%) | .360 (+23%) | .681 (+18%) | 2090.3 |
| 1977 | ATL | NL | 148 | 555 | 89 | 157 | 25 | 5 | 17 | 64 | 22 | 67 | 90 | .283 | .264 (+7%) | .329 (+10%) | .401 (+9%) | .730 (+9%) | 1211.7 |
| 1978 | ATL | NL | 129 | 474 | 75 | 135 | 20 | 5 | 18 | 62 | 8 | 61 | 92 | .285 | .257 (+10%) | .323 (+13%) | .378 (+22%) | .702 (+18%) | 1707.0 |
| 1979 | ATL | NL | 156 | 631 | 97 | 192 | 34 | 5 | 27 | 90 | 18 | 60 | 75 | .304 | .265 (+15%) | .329 (+10%) | .397 (+26%) | .727 (+19%) | 2415.2 |
| 1980 | ATL | NL | 155 | 571 | 79 | 159 | 17 | 3 | 19 | 75 | 11 | 42 | 93 | .278 | .264 (+5%) | .326 (avg) | .387 (+8%) | .714 (+4%) | 413.7 |
| 1981 | PHI | NL | 101 | 359 | 62 | 108 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 67 | 15 | 59 | 42 | .301 | .255 (+18%) | .320 (+24%) | .368 (+22%) | .688 (+23%) | 1708.7 |
| 1982 | PHI | NL | 162 | 616 | 89 | 173 | 31 | 1 | 19 | 83 | 21 | 66 | 87 | .281 | .261 (+8%) | .324 (+8%) | .388 (+10%) | .712 (+9%) | 1189.2 |
| 1983 | PHI | NL | 132 | 446 | 66 | 115 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 50 | 13 | 69 | 81 | .258 | .260 (-1%) | .324 (+8%) | .389 (-4%) | .714 (+2%) | 326.0 |
| 1984 | CHN | NL | 147 | 491 | 101 | 143 | 21 | 2 | 14 | 82 | 17 | 103 | 97 | .291 | .259 (+12%) | .322 (+27%) | .384 (+11%) | .707 (+18%) | 2314.6 |
| 1985 | CHN | NL | 97 | 298 | 45 | 70 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 40 | 2 | 59 | 64 | .235 | .257 (-9%) | .323 (+12%) | .390 (+4%) | .714 (+8%) | 609.1 |
| 1986 | CHN | NL | 123 | 370 | 49 | 96 | 16 | 1 | 21 | 46 | 3 | 60 | 59 | .259 | .257 (+1%) | .325 (+11%) | .395 (+21%) | .720 (+16%) | 1287.7 |
| 1987 | CHN | NL | 44 | 42 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .262 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1987 | SEA | AL | 45 | 119 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 22 | .235 | .262 (-11%) | .331 (-4%) | .415 (-23%) | .746 (-15%) | 0.0 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 2,033 | 7,147 | 1,083 | 2,011 | 319 | 51 | 234 | 978 | 183 | 940 | 1,125 | .281 | — | — | — | — | 20,548 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2033 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1021 | 3510 | 595 | 1045 | 127 | 531 | .298 |
| Away | 1012 | 3637 | 488 | 966 | 107 | 447 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-10-02 | SEA | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-10-01 | SEA | TEX | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-09-30 | SEA | KCR | L | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987-09-29 | SEA | KCR | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-09-28 | SEA | KCR | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-27 | SEA | TEX | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987-09-26 | SEA | TEX | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-25 | SEA | TEX | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-22 | SEA | KCR | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-09-18 | SEA | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1876 | 1852 | 3226 | 135 | 112 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | SFN | OF | 19 | 17 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1973 | SFN | OF | 145 | 140 | 277 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| 1974 | SFN | OF | 151 | 144 | 281 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| 1975 | SFN | OF | 113 | 112 | 225 | 11 | 8 | 2 |
| 1976 | SFN | OF | 156 | 155 | 265 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 1977 | ATL | OF | 145 | 145 | 262 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 1978 | ATL | OF | 127 | 126 | 238 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| 1979 | ATL | OF | 156 | 156 | 292 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| 1980 | ATL | OF | 143 | 142 | 258 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
| 1981 | PHI | OF | 100 | 99 | 170 | 11 | 7 | 1 |
| 1982 | PHI | OF | 162 | 161 | 268 | 14 | 10 | 2 |
| 1983 | PHI | OF | 122 | 120 | 174 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
| 1984 | CHN | OF | 145 | 144 | 224 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| 1985 | CHN | OF | 85 | 85 | 119 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 1986 | CHN | OF | 105 | 104 | 137 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| 1987 | CHN | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 1446 |
| Right Field | 430 |
| Designated Hitter | 39 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | NLCS MVP | |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-05-14 |
| 1981 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-06-22 |
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-04-23 |
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-07-19 |
| 1973 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1973 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CHN | NL | $850,000 |
| 1985 | CHN | NL | $600,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $1,450,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 5th | 70.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1982 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1981 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 31.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1979 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 26th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 11.0 | 24 | 11 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Gary Matthews (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 6, 1972 and the final game on October 2, 1987, Gary Matthews built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the San Francisco Giants (1972 through 1976), the Atlanta Braves (1977 to 1980), the Philadelphia Phillies (1981 through 1983), the Chicago Cubs (1984 to 1987), and the Seattle Mariners (1987). Listed as an outfielder, Matthews both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 6 feet, 2 inches and 185 pounds. The birth record reads July 5, 1950, in San Fernando, CA, USA. On the record, Gary Matthews was born Gary Nathaniel Matthews.
The batting record for Matthews: 2,033 games, 2,011 hits in 7,147 at bats, and a .281 average, plus 234 homers, 978 runs batted in, and 183 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .364 and the slugging percentage .439, for an OPS of .802. Over the seasons Matthews played, league hitters batted .259; the .281 career figure is 8.7% above that.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gary Matthews
- What years did Gary Matthews play?
- Gary Matthews played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1987.
- Was Gary Matthews a pitcher?
- No. Gary Matthews was a position player (Outfielder).
- How many home runs did Gary Matthews hit?
- Gary Matthews hit 234 career home runs with 2011 hits.
- What was Gary Matthews's career batting average?
- Gary Matthews batted .281 over his career, with 2,011 hits in 7,147 at bats.
- How many RBI did Gary Matthews have?
- Gary Matthews drove in 978 runs in his career.
- Is Gary Matthews in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Gary Matthews has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.