Graig Nettles
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1967-1988)
Graig Nettles was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1988 for 6 teams, including the Minnesota Twins, a span of 22 seasons. In 2,700 career games, he hit .248 with 2,225 hits, 390 home runs, and 1,314 RBI. Graig Nettles was a 6-time All-Star, an ALCS MVP, and a 2-time Gold Glove. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 12,470.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 180 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1967-09-06
- Last Game
- 1988-10-01
- Awards
- 6× All-Star · ALCS MVP · 2× Gold Glove
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,700 | 8,986 | 1,193 | 2,225 | 328 | 28 | 390 | 1,314 | 32 | 1,088 | 1,209 | .248 | .329 | .421 | .750 | 12,470 |
Career AVG .248 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .329 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .421 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.
Career OPS .750 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — +6.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | MIN | AL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1968 | MIN | AL | 22 | 76 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 20 | .224 | .236 (-5%) | .298 (avg) | .340 (+39%) | .638 (+21%) | 215.4 |
| 1969 | MIN | AL | 96 | 225 | 27 | 50 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 1 | 32 | 47 | .222 | .248 (-10%) | .320 (avg) | .369 (+1%) | .689 (avg) | 34.8 |
| 1970 | CLE | AL | 157 | 549 | 81 | 129 | 13 | 1 | 26 | 62 | 3 | 81 | 77 | .235 | .253 (-7%) | .325 (+3%) | .385 (+5%) | .711 (+4%) | 645.6 |
| 1971 | CLE | AL | 158 | 598 | 78 | 156 | 18 | 1 | 28 | 86 | 7 | 82 | 56 | .261 | .249 (+5%) | .316 (+10%) | .365 (+19%) | .682 (+15%) | 1889.9 |
| 1972 | CLE | AL | 150 | 557 | 65 | 141 | 28 | 0 | 17 | 70 | 2 | 57 | 50 | .253 | .243 (+4%) | .310 (+5%) | .353 (+12%) | .664 (+8%) | 904.2 |
| 1973 | NYA | AL | 160 | 552 | 65 | 129 | 18 | 0 | 22 | 81 | 0 | 78 | 76 | .234 | .256 (-9%) | .325 (+3%) | .378 (+2%) | .703 (+2%) | 421.4 |
| 1974 | NYA | AL | 155 | 566 | 74 | 139 | 21 | 1 | 22 | 75 | 1 | 59 | 75 | .246 | .256 (-4%) | .324 (-3%) | .369 (+9%) | .693 (+4%) | 312.6 |
| 1975 | NYA | AL | 157 | 581 | 71 | 155 | 24 | 4 | 21 | 91 | 1 | 51 | 88 | .267 | .257 (+4%) | .327 (-1%) | .374 (+15%) | .701 (+7%) | 647.4 |
| 1976 | NYA | AL | 158 | 583 | 88 | 148 | 29 | 2 | 32 | 93 | 11 | 62 | 94 | .254 | .255 (-1%) | .320 (+2%) | .360 (+32%) | .681 (+18%) | 1903.8 |
| 1977 | NYA | AL | 158 | 589 | 99 | 150 | 23 | 4 | 37 | 107 | 2 | 68 | 79 | .255 | .264 (-4%) | .329 (+1%) | .401 (+24%) | .730 (+13%) | 1577.9 |
| 1978 | NYA | AL | 159 | 587 | 81 | 162 | 23 | 2 | 27 | 93 | 1 | 59 | 69 | .276 | .257 (+7%) | .323 (+6%) | .378 (+21%) | .702 (+14%) | 1658.3 |
| 1979 | NYA | AL | 145 | 521 | 71 | 132 | 15 | 1 | 20 | 73 | 1 | 59 | 53 | .253 | .265 (-5%) | .329 (-2%) | .397 (+1%) | .727 (avg) | -11.4 |
| 1980 | NYA | AL | 89 | 324 | 52 | 79 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 45 | 0 | 42 | 42 | .244 | .264 (-8%) | .326 (+1%) | .387 (+12%) | .714 (+7%) | 463.9 |
| 1981 | NYA | AL | 103 | 349 | 46 | 85 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 46 | 0 | 47 | 49 | .244 | .255 (-5%) | .320 (+4%) | .368 (+8%) | .688 (+6%) | 465.5 |
| 1982 | NYA | AL | 122 | 405 | 47 | 94 | 11 | 2 | 18 | 55 | 1 | 51 | 49 | .232 | .261 (-11%) | .324 (-2%) | .388 (+4%) | .712 (+1%) | 93.6 |
| 1983 | NYA | AL | 129 | 462 | 56 | 123 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 75 | 0 | 51 | 65 | .266 | .260 (+2%) | .324 (+5%) | .389 (+15%) | .714 (+10%) | 946.4 |
| 1984 | SDN | NL | 124 | 395 | 56 | 90 | 11 | 1 | 20 | 65 | 0 | 58 | 55 | .228 | .259 (-12%) | .322 (+2%) | .384 (+7%) | .707 (+5%) | 438.4 |
| 1985 | SDN | NL | 137 | 440 | 66 | 115 | 23 | 1 | 15 | 61 | 0 | 72 | 59 | .261 | .257 (+2%) | .323 (+12%) | .390 (+8%) | .714 (+10%) | 1040.1 |
| 1986 | SDN | NL | 126 | 354 | 36 | 77 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 55 | 0 | 41 | 62 | .218 | .257 (-16%) | .325 (-8%) | .395 (-4%) | .720 (-6%) | -324.9 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | 112 | 177 | 16 | 37 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 1 | 22 | 25 | .209 | .262 (-21%) | .331 (-11%) | .415 (-16%) | .746 (-14%) | -410.3 |
| 1988 | MON | NL | 80 | 93 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 19 | .172 | .254 (-32%) | .317 (-24%) | .377 (-35%) | .695 (-30%) | -442.5 |
| Career · 22 seasons | 2,700 | 8,986 | 1,193 | 2,225 | 328 | 28 | 390 | 1,314 | 32 | 1,088 | 1,209 | .248 | — | — | — | — | 12,470 | ||
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
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 182 | 17 | 41 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 21 | .225 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | NLCS | SDN | 4 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .143 |
| 1984 | WS | SDN | 5 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .250 |
| 1981 | AEDIV | NYA | 5 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .059 |
| 1981 | ALCS | NYA | 3 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
| 1981 | WS | NYA | 3 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .400 |
| 1980 | ALCS | NYA | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .167 |
| 1978 | ALCS | NYA | 4 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
| 1978 | WS | NYA | 6 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | .160 |
| 1977 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .150 |
| 1977 | WS | NYA | 6 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .190 |
| 1976 | ALCS | NYA | 5 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | .235 |
| 1976 | WS | NYA | 4 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .250 |
| 1969 | ALCS | MIN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2699 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1348 | 4371 | 623 | 1141 | 216 | 717 | .261 |
| Away | 1351 | 4611 | 570 | 1084 | 174 | 597 | .235 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-10-01 | WSN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-30 | WSN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-28 | WSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-27 | WSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-25 | WSN | PHI | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-24 | WSN | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988-09-23 | WSN | PHI | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-21 | WSN | CHC | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-09-20 | WSN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-09-18 | WSN | NYN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 14 | 11 | 93 | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| 3B | 2412 | 2324 | 1898 | 5279 | 295 | 470 |
| OF | 73 | 59 | 105 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | MIN | 1B | 3 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 | MIN | 3B | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1968 | MIN | OF | 16 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | MIN | 3B | 21 | 16 | 12 | 42 | 1 | 3 |
| 1969 | MIN | OF | 54 | 44 | 76 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | CLE | 3B | 154 | 146 | 134 | 358 | 17 | 40 |
| 1970 | CLE | OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CLE | 3B | 158 | 158 | 159 | 412 | 16 | 54 |
| 1972 | CLE | 3B | 150 | 150 | 114 | 338 | 21 | 27 |
| 1973 | NYA | 3B | 157 | 157 | 117 | 410 | 26 | 39 |
| 1974 | NYA | 3B | 154 | 154 | 147 | 377 | 21 | 29 |
| 1974 | NYA | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | NYA | 3B | 157 | 157 | 135 | 379 | 19 | 31 |
| 1976 | NYA | 3B | 158 | 156 | 137 | 383 | 19 | 30 |
| 1976 | NYA | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | NYA | 3B | 156 | 155 | 132 | 321 | 12 | 31 |
| 1978 | NYA | 3B | 159 | 159 | 109 | 326 | 11 | 30 |
| 1978 | NYA | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | NYA | 3B | 144 | 142 | 110 | 339 | 16 | 30 |
| 1980 | NYA | 3B | 88 | 85 | 58 | 182 | 10 | 18 |
| 1980 | NYA | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | NYA | 3B | 97 | 96 | 63 | 214 | 8 | 14 |
| 1982 | NYA | 3B | 113 | 109 | 73 | 255 | 23 | 23 |
| 1983 | NYA | 3B | 126 | 120 | 78 | 273 | 16 | 18 |
| 1984 | SDN | 3B | 119 | 109 | 93 | 201 | 20 | 14 |
| 1985 | SDN | 3B | 130 | 123 | 122 | 229 | 15 | 16 |
| 1986 | SDN | 3B | 114 | 99 | 83 | 174 | 16 | 14 |
| 1987 | ATL | 1B | 6 | 5 | 49 | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| 1987 | ATL | 3B | 40 | 20 | 12 | 46 | 3 | 6 |
| 1988 | MON | 1B | 5 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1988 | MON | 3B | 12 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 14 |
| Third Base | 2413 |
| Shortstop | 5 |
| Left Field | 58 |
| Center Field | 2 |
| Right Field | 13 |
| Designated Hitter | 11 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | ALCS MVP | |
| 1978 | Gold Glove | 3B |
| 1978 | Player of the Week | Week of 1978-08-25 |
| 1978 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1977 | Gold Glove | 3B |
| 1977 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1977 | Player of the Week | Week of 1977-08-19 |
| 1977 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1976 | Player of the Week | Week of 1976-10-02 |
| 1975 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1974 | Player of the Month | April |
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-04-12 |
| 1974 | Player of the Week | Week of 1974-04-19 |
Salary History
Graig Nettles's recorded salaries total $2,231,747 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Nettles's career ran from 1967 to 1988. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | MON | NL | $200,000 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | $219,500 |
| 1986 | SDN | NL | $912,247 |
| 1985 | SDN | NL | $900,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,231,747 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State University | San Diego | CA | 1964, 1965 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 86.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1977 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 112.0 | 392 | 2 |
| 1976 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 16th | 17.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 28th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Graig Nettles (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 6, 1967 and the final game on October 1, 1988, Graig Nettles built the record summarized on this page. Nettles played for the Minnesota Twins (1967 to 1969), the Cleveland Indians (1970 to 1972), the New York Yankees (1973 through 1983), the San Diego Padres (1984 through 1986), the Atlanta Braves (1987), and the Montreal Expos (1988). At 6 feet, 0 inches and 180 pounds, Nettles is listed as a third baseman. The bio says Nettles batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Nettles was born on August 20, 1944, in San Diego, CA, USA.
Nettles's career batting table shows 2,700 games, 8,986 at bats and 2,225 hits, a .248 average, plus 390 home runs, 1,314 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .329 and .421 give Nettles a career OPS of .750. Against a .256 league average for those years, Nettles's .248 average was near the norm. The OPS comparison is .750 to a league .702, 6.8% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Graig Nettles
- What years did Graig Nettles play?
- Graig Nettles played in Major League Baseball from 1967 to 1988.
- Was Graig Nettles a pitcher?
- No. Graig Nettles was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Graig Nettles hit?
- Graig Nettles hit 390 career home runs with 2,225 hits.
- What teams did Graig Nettles play for?
- Graig Nettles played for 6 teams: the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), the Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), the New York Yankees (1973–1983), the San Diego Padres (1984–1986), the Atlanta Braves (1987), and the Montreal Expos (1988).
- Did Graig Nettles win an MVP award?
- No. Graig Nettles did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Graig Nettles win?
- Graig Nettles won 2 Gold Gloves (1977 and 1978). He was selected to 6 All-Star Games.
- What were Graig Nettles's career stats?
- In 2,700 games, Graig Nettles had 2,225 hits, 390 home runs, 1,314 RBI, 1,193 runs, and 32 stolen bases, with a .248 batting average.
- How much did Graig Nettles earn in his career?
- Graig Nettles's recorded salaries total $2,231,747 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Nettles's career ran from 1967 to 1988. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Graig Nettles's salary?
- Graig Nettles's last recorded salary was $200,000, in 1988. His highest recorded salary was $912,247, in 1986, and his lowest was $200,000, in 1988. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1988.
- What position did Graig Nettles play?
- Graig Nettles played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Graig Nettles and how much did he weigh?
- Graig Nettles was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
- How many home runs did Graig Nettles hit each season?
- Graig Nettles's home runs by season: 0 in 1967, 5 in 1968, 7 in 1969, 26 in 1970, 28 in 1971, 17 in 1972, 22 in 1973, 22 in 1974, 21 in 1975, 32 in 1976, 37 in 1977, 27 in 1978, 20 in 1979, 16 in 1980, 15 in 1981, 18 in 1982, 20 in 1983, 20 in 1984, 15 in 1985, 16 in 1986, 5 in 1987, and 1 in 1988. His most in one season was 37, in 1977.
- What was Graig Nettles's career batting average?
- Graig Nettles batted .248 over his career, with 2,225 hits in 8,986 at bats.
- How many RBI did Graig Nettles have?
- Graig Nettles drove in 1,314 runs in his career.